Should you buy a refurbished MacBook in 2026? I did the math, and here's my advice

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

I remember when people used to scoff at refurbished tech. Used phones or computers were like rolling the dice: you never knew what you were getting. 

Well, the times certainly have changed. And in this economy, the prices on refurbished tech are looking more and more tempting. Consumers are challenging the idea that we all need to buy brand new phones and laptops every few years, and in response, the market for refurbished tech has blown up. 

Also: Should you buy a refurbished iPad in 2025? I did the math so you don't have to

Having never purchased a refurbished product myself, I was very curious as to how the experience would go with a new (used) laptop. So, I connected with the folks at Back Market and acquired a $750 MacBook Pro M1 from 2021 to test out as my main driver for a few weeks. 

I'll say right now: it wasn't a perfectly seamless experience, but buying brand new tech rarely is, either. Here's how it went, and what I've learned from the process. 

How Back Market works 

MacBook Pro M1 (14-inch)

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

The first thing you should know is that Back Market offers different tiers of products: Fair, Good, Excellent, or Premium condition, with the prices scaling accordingly. If you're wondering what Fair condition looks like, it will have some visible signs of use, but all products have to meet a minimum standard. You won't get a laptop with a broken display or loose keyboard.

If you're committed to a refurbished laptop, embrace that you're not getting an brand new, pristine device. So what if there's a little bit of wear and tear? It gives it character, and as long as everything under the hood is working, it makes little difference. Besides, most devices have very little imperfections, anyway. The MacBook I received was virtually indistinguishable from a new one.

Also: The best MacBooks of 2026: Expert tested and reviewed

After choosing the level of wear you're comfortable with, you then go through and choose the processor, memory amount, storage, and color of your new MacBook -- just like you would a brand new one. 

Lastly, you can choose to include a trade-in with another device as part of the purchase. This process consists of a Back Market rep appraising your device and giving you an offer in a dollar amount. You then have 21 days to ship the item to Back Market, and once they get it, they'll cut you a rebate check.

Can you trust a refurbished item?

MacBook Pro M4 (14-inch)

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

I don't blame you for being wary of used tech. But keep in mind that Back Market only takes in products it knows it can resell -- they're trying to make money, too. Even then, laptops have to pass a 25-point inspection test to ensure they're in good enough condition. 

This testing, repair, and parts replacement process is what sets a refurbished MacBook apart from a used one you'd buy straight from the hands of someone on Facebook Marketplace, for example. 

Besides a few signs of wear and tear, the primary thing to consider is the device's battery life. Luckily, you can see your MacBook's battery capacity in the settings, along with a host of other information, including how many cycles it's gone through. 

Also: MacBook Pro vs. MacBook Air: We tested both models, and here's which one to buy in 2026

The rule of thumb is to replace a battery that has dipped below 80% capacity, so a device purchased through Back Market should be above that mark, with Premium tier devices certified to be above 90%. 

The MacBook Pro M1 I got from Back Market arrived in the Premium tier, so aside from the good-as-new chassis, the screen looked flawless and the battery capacity was at 95%. In addition, I had no issues with the keyboard or trackpad. 

The only issue I experienced was that a day or two after I first set it up, it randomly booted up in recovery mode, prompting me to reinstall the latest OS. I had a momentary freak out that it had bricked on me, but after going through the setup, it hasn't happened again since. 

How much do you save?

Here's the big question. How much are you really saving? Let's break it down based on three different comparable MacBook Pros from different generations: the M1 Pro I got from 2021, the M2 from 2023, and the M4 from 2024:

The refurbished M1 is not available new from most retailers, but you can still get new M2s from Amazon. As you can see, it's significantly cheaper -- over $800 less -- than the next generation up with comparable hardware. The difference between the M2 and M4, however, is smaller; just a few hundred dollars. 

If you're wondering how they compare, CPU benchmarking results from Geekbench put the M1 and M2 10-core CPUs quite close together, with the M4 understandably a bit further off. These numbers refer to the CPU's performance limits under a heavy load, showing that the newer MacBooks have more power under the hood on the top end. 

But the differences are not earth-shattering, here. When it comes to everyday tasks like working out of a browser, running productivity software, and multitasking with different apps, the difference in performance for everyday users isn't going to be so hard to identify. 

And yes, the M1 MacBook Pro can run MacOS 26 Tahoe, Apple's latest operating system. This means it'll have the same operating system as newer MacBooks. 

The final verdict

MacBook M1 Pro running the MacOS 26 Tahoe public beta.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

So, should you buy a refurbished MacBook? If you want to enjoy the latest features like iPhone mirroring, the new and improved spotlight feature, you dig MacOS 26 and don't need the top-of-the-line processing power, then absolutely, yes. If you want a device for travel, want to get a Mac for a teen, or just a backup device, then also yes.

You can get a refurbished MacBook Pro M1 with 16GB of unified memory for several hundred less than a MacBook Pro M4 with a 10-core CPU. If you're not editing 4K video, animation, or rendering large image files, the top-tier processor might be overkill. 

Also: I was jealous of MacOS 26 users, until I realized Windows PCs already had these 4 features

That being said, by choosing a refurbished laptop, you'll want to carefully weigh the trade-offs. Make sure you're opting for enough local storage to future-proof your device, decide what kind of physical condition you're comfortable with, and make sure the device you choose has a healthy battery. 

Lastly, keep in mind that Back Market is not the only place to purchase refurbished MacBooks, Apple has its own official refurbished store where you can purchase everything from MacBooks to iPads to Apple Watches.