Best Microsoft Surface Products 2022

The Microsoft Surface product line has come quite far in the decade since its first entry. Windows 11 is a vast improvement over the stripped-down Windows RT of the original model. Of course, the specs and performance have also seen some significant improvements. The form factors available include that of the original kickstand tablet and the more traditional laptop format and inventive adjustable 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 formats.

Specs and price range from budget devices to high-powered professional workstations, so whatever you need, the surface range likely has you covered. To help you find the best surface product for you, we’ve drawn up our list of the best Microsoft Surface products in 2022.

The Surface Pro 8 is the latest generation of Surface Pro and features a significantly upgraded screen. Rather than the classic large bezels and the 60 Hz refresh rate, the screen now has modern narrow bezels and a 120Hz refresh rate, though you’ll need to enable it in the settings. The tablet form factor is the classic Surface approach, with the sturdy metal kickstand letting you angle the screen as required.

While there are plenty of options, we feel that the i5, 8GB RAM model with the 512GB SSD is likely the best choice for most people. It’s worth noting that the 128GB and 256GB SSD models have a replaceable SSD where the larger models do not, though this likely won’t be too much of a concern.

Suppose you want to use the tablet as a regular laptop at any point. In that case, you’ll probably want to get a Surface Pro keyboard, which doubles up as an excellent way to protect your screen. Unfortunately, these are entirely extra. To some degree, this makes sense. If you already have a functional one, you don’t need another. But it’s an additional $100 or $300 depending on whether you get the Signature model with the Slim Pen 2.

The Surface Laptop 4 takes a traditional laptop format which is more convenient in some scenarios than a tablet with a kickstand. It’s available with a 13.5-inch or 15-inch screen with an Intel or AMD CPU. The configuration we’d recommend for most people is the 15-inch AMD 16GB RAM model with 512GB SSD. The screen is large and has an appropriately high resolution. However, it is limited to just 60Hz.

Connectivity is minimalistic, but at least there’s both USB-A and USB-C, though it would have been nice to see some extra ports. Wi-Fi6 is supported for high-speed home networking. The battery life is also pretty solid, with Microsoft claiming more than 16 hours under normal usage. Unfortunately, the charging speed isn’t particularly compelling, though that’s likely a good sign for the battery’s longevity. The computer fans are often quite loud, which may get annoying.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is designed primarily for creative professionals. It looks like it has a standard laptop form factor. However, the screen can be hinged forward to sit between the keyboard and touchpad or laid flat on the bottom part entirely for a more tablet-like experience. It features a 14.4-inch screen with an appropriately high resolution and refresh rate.

The model we’d recommend for professionals needing the performance is the maxed-out one with an intel i7 CPU, a discrete Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics chip, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD. Though the price makes this configuration a hard sell to standard consumers. The webcam is high quality, offering 1080p resolution. The dual USB-C ports both support Thunderbolt 4. However, these are the only connectivity ports, so you may need an adaptor. Another thing to note is that it is pretty heavy, especially on the higher-spec models. This should be kept in mind if you’re planning on primarily using it as a tablet you carry around with you.

The Surface Laptop Go 2 is a budget-orientated laptop primarily aimed at students. While it starts at just $599, that model has just 4GB of RAM, which will likely cause performance issues. Our recommended configuration is the mid-range model with an Intel i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. The 12.4-inch screen has a 3:2 resolution of 1536 x 1024, which means it is sub 1080p. It is also limited to 60Hz.

An excellent 720p webcam and a fingerprint sensor are integrated into the power button. This power button is the only backlit key on the keyboard, making typing in darker environments significantly more difficult unless you’re a confident touch typist. There is a single USB-A and USB-C port, so you may want to invest in a multi-port adaptor. Despite the mid-range CPU, the cooling fan comes on fairly often and is quite loud, though it does an ok job at cooling the laptop.

That was our roundup of the best Microsoft Surface products in 2022. Have you recently bought a Microsoft Surface product? What sold you on it, and what has your experience been with it so far? Let us know down below.