The best iPads of 2025 for reading, drawing, streaming, working

It's been a whirlwind year for the iPad lineup, with every model getting a refresh within the last year. In 2024, Apple introduced the M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air, and less than a year later, the iPad Air already got an M3 chip upgrade. Plus, we finally got a new iPad Mini and the iPad 11th generation. That's a lot of new Apple tablets.

At this point, iPads can do anything your laptop can do. Whether you want to stream, browse the internet, illustrate, or edit videos, you can do it on the iPad’s HDR display. Recent developments in the Pro and Air models also set them up as gaming devices.

The rapid pace of iPad updates makes shopping for a tablet all the more difficult. We've tested every model in Apple's iPad collection to help you decide which is right for you.

Which iPad model should I buy?

The right iPad for you depends purely on your needs. Do you want something that has enough storage and speed for streaming? Do you want to use it to read? Do you want to use a tablet as your primary workstation? Your answers should factor into your decision.

To get you started, we believe the best iPad for most people is the new M3 iPad Air (2025). It has exceptional performance but is also in the middle range for both price and capability.