13-Inch Laptop Dimensions: 13.3, 13.4 and 13.6-Inch Models
"13-inch" covers screens from 13.0 to 13.6 inches, from the MacBook Air to business ultrabooks. Here are the body and screen dimensions of each variant and what fits around them.
A 13-inch laptop measures about 11.3–12 × 7.8–8.5 in (28.6–30.4 × 19.9–21.5 cm), roughly the size of a sheet of A4 paper, and weighs 2–2.8 lb (0.93–1.3 kg). A 13.3-inch screen has a 33.8 cm diagonal and measures 11.3 × 7.1 in (28.6 × 17.9 cm) in 16:10, or 11.6 × 6.5 in (29.4 × 16.6 cm) in 16:9.
- Typical body
- 30 × 21 cm
- 13.3 in diagonal
- 33.8 cm
- Screen (16:10)
- 28.6 × 17.9 cm
- Weight
- 0.93–1.3 kg
On this page
13-inch laptop dimensions by model
Few laptop makers still use the exact 13.3-inch size. Most laptops sold as 13-inch now have 13.0, 13.4 or 13.6-inch screens in bodies of almost the same size. The table covers all of them so you can compare like with like.
| Model | Screen | W × D × H (cm) | W × D × H (in) | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch | 13.0 in, 3:2 | 28.6 × 21.4 × 1.6 | 11.25 × 8.43 × 0.61 | 1.22 kg 2.7 lb |
| Apple MacBook Neo | 13.0 in, 16:10 | 29.8 × 20.6 × 1.3 | 11.71 × 8.12 × 0.50 | 1.23 kg 2.7 lb |
| HP Pavilion Aero 13 | 13.3 in, 16:10 | 29.8 × 20.9 × 1.7 | 11.72 × 8.23 × 0.65 | 0.98–0.99 kg 2.2 lb |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 | 13.3 in, 16:10 | 29.9 × 20.7 × 1.3–1.8 | 11.78 × 8.15 × 0.51–0.71 | from 0.93 kg 2.05 lb |
| Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) | 13.3 in, 16:10 | 30.4 × 21.2 × 1.6 | 11.97 × 8.36 × 0.63 | 1.29 kg 2.8 lb |
| Dell XPS 13 (9350, 2024) | 13.4 in, 16:10 | 29.5 × 19.9 × 1.5 | 11.62 × 7.84 × 0.60 | 1.18–1.22 kg 2.6–2.7 lb |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) | 13.6 in | 30.4 × 21.5 × 1.1 | 11.97 × 8.46 × 0.44 | 1.23 kg 2.7 lb |
Every model fits within 28.6–30.4 × 19.9–21.5 cm, a spread of under 2 cm. Screen size inside that footprint depends on bezel width, which is why a 13.6-inch MacBook Air is no bigger than the older 13.3-inch one. The MacBook Air M1 is no longer sold new but remains common on the used market, which is why it is included.
13-inch screen sizes: width and height
| Panel | Diagonal (cm) | Width × height (in) | Width × height (cm) | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.0 in, 3:2 | 33.0 | 10.8 × 7.2 | 27.5 × 18.3 | 78 sq in |
| 13.0 in, 16:10 | 33.0 | 11.0 × 6.9 | 27.9 × 17.5 | 76 sq in |
| 13.3 in, 16:9 | 33.8 | 11.6 × 6.5 | 29.4 × 16.6 | 76 sq in |
| 13.3 in, 16:10 | 33.8 | 11.3 × 7.1 | 28.6 × 17.9 | 80 sq in |
| 13.4 in, 16:10 | 34.0 | 11.4 × 7.1 | 28.9 × 18.0 | 81 sq in |
| 13.6 in (MacBook Air) | 34.5 | 11.4 × 7.4 | 29.0 × 18.9 | 85 sq in |
Between the smallest and largest panel in the class, screen area differs by about 12%, more than the difference in the stated diagonals suggests. The 13.6-inch MacBook Air's figures are calculated from Apple's 2560 × 1664 resolution at 224 ppi; its rounded corners and camera notch take a little of that area.
