Has your kiddo finally convinced one to have them a laptop? Or possibly they need some type of computer for back-to-school? If that’s the case, were here to greatly help. Nowadays, laptops are crucial tools for education or even a requirement of homework projects.
Having said that, just as much as parents want productivity power, kids want enjoyment from their computers. And that means you will require a laptop that’s ideal for both schoolwork and perhaps some light gamingafter they finish homework needless to say! It also must be tough enough to take care of lifes daily bumps. Thats why weve curated a listing of affordable, well-made machines which are ideal for children. From Chromebooks to Windows laptops, they are the very best picks for kids.
For a lot more options, have a look at the very best Chromebooks, or if your kid is really a gamer, see our roundup of the very best gaming laptops under $1,000 for other affordable options. You can even monitor our best laptop deals, that is updated daily to assist you snag an excellent discount.
Acer Aspire 5 Best overall
Pros
- Affordable price
- Rugged build
- Great keyboard
- Good collection of ports
Cons
- Subpar webcam
- Annoying bloatware comes pre-installed
- Touchpad is really a little hard to utilize
MSRP:$369 (base model) $499 (as reviewed)
The Acer Aspire 5 is an excellent option for some kids, since it ticks plenty of boxes. Its robust, inexpensive, and performance is fast enough for everyday tasks like writing assignments and browsing the net. The keyboard includes a spacious layout aswell, which is ideal for longer typing sessions. While thats all well and good, the inner components are actually why is this laptop value for money. Lets crack open the hood, yeah?
This laptop is packing an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of PCIe SSD storage. The processor has four cores and eight threads. A CPU with multiple cores generally means more reliable performance. Granted, the look is really a little boring. But this laptop clearly favors function over attractive aesthetics. The touchpad takes used to, aswell. Overall, we feel as if the professionals far outweigh the cons. The Aspire will probably be worth every penny.
Read our full Acer Aspire 5 review
Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 Best display
Pros
- Solid chassis and construction
- Large, attractive 16-inch 1080p screen
- Enjoyable keyboard and touchpad
- USB-C with charging and DisplayPort
Cons
- Webcam, microphone, and speakers dont impress
- Intel processor falls behind AMD alternatives
- Disappointing battery life
- Plenty of bloatware
If youre searching for a huge screen at a realistic price point, the Acer Swift 3 is really worth considering. In accordance with our reviewer, the 16-inch 1080p display offers rich, lifelike color. Will your kid value the vibrant picture? Maybe. Not. Regardless, a large screen pays to for productivity tasks like writing papers and scrolling through documents. As the screen may be the main headliner, the specs are surprisingly impressive for the purchase price.
The Swift features an Intel Core i7-11370H processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of PCIe SSD storage. This can be a value for a sub-$800 Windows laptop. The keyboard can be enjoyable to utilize and the chassis feels durable. Regardless of the large screen, the Swift is quite slim, rendering it an excellent laptop for travel. Having said that, battery life is mediocre and theres plenty of bloatware. When you can live with those flaws, then this can be a lovely laptop with solid specs.
Read our full Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 review
Acer Chromebook Spin 713 Best battery life
Pros
- Strong performance
- Good construction
- Nice collection of ports
- Beautiful display
- Solid battery life
Cons
- No privacy shutter on the webcam
- Boring design
- Fan noise is really a bit loud
If youre searching for phenomenal battery life, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is an excellent option. Whenever we ran our battery benchmark, which cycles through videos and different tasks, the laptop lasted 14 hours about the same charge. Basically, your son or daughter doesnt have to be worried about plugging in through the school day. The Spin can be a convertible, that makes it really versatile. It is possible to prop it up such as a painters easel for watching videos or swing the screen around and utilize it such as a tablet. The build is quite robust aswell. There was almost no flex in the keyboard tray.
Because of the inner components, the Spin delivers relatively zippy performance. Its rocking an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of PCIe SSD storage. The port selection isnt too shabby, either. Youre getting USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, HDMI, a microSD card slot, and a headphone jack. There are some trade-offs to understand, though. Fan noise could be loud under heavier loads and theres no physical privacy shutter on the webcam. However, those issues are relatively minor. Overall, the Spin is really a decent laptop that performs well and will be offering outstanding battery life.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 Best keyboard
Pros
- Attractive design
- Affordable
- Punchy audio
- Excellent keyboard
Cons
- Mediocre performance
- Subpar battery life
The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 includes a lot to provide, but its standout feature is its keyboard. Our tester liked the crisp and taught feel of the keys. Theres a good decent level of space round the palm rests, making for a far more comfortable typing experience. The port selection is really a solid mix of old and new. It has two USB-C ports, an individual USB-A port, a 3.5mm combo jack, and a microSD card reader. Theres zero dependence on an adapter, that is always an advantage.
