TIPS & TRICKS

The Sidecar feature on macOS Catalina lets you use an iPad as a second display for your MacBook.

Apple charges a hefty premium for extra storage, so consider a cheaper external SSD.

1 Apple MacBook Air (2020)

from £999/ stuff.tv/MacBookAir

The MacBook Air moves forward to affirm its status as the perfect Apple laptop for most people. The refined scissor-switch keyboard is the star of the show here, making it more comfortable to type for hours on end, but that’s far from the only thing that’s improved from the previous model - which was already our No1 laptop. If you’re after a simple all-round machine, this one will keep you going for years.

Stuff says Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Our go-to MacBook gets even go-to-er with better pricing and a better keyboard

• NOW ADD THIS

Satechi Type-C USB 3 Combo Hub Two ports not enough? This hub adds loads more and sits snugly against the new MacBook Air’s side.

£33 / amazon.co.uk

2 Microsoft Surface Laptop 3

from £999/ stuff.tv/SurfaceLap3

The Surface Laptop 3 seems plain on paper - no second screen, no graphics card, no hybrid hinge, no fingerprint scanner - but Microsoft has put supreme attention to detail into every part that matters. The new Surface Book 3 has a lot to live up to…

Stuff says Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Forget frills and gimmicks: this is everything a laptop should be

3 Apple MacBook Pro 16in

from £2399/ stuff.tv/MacBookPro16

The current 16in Pro doesn’t look much different from its 15in predecessor, but all doubts fade away when you start using it. The keyboard is better, the screen is superb, the speakers are great, it only rarely gets warm, and even the battery lasts longer.

Stuff says Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A serious upgrade to what was already a top-class MacBook

4 Dell XPS 13

Rated 5 out of 5 stars from £1399/ stuff.tv/XPS13

Style, portability, performance… there’s nothing else out there that’s quite so well rounded.

5 Huawei MateBook X Pro

Rated 5 out of 5 starsfrom £999/ stuff.tv/MateBookXPro

Not massively better than the 2018 model, but this is a real powerhouse of a Windows laptop.

6 Apple MacBook Pro (2019)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars from £1299/ stuff.tv/MacBookPro13

The entry-level 13in Pro is good… but note that the incoming 2020 version should be better.

7 Google Pixelbook Go

Rated 5 out of 5 stars from £629/ stuff.tv/PixelbookGo

A light and stylish touchscreen laptop built for those who like to live and work in the cloud.

8 Razer Blade 15 Advanced

Rated 4 out of 5 stars from £2099/ stuff.tv/BladeAdvanced

Razer’s Blade models are our favourite gaming laptops, and this is a worthy flagship.

9 Asus ZenBook Pro 14

Rated 5 out of 5 stars from £1100/ stuff.tv/ZenBookPro14

A capable multimedia laptop with a clever gimmick: a second screen instead of a trackpad.

10 Acer Swift 5

Rated 4 out of 5 stars from £981/ stuff.tv/Swift5

An ultra-light laptop that doesn’t dump everything to stay slinky.