PCMag UK’s 2025 roundup of the lightest laptops crystallizes a simple truth: the ultralight category is no longer a playground for compromises — it’s a battlefield of trade-offs where display quality, battery life, local AI capability, and serviceability determine which models deserve the “lightest” crown. The guide groups winners by real-world use cases (travel, sustainability, big-screen portability, gaming, ChromeOS value) and surfaces clear winners such as the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Touch for mainstream buyers, the Framework Laptop 13 for repairability, the LG Gram 17 for giant-screen portability, and Apple’s M4 MacBook Airs for battery efficiency and platform polish.
Background / Overview
The 2025 ultraportable market has evolved into a rich ecosystem of distinct value propositions. Where once “light” simply meant a thin case and lower weight, the newest designs balance multiple priorities: integrated NPUs for on-device AI, OLED displays at mainstream price points, and modularity or repairability in a few standout models. PCMag UK’s roundup frames its picks around concrete usage patterns rather than raw specs, an approach that mirrors broader industry reporting and lab verification.
Most reviewers and OEM spec sheets draw the upper bound of “lightweight” at roughly three pounds for compact models, with allowances up to about four pounds for genuinely large-screen machines. That convention helps shoppers choose by canvas size: 13–14-inch laptops dominate the ultralight class, while rare outliers like the LG Gram 17 deliver a 17-inch experience at weights near many 14-inch competitors.
What PCMag UK tested and why it matters
PCMag UK evaluated dozens of contenders across categories — mainstream ultraportables, 2‑in‑1 convertibles, Chromebooks, repairable modular devices, and a high-end 14‑inch gaming machine — and recommended winners targeted at explicit user needs: travel, content creation, sustainability, and raw portability. Their selections emphasize battery longevity, screen quality (OLED and higher-density panels), and platform-level AI readiness (NPUs and Copilot+/on-device inference). These are the attributes that actually change day-to-day experience in 2025, not merely the headline CPU or GPU model.
Key editorial takeaways from the roundup:
- Mobility without sacrifice: modern silicon and OLED displays let many ultraportables be both compact and capable.
- SKU roulette is real: model names hide wildly different internals; always verify the SKU string before buying.
- Repairability is a differentiator: Framework and a few business models buck the trend of soldered memory and storage.
The headline picks: verified snapshot and context
Below is a practical synthesis of the most consequential models in PCMag UK’s list, consolidated with independent verification and context from broader testing and OEM specifications.
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Touch (UM3406) — Best for most people
PCMag UK’s top mainstream pick, the Zenbook 14 OLED Touch, is a high-value ultraportable blending an eye-catching OLED panel with efficient AMD Ryzen AI silicon and solid battery endurance. ASUS’s product pages and lab reviews confirm UM3406-series SKUs with 14-inch OLED panels, Ryzen AI options, and a 75Wh battery in many configurations — a combination that underpins the review’s praise for display, performance and runtime. Buyers should, however, verify the exact UM3406 sub‑SKU because GPU/NPU and brightness figures vary between SKUs.
Key strengths:
- Brilliant OLED contrast and color for creators and media.
- Competitive mixed-use battery life thanks to a 75Wh cell in many SKUs.
- Balanced price-performance: often available under $1,000 in key configurations.
Considerations:
- SKU fragmentation (double-check NPU TOPS and brightness).
- Non-upgradable LPDDR memory in many configurations.
Framework Laptop 13 (2025 DIY Edition) — Best for sustainability and upgradability
Framework’s modular philosophy is rare in the ultralight class: a sub‑3‑pound laptop that lets owners swap motherboard, memory, storage, display, and ports. PCMag UK singles it out as the go-to option for environmentally minded buyers and DIY tinkerers; independent reports back up Framework’s modular design and the company’s move to offer AMD Ryzen AI options for higher AI throughput. For buyers who plan to upgrade across generations, Framework’s long-term TCO and repairability are compelling.
Key strengths:
- Nearly every component is user-replaceable.
- Significant long-term savings for planned upgrade paths.
- Strong alignment with sustainability goals and e‑waste reduction.
Considerations:
- Upfront cost can be higher than non-modular rivals.
- Display color calibration and battery characteristics vary by configuration.
LG Gram 17 — Best for big-screen portability
The LG Gram 17 is exceptional for delivering a true 17‑inch QHD+ canvas at weights close to many 14‑inch ultrabooks. PCMag UK’s pick highlights magnesium-alloy construction, a light 3.1‑pound mass, and long battery life — observed in third‑party tests as mid‑teens hours in mixed workloads depending on the SKU. This model is perfect for spreadsheet power users and travelers who refuse to compromise screen real estate.
Key strengths:
- Huge, vibrant 17‑inch panel for productivity and media.
