10 Best Video Editing Laptops 2025 in the United States

The 2025 Apple MacBook Air 15-inch with the M4 chip is a strong contender for video editing thanks to its powerful 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, which provide smooth performance when handling multiple apps and demanding tasks like video rendering. With 24GB of unified memory, it offers ample space to work on large projects without slowing down. The 512GB SSD storage is reasonably fast and reliable but might feel limited if you work with many large video files, so consider external drives for more space.

The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display stands out with sharp detail, wide color support, and 500 nits brightness, making it excellent for accurate color work and viewing video edits clearly. Battery life is impressive, allowing up to 18 hours of video streaming, which means you can edit on the go with less worry about charging. However, the MacBook Air only includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a headphone jack, which might require adapters if you frequently connect multiple external devices or displays beyond two 6K monitors.

The integrated GPU is powerful for integrated graphics but may not match the performance of dedicated GPUs found in higher-end laptops tailored for intensive video editing. macOS and Apple Intelligence features add user-friendly tools and privacy features, and the lightweight design makes this laptop very portable. This MacBook Air is suited for users who want a blend of portability, strong display quality, and solid editing power without needing the most hardcore specs or expandability. For professional editors working on extremely large or complex projects, a laptop with more storage and a dedicated GPU might be more suitable.

The Apple 2025 MacBook Air with the M4 chip is a strong choice if you're into video editing and want a lightweight, portable laptop. Its M4 chip, featuring a 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU, provides smooth multitasking and handles video editing software well, especially apps optimized for Apple Silicon like Adobe Creative Cloud. With 16GB of unified RAM, it can manage demanding tasks without slowing down, though some heavy projects might benefit from even more memory.

The 256GB SSD offers fast storage but might feel tight if you work with large video files regularly, so pairing this laptop with external drives could be necessary. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is a highlight — it’s bright, sharp, and supports 1 billion colors, which helps your footage look true to life during editing. Battery life is impressive, offering up to 18 hours of video streaming, meaning you can edit on the go without constantly hunting for a charger. The MacBook Air includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a MagSafe charging port, offering good connectivity for external displays, fast drives, and other accessories.

The integrated GPU, while powerful for a thin-and-light laptop, may not match dedicated graphics cards found in some heavier video-editing laptops, possibly limiting performance in very graphics-intensive tasks. The 256GB storage could also limit how much footage you keep on the laptop itself. This MacBook Air suits video editors who prioritize portability, excellent display quality, and solid performance for most editing projects, especially if they are already invested in the Apple ecosystem. For very large projects or those needing top-tier graphics power, a higher-end model with more storage and a dedicated GPU might be better.

The Apple 2025 MacBook Pro with the new M5 chip is a strong contender for anyone serious about video editing. Its 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU provide excellent performance for demanding tasks, including rendering and exporting videos smoothly. With 24GB of unified memory, it handles multitasking and large video projects well, reducing slowdowns. The 1TB SSD offers fast storage space, though heavy users may eventually want more capacity or external drives.

The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is a standout feature—offering sharp detail, true-to-life colors (supporting 1 billion colors and wide P3 color gamut), and very high brightness up to 1600 nits. This makes it easier to work accurately on color grading and HDR content. ProMotion technology also adds smoothness with up to 120Hz refresh rate. Battery life is impressive, allowing up to 24 hours of video streaming and up to 16 hours of wireless web, which means you can work unplugged for extended periods. The laptop also has a good selection of ports for video editors: three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port for external monitors, an SDXC card slot for quick camera media transfer, and MagSafe charging.

The integrated GPU with Neural Accelerators supports hardware-accelerated codecs like ProRes and AV1, speeding up video encoding and decoding. However, since the GPU is integrated rather than a dedicated graphics card, users with extremely GPU-intensive workflows might find it less optimal than some high-end dedicated GPU laptops. Additionally, the MacBook Pro works seamlessly with other Apple devices, which can be a bonus for those already in the Apple ecosystem. Its premium build, advanced audio system, and high-quality camera also add to the creative experience. The main drawbacks are the relatively high price and limited ports compared to bulkier Windows laptops. This MacBook Pro is well-suited for professional and enthusiast video editors who want a compact, high-performance machine with a stunning display and excellent battery life, especially if they prefer macOS and Apple’s ecosystem.