Best laptops for everyday home and office use

Top pick: HP Omnibook 5 14 "Wildcat" — the best balance of value and battery for home and office work. HP rates it at up to 42 hours (real-world use will be well short of that, but it's a genuinely long-lasting 14-inch machine), and it's light enough to carry between desk and sofa.

Who the others suit:

• Dell Inspiron 14 — if you want a touchscreen and a familiar Windows setup for the least money; a refurbished unit is also available if you're open to it.
• Dell Inspiron 15 (15.6" touch) — if a bigger screen matters more than portability for spreadsheets and video calls.
• Asus Zenbook A14 — if you want a step up in build and screen quality while staying portable.
• Apple M4 MacBook Air 15" — if you're already in Apple's ecosystem and want the best screen, speakers and battery-per-pound of the group.
• HP Everyday Laptop — a basic, budget option for light browsing, email and documents only.
• Lenovo Yoga 7 14 — if you want a convertible touchscreen for notes and streaming.
• Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 — a premium-feeling alternative with excellent battery, worth it only if the price suits you.

Skip the cheap no-name 15.6" models and the Chromebook if you need full desktop software.