For working in two windows side by side, each half of a 13.3-inch 16:10 screen is 14.3 cm (5.6 in) wide. That is enough for a document next to a browser at reduced zoom, but cramped for two spreadsheets. If that is your daily work, compare the 14-inch laptop, which adds 1.6 cm of screen width for 1 to 2 cm more body width.
How big is a 13-inch laptop?
It is almost exactly the size of a sheet of paper. The 13-inch MacBook Air (30.4 × 21.5 cm) is 7 mm wider and 5 mm deeper than an A4 sheet (29.7 × 21 cm). In US terms, a 12 × 8.5 in body is a Letter sheet (11 × 8.5 in) plus an inch of width.
- Against a large tablet: a 12.9-inch iPad Pro (28.1 × 21.5 cm) has nearly the same footprint; see the 12.9-inch tablet dimensions.
- Thickness: 1.1 to 1.8 cm (0.44 to 0.71 in) closed, roughly 60 to 70% of a typical 15.6-inch laptop.
- On a plane tray table: with a depth of 20 to 21.5 cm and a lid of about the same height, this size and the 11.6-inch size are the easiest to use in an economy seat.
13.3 inches compared with smaller and larger laptops
| Size | Typical body (cm) | Screen area | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11.6 in (16:9) | 28.7–30.1 × 20.0–20.6 | 57 sq in | 1.2–1.35 kg |
| 12.5 in (16:9, older) | 30.5–31.0 × 20.8–21.9 | 67 sq in | 1.2–1.3 kg |
| 13.3 in (16:10) | 28.6–30.4 × 19.9–21.5 | 80 sq in | 0.93–1.3 kg |
| 15.6 in (16:9) | 35.4–36.0 × 23.6–25.1 | 104 sq in | 1.6–2.2 kg |
The table shows something surprising: a current 13-inch laptop is about the same size as, and often lighter than, than an 11.6-inch school Chromebook or an older 12.5-inch business laptop, while giving 20 to 40% more screen area. Thin bezels made the smaller sizes largely redundant. See the 11.6-inch and 12.5-inch pages for those sizes, and the laptop size chart for the full range.
Bags and sleeves for a 13-inch laptop
Because the body sizes vary by up to 2 cm, check the sleeve's interior rather than its label. Add about 1 cm to your laptop's width and depth: for a 30.4 × 21.5 cm MacBook Air, that is an interior of about 31.5 × 22.5 cm (12.4 × 8.9 in).
Bodies in the 13-inch class range from 28.6 cm wide (Surface Laptop 13-inch) to 30.4 cm (MacBook Air). A sleeve cut tightly for the Surface will not take the MacBook Air, and a sleeve made for the MacBook Air leaves the Surface loose. Match the interior to your model.
Many backpacks and messenger bags have a compartment sized for 15.6-inch laptops, which holds a 13-inch laptop with several centimeters to spare. A padded sleeve inside the compartment stops it sliding. The laptop bag size guide covers bag sizes in detail.
Frequently asked questions
If the screen is 13.3 inches, what size is the laptop itself?
Current 13.3-inch laptops are about 29.8 to 30.4 cm wide and 20.7 to 21.2 cm deep (11.7 to 12 × 8.2 to 8.4 in).
What does "13-inch laptop" mean?
It means the screen measures about 13 inches diagonally, from one corner of the display to the opposite one. It does not describe the width of the laptop, which is closer to 12 inches.
What are the measurements of a 13-inch laptop in cm?
The body is typically 28.6 to 30.4 cm wide, 19.9 to 21.5 cm deep and 1.1 to 1.8 cm thick. The 13.3-inch screen diagonal is 33.8 cm; a 13-inch screen is 33 cm.
How big is a 13-inch laptop compared with an iPad?
A 13-inch laptop has nearly the same footprint as Apple's large iPad Pro (12.9-inch models measure 28.1 × 21.5 cm) but is 2 to 3 times as thick when closed (1.1 to 1.8 cm versus 0.64 cm), because of the keyboard. The laptop's screen is slightly larger: 13.3 in versus 12.9 in.
What screen resolution is a 13-inch laptop?
Common resolutions are 1920 × 1080 or 1920 × 1200 (about 166 to 170 ppi at 13.3 in) on mainstream models, and 2560 × 1600 or higher on premium ones. The 13.6-inch MacBook Air is 2560 × 1664 at 224 ppi.