7 best laptops for kids to buy for school in 2024
An awesome laptop that won't break the bank: 'For the money this one is hard to beat'
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Education has changed a lot in the past decade - and one of the biggest differences is the increase in technology-assisted learning.
Laptops are now a staple in classrooms, and while some schools do the hard work and procure a laptop for you, many others opt for a BYOD (bring your own device) model that requires parents to supply a suitable device for learning.
But when it comes to making a big-ticket purchase like a laptop, you can't exactly just grab the first one you find online or pick up the prettiest one in store and trust that it'll be up to the task. There's a lot of factors to consider - storage space, battery life, size and weight, to name a few - and it's tough to combine all of those with an affordable price tag.
Our daughter has just started high school so we too have been researching our way through the laptop maze. And there are some great options out there, many of which are (much) less than the $1000 mark. Luckily we've done all the hard work for you and rounded up the best best and most affordable models. So, whether your child's school has a BYOD policy or you're just looking for a device to help them through assignments and homework at home, you'll find the ideal device below to suit both your budget and your child's learning needs.
BEST OVERALL LAPTOP FOR KIDS
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 14-inch i5, $999 at The Good Guys
What You Need To Know
This laptop from a much-trusted brand is an ideal option offers everything your child needs in a device and is definitely in our top three for our daughter. It's a fast performing device with more than enough storage and a reasonable wight to carry around in the backpack. It's not touch screen which is not an essential for everyone, but it makes up for it in speed and performance.
BEST BUDGET LAPTOPS FOR KIDS
ASUS Chromebook CX1, 11.6", $378.71 at Amazon Australia
What You Need To Know
The ASUS Chromebook's lightweight, thin design is ideal for portability that won't break any backs or take up all the backpack space. The powerful Intel Celeron N3350 processor delivers speedy performance and good battery life. For the price, this is an excellent option for kids - durable, fast and under $400. It might run slower if gaming or doing more complicated or multiple tasks, however for school-age learning, this offers everything you need.
Customers commented on the affordability of this laptop with comments such as "good price", "does the job" and "amazing entry level chromebook".
One reviewer said, "For the money this one is hard to beat."
Another said, "Very economical choice when you need to do a few simple computer tasks. I wouldn’t think this would replace some “powerhouse” computer but if all you need is a web browser, e-mail, and a few other functions the chromebook is a great option and a great price."
Acer Chromebook Spin 311 Convertible Laptop, $531.98 at Amazon Australia
What You Need To Know
The Acer Chromebook Spin 11 offers a touch screen, featuring Gorilla Glass. It also comes in a super handy size and functions well in terms of it's keyboard and touchpad. Great value for money that will get the job done.
One reviewer uploaded the comment, "It has a good look and quality materials. After a good time using it, my daughter has no complaints, so it is a good product for me."
HP 14 inch Laptop, $649 at The Good Guys
What You Need to Know
This lightweight laptop offers all the main essentials for a super budget-friendly price, including long battery life, HD screen, generous storage and 8GB of RAM. The 14 inch size offers good visibility and it's sleek design fits easily into the backpack. A reliable and affordable choice from a well-trusted (and much-loved) computer brand.
One reviewer left the comment, "Great little computer for price point...6 months used daily..no issues...would recommend for young students"
Another said, "Awesome and fast machine.Vet portable and good size memory."
BEST HIGH END LAPTOPS FOR KIDS
HP Pavilion 15.6-inch, $1178 (was $1499 ) at Harvey Norman
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
We bought our first daughter an HP Pavillion when she started high school and it was perfect - so much so, we are looking at this model for the next daughter. Now only available in 14 inch screen and above, the Pavillion is more than adequate for school learning. This model, powered by AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U, offers whopping 16GB of RAM and massive amount of storage. The expansive 15.6 inch full high definition screen is truly amazing with excellent visibility. And although larger and slightly heavier than others, the slim HP design is still super easy to pack away. It comes with a 12 month manufacturer's warranty however you can also purchase an extended care program through Harvey Norman. This is a fantastic price for an HP Pavilion but it won't last long so if it's a suitable option, you better be quick.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, from $1098 at Microsoft
What You Need To Know
With it's spacious 12.4-inch touchscreen, this stylish Microsoft laptop runs the full Windows 11 operating system and is as suitable for assignments and homework as it is for a cheeky Netflix break. It's the lightest Surface laptop on the market, but still offers a full-size keyboard and large trackpad for comfort and efficiency. While it costs a little more, this is an excellent choice for a school laptop, offering quality, reasonable functionality and value for money.
Apple MacBook Air 13 inch 2020, $1,349, The Good Guys
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
You may not want to stretch to an Macbook for your child's first laptop. We certainly didn't. However, we recently upgraded our first daughter's laptop to a Macbook Air as she needed a new device and is now going into Year 11. This computer should keep her going now for the HSC and beyond so we felt it was worth the price tag. I have one myself and wouldn't live without it, so I can understand the temptation. It's sleek, stylish and super light - and super fast. The battery life and storage are both excellent and at 13 inches, it's neat and compact - perfect for the backpack or schoolbag.
One parent left a review saying, "My daughter is very happy with the MacBook Air. Very capable laptop for secondary school."
Another customer said, "The screen size and features are awesome, good price for student."
Frequently Asked Questions
What age should a kid have a laptop?
While most kids nowadays grow up as fluent in technology as they are in their native language, that doesn't mean they need a laptop from a super young age. There's no strict requirements on when a child should start using a laptop, but we'd say they don't really need one earlier than school age - and even then, they don't need one solely for themselves until they reach a point where their school requires it.
What is BYOD education?
BYOD or Bring Your Own Device education is a policy some schools take on where students are required to bring their own device (usually a laptop or tablet) to school to aid in learning.
How do I choose a laptop for school?
More Coverage
The first place to start is with your budget: how much do you want to spend on a laptop? Once you've decided that, you can decide on if you want to opt for a tablet, laptop, or two-in-one convertible device. From there, consider if you're after a device that runs on a Mac, Windows or Chrome operating system (OS). To further narrow down your search, you'll want a device with a long battery life (at least seven hours or the duration of your school day), that doesn't weigh too much and won't take up too much space in a backpack (13 inches is ideal, but a little bigger or smaller won't hurt), and that has a decent amount of storage (although you can always add an external hard drive for backups, which we'd recommend anyway).
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