Thin laptops are in high demand, and many manufacturers are answering the call by slimming down their leading devices. While the ones listed here might not be all the thinnest laptops on the market, they're certainly among the best, based on design and performance.
Acer Swift 7
A new model was announced at CES 2018 that will shave an additional millimeter off of the thickness, but the current Swift 7 is still ultra-thin at just 0.39 inches (9.98mm).
This configuration, starting at about $1,000, employs a 13.3-inch, 1080p display, and has inside a seventh-gen Intel Core i5-7Y54 processor (CPU), 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). It's perfect for everyday productivity on the go. Keep an eye out for the newer Swift 7, expected to launch March 2018.
HP Spectre 13
HP's most deluxe offering, which starts at about $1,300, has a beautiful design and chassis that's 0.41 inches (10.4mm) thick. A 13.3-inch touch display has minimal bezel and is available in either 1080p or 4K.
Inside you can grab up to an eighth-gen Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD for blazing performance. Adding to the package is an IR camera for Windows Hello and a number of modern ports, including two Thunderbolt 3.
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Huawei MateBook X
The MateBook X from Huawei (about $1,100) is an impressive 13-inch laptop that's just 0.49 inches (12.5mm) thick.
The display sits at 1440p and has great color, and the design is reminiscent of a MacBook. This configuration has inside a seventh-gen Intel Core i7-7200U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, plus there's a fingerprint reader for Windows Hello built into the power button.
Dell XPS 13
Dell's XPS line gets thinner every year, and the new 9370 model (starting at about $1,000) has now reached a thickness that ranges from 0.3 inches (7.8mm) to 0.46 inches (11.6mm) because of the wedge design. On top of the thinner chassis, the display also has thinner bezels.
Configurations start with an eighth-gen Intel Core i5-8250U CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 128GB SSD, and go all the way up to a Core i7 with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe SSD. The 13.3-inch display is also available in touch and non-touch, and you can choose from 1080p or 4K options.
Samsung Notebook 9
In a surprise move, the 13-inch Notebook 9 announced at CES 2018 will actually be about a millimeter thicker than the version currently available, which sits at about 0.55 inches (13.97mm). These are beautiful laptops (about $930) with a quality build, offering up a good selection of ports and a fingerprint reader for quick logins with Windows Hello.
Inside, get up to a seventh-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, enough combined power to tackle your day's work. The display is capped at 1080p, but on a laptop this size it doesn't look out of place.
Lenovo Yoga 920
This is one of my favorite convertible laptops from the past year, bringing a quality build and unique watchband hinge to the plate. It's also only 0.54 inches (13.95mm) thick while managing to cram in a 4K touch display and performance hardware, and it starts at about $1,200.
Get up to an eighth-gen Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD, plus take advantage of a battery that lasts through a workday. Add a fingerprint reader for Windows Hello and two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and you have one fine laptop.
Razer Blade Stealth
For any Razer fans out there, the Blade Stealth is likely your top choice if you want thin; this one is 0.52 inches (13.1mm) thick. For about $1,600, you can grab one with a 13.3-inch 1800p touch display, a seventh-gen Intel Core i7-7500U CPU, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
There are also Blade Stealth models sporting the latest eighth-gen Intel Core CPUs, but they're a hair thicker than the one featured here.
HP Spectre x360
The Spectre x360 (starting at about $1,000) is one of the finest convertibles on the market today, offering a 13.3-inch touch display with your choice of 1080p or 4K and inking support. There's also an IR camera above the display for speedy logins with Windows Hello.
For performance hardware, get up to an eighth-gen Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD. The battery last more than a workday, and the entire thing is only 0.53 inches (13.46mm) thick.
ASUS ZenBook 13
The current ZenBook 13 (UX330UA) starts at about $750 but delivers quite a bit for the price. You're getting an eighth-gen Intel Core i5-8250U CPU, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 256GB SATA SSD, and packed into a chassis that's just 0.53 inches (13.46mm) thick.
A newer ZenBook 13 (UX331UAL) was announced at CES 2018, and while there's still no price or release date, it will be only about 0.02 inches thicker than the previous model.
Microsoft Surface Laptop
What would a thin laptop list be without a Surface device? The Surface Laptop (starting at about $1,000) is available in four different colors and is about 0.57 inches (14.47mm) thick. The 13.5-inch display has a unique 2,256 x 1,504 resolution thanks to the 3:2 aspect ratio, and it is compatible with the Surface Pen.
For hardware inside, you can get up to a seventh-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD. And you can use Windows 10 S for a smooth experience.
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Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than eight years of experience writing about laptops, PCs, accessories, games, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.