Best Laptop Brands of 2021 | Top 10 Brand Rankings
If you’re interested in learning more about the best laptop brands available, then you’ve stopped in at the right place. It doesn’t really matter what product you’re buying, the brand quality definitely matters in 2021.
The same is true for laptops and computers, and there are only a few brands that deliver reliable and robust machines. Almost everyone has their favorite laptop brand, and it’s essential to know how most of the brands are currently performing.
Finding the right laptop brand isn’t a simple task anymore. There are so many new laptops flooding the market, each with new generation specifications, that even computer geeks like us can become confused and unsure. You need to be sure that you understand every single aspect of each brand when considering which new laptop might be right for you.
Laptop Brands Comparison Chart & Top 10 Rankings
| PRODUCT | FEATURES |
|---|---|
| 1. APPLE |
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2. DELL |
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3. LENOVO |
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4. ASUS |
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5. HP |
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6. ACER |
|
7. MSI |
|
8. MICROSOFT |
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9. TOSHIBA |
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10. SAMSUNG |
|
When deciding on a certain laptop brand, you shouldn’t only consider the laptop’s design and specs but also features such as technical support, value for money, and durability.
This involves in-depth research, which might prove difficult for the average buyer. That’s where our experts step in with their personal and professional opinions. We will be listing 10 of the best laptop brands here that are popular, well-known, and deliver quality laptops.
We have ranked these brands according to their features, support, popularity, price, and overall quality of their machine.
1. Best Overall: Apple
Apple is unquestionably a luxury brand for laptops, computers, tablets, smartphones, and music players. Unlike other brands, Apple has its own operating system that comes pre-installed on all its machines, including iMacs, MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros, and the latest MacBooks.
Apple is one of the top laptops in almost every category, including customer support, build quality, user-friendly design, power, and display. Their laptops are beautiful, with a backlit Apple logo on the back, making it one of the best things to show off. When it comes to the OS, it is usually error-free, unlike Windows, and incredibly easy to use.
In addition, Apple’s recently-introduced M1 chip has been a revelation. It boasts unrivaled processing power and battery life. The newest models of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro come standard with the M1 chip, and using these MacBooks is smooth and seamless. Apple itself describes this new chip as a technological breakthrough – not an upgrade.
Apple holds down the number one spot again due to its efforts (particularly with the new M1 chip), innovations, and quality. Also, if we consider reliability and durability, Apple’s MacBooks have no competition, and most of their products are incredibly durable and long-lasting.
Its Retina Display technology is well-known and highly regarded for offering a crisp and clear display.
You should also know that most of Apple’s products come with a 14-day refund policy, which is a great guarantee for most users. Considering all of the above details, it should be clear why we have listed Apple as the best laptop brand for 2021.
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2. Best Windows Laptops: Dell
If you’re looking for the best Windows laptop, you will do well to seriously consider the Dell. Their technical and after-sales support is worth praising and is appreciated by users worldwide.
The majority of Dell laptops are budget-friendly, and most of the design and hardware are straightforward and robust. However, not everyone is a fan of a simple design, and the primary reason some users avoid purchasing a Dell.
In the past, Dell wasn’t as competitive as it is today, but the XPX series totally changed the game for Dell.
Inspiron series notebooks have also helped boost them to where they are today. Their gaming machine brand, Alienware, is the biggest name in the gaming industry, and its ratings have been in the top spot since its launch.
There are several reasons why Dell is the best Windows laptop brand, such as their support, professional design, fair prices, and durability. If you want to stick to one brand, you can go with machines from their Inspiron, XPS, and Alienware series.
Inspiron is a perfect choice for budget users, XPS is recommended for high-end usage, and of course, Alienware is the top choice for gamers. Also, according to recent surveys, Dell was one of the best-selling laptop brands in 2020. They offer laptops for every type of user.
Their collection of laptops is enormous, and most of their notebooks have all the latest features included, including touchscreens, backlit keyboards, powerful processors, and long-lasting batteries.
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3. Best for Business: Lenovo
Lenovo is a premium laptop brand, and its prices are slightly higher than other manufacturers. However, their laptops are ideal for all kinds of tasks and can be used by anyone, including professional gamers, business people, and college students.
They are best known for their business-class laptops that offer power and a super flexible design. The X1 Carbon and Legion series include some of the best portable laptops of 2021. The Chinese brand has recently started manufacturing smartphones, which are popular for their long-lasting batteries.
Lenovo has been manufacturing electronics since 1984, and their portfolio that includes desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, monitors, and projectors.