- Extremely light for its size, enabling true big-screen mobility.
Considerations:
- Premium price — the Gram 17 often starts well above mainstream ultraportable pricing.
- Thin chassis may limit sustained thermal headroom under heavy loads.
Apple MacBook Air (2025, M4) — Best-in-class battery and macOS ecosystem
Apple’s M4‑powered MacBook Air (available in 13‑ and 15‑inch options) continues to lead the pack for power efficiency and battery life. PCMag UK praises the M4 Air for near‑daylong battery life, a fanless silent design, and improved integrated AI capability via Apple Intelligence. Independent lab results and Apple’s official figures consistently place mixed‑use battery life in the 16–18 hour window for light workloads; these are strong numbers that matter for students and road warriors. Remember: Apple’s unified memory and storage are fixed at purchase and not user-upgradeable.
Key strengths:
- Class-leading battery life and per‑watt efficiency.
- Robust creative performance in a silent, fanless package.
Considerations:
- No internal upgrades; choose memory and storage carefully when buying.
- macOS ecosystem differences relative to Windows (app compatibility and management).
Razer Blade 14 (2025) — Best lightweight gaming laptop
For mobile gamers who won’t accept a bulky chassis, the Razer Blade 14 (2025) packs high-end AMD Ryzen AI and Nvidia RTX 50‑series graphics into a 14‑inch 3.6‑pound shell. PCMag UK highlights its strong GPU performance, 120Hz OLED panel, and more than 10 hours of battery life in light workloads — all of which check out against vendor claims and independent gaming benchmarks. The premium price is the trade-off for top-tier gaming on the go.
Key strengths:
- Desktop-level GPU performance in a highly portable chassis.
- Dazzling OLED display with high refresh for gaming.
Considerations:
- High price for premium components.
- Thermals and fan noise can rise under long gaming sessions.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 10 Aura Edition — Best for convertible usability and audio
Lenovo’s Yoga 9i Aura Edition is a flagship convertible with a 360° hinge, stylus, and an OLED screen with high refresh rates and HDR support. PCMag UK called it the best 2‑in‑1 for users who want a premium hybrid experience with solid audio and long battery life; independent testing echoes those strengths while noting the model’s higher cost relative to mainstream convertibles.
Key strengths:
- Excellent OLED color and HDR support.
- Polished 2‑in‑1 design with included stylus.
Considerations:
- Premium price for the Aura Edition.
- Slightly heavier than the lightest clamshell ultrabooks.
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 — Best ChromeOS value
For ChromeOS fans, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 delivers Chromebook Plus features, Intel Core i5 performance in multiple SKUs, and excellent battery life at an approachable price. PCMag UK praises it as the best lightweight Chromebook for budget-conscious shoppers, a claim backed by the CX34’s hardware balance and Chromebook Plus certifications in 2025.
Key strengths:
- Great value for Google-centric workflows.
- Long battery life and included AI features on Chromebook Plus models.
Considerations:
- ChromeOS limitations for legacy Windows apps.
Asus ProArt PZ13 and Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9 — Lightweight detachables
PCMag UK spotlights the Asus ProArt PZ13 as a Surface Pro competitor with an OLED panel, included keyboard/kickstand, and long battery life; and it endorses the Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9 as the lightest, most affordable 2‑in‑1 tablet form factor for students and families. Both are excellent examples of how detachable designs now target specific niches — creators and budget-conscious tablet users respectively — while delivering feathery, travel-friendly weights.
Key strengths:
- PZ13: detachable performance with OLED color and included accessories.
- Duet Gen 9: ultra-lightweight, included stylus and keyboard for kids/students.
Considerations:
- PZ13: ARM/Windows compatibility caveats for classic x86 apps in some SKUs.
- Duet Gen 9: ChromeOS limitations compared with full Windows or macOS.
Trends the roundup highlights — and what they mean for buyers
Slim bezels and squarer screens
Manufacturers prefer high screen-to-body ratios to cut physical bulk; simultaneously, aspect ratios are migrating from 16:9 toward
16:10 and
3:2, giving vertical screen real estate that improves productivity (web pages, spreadsheets) without dramatically increasing footprint. This is now mainstream across business and consumer ultraportables.
OLED and high‑nit IPS panels are mainstream
OLED is no longer a rare premium option — it’s a feature you’ll now find in many top light laptops, providing contrast and color advantages that matter for creators and media consumers. That said, buyers who need outdoor visibility should still check peak nit numbers because OLED brightness varies by panel SKU.
