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Best laptops for kids in 2023

The best options for entertaining your kids while also giving them somewhere to study and learn.
By Leah Stodart and Haley Henschel  on 
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Overview

Best Windows 2-in-1

Microsoft Surface Go 3

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Best 2-in-1 Chromebook

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

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Best for high school grads

2023 Apple MacBook Air

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Best budget gaming laptop

Acer Chromebook 516 GE

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Best budget Chromebook

Dell Chromebook 3110

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The learning experience is fundamentally different for kids now than it was even for today's 20-somethings — especially for elementary and middle schools. A lot of that change can be attributed to laptops.

The Covid-induced school closures that spanned 2020 cemented the cruciality of a kid having easy access to a laptop at home. While the classroom may be all-important once more, it's still convenient to have a laptop at hand for your kids to use. The importance of access to email and virtual learning platforms like Blackboard, while a kid's not at school, can't be understated (and for a lot of kids, it's far less intimidating than talking to a teacher IRL).

Digital accessibility to school materials and other resources can also cultivate a sense of autonomy and responsibility in students: The Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning found that high schoolers who were assigned a laptop were more likely to take notes in class, do internet research, collaborate with peers on projects, check their grades, and get reminders about due dates or tests.

Are first graders going to be taking notes or keeping track of their own test scores? Probably not. But as children move from elementary to middle to high school, computers are made a more integral part of the curriculum and assignments. Young kids can stay ahead of the curve by practicing those skills at home — it's like practicing reading with your preschooler or letting your 15-year-old practice driving in a parking lot. Easing them into the responsibility of keeping a device charged can work as preparation for a cell phone as well.

Laptops for younger kids versus older kids

Some criteria make sense for all ages. Young kids need something sturdy that can handle drops or bumps, and older kids need something that can handle being lugged in a backpack alongside heavy books. Long battery life makes everyone's life easier, too.

Processing power and storage will likely be your main deciding factors, and it all depends on what the kid will be doing on the laptop. Younger kids may do some light schoolwork, play games, or watch a movie, but there's no reason to pay for RAM over 4 GB to run a few apps for school or a fancy screen to play Unravel Two. Faster RAM and increased screen resolution will be important for high school or college students who need a device that can multitask with power-sucking apps like PhotoShop or software for a statistics course. Ample storage space is a must to house things like schoolwork and downloaded textbooks.

Here are the best laptops for kids in 2023:

Older kids will dig the freedom of going from a laptop to a tablet and back without switching devices. Microsoft's third-gen Surface Go surpasses the sluggish 2-in-1s meant mostly for streaming with heftier computing skills. That performance boost is essential for schoolwork involving special statistics or creative software, ideally preventing any system restarts due to overheating (and resulting file loss). 

Its lightweight design and dual high-def webcams are checkmarks for any student, but Microsoft went above and beyond to make the Surface Go 3 a true learning sidekick. Kids can use a special camera app (built into the rear-facing camera) to scan documents and whiteboards for quicker note-taking or studying. The included Surface Pen is also clutch for jotting things down, doodling, sketching, and tracing.

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There are a ton of affordable, reliable Chromebooks out there. But tech brands have been less successful at harnessing the Chromebook way of life into tablet form — let alone at a price point that's justifiable for most parents. Lenovo's release of the convertible Chromebook Duet was groundbreaking in the age-old choice between Chrome OS and the convenience of a tablet, and the 2022 version of the Duet pushes the value even further.

The Duet has impressed us since its debut for several reasons, from the power of its general-purpose octa-core processor to its included detachable keyboard to the fact that it barely weighs more than two pounds with that keyboard on. Its 11-inch touchscreen display (now 2K) is also compatible with Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) pens for drawing and doodling, which comes included with the more expensive versions of the Duet.

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Apple's MacBooks are *the* choice for high school grads heading off to college or into the workforce. If you're struggling to decide between the Air or Pro, here's a good rule of thumb: Unless the device's primary user will be doing intense work like editing 4K videos in Adobe, buying a Pro at full price is unnecessary.

