Which? reveals the most popular laptops of 2021 so far

We put laptops through our tough, independent lab tests so we can tell you which are the best for your budget. So any buyer knows to check our reviews before they part with their money. We reveal which laptop reviews are the most popular so far in 2021.

Buying a laptop is a purchase that matters. Not only is it the device you'll be using to get your most important work and life admin done, it can also be an important source of entertainment for you your family. So finding the best at a budget that suits you is worth doing the research.

Below, we run down the top five most popular* laptops as read by visitors to which.co.uk, and explain why these laptops are worth looking into.

We have more 150 reviews of the latest laptops online, so you can use our reviews to find the right model for you

The most popular cheap laptop

Acer Swift 1 SF114-34 and Acer Swift 1 SF114-32

• From £399
• Intel Pentium processor
• 14-inch Full HD screen

Our top entry is also the cheapest. Little wonder, because the Acer Swift 1 combines some seriously appealing specifications for a price that is more than a little surprising. This 14-inch laptop weighs in at just 1.35kg, but also features a Full HD screen, reasonably peppy Intel Pentium processor and plenty of storage.

It could be the ideal laptop for getting light work done; open a few web browser tabs and a Word document, and you shouldn't have too many issues.

Both the 2021 and 2018 models have proven really popular on our site, so it's worth having a look at both reviews to see how they compare.

Read our Acer Swift 1 SF114-34 review and Acer Swift 1 F114-32 review

See other bargain options in our expert pick of the best cheap laptops

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A big-brand laptop always on discount

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5-inch

• From £750
• Intel Core i5 processor
• 13.5-inch 2,256 x 1,504-pixel screen

In second place is a laptop that launched in 2019 but is still going strong despite having been superseded. It features regularly in our guide to the best laptop deals because, despite its age, it still features powerful components and a high-resolution screen, and is frequently discounted to far below its £999 launch price.

For example, at the time of writing it's just £750 at Argos.

While it won't suit everybody's budget, for the price you'll get yourself a laptop that should be speedy enough for practically any task and features a screen that should keep things looking pin sharp and colourful.

Read our full Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5-inch review.

Apple MacBook Pro and Apple MacBook Air M1

• From £999
• Apple M1 processor
• 13.3-inch 2,560 x 1,600-pixel screen

This pair of Apple laptops from late 2020 are neck and neck when it comes to interested readers on our website. Apple departed from the norm of popping an Intel or AMD processor into its laptops in 2020, instead using its in-house designed Apple M1 processor.

Beyond that, all the fundamentals of the MacBook are still in place: the aluminium body, high-resolution screen and thin design are all present and correct. That, plus some heady battery life and speed claims.

Read our full Apple MacBook Pro M1 and MacBook Air M1 reviews to find out if reality meets the hype.

Fan of Apple laptops? To find out which one is best for you, see all of our Apple Macbook reviews

Lenovo Yoga 7i 14ITL5

• From £799
• Intel Core i5 processor
• 13.3-inch Full HD screen

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 14ITL5 is a slim, convertible laptop with a quad-core Core i5 processor, 256GB of storage and 8GB of Ram. It even comes with a stylus pen, which makes it unique among this top five list.

Based on the spec sheet, this thin and light laptop could be the ideal companion for someone who likes to get creative on the move, either with drawing apps or simply taking handwritten notes during moments of inspiration.

Read our full Lenovo Yoga 7i 14ITL5 review to see how it did in our tests

Take a look at our guide to the best Windows 10 laptops

Google Pixelbook Go

• From £629
• Intel Core m3 processor
• 13.3-inch Full HD screen

This laptop from early 2020 is still the latest Google-branded laptop - and there's plenty here to like. That includes its 1.05kg weight, dinky 13.3-inch screen and easy-to-use ChromeOS operating system.

It might not set the world alight with its dual-core Intel Core m3 processor and 64GB of storage, but for a laptop user always on the (cough) go, the Pixelbook Go could be a great option.

Read our Google Pixelbook Go review to see how it fared.

See our pick of the best Chromebooks for more options.

• Most-visited laptop reviews on which.co.uk between 1 January and 6 September 2021.