Best laptops for kids: the top laptops for kids in elementary school and beyond

These days, having one of the best laptops is critically important, even for children. The best laptops for kids will usually be rugged and cheap tablets, but your children will eventually outgrow these, requiring something a bit more traditional. Whether it’s for school or for play, you’ll need to find the top laptop for kids.

Don’t think you’re stuck with Windows, though – the best Chromebooks are awesome laptops for kids, as they feature large, durable displays that are great for writing up book reports and doing homework. Most of them can install Android apps and games, as well, for a bit of downtime here and there. The best part? They’re super affordable.

So, how do you decide which of the best laptops for kids is right for your little one? Well, we here at TechRadar have you covered – we went ahead and listed all the top laptops for kids.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up, we’ll help you find the best laptops for kids– from low prices to ruggedized frames and even rigid parental controls. We may not have tested or reviewed all the laptops here, but we’re laptop experts, and these are all exceptional laptops for kids.

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Dell Chromebook 11 3180

This entry-level Chromebook from Dell is, by our measure, the best laptop for kids you can buy today. This Chromebook’s 11-inch frame may be tiny, but so is your little one. What’s more impressive are its classroom tools, like an activity light that allows kids to digitally raise their hands. Plus, it has a ‘kid-proof’ sealed, spill-resistant keyboard and rubber sides. The excellent price is worth noting, too. Plus, Chrome OS is historically easy for parental controls as well as malware protection.

Read the full review of a predecessor: Dell Chromebook 11

Lenovo IdeaPad 120S

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

If you have kids that are just starting to 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 might want to consider the Acer Chromebook Spin 11. Not only does it have competent specs and a surprisingly comfortable keyboard, it’s also a 2-in-1. This means it can be used to play some Android games when all the homework is done. The display is a bit dim, and it’s not going to blow you away with its performance, but it’s cheap, durable and it’ll last a while.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook Spin 11

Acer Chromebook 15

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

Asus Transformer Mini T102HA

If your kid demands a tablet, but you’d like them to master the traditional computer as well, this Windows 10 tablet set is the most impressive we’ve seen in a minute, especially for the price. 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 make the jump to a traditional laptop, then this here is the best option, 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

MacBook Air

There will come a time when your little one isn’t so little anymore, and therefore needs a laptop to match. However, we know parents aren’t made of money. Keeping that in mind, the MacBook Air is a great choice for secondary, or post-secondary, school kids thanks to its fantastic battery life, smooth operating system and lightweight portability. Plus, MacBooks are famous for outlasting most Windows laptops – and this one in particular is usually discounted heavily.

Read the full review: MacBook Air