You Can Trust Our Reviews
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Buying Guide: The 8 Thinnest Laptops
The laptop world has always moved toward more compact and portable designs, but the latest crop of laptops and tablets are thinner and slimmer than any we've seen before. Consumers are consistently clamoring for technology in smaller packages, and manufacturers keep releasing ever skinnier models every year. As we test and evaluate products, we don't ignore the less technical details of width and weight. For every benchmark test we run we also break out our measuring tapes, calipers, and scales to get an accurate read on every aspect of the laptop, and we've picked out the 8 thinnest laptops on the market today.
A thinner laptop means a lighter laptop, a PC that can be slipped into a bag without adding excessive bulk. Manufacturers have always tried to cut weight, but new designs leverage premium materials like magnesium alloy and carbon fiber to provide stability while slicing the laptop profile thinner and thinner. Newer hardware helps the cause along, producing less heat ( thus requiring less space) and sucking up less energy, allowing for batteries to shrink without diminishing battery life or performance.
The thinnest laptops on the market are like greyhounds, with sleek designs and impressive speed. But even among more mainstream models thin is in. Mainstream notebooks have whittled down the width, like the Lenovo IdeaPad U400 ($899.99 direct, 4 stars) , and desktop replacements like the Sony VAIO VPC-SE23FX/S ($999 direct, 4 stars) have slimmed down to under an inch.
Don't underestimate these waif-like laptops. As notebooks slim down enough to resemble their paper-bound namesakes, processor power and battery life have finally reached levels that allow a full, productive computing experience without compromises. Even the ultra low-voltage processors found in Ultrabooks have enough processing oomph to function as your day to day laptop for everything from web-browsing to multimedia projects.
We've poured over our reviews, scoured the labs, and measured every laptop to cross our test bench to find the slimmest laptops on the market. From ultrabooks to desktop replacements, these are the 8 thinnest laptops on the market today.
FEATURED IN THIS STORY:
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s
Price: $1,495 list
The Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, Lenovo's entry into the ultrabook arena, is as well-engineered as you'd Read the full review ››
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt)
Price: $1,299 direct
The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt) is a formidable player in the ultraportable space, thanks to a Core i5 processor, backlit keyboard, and Thunderbolt port. Read the full review ››
Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A-B01UB)
Price: $1,199.99 list
It's not technically an ultrabook, but the updated, 2.9-pound Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A-B01UB) is a highly attractive ultraportable. Read the full review ››
Lenovo IdeaPad U400
Price: $899.99 direct
The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 laptop combines solid performance with a design you won't be able to keep your hands off of. Read the full review ››
Samsung Series 7 (NP700Z5A-S03)
Price: $1,299 list
A bit pricey by PC standards but $500 under a MacBook Pro, the Samsung Series 7 is a winning desktop replacement. Read the full review ››
Sony VAIO VPC-SE23FX/S
Price: $999 direct
The Sony VAIO VPC-SE23FX/S is a competent desktop replacement laptop with long battery life and a healthy feature set, but a few fumbles, like manually switching graphics, keep it from ranking higher. Read the full review ››
Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Late 2011)
Price: $1,799 direct
The Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch gets new hardware and software, including a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, AMD Radeon GPU, and OS X Lion, while keeping everything that works well, like the thin and stylish unibody design. Read the full review ››
Alienware M11xr3
Price: $1,099 direct
Need a portable gaming device to keep you sharp while you're on the road? Look no further than the Alienware M11xr3. Read the full review ››