Skip to content
Nungeum

Tech · Apple · 2020

Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

The used laptop most likely to be all a student or writer needs, for less than any other Mac here.

Refurbished MacBooks: five Apple-silicon picks on eBay — #4

Overall

8.4

out of 10

Axis scores

Strongest on Value (9.2), weakest on Design (7.8), a 1.4-point spread. The 8.4 overall is the plain average of all 5 Tech axes, with no weighting.

Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020): Performance 8.0, Value 9.2, Durability 8.2, Ease of use 8.6, Design 7.8.PerformanceApple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) — Performance 8.0 out of 108.0ValueApple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) — Value 9.2 out of 109.2DurabilityApple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) — Durability 8.2 out of 108.2Ease of useApple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) — Ease of use 8.6 out of 108.6DesignApple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) — Design 7.8 out of 107.8Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Display
13.3-inch Retina (LCD)
Chip
Apple M1 (8-core CPU)
Memory
8GB or 16GB
Ports
2x Thunderbolt / USB 4, headphone jack
Camera
720p FaceTime HD
Battery
Up to 18 hrs movie playback
Weight
2.8 lb

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • Writing, browsing, schoolwork, and light photo editing on a tight budget
  • A silent laptop; there's no fan at all
  • A first Mac for someone switching from Windows

Skip it if

  • You'll be on video calls every day; the 720p camera looks soft
  • You need more than one external display without a DisplayLink adapter

The M1 Air was Apple’s first Apple-silicon laptop, and it’s still the one most people should start with when buying used. It’s fanless, fast at everyday work, and it often runs a full working day on a healthy battery.

Two things decide a good unit. The first is battery cycle count: macOS shows it under System Information, then Power. Apple rates these batteries for 1,000 cycles, so a unit under 300 has most of its life left. The second is the screen. A run of owner reports and a class-action complaint described cracks appearing without a drop, often from pressure on a closed lid. Ask for a photo of the screen on a white background and look for lines or dark patches.

The design is the old wedge, with no MagSafe and no notch. It’s dated but comfortable, and the keyboard is the improved Magic Keyboard, not the failure-prone butterfly design from before 2020.

Search “macbook air m1 16gb” if you can stretch to it. The 8GB units are most of the supply, and they’re fine for writing and browsing, but the 16GB ones are the M1 Airs that will still feel comfortable in a few years.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.