Best Laptop for Children – The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a great option for most kids because it combines affordability and easy-to-manage security features with a versatile 2-in-1 design. If you’re shopping for a younger child, we’d recommend the Asus Chromebook Flip for its ultra-durable build and kid-friendly keyboard.
OVERVIEW
Kids being kids, the list of factors to consider doesn’t end there. Don’t forget about parental controls, durable plastic, and water-resistant keyboards. At least you won’t have to worry about the cost. Buying a kid-friendly laptop need not break the bank—all of our recommended models cost less than $700, and most are well under $500—and the even better news is that just because they’re inexpensive doesn’t mean that they are necessarily slow or poorly made.
ROUND UP
Our focus here is on younger kids. If your child is at the university level, check out our roundup of the best laptops for college students. And you’ll find even more choices in our overall roundup of the best budget laptops. Also check our top picks for the best Chromebooks for kids for more on Chrome OS concerns and education aspects, especially for the lower grades.
back to menu ↑1.ASUS L210
Features
- Efficient Intel Celeron N4020 Processor (4M Cache, up to 2.8 GHz)
- Slim and Portable: 0.7” thin and weighs only 2.2 lbs (battery included)
- 64GB eMMC Flash Storage and 4GB DDR4 RAM
- Windows 10 in S Mode with One Year of Microsoft 365 Personal
- 11.6” HD (1366 x 768) Slim Display
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2.Dell Inspiron
Features
- 11 6 inch HD(1366 x 768) Trulife LED Backlight Touch IPS Display Intel HD Graphics 400
- Intel Celeron N3060 Dual Core Processor (1 6GHz with turbo upto 2 48GHz) with 4GB Memory 32GB eMMC
- 1x Audio Jack 1x Volume Control 1x HDMI 2x USB 3 1 Gen1 1x SD card Reader
- With a 360-degree hinge this 2 in 1 adapts to your needs moment by moment Build-in HD Webcam
- Chrome OS 3-Cell battery Color Black Item weight 3 16lb
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3.XPC Bravo
Features
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 4800H 8 Cores (2.9GHz-4.2GHz, 8MB Cache, 45W)
- Memory: 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4 3200MHz RAM | Hard Drive Capacity: 1TB GEN3 NVMe SSD (Read 2000MB/s | Write 1750MB/s)
- Keyboard: Single Backlight with Anti-Ghost Key+ Silver Lining | Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) Multi-language
- Graphics Card: AMD Radeon RX5500M 4GB GDDR6 | Display: 15.6" Thin Bezel Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-Level 144Hz 45%NTSC
- ✔️ 64GB RAM + 1TB NVMe SSD Upgrades | 3-Year XPC Limited Warranty (View warranty section below for more details)
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4.Google Pixelbook
Features
- Pixelbook Go lets you stay unplugged for up to 12 hours,[1] so you don’t need to carry a charger; when you do need a charge, get up to 2 hours of battery use in just 20 minutes so you can keep going [2]
- Lightweight Chromebook laptop that’s barely 2 pounds and 13 mm thin with a grippable design, making it easier to carry[3]
- Protects your data, passwords, and information with the Titan C security chip and built-in antivirus software; Chrome OS updates automatically to give you the latest features and security [4]
- Starts up in seconds so it’s always ready when you are; the 8th Gen Intel Core Processor is quick and responsive, powering everything you do[5]
- Pixelbook Go is a quiet and comfortable laptop with a backlit keyboard, ultra quiet keys, and and a spacious touchpad that only needs a light touch
- Get amazing picture and sound with the brilliant HD touchscreen display and dual stereo speakers so you can watch movies, edit photos, or video chat with the 1080p webcam
- With Instant Tethering, get online easily on Pixelbook Go using the LTE connection on your Google Pixel[8]
- Please refer to the product description section below for all applicable legal disclaimers denoted by the bracketed numbers in the preceding bullet points (e.g., [1], [2], etc.)
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5.Microsoft Surface
Features
- Starting at just 1.2 pounds (not including Type Cover*), with new 10.5” touchscreen.
- Battery life up to 10 hours[1]. Perfect for browsing, shopping, emails, and homework
- Tablet portability, performance and laptop versatility with adjustable Kickstand and Signature Type Cover.*
- Built-in WiFi, plus LTE Advanced for hassle-free connectivity.
