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These days, having a good laptop is completely necessary – and that’s especially true for your kids. The best laptops for kids will usually take the form of rugged and cheap tablets, but there will come a time when your child will have to graduate up to a full, traditional laptop. Whether it’s for school or for play, you’ll need to find the best laptop for kids.
And, if your kids aren’t comfortable with Windows 10, don’t worry, the best Chromebooks are extremely easy to use, and make for great laptops for kids. They have large, durable displays that are great for getting schoolwork done. Plus, many Chromebooks are also able to run Android apps and games, for a bit of downtime between assignments. They’re also affordable – they really are among the best laptops for kids.
So, what’s the best laptops for your kids? How do you decide? Luckily, we’re here to help you answer those questions – we gathered up all the best laptops for kids.
With this list, we’ll go through all the best laptops for kids – affordable devices with rugged frames and even rigid parental controls.
Image Credit: Dell
1. Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11 3181 2-in-1
The best laptop for kids
CPU: Intel Celeron N3060 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 400 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 11.6-inch, HD (1366 x 768) touchscreen | Storage: 32GB-64GB eMMC
Chromebooks make for some of the best laptops for kids, because they’re virtually mistake proof, as is the Dell Chromebook 11 2-in-1. Drop it, and it’s fine. You can’t download any malicious software. It’s one of the safest environments for you kids to use a computer, especially with its parental controls. So, if your kid needs a cheap laptop to get some schoolwork done, you won’t want to miss out on this excellent device – it even transforms into a tablet for some downtime after school.
Read the full review: Dell Chromebook Inspiron 11 3181 2-in-1
Image Credit: Lenovo
2. Lenovo IdeaPad 120S
The top Windows laptop for young kids
CPU: Intel Celeron N3350 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 500 | RAM: 2GB | Screen: 11.6-inch HD (1,366 x 768) | Storage: 64GB eMMC
If you’re more accustomed to Windows 10, or even if your kid likes it, we find the Lenovo IdeaPad 120S to be among the best laptops for kids – especially at this bargain price. The laptop is mildly ruggedized to survive slips and drops, and even features a USB-C port for a bit of future-proofing. You can also trust that this device will be free of bloatware that can distract your child. That’s enough in our book to recommend this laptop to pretty much every parent – especially for Windows 10 families.
Read the full review of a predecessor: Lenovo IdeaPad 100S
Image Credit: Acer
3. Acer Chromebook Spin 11
Work and play
CPU: Intel Celeron N3350 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 500 | Screen: 11.6-inch HDF (1,366 x 768) touch | Storage: 32GB eMMC
If your kids are starting to get to the point where they have to write up papers for class, and you want to get them something that won’t break the first time it gets dropped, you may want to consider the Acer Chromebook Spin 11. Not only is it competently powerful with a comfy keyboard, it’s also a 2-in-1. This means you can flip it around into tablet mode, which is great for playing some Android games in their downtime. The display is a bit dim, and it’s not going to blow you away with its performance, but it’s cheap and durable.
Read the full review: Acer Chromebook Spin 11
Image Credit: Acer
4. Acer Chromebook 15
Perfect for when they hit double-digits
CPU: Intel Pentium N4200 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 505 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS | Storage: 32GB
When your kids approach or enter double-digit years, they might end up needing something a bit more robust to support them through larger projects (and sharper streaming). Acer’s latest 15-inch Chromebook will bring serious sophistication to your kid’s computing experience, from its design to its features, like a full HD display, fast USB 3.0 connections and an HDR webcam. However, this laptop is ideal for adolescents on account of its larger size and lack of kid-proof features in exchange for a more luxury experience at a great price.
Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15
Image Credit: Asus
5. Asus Transformer Mini T102HA
Tablet in disguise
CPU: Intel Atom x5 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 2GB – 4GB | Screen: 10.1-inch HD (1,280 x 800) LED | Storage: 64GB (up to 192GB with micro SD)
If your kid wants a tablet, but you want them to get familiar with the traditional computer, too, the Asus Transformer Mini is the perfect option. This tablet brings plenty of power and ports to the table – not to mention a fingerprint sensor, stylus and keyboard cover – all in the box. This is all topped off with a whopping 11 hours of battery life. If your kids are just too used to tablets to jump to a traditional laptop, this is the best laptop for your kids, especially for the price.
Read the full review: Asus Transformer Mini T102HA
- This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Lenovo IdeaPad 120S
Image Credit: Apple
6. MacBook Air
Kid’s first secondary (or post-secondary) laptop
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch WXGA+ (1,440 x 900) LED | Storage: 128GB – 512GB SSD
The 2015 MacBook Air isn’t the newest one on the block, but it’s still one of the best laptops for kids – unlike the 2018 model. We know that parents aren’t made of cash, but the 2015 MacBook Air has plenty of deals out there – in fact it’s the cheapest Apple laptop out there. Plus, it has great battery life, a smooth and easy to understand operating system, and it’s thin and light. The best Macs are famous for outlasting Windows laptops – and this one should last your kid for years.
Read the full review: MacBook Air