Even if you possess an extremely capable smartphone and a great laptop, a tablet can still be an important enhancement to your tech arsenal. A portable touchscreen acts as a mobile studio for creators, an essential partner for avid travelers, and an e-reader for literary fans. These days, tablets are practically laptops as well.

Whether you’re seeking a child-friendly tablet or a portable laptop alternative, there are many fantastic options to choose from. If you’re unsure about which tablet to buy, we have one straightforward question to help refine your choices: Are you an Apple enthusiast? We examined the whole iPad range, and while iPads are our preferred option in 2025, we also value some of the finest tablets from Samsung and Microsoft. Thus, no matter your inclinations, we have a tablet suggestion for you.

UPDATE: Oct. 28, 2025, 5:00 a.m. EDT We are in the process of retesting our favorite tablets. For the time being, we’ve refreshed this guide to showcase our favorite iPads, the new Microsoft Surface 11, and Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3.

Latest updates to this guide:

• October 28, 2025: Following our tech editor’s assessment of the new iPad Pro (M5), we’ve added it to this guide owing to its speedy processor and the various advantages of iPadOS 26 and Liquid Glass.

• October 28, 2025: We’ve added the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 tablet to this guide; it’s an excellent Android gaming tablet.