The 6 best battery life laptops weve ever tested
How did we find the laptops with the best battery life? But running a ton of battery run-down tests. See the top Windows and MacBooks for battery.
Laptops with long-lasting battery life are essential for many users. A recent CNET survey found that battery life is a top consideration for laptop buyers. This makes sense, as a device that constantly runs out of power is inconvenient and not truly portable. To test battery performance, Mashable uses a standardized video rundown exercise.
Over the past few years, laptop battery life has improved significantly. In 2024, only one tested PC lasted over 20 hours. However, this year, three models have exceeded the 30-hour mark, and 10 others have lasted at least 20 hours. The median battery life for 2024-model-year PCs is now 12.5 hours, while this year's models average 18.5 hours, a 48 percent increase.
Advancements in Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series chips, Intel's Panther Lake chips, and Apple's custom M-series silicon have contributed to this improvement. The MacBook Air's M1 chip, released in 2020, offered 50 percent more battery life than its Intel-powered predecessor. Subsequent M2, M3, M4, and M5 models have lasted up to 21 hours per charge. Even the budget MacBook Neo exceeds the average cheap PC or Chromebook's battery life, providing roughly 15 hours of use.
The HP OmniBook 3 16 currently holds the title for the best battery life laptop tested by Mashable, lasting an impressive 40 hours and 14 minutes in their video rundown test. No other laptop has surpassed the 35-hour mark.
Written by urgent.news from Mashable's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
