Price When Reviewed:

£499

Why we like the Lenovo Flex 5i

The Lenovo Flex 5i is the best overall choice because of its 2-in-1 design, peppy performance, exquisite typing experience, and so much more. The understated aluminum finished exterior helps make it feel like something three or four times as expensive. As for the convertible design, the 360-degree hinge feels incredibly sturdy, which is essential in a 2-in-1 laptop. Plus, the keyboard is a real joy to type on and the 1200p touch display produces crisp and vibrant visuals. The best part is that you’re getting all of these wonderful features for well under $500.

Who should buy the Lenovo Flex 5i

We feel as though the Lenovo Flex 5i is a good Chromebook for most people. The touchscreen and 2-in-1 design give it the edge, as you usually see these features in machines that cost much more. While the nine-hour battery life is considered just average for a Chromebook, it’s still a great all-day result. It’s just not the whopping 19 hours we got out of the Asus Chromebook CM34 Flip. That said, the Lenovo Flex 5i’s list of compromises is quite small.

Alternative option: The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 ($499) is another worthwhile option. The upgraded processor (Intel Core i5-1335U) and the touch-enabled 1080p display make a big difference, adding great value compared to the 2023 model.

Price When Reviewed:

£249

Why we like the Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3 Chromebook

For under $300, the Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3 Chromebook offers decent performance, fantastic battery life, and a lightweight form factor. Inside, you’ll find a MediaTek Kompanio 520 CPU, an ARM Mali-G52 2EE MC2 GPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. On paper, those specs may not look all that impressive. However, when it comes to real-world use, day-to-day performance is perfectly reliable. The 47 watt-hour battery also lasted 16 hours on a single charge and it weighs just under three pounds, making it a solid travel companion. Not bad for under $300, huh?

Who should buy the Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3 Chromebook

Anyone looking for a cheap, serviceable Chromebook. It’s not the most innovative Chromebook we’ve ever seen, but it doesn’t have to be. It has plenty of power for light use and the battery will keep you going long after your workday or school day ends. The inclusion of a 1080p touch display is a nice touch as well, especially given the low price of the machine. The 720p webcam is disappointing and you’re only getting 4GB of RAM, but if you’re willing to taper your expectations a bit, then this machine is well worth considering.

Alternative option: If you’re willing to spend a little extra on a Chromebook with better performance, we’d recommend checking out the $399 Acer Chromebook Plus 515. Bootup times are lightning fast and browser-based tasks feel appropriately snappy. The typing experience is also lovely and the battery can last up to 13 hours on a single charge. The only trade-offs are the boring aesthetics and the thick bezels on the display.

Why we like the Lenovo Chromebook Duet

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is remarkably featherlight at just 2.09 pounds, and that’s with the keyboard and stand! Not only did the small form factor impress us, but also the long battery life. The 68 watt-hour battery can reach the 12 or 13-hour mark on a day of casual use, so searching the web and watching YouTube. That’s a good amount for such a tiny 2-in-1 laptop. It also charges very fast, which is impressive given the smaller battery size.

Who should buy the Lenovo Chromebook Duet

Anyone who’s looking for a lightweight laptop with good battery life. The keyboard is great too, even though it sits “flat as a pancake,” according to our review. Compared to the previous iteration, the keys have “increased travel distance” and the alphanumeric keys are full-size–these two factors lend to a more natural typing experience. You can also detach the keyboard and use the display like a tablet.

Alternative option: The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus ($699.99) is an alternative worth exploring, especially if you’re looking for a portable clamshell-style laptop. The AMOLED display is absolutely gorgeous and it weighs just 2.58 pounds.

Why we like the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 offers a convertible form factor, zippy day-to-day performance, and a keyboard with plenty of travel. The 14-inch IPS touch-enabled display also has a 1920×1200 resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and 340 nits of brightness. It’s a great screen for media streaming, but it’s on the dimmer side and the glossy surface makes it difficult to use on a sunny day. That said, the multi-touch touchscreen works well.

Who should buy the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714

Anyone looking for a more premium Chromebook! The 2-in-1 form factor allows you to rotate the screen 360 degrees and use it like a tablet, which is great for those who like to take notes or doodle. Plus, many Android apps are optimized for tablet use, so using this Chromebook in tablet mode should be easy. The price tag ($699) may deter some folks, but if your budget knows no bounds, then the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is a fantastic choice.

Why we like the Acer Chromebook 516 GE

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a good machine for gaming and day-to-day tasks. The Intel Core i5-1240P CPU is powerful enough for office work and everyday activities, and the display’s 120Hz refresh rate will produce smooth visuals. You can’t run games locally on this laptop, but you can use a cloud gaming service like Nvidia GeForce Now or Amazon Luna. According to our review, “gameplay felt perfectly smooth” and “Nvidia’s GeForce Now diagnostics panel flagged no problems.” Just make sure you’ve got a stable Internet connection! Fortunately, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE has an Ethernet port, which is about as stable as you can get.

Who should buy the Acer Chromebook 516 GE

Anyone who wants to game on a dependable Chromebook! The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a joy to game on and it’s zippy enough for productivity and day-to-day. Additional features include a 1080p webcam, a 65 watt-hour battery, and an attractive design. With an MSRP of $650, it’s a little expensive for a Chromebook, but it punches above the usual Chrome OS machine and is tailor-made to deliver a high-quality cloud gaming experience.

When people talk about regular laptops they usually mean a PC or Mac. A Chromebook is still a laptop, but it differentiates itself from either of those two by using a unique operating system called Chrome OS, which was created by Google. Think of it like this: All Chromebooks are laptops, but not all laptops are Chromebooks.

Unlike other operating systems such as Windows or macOS, Chrome OS is optimized to run Google apps such as Google Drive, Google Docs, YouTube, and other Google services. Because most Google apps are online, Chromebooks generally require an internet connection to use most of their important features.

Finally, Chromebooks have historically been designed with portability, ease of use, and affordability in mind rather than top performance. They typically forego the faster, high-end hardware that PCs or Macs can use for a more minimalist, lightweight approach to computing.

More and more, the line between what is a laptop and what is a tablet blurs as companies integrate the features of both into their latest devices. But there are still a few key distinctions between the two. Laptops generally are larger, come with more storage, and have better performance and productivity features. Tablets on the other hand are smaller and more portable, have longer battery life, and are usually a bit more affordable.

When choosing between a budget laptop and a tablet you should first ask yourself what the primary use of the device will be. Do you need something for productivity with lots of storage? Then a laptop—even a budget model—will probably be the way to go. Or do you need something small, travels well, and has a long battery life? Then you might consider a tablet.