Lenovo laptops boast several perfect features such as graphics, touchpad, keyboard, display, and audio quality. Since we’re all business users, most of our staff uses laptops from the Lenovo Ideapad series for their office work.
Lenovo recently announced their “Lenovo Legion” gaming brand and are also planning on introducing laptops similar to ASUS’ ROG and Acer’s Predator. Personally, I am a huge fan of Lenovo and have been using their laptops for more than ten years now.
Lenovo laptops offer fast performance and sport a beautiful, sleek design.
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4. Best Value Laptop Brand: ASUS
ASUS laptops are best known for being affordable compared to other brands, and the reason behind this is possibly due to their in-house manufacturing of motherboards. Their mini-laptops and Chromebooks are famous for being the best budget-friendly machines.
Most of their hardware is of high quality, including HD displays, storage drives, and of course, their motherboards. The ASUS brand also manufactures other electronics, including smartphones and tablets.
There was a time when ASUS wasn’t even considered for the list of best laptop brands, but with their vast collection of attractive and powerful laptops, they have claimed the 4th spot on our list.
Currently, they have a big lineup of computers available – from budget notebooks to high-end gaming beasts. They have also improved their technical support recently, and you can request assistance telephonically or through social media channels like Twitter or Facebook.
Their budget machines offer good performance, full HD display, and over 4 hours of battery life, proving that ASUS cares about user experience. When it comes to design, they use premium quality material, which you’ll even find in their laptops under $300.
They also offer unbelievably rugged gaming laptops thanks to their ASUS ROG series, and most of the gamers prefer ASUS ROG over MSI and Alienware machines.
If we look at the overall reviews, Apple is the only brand to have more positive reviews than ASUS. One thing is definite about ASUS in 2021 – they have become a significant and competitive laptop brand.
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5. Most Reliable: HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is one of the oldest electronics brands that provide the most reliable desktops widely used by gamers and professionals.
As a laptop brand, HP outranks brands such as Acer and ASUS when it comes to durability and performance. However, battery life seems to be a huge issue in most HP laptops, which is why many users avoid going with an HP laptop.
Other than laptops, their printers, desktops, and monitors are also worth considering. Their customer service is simply fantastic in countries like United States, Canada, Australia, and England, and not many negative reviews could be found regarding support to other countries.
HP laptops range from $200 to $2000, ensuring that almost anyone can own a device from HP. Most of their machines feature outstanding performance, design, hardware, and display.
Their popular series includes Envy, Spectre, ZBook, Pavilion, and Elite. Unfortunately, we needed to subtract a point from HP due to almost no innovation in the last couple of years, and practically all their machines are similar to other brand’s devices.
All in all, HP computers might not offer a stylish and attractive design. Still, they are incredibly reliable and are on offer for a very reasonable price, which includes an excellent warranty and support.
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6. Best Budget Laptops: Acer
Acer laptops are usually the best value for the money, and most of the time, with Acer, you get what you pay for.
The Taiwanese laptop brand is known as one of the world’s largest manufacturers, and their machines are top-rated among budget users. Acer has been accused of flooding the laptop market with their extremely low-budget laptops and Chromebooks that are available from just $150.
However, potential buyers should not be deterred because of this, as they also manufacture high-end gaming laptops and premium notebooks. Their all-time famous series Aspire has hundreds of notebooks for all types of users. Acer’s machines are available worldwide and they have some fantastic laptops such as the Aspire S7.
Their customer support is slightly lagging, and we rate it at a 6 out of 10.
Design-wise, most of their laptops have a basic design similar to classic notebooks with little innovation.
Acer recently introduced the Predator, Porsche Design, and ConceptD series to the gaming market, and it’s our hope that these machines will change the future of the company for the better. Their Chromebooks’ quality could also use an upgrade, as users appreciate the performance but find the build quality lacking.
All in all, Acer is a decent laptop brand, and we highly recommend it to users on a tight budget.
CHECK ACER LAPTOP PRICES ON AMAZON
7. Best Gaming Laptops: MSI
MSI is one of the best laptop brands for gaming and is best known for delivering the best high-end gaming laptops. MSI is a leading brand for gamers but, unfortunately, doesn’t have much on offer for users on a budget.
Their laptops are usually costly, but the quality is impressive and outstanding. They keep up to date with new innovations, and these amazingly designed machines are a huge lure for hard-core gamers.