Five years ago, this probably wasn't the case. But with a razor-sharp Retina display, a Touch ID sensor, and the wicked M2 chip on board, the latest Air is a productivity juggernaut in its own right. It packs the power into less than three pounds and keeps the efficiency sailing for up to 18 hours.

If you'd prefer to drop a little less money, the 2020 Air is still a solid choice — and frequently on sale for $749.99.

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Your kid is begging for a gaming laptop. You're not about to drop $1,000 (or more) on that. Acer's $649.99 cloud gaming Chromebook is the ultimate compromise, securing specs like an Intel Core i5 processor, 120Hz display, and Intel Iris Xe graphics that run circles around most other Chromebooks on the market.

The 16-inch screen's bright colors (matching the bright rainbow backlight in the keyboard) are equally great support for streaming or even making a slideshow for school more attention-grabbing. The hefty SSD storage and hefty weight of the laptop itself probably aren't necessary for the kid who will only clock a few days of usage a week, but it's ideal for kids who will study hard if high-end PC gaming is in the cards.

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Chromebook with language learning on screen sitting near pencils and books

Dell Chromebook 3110

Best budget Chromebook

Handing a device to a kid is like watching a drop or spill flash before your eyes. Designed to withstand the rigors of daily life in the classroom, at home, and in between, this 2-in-1 Dell Chromebook nails the kid-ready trifecta: rugged, affordable, and ready for streaming.

Measuring just over 11 inches wide and weighing less than three pounds, the 3110 can be carried safely in little arms or little backpacks. The sturdy chassis is supported by rubber bumpers for absorbing shock (specifically up to 30 inches on steel and 48 inches on plywoof) and a spill-resistant keyboard that can handle 12 ounces of liquid.

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Frequently Asked Questions


A Chromebook is a laptop that operates almost solely on the internet. These laptops aren't inherently kids' laptops, but their low price point, cute and compact designs, and security features do make them a good option for iffy parents and kids who will be doing most of their work on a web browser (like playing on ABCmouse or typing on Google Docs). Chromebooks often still use the hardware you'd see elsewhere too like an Intel Core processor, so they're not always instantly the slow choice.

Being locked into Chrome OS isn't as limiting as it sounds. Actually, it provides some freedoms that regular laptops can't. Because everything is automatically stored on Google Drive, your kid won't lose all of their work if they forget to save a document or if the Chromebook itself crashes. This also means that kids can access their slideshow or essay on any computer where they can log into their Google account.

Kids perusing the internet might sound like a virus waiting to happen. Every web page or Chrome app runs its own sandbox, essentially ensuring that other parts of the computer won't be compromised even if that page gets hacked or "infected."

However, malware has nothing on Chrome. Most hackers are aiming at Windows or Mac and ignore Google's OS (for now), making it highly unlikely for a Chromebook to get a virus. If something sketchy were to happen, the threat can be wiped out by closing the page or reverting to factory settings. Parents and teachers can get some peace of mind without constantly looking over their child's shoulder, and children can surf the web without feeling like they're being watched.


Handing a laptop to your kid (and subsequently setting them loose on the internet) naturally comes with safety concerns, but monitoring your kid's computer activity without smothering them is a delicate dance. The already-huge screen time debate was forced into the spotlight when the coronavirus required schools to close, forcing caregivers to find a way to keep kids entertained and engaged all day, every day. Parents were told to not freak out about their kids staring at a screen while stuck at home, as the evidence connecting screen time and cognitive or behavior development is pretty meager. But if you're worried that too much freedom will result in kids landing on an inappropriate site or going into technology zombie mode, parental control software steps in to strike a healthy balance.

Leah Stodart
Leah Stodart
Senior Shopping Reporter

Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers essential home tech like vacuums and TVs as well as sustainable swaps and travel. Her ever-growing experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.

Leah graduated from Penn State University in 2016 with dual degrees in Sociology and Media Studies. When she's not writing about shopping (or shopping online for herself), she's almost definitely watching a horror movie, "RuPaul's Drag Race," or "The Office." You can follow her on X at @notleah or email her at [email protected].


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