Performance is somewhat mediocre, though. The Flex 5 comes with an Intel Pentium Gold 7505 processor, 4GB of DDR4 RAM, and 32GB of eMMCstorage. As the processor is okay, the RAM and storage are on the lighter side. Our tester noticed a slowdown in performance when he exposed multiple tabs. However, provided that youre utilizing the cloud and arent running anything too intensive or demanding, the Flex 5 is really a decent choice.
Read our full Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 review
How exactly we tested
The PCWorld team puts every single Windows laptop by way of a group of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so forth. The theory would be to push the laptop beyond its limits and compare it against others weve tested. Chromebooks, however, go through a number of web-based tests. It wouldnt be fair or possible to perform the same forms of tests on a Chromebook because theyre Chrome OS-based machines. Below, youll look for a break down of each ensure that you why we run them.
Windows laptops
- PCMark 10: The PCMark 10 benchmark is how exactly we regulate how well the laptop handles general use tasks like web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, streaming, and so forth. Its a method to simulate everyday use.
- HandBrake: HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It measures just how long a laptops CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file.
- Cinebench: Cinebench is really a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It renders a 2D scene over a brief period of time.
- 3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent as time passes by running graphic-intensive clips. This is one way we test our selection of gaming laptops.
- Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10s Movies & TV app before laptop dies. If youre a normal traveler, youll want a battery that may last longer when compared to a full school day.
Chromebooks
- CrXPRT 2: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebooks battery life.
- Speedometer 2.0: This test determines a Chromebooks browser performance. It simulates this with the addition of, completing, and removing a to-do list.
- Basemark Web 3.0: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook are designed for web-based applications.
- Kraken 1.1: Kraken 1.1 is really a JavaScript performance benchmark.
- Jetstream 2: Jetstream 2 is really a mix of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is one way we gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads.
FAQ
1.
What type of specs must i choose?
Choosing the best laptop for the kid could be a intimidating task. If your son or daughter is younger or is commonly more accident-prone, can you choose something cheap? Think about security concerns? If youre uncertain the place to start, dont sweat it. Weve come up with a few quick strategies for worried parents. Browse the info below.
In the event that you plan on obtaining a Windows laptop for school, whatever you really need will be the basics. An Intel Core i3 processor is okay for general-use tasks like surfing the net, writing papers, making presentations, and so forth. A discrete graphics card isnt totally necessary unless your kid loves to play Minecraft or some such. If youve got a budding gamer on your own hands, we recommend an Nvidia RTX 3060 or 3050 Ti, as theyre relatively affordable.
For RAM, 8GB could keep things nice and zippy. For storage options, 256GB is a great minimum, particularly if your son or daughter doesnt have a huge amount of stored photos. Choose an SSD (solid state drive) when you can, as theyre faster and quieter than hard disks.
If youre searching for a Chromebook, aim for a mid-range one when you can. Within the $400 to $600 range youre more likely to find Intel Pentium processors, which deliver better browser performance and so are with the capacity of running more intensive gaming apps. Wed suggest at the very least 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. You dont require a ton of space for storage, as youll be storing the majority of your projects in the cloud.
2.
Think about battery life?
If youre investing in a laptop for school, battery life is completely vital, as your kid will be taking this thing from class to class. A laptop that lasts from 10 to 12 hours about the same charge is a great baseline. Thats a great deal more when compared to a full school day. Chromebooks specifically are recognized for having fantastic battery life, as theyre low-powered machines.
3.
MUST I spring for a Chromebook or perhaps a Windows laptop?
A Chromebook is a good fit for some kids, particularly if you have any security concerns. Theyre durable, affordable, and largely virus-free. The downside is they exclusively run Chrome OS. Should you have a mature child, a Windows laptop may be an improved option. Windows can run virtually any app or browser. However, that sort of flexibility comes at a cost. Windows laptops tend to be expensive than Chromebooks (however, not always!).
Author: Ashley Biancuzzo, Associate Editor
Ashley is really a professional writer and editor with a solid background in tech and pop culture. She’s written for high traffic websites such as for example Polygon, Kotaku, StarWars.com, and Nerdist. In her off time, she enjoys playing video gaming, reading science fiction novels, and getting together with her rescue greyhound.
