As your children grow older, the way they use their laptops will also change. In addition to watching their favourite shows online, homework assignments become increasingly important, as does the ability to play their favourite games with friends.
It's essential, then, that you buy a laptop that is up to the task.
Not only will it need to be powerful enough to cope with the demands of modern-day multi-tasking, it will also needs to easy to use, affordable and have great battery life.
But with so many to choose from, where do you start? Fear not, because we've listed some of the best laptops for kids that tick all of the right boxes.
What are the best laptops for kids?
1. HP Chromebook 11a-nb0000na 11.6" Chromebook
Best budget laptop for kids
This is a really nifty little computer for the price point. It's light and portable, boasts 13 hours of battery life, and an anti-glare screen for good viewing at any angle.
It's speedy and the camera and microphone are ideal for all streaming and socialising needs. There