Because there are so many options, finding the best Chromebooks for your needs can be difficult. There are cheap, low-cost Chromebooks as well as more powerful premium models with larger, brighter screens, better build quality, and beefier components.
Many have excellent battery life and, thanks to Chrome OS support for the Google Play Store, can run Android apps. Oh, and if you are not familiar with Chrome OS, it is an extremely lightweight alternative to Windows 11 and macOS. Chromebooks are popular among students and teachers because they are typically inexpensive and simple to use. Unless you are emulating Android apps or one of the experts running Linux on a Chromebook, everything you do on it will take place in a Chrome window.
Having said that, the best Chromebooks are excellent laptops. Some of the best 2-in-1 laptops have touchscreens suitable for Android apps (which are not as good when used with a mouse and keyboard alone). While Chromebooks are commonly associated with students, the category now includes a number of elegant models that can serve as viable replacements for business laptops. In fact, some Chromebooks are now supporting Steam games.
For a variety of reasons, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 is the best Chromebook overall. It is thin and light, can run for eight hours on a single charge and has a vibrant QLED display. Furthermore, the speakers sound great and the red color looks great.
If you want something less expensive and do not mind a tablet, consider the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, which debuted in 2020 as a surprisingly long-lasting and attractive 2-in-1 running Chrome OS. If you need a cheap Chrome tablet with a free detachable keyboard, this is still a great option.
If you like the idea of a Chrome tablet that can also function like a laptop but can afford a little more power, the new Lenovo Duet 3 Chromebook is for you. It costs a little more than $100 more than the original Duet, but it has a larger, brighter screen, more USB-C ports, and a beefier Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chip.
SPECIFICATIONS
- CPU: Intel Celeron | Core i3 processors
- RAM: 4GB, 8GB
- Storage: 64GB, 128GB
- Display: 13.3-inch QLED (1080p)
- Dimensions: 12 x 8 x 0.6 inches
- Weight: 2.7 pounds
Getting rid of the 4K display on the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook was probably the best thing Samsung could have done to make this Chromebook a success. It is now much more affordable, but it still has a great QLED display and a longer battery life — 7:50 vs. 5:55 in the previous generation. It will also sound great, and its Core i3 configuration will provide plenty of speed for Chrome OS.
We were not as pleased with the keyboard’s vertical travel, which is a little shallow. This results in a slight learning curve that you will adapt to over time. However, getting a Chromebook that looks this good — wow, that Fiesta Red color option stands out in a sea of silver Chromebooks and PCs — is a must. Furthermore, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 is reasonably priced at under $450.
SPECIFICATIONS
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2
- RAM: 4-8GB
- Storage: 64-128GB eMMC
- Display: 11 inches, 2,000 x 1,200 pixels
- Dimensions: 10.16 x 6.48 x 0.31 inches
- Weight: 1.2/2.1 lbs (tablet only/tablet + cover)
We liked the original Duet because of its long battery life, solid performance, and decent built-in keyboard cover, all for around $250. Lenovo’s new Duet 3 costs a little more, but it has a larger, brighter display, more ports, and the extra power of a beefier Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chip. It is one of the best Chrome tablets on the market, and the fact that Lenovo includes the keyboard cover for free makes it a surprisingly effective 2-in-1 Chromebook. While the original Duet is a better buy if you are on a tight budget, those who can afford it will be well-served by this excellent Chromebook.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Display: 13.5-inch, 2256×1504
- CPU: Intel Core i5-10210U
- GPU: Intel UHD
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Size: 11.8 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
- Weight: 3.0 pounds
When looking for a great Chromebook, you are always looking for an affordable (enough) combination of performance, design, and endurance. This is due, in part, to its Intel Core i5-10210U CPU, which provides a ton of speed for Chrome OS (anything more would be overkill), as well as 8GB of RAM for managing all the Chrome tabs you can throw at it.
Furthermore, its 2256 x 1504-pixel screen produces bright and vibrant image output. Furthermore, it lasted 11 hours and 54 minutes on our web-browsing battery test. The only major drawback to the Spin 713 is its small size, but this is true of all 13-inch laptops.
SPECIFICATIONS
- CPU: 2.0GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P60T
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB eMMC, 128GB eMMC
- Display: 10.1 inches, 1920 x 1200 pixels
- Dimensions: 9.64 x 6.66 x 0.71 inches (docked)
- Weight: 2 pounds (docked)
It is sometimes surprising how much you can get for $300 or less. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet, for example, is a 2-in-1 Chromebook that includes a keyboard by default, which Microsoft’s Surfaces and Apple’s iPads do not. Not only do you get that price, but the Chromebook Duet’s tablet display is also very good, with a surprising amount of color output and a crisp 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution.
Smaller hands may find the keyboard on the Chromebook Duet a little tight, but at this price, any keyboard is a surprise and a steal. To make matters even better, the Chromebook Duet includes ChromeOS tablet optimizations that have long been overdue in order to fully utilize all of its screen space.
SPECIFICATIONS
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8200Y
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB
- Display: 13.3-inch, 3840 x 2160-pixel
- Dimensions: 12.2 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
- Weight: 2.3 pounds
Following the success of the super-premium Pixelbook, Google has returned with one of the best Chromebooks ever, the Pixelbook Go. This Chromebook is a case study of why it can be worth it to spend more and invest in your next laptop, despite being more reasonably priced (but still on the high end of this list).
This Chromebook is not only stylish, with a slim chassis and grippy ribbed underside, but it also has a great screen that is brighter (368 nits) and more colorful (108 percent sRGB rating) than most. Furthermore, the Pixelbook Go has a fantastic, clicky keyboard that allows for comfortable typing. Furthermore, it lasted nearly 11.5 hours on a single charge. The Pixelbook Go’s only real flaws are the lack of a USB-A port and the fact that it is not a convertible. Those who can afford the Pixelbook Go, on the other hand, will adore it.