Their notebooks might not be suitable for all users, but you’ll certainly want to keep an eye on their machines which sport the latest features like eye-tracking sensors and unique gaming keyboards.
Design-wise, MSI seems to have taken numerous risks, but I believe it’s paid off for the company. They also offer slim laptops for power users, but these are not recommended for gamers.
I found their customer service lacking and in need of some improvement – such as offering 24/7 support.
Previous buyers and users love and vouch for laptops from MSI, and most all machines have received positive reviews. However, their limited portfolio is costing them sales, and it’s something the company might take under advisement.
Over 95% of their notebooks include a high-end graphics card as well as powerful and up-to-date hardware. Overall, it’s one of the best laptop brands currently available.
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8. Best 2-in-1 Laptops: Microsoft
Microsoft is yet another established and popular computer brand known for its flagship device, the Microsoft Surface Book.
They have very few laptops primarily designed for professionals, and most of their devices are priced relatively high. The American company is best known for its Windows operating system used by over 90% of computer users.
Microsoft recently introduced a new laptop named Microsoft Surface Pro X, which is extremely slim, light, and sturdy. The company also introduced the Surface Go 2, the Surface Laptop Go, and the Surface Book 3 in the last year. Being one of the oldest brands, their support is obviously outstanding compared to other laptop brands, and they also offer assistance through their social network channels.
Most of their laptops come are accompanied by a good warranty, but upgrading might be an issue as it will void the said warranty.
When it comes to software, Microsoft indeed is the most innovative brand with many useful applications like MS Office, Skype, etc.
The battery life of the machines is undoubtedly worth praising as their latest device can easily surpass the 12-hour mark. Overall, they are very passionate about technology, innovation, and design, making Microsoft one of the best laptop brands of 2021.
CHECK MICROSOFT SURFACE PRICES ON AMAZON
9. Best All-Purpose: Toshiba
Toshiba laptops are famous for being all-purpose laptops and are an excellent choice for daily use. It’s one of the best budget laptop brands for users that need a basic machine for everyday tasks like watching movies, browsing, chatting, etc.
They recently introduced the Satellite C and Satellite L series of laptops – both extremely lightweight and thin. Toshiba machines also no longer have the infamous keyboard and touchpad issues of years gone by. They always seem to be one step ahead of their competition and have been providing rugged laptops that can easily last for more than just a couple of years.
We have several guides in which we recommend users invest in a Toshiba laptop as they are cheaper than their competition and offer value for money. They have a vast collection of notebooks for every kind of user, which will usually fit nicely into their budget.
The Japanese company has been working tirelessly to impress their customers, and with the improved customer support, we can claim that Toshiba machines are among the best laptop brands. The last few years have been difficult for the brand, but their high-quality laptops, improved support, and innovation ensure they claim back their place on our list.
Their Chromebooks are selling well compared to other brands, and it’s our hope that they dump the bloatware that seems to come with almost every Toshiba laptop.
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10. Worst Laptop Brand: Samsung
Samsung is probably the best-known brand name when it comes to smartphones, tablets, televisions, air conditioners, and refrigerators. With its service centers worldwide, it’s one of the most popular electronics brands available to consumers.
However, when it comes to laptops, they, unfortunately, don’t have a large customer base. Most users avoid purchasing a Samsung laptop, mostly due to its poor battery life and classic design.
The South Korean brand has introduced some popular laptops such as the ATIV Book 9 Pro and ATIV Book 9 Plus. These laptops are known for their ultra-thin design and excellent specifications.
We have reviewed only a couple of laptops from Samsung, and they inevitably failed to impress us.
Their warranty is also considered very poor due to the shipping costs the end-user needs to cover, and the guarantee won’t cover upgraded laptops. Samsung might be a powerful brand when it comes to other electronics but are not recommended for laptops.
If the company is striving to increase its laptop sales, it might want to consider releasing more models at better prices that incorporate powerful hardware.
Overall, we do not recommend buying a laptop from Samsung due to their limited available options and overpriced machines.
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Conclusion
You should now have a better idea of which laptop brands are considered the best in 2021, as well as our favorite choices of each brand. Our experts have invested many hours into this research, and we’d appreciate our reader’s feedback and personal experiences with the reviewed brands.
All these brands are well-known when it comes to laptops, and we’re confident you can choose and purchase any one of our reviewed products. We have also linked each name to their official page, and you’re welcome to check out all of their products there.
We update this article regularly on our favorite “brand” laptop. We also have one-on-one comparisons of each pair of the major laptop brands, which provides an in-depth review and additional information on each product.
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