TL;DR: Get a near-mint condition refurbished MacBook Air for $269.99.

New MacBooks are great, but not everyone needs the latest chip to get real work done. This MacBook Air refurb is a good computer for the basics, and it’s on sale for $269.99 right now (reg. $1,399).

This may be a refurbished model, but the Grade A rating means it arrives in near-mint condition with minimal to no visible scuffing.

Under the hood, you get a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. That combination handles everyday tasks smoothly, including web browsing, document editing, photo editing, and light productivity work. The SSD keeps boot times and app launches fast, which goes a long way toward making an older machine feel snappier than the year suggests.

The 13.3-inch Retina display runs at 2560×1600, which keeps text sharp and photos looking good whether you’re editing in Lightroom or reading through a long document. At 2.75 pounds, it’s genuinely easy to carry, and the 12-hour battery life means you can get through a full workday without hunting for an outlet.

Two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports handle charging, DisplayPort, and data transfer up to 40Gbps. Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Touch ID, a 720p camera, stereo speakers, and a 3.5mm headphone jack are all built in.

This model supports macOS up to Sonoma 14, so it still has a few more years of software compatibility ahead of it. It won’t update to macOS 26, so keep that in mind if long-term support matters. A 40-day third-party parts and labor warranty is included, and a wall charger comes in the box.

For basic tasks like drafting documents or browsing the internet, a brand-new MacBook is expensive overkill.

If you want the right tool for a smart price, get a MacBook Air on sale for $269.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.