Laptops
Buying a Refurbished MacBook: The 10-Point Checklist
Buy Apple silicon (M1 or newer), check battery cycle count and Activation Lock, and get at least 16GB of RAM if you can. Full checklist inside.
Buy a MacBook with Apple silicon (M1 or newer), not an Intel model. Then check three things before you pay: the battery cycle count, that Activation Lock is off, and that it's not enrolled in a company's device management. Get 16GB of RAM if you can afford it.
Quick picks
- Best value: MacBook Air M1 or M2. Silent, fast, all-day battery.
- Best for students: MacBook Air M2 or M3 with 16GB RAM.
- Best for creators: MacBook Pro 14" with M1 Pro or newer.
- Avoid: Intel MacBooks. macOS Tahoe 26 is the last macOS version that supports Intel Macs.
The 10-point checklist
- Apple silicon, not Intel. Click Apple menu → About This Mac. "Chip: Apple M1" (or M2, M3, M4) is what you want. "Processor: Intel" means it's the old generation and is close to the end of macOS updates.
- Battery cycle count. Apple menu → System Settings → General → About → System Report → Power. Look at Cycle Count and Condition. Apple rates modern MacBook batteries for 1,000 cycles. Condition should say Normal.
- Activation Lock is off. In System Settings, the previous owner's Apple Account should be gone and Find My should be off. A locked Mac is a brick for you.
- No device management (MDM). System Settings → Privacy & Security → Profiles (or General → Device Management). There should be nothing there. A school or company-managed Mac can lock itself remotely.
- RAM. It can't be upgraded later. 8GB is fine for web, docs and streaming. Get 16GB for multitasking, coding, or photo editing.
- Storage. Also can't be upgraded. 256GB is tight. 512GB is comfortable.
- Keyboard and trackpad. Type every key. Click every corner of the trackpad.
- Screen. Look for dead pixels, bright spots, and coating wear on a white and a black background.
- Ports, speakers, camera, Wi-Fi. Plug in a charger and a USB-C device. Play audio. Open Photo Booth.
- Warranty and returns. Laptops have more parts to fail than phones. Get a real warranty.
Which MacBook for which person
| You are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Student | MacBook Air M2/M3, 16GB | Light, silent, battery lasts all day |
| Office and browsing | MacBook Air M1, 8GB | Cheapest Apple silicon, still fast |
| Photo or video editing | MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro or newer | Better screen, fans, more ports |
| Developer | Any M-series with 16GB+ | RAM matters more than the chip |
MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro
The Air has no fan, so it's silent but slows down during long heavy work like video exports. The Pro has fans, a brighter screen (ProMotion on 14" and 16" models), more ports including HDMI and an SD slot, and longer battery life. For most people, the Air is plenty.
Windows laptops
The same rules apply: check battery health (run powercfg /batteryreport in Command Prompt), make sure it's signed out of the previous owner's Microsoft account and BitLocker is off, and look for 16GB RAM and an SSD.
Shop laptops
Every laptop we sell is checked against this list, wiped, and covered by a 1-year warranty. Browse refurbished MacBooks and all laptops.
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FAQ
Is a refurbished MacBook worth it?
Yes, especially M1 and newer models. They're fast, efficient and have years of macOS support left, at a much lower price than new.
What's a good battery cycle count for a used MacBook?
Under 300 is great. Apple rates modern MacBook batteries for 1,000 cycles, so anything well under that with Condition: Normal is fine.
Is 8GB of RAM enough on an M1 MacBook?
For browsing, documents, streaming and light photo editing, yes. For heavy multitasking, coding or video, get 16GB.
Should I buy an Intel MacBook?
Only very cheap, for basic use. Apple has said macOS Tahoe 26 is the final macOS release for Intel Macs.
Same tech, way less money
Every refurbished and pre-owned device is tested by real technicians, backed by a 1-year warranty and 30-day returns.