Which laptop should you buy on Prime Day 2022?

The best laptop you can buy is the Dell XPS 13, which has just recently been updated with a new model in 2022. You should have your eye on that laptop among the best Prime Day deals this year, but with excellent laptops like the M1 MacBook Air likely to be on sale, you’ll want to peruse the larger selection of the best Prime Day laptop deals too.

The Dell XPS 13 laptop, in white, with a nature scene on the screen.

Laptops are a great product to be shopping for on Prime Day, especially due to how expensive they’ve been recently. The struggle, however, is trying to pick from the wide selection that will be available. Companies like to put massive discounts on very old laptops — many of which you should avoid altogether. If you’re looking at a cheap laptop that has a processor from a few generations ago, don’t bother.

Instead, focus on current and previous-gen laptops that will receive solid price cuts on Prime Day. I’m going to recommend the Dell XPS 13, of course, either the new 2022 model or last year’s model. They should feature very similar performance, and if you prefer the look of the carbon-fiber palm rests of the older model, it will probably get deeper cuts as the new model is only starting to circulate. The larger Dell XPS 15 and Dell XPS 17 are also both options if you’re looking for something with a bit more power.

Of course, there are dozens of laptops that have received Recommended and Editors Choice badges that we’ve reviewed this year so far, all of which we consider to be among the best laptops you can buy. It all depends on what you’re looking for, the operating system you prefer, and the size of your budget. Here’s how some of the other popular laptop categories break down.

Which MacBook should you buy on Prime Day 2022?

A close up of the gold MacBook Air M1's keyboard. — Apple MacBook Air M1 Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The Apple MacBook Air M1 is also an obvious good choice for Prime Day, as it has been for the past couple of years. The M1 revolutionized the otherwise plain MacBook, offering a massive jump ahead in both performance and battery life. Even with the M2 MacBook Air 2022 on the verge of release, the M1 MacBook Air is the option to have your eye on for significant deals on Prime Day.

That doesn’t mean, however, you should go out and buy any old MacBook. Crusty old pre-M1 MacBooks should not be purchased — really, under any circumstances.

And if you’re looking for something more powerful, of course, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are both fantastic. These were the best new laptops of 2022, and some of our new favorite Apple products in recent memory. The 13-inch MacBook Pro, on the other hand, is a disappointment. For the right price, this M1 MacBook Pro could be worth a purchase, just make sure to compare the price directly to what’s available for the M1 MacBook Air.

Which gaming laptop should you buy on Prime Day 2022?

The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro sitting at an angle. — Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Gaming laptops are also a huge category on Prime Day, though your options there may end up being sparse. The best gaming laptops have gotten significantly more expensive over the past couple of years, so companies may resort to offering very old models in their inventory to satisfy demand.

In general, avoid old gaming laptops with Nvidia GTX graphics and stick with something newer. The couple of hundred extra bucks will make a significant impact on your enjoyment of the gaming laptop, especially when it comes to performance. You want a gaming laptop to have at least an RTX 3050 Ti, or else you’ll be severely restricted to what games you can play at decent frame rates.

Some of the gaming laptops that top our recommended list include the Razer Blade 14 (or 15), Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, and MSI GS66 Stealth — all of which are quite expensive. More affordable gaming laptops are harder to come by, but the HP Victus 16 is a good option, as is the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro.