With students preparing to go back to school, retailers and manufacturers will start slashing prices to get your business. So, finding a laptop for your kids at a discount is much more likely in the near future.
Yet, what is the best laptop to buy for a child? It’s easy to pick the cheapest kid-friendly notebook and call it a day, but you might end up with something that won’t do everything your kid needs it to, from online classes to gaming post studying. If you’re on a limited budget, maybe one under $500 will do the trick. You just have to make sure that it’s powerful enough to handle the software they need as well as their school projects and assignments. Additionally, it needs to have enough battery life to get through a school day without needing to be charged and be able to take a bump or two.
There are a variety of options out there, from some great 2-in-1s to excellent Chromebooks and even some affordable tablets. No matter what you’re looking for, we’ve gathered our picks for the best laptops for kids just in time for back to school season. Also make sure you consult our price comparison tool so you find the best deal available.
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The best laptop for kids must be secure, simple to use and can outlast them past naptime. Google Pixelbook Go ticks off all those requirements and then some, with its astounding battery life and Chrome OS environment. Google rounds those out with an incredible keyboard and a 1080p webcam. This is the Google Pixelbook of your dreams, minus that steep price tag. And, while the kids might enjoy watching their favorite cartoons and playing casual games on that sharp display, you’ll also love using this for that occasional work email you have to squeeze in between spending time with them.
Read the full review: Google Pixelbook Go
The Surface Go line proves popular with the more budget-conscious crowd, and its follow up, Surface Go 2, continues that tradition with its reasonable price and premium design. It also runs the full Windows 10 operating system, so it’s even more capable than other tablets out there as far as what applications you can use on it. Finally, it offers a slight bump in performance over its predecessor, giving users a sensible reason to upgrade if they’ve got the money. All those features combined with its portability make the Microsoft Surface Go 2 one of the best laptops for kids for school and gaming.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Go 2
What is the best laptop to buy for a child? Something cheap yet versatile perhaps. True to its name, this Lenovo Chromebook delivers two form factors in one, while utilizing the versatility of the Chrome OS and setting you back much less than many of the top Windows tablets out there. Of course, true to its Chromebook nature, its battery packs an incredibly long life of almost 22 hours – you could pull an all-nighter, use it through the day and mid-afternoon, and you’ll still pass out before it runs out of juice. For this price, sacrifices have to be made, naturally – the keyboard is tiny, the trackpad isn’t as reliable, and the charger and headphones share one port. However, if budget is your top priority, this is definitely among the best laptops for kids, especially for online classes.
Read the full review: Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook
The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 opts for an AMD APU, which utilises the well-known Radeon graphics technology for better 3D capabilities - if you have time out of your studies to game! The dual-core AMD processor does offer Celeron beating abilities, by a little at least and so Chrome is going to remain more responsive. More importantly, the Acer Spin 311 feels well made. It’s highly portable and, though the screen disappoints a little by being a touch dull, perfectly usable. At just over eight hours the battery isn’t that strong for a Chromebook, but balancing that against the great price this is a strong choice.
Read the full review: Acer Chromebook Spin 311
The HP Chromebook 14 balances a bargain price and efficient use of Chrome OS. Complemented by a bright blue finish and a screen made to astound, the HP Chromebook 14 offers the best value of any Chromebook out there. Even if the battery life and performance are average, it’s easily one of the best Chromebooks for kids to date. You’ll be particularly impressed with how slim and light this Chromebook is. And, unlike some other Chromebooks, the HP Chromebook 14 comes with plenty of ports, including HDMI-out, USB 3.0 and a microSD card slot, making this a brilliantly versatile Chromebook for the price.
Read the full review: HP Chromebook 14
Apple topped last year off with a bang, rolling out their much-talked-about M1 silicon chip that’s so far been a real game-changer. And, the first laptop to receive it is the company’s thinnest and lightest, putting it on the list of the most exciting Apple laptops of recent years. With this new chip, the MacBook Air is better than ever, touting excellent performance alongside its brilliant battery life – without raising the price to keep it (fairly) affordable still. This is the best MacBook for pretty much everyone, but especially kids and students.
Read the full review: MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
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- Shop all the best laptop deals and sales available now
The HP Pavilion 15 might not stand out from the crowd in terms of features and design, especially next to the likes of the Spectre x360 line. However, it’s among the best laptops for kids, touting impressive specs you’d expect from mid-range laptops as well as features like speakers from B&O, HP Fast Charge, and the option of a touchscreen display. It also keeps things affordable, at least in the low to mid-range configurations, making it even more appealing to parents.
Though Dell has its premium lines, it’s also been very good at building excellent budget machines. The Dell G5 15 SE (2020) is a very good example of that, touting impressive AMD specs, especially in the CPU department, to keep cost down without compromising performance. Here’s the best laptop for kids gaming, with its staggering performance for the price and a stunning display to boot. Of course, being a budget laptop, it’s great for young users who want a portable they can use for both studying and gaming.
Read the full review: Dell G5 15 SE (2020)
With the best laptops for kids, they can sometimes be subjected to a bit more accidental damage, so it's always a good idea to get them insured. If you're in the UK, then you can shop around and compare contents insurance to keep your gadgets, including laptops, protected.
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