NPUs and on-device AI (Copilot+ readiness)
Core Ultra (Intel Lunar Lake), AMD Ryzen AI, and Qualcomm Snapdragon X silicon with integrated NPUs make local assistant features practical: noise suppression, transcription, local inference for Copilot-like experiences. PCMag UK stresses checking NPU TOPS if Copilot+ functionality matters. Independent reviews repeatedly advise verifying NPU figures and vendor certification for Copilot+ features.
Practical buying checklist (actionable steps)
- Confirm the exact SKU before you buy — CPU, NPU TOPS, panel part number, RAM type (LPDDR vs SO‑DIMM), and battery capacity.
- Prefer 16 GB RAM and 512 GB NVMe as a modern baseline for longevity.
- Check independent battery tests for the SKU you plan to buy; vendor “up to” figures are often optimistic.
- If repairability matters, choose models with user‑replaceable components (Framework, some ThinkPads).
- For mission‑critical Windows apps, prefer x86 (Intel/AMD) unless you can validate behavior under Windows‑on‑Arm emulation.
Critical analysis: strengths, risks, and buyer traps
PCMag UK’s roundup gets the major trends right: displays, battery efficiency, and on-device AI are the levers that move the needle in 2025. The editorial framing around use cases is practical and helps match shoppers to the right machine class. But readers should be wary of these recurring pitfalls:
- SKU fragmentation (the biggest single risk). The same model name can include diverse CPUs, panel types, and battery sizes. Treat model families as umbrellas, not guarantees. Always confirm the SKU string and consult independent reviews for that configuration.
- Vendor battery claims vs. real-world runtime. Manufacturers publish “up to” numbers using narrow lab scenarios; independent mixed‑use tests usually show lower but still competitive results. If battery life is mission-critical, build your expectation around third‑party lab runs.
- ARM/Windows compatibility caveats. ARM-based Windows devices (Snapdragon/Qualcomm) can deliver spectacular battery life but may trip on legacy x86 binaries or niche enterprise utilities under emulation. Test mission‑critical apps before committing a fleet or a primary workstation.
- Thermal limits of thin chassis. Ultralight designs trade thermal headroom for thinness. For sustained CPU/GPU workloads (long renders, heavy compilations or gaming sessions), expect throttling relative to larger chassis with beefier cooling. Choose H/HX-class or larger systems when sustained peak performance matters.
- Upgradability vs. weight. The lightest machines often solder RAM and sometimes storage. If you want a future-proof device, plan for either a modular system (like Framework) or choose a model with SO‑DIMM and M.2 slots.
Where PCMag UK errs conservatively is in over‑reliance on family-level praise without repeated SKU caveats throughout every pick; the editorial does call this out, but readers still need to do the final SKU verification work before purchase.
Who should buy which laptop: scenario-based short recommendations
- Frequent traveler who wants big screen: LG Gram 17 — unusually large canvas with very low mass for the size.
- Sustainability-minded buyer and tinkerers: Framework Laptop 13 (DIY Edition) — modular parts make upgrades and repair feasible.
- Mainstream buyer who wants value and an outstanding display: Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Touch (UM3406) — OLED, Ryzen AI, and long battery life at a realistic price.
- Mobile gamer who refuses compromises: Razer Blade 14 (2025) — premium GPU power in a compact form factor.
- Creators and convertible fans: Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 10 Aura Edition — best 2‑in‑1 balance of display, audio, and pen support.
- ChromeOS and budget-first shoppers: Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 — plus-grade Chromebook hardware at an approachable price.
Final verdict — buying the right “light” laptop in 2025
The lightest laptops in 2025 are no longer a single category: they are a set of refined choices, each optimized for a narrow band of needs. PCMag UK’s roundup provides an effective roadmap through that landscape by matching products to real user scenarios rather than issuing a single, universal “best.” Its emphasis on display quality, battery life, Copilot+/NPU readiness, and serviceability is aligned with tested, real-world improvements across the industry. That said, the final act of due diligence still belongs to the buyer: verify the SKU, check independent battery and thermal tests for your intended workload, and weigh whether future‑proofing (repairability, RAM/SSD upgradability) or the lowest initial price matters more.
If you remember one rule when shopping the lightest laptops: buy the configuration that matches the one thing you will do most every day — and verify that particular SKU’s independent test results before you pay.
Conclusion
Ultraportables in 2025 are the product of thoughtful trade-offs: you can have dazzling OLED displays, multi‑day battery life, and even local AI acceleration — but not all at once in every SKU. PCMag UK’s tested picks give practical, task-driven choices across budgets and form factors, and they spotlight models that genuinely push the limits of what “light” can mean. Use the checklist above; prioritize the attribute that will dominate your day-to-day work; and remember that the model name is only the beginning — the SKU is what you will actually live with.
Source: PCMag UK
Tested: The Lightest Laptops for 2025