- Stay connected with included USB-C port and headphone jack. Full HD front- and rear-facing cameras let you make crisp, clear calls to friends and family, or take and share great photos.
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6.Lenovo Chromebook
Features
- This ultraportable 2-in-1 Chromebook includes a fast and stable plug-and-play detachable keyboard enabled with 5-point pogo pin and magnet design
- Take it with you everywhere. Thin and lightweight the Chromebook Duet offers up to 10 hours of battery life (2)
- The unique dual-tone design with aluminum alloy on the tablet is a standout design with sophisticated fabric texture on the stand cover you'll be stylish productive and practical
- Fast secure and easy to use: This touchscreen Chromebook boots up quickly with just your Google login to give you access to all of your cloud-based documents email and more
- With the 10 1" FHD (1920 x 1200) IPS display and stunning colorful details you won't sacrifice for great visuals; The 10-point multi-touch touchscreen is also USI pen compatible (pen sold separately)
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7.HP Chromebook
Features
- Google Play Store: The millions of Android apps you know and love on your phone and tablet can now run on your Chrome device without compromising their speed, simplicity or security
- Sleek, responsive design: Keep going comfortably with the backlit keyboard and multi-touch touchpad that supports four finger gestures set in a sleek design for moving from room to room or on the road
- Binge watch while you work: Equipped with an Intel(R) processor, 14" display, stereo speakers tuned by audio experts at B&O and a long battery life to get more done while having fun
- Environmentally conscious: Low halogen, mercury-free display backlights, arsenic-free display glass in this Energy Star(R) certified, EPEAT(R) Silver registered Chromebook
- Dual-core Intel(R) processor: Intel(R) Celeron(R) N4000, Dual-Core, 1.1 GHz base frequency, up to 2.6 GHz burst frequency
- Display: 14.0-inch diagonal HD SVA anti-glare micro-edge WLED-backlit display (1366 x 768); 82% screen to body ratio
- Memory & storage: 4 GB LPDDR4-2400 SDRAM (not upgradable) and 32 GB eMMC
- Battery life: Up to 13 hours and 30 minutes (mixed usage); 0 to 50% charge in 45 minutes with HP Fast Charge
- Thin, light & portable: 12.82 in (W) x 8.60 in (D) x 0.70 in (H); 3.24 lb
- Operating system and warranty: Chrome and 1-year limited hardware warranty with 24-hour, 7 days a week web support when shipped from and sold by Amazon.com and not a third party seller
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8.Apple MacBook
Features
- Apple-designed M1 chip for a giant leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance
- Go longer than ever with up to 18 hours of battery life
- 8-core CPU delivers up to 3.5x faster performance to tackle projects faster than ever
- Up to eight GPU cores with up to 5x faster graphics for graphics-intensive apps and games
- 16-core Neural Engine for advanced machine learning
- 8GB of unified memory so everything you do is fast and fluid
- Superfast SSD storage launches apps and opens files in an instant
- Fanless design for silent operation
- 13.3-inch Retina display with P3 wide color for vibrant images and incredible detail
- FaceTime HD camera with advanced image signal processor for clearer, sharper video calls
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9.HP Pavilion
Features
- INSTANT GRATIFICATION – Experience a laptop with premium performance, so you can spend less time getting more done; it’s like a small PC that’s compact enough to go where you go with a long-lasting battery to power you through your day
- EPIC ENTERTAINMENT – With audio by B&O, a larger screen-to-body ratio, and a 15.6-inch Full HD micro-edged screen to maximize your view, entertainment on your laptop feels like bringing the theater home (1)
- IMPRESSIVE GRAPHICS – The Intel Iris Xe Graphics gives you a new level of graphics performance with crisp, stunning visuals, plus the convenience of a thin and light laptop (2)
- UNSTOPPABLE PERFORMANCE – Get things done fast with the 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, which delivers instant responsiveness and best-in-class connectivity (3)
- MEMORY AND STORAGE – Enjoy up to 15x faster performance than a traditional hard drive with 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage (4) and experience improved multitasking with higher bandwidth thanks to 16 GB of RAM
- WORK ON THE GO – Get work done on the go with a long battery life of up to 8 hours (5) while HP Fast Charge lets you go from 0 to 50% charge in approximately 45 minutes (6)
- OS AND WARRANTY – Do more with better peace of mind thanks to the HP 1-year limited hardware warranty and the seamlessly integrated Windows 10 Pro operating system (7)
- EFFORTLESSLY CONNECTED – Enjoy a smoother wireless experience with Wi-Fi 6 (2x2) (8) and Bluetooth 5.0 combo (9), all your connections are solid and up to 3x faster file transfer speeds than Wi-Fi 5 (10)
