Best MacBook Air laptops under $1,000

Top pick: the 13.6-inch MacBook Air M4. It's the newest Air you can get new inside a four-figure budget, and the M4 chip handles everyday work, photo editing and long video calls without a fan or a stutter. Buy the 16GB/256GB version if you can — 8GB fills up fast with lots of browser tabs.

Who the others suit:

• MacBook Air M2 — the sweet spot if you want a modern design and MagSafe charging for less; still quick for study, writing and streaming.
• MacBook Air M1 — the budget champion for a second machine, a student or a parent who mostly browses, emails and watches video.
• MacBook Air M3 — worth it only if you find it new and want a bit more headroom than the M2.

Skip anything with 8GB RAM if you plan to keep it four or five years.