Best MacBook Air laptops

Top pick: the 15-inch MacBook Air with the M4 chip. The bigger screen makes split-screen work and long reading sessions far easier, and the M4 generation is the current one, so it stays fast and supported longest. It's the one to buy if you want a single laptop to do everything.

Who the others suit:

• 13-inch M3 with 16GB — the lightest, most portable choice; 16GB of memory keeps it comfortable with many browser tabs and apps at once.
• 15-inch M3 with 8GB — fine for email, streaming and writing, but 8GB gets tight if you keep lots open.
• 13-inch M4 — the compact version of the top pick; check it's actually in stock before you commit.

If you mostly carry it around, go 13-inch; if it mostly sits on a desk, go 15-inch.