- FULL-SIZE KEYBOARD – Work comfortably with a full-sized keyboard, integrated numeric pad, and a Precision Touchpad
- ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY – Stay energy-efficient and sustainable with a laptop that is Energy Star certified (11), EPEAT Silver registered (12), and built with a low halogen display (13)
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10.Dell G5
Features
- 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD
- Equipped With The Powerful and Latest 10th Generation Intel Core i7 Processors, Intel Hexa-Core i7-10750H ( 2.6 GHz base frequency, up to 5.0 GHz, 12 MB Intel Smart Cache, 12 Threads )
- 15.6 inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) 60Hz refresh rate 300 nits WVA Anti-Glare LED Backlit Display; Dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6 and Integrated Intel UHD Graphics
- Standard SD card | Headset jack | SuperSpeed USB 2.0 | SuperSpeed USB 2.0 | Wedge lock slot | Power-in | mini DP with NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti and above HDMI 2.0 SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1 RJ-45 Ethernet on 1650Ti (Killer Ethernet E2500V2 on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti and above) USB-C with DisplayPort Alt-Mode only on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti (Thunderbolt 3 Port (USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C with support for 40 Gbps Thunderbolt and DisplayPort) on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti and above)
- Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit), HD Webcam, 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi and Bluetooth, Backlit Keyboard
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Best Laptop for Children – BUYER’S GUIDE
The final consideration is how your kids will use the laptop, which in turn determines the processor, storage, and memory configurations you should select. Tasks such as taking notes, writing papers, or making PowerPoint slides require little more than the bare minimum, which means that an Intel Celeron or Pentium processor will suffice; a few budget Chromebook models now also use AMD or MediaTek mobile processors. These collectively are the lowest performance tier in budget laptops.
The next step up is an Intel Core i3, which you should consider if your kid’s teachers regularly have them stream online educational videos. An Intel Core i5 or i7 is all but impossible to find on a laptop or Chromebook that costs about $300.
If you opt for a more powerful processor so your kids can stream videos, you might also want to consider a 2-in-1 convertible or detachable laptop, which can double as a tablet thanks to a hinge that rotates 360 degrees, or a screen that detaches completely from the keyboard base. Most hybrids and convertibles are more expensive than the price range we’ve discussed to this point, but you can find a few high-quality models for less than $500, like Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go and Asus’ VivoBook. These are best for middle-school-age children or older, since these machines are by nature less durable than a conventional laptop.
back to menu ↑Frequently Asked Questions
back to menu ↑Time for Fun: What About Graphics and Games?
Just because you’re selecting from among relatively slow processors and limited memory capacities doesn’t mean that gaming is out of the question when your kid is done with his or her schoolwork. Some games are, of course, even educational. For instance, Microsoft has an education version of its immensely popular open-world construction game Minecraft. Students can use it to explore real-world history like the Oregon Trail, solving math problems as they begin to understand how long and challenging the trail was, researching fur-trading companies to learn about the economic concepts of monopolies and supply and demand, and more.
back to menu ↑So, Which Laptop Should I Buy for My Child?
Giving your son or daughter a laptop endows them with a portal into the immensely powerful internet, even if the laptop itself may not be all that potent. It’s up to you (and your kids’ teachers) to make sure that tool isn’t harmful. Fortunately, both Chromebooks and Windows laptops have parental control features, and a laptop’s size relative to a smartphone makes it easier to both monitor activity and set ground rules like disallowing computer use after homework is finished.
back to menu ↑WRAP UP
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a laptop for a kid (in fact, you shouldn’t, since kids don’t need that much computing power — and since they tend to be a little clumsy and irreverent when it comes to delicate machinery). But there are a few basic things to keep in mind: Besides durability, you’ll want to focus on getting something light enough to tote around, something with built-in parental controls, something powerful enough for both entertainment and schoolwork, and something with a long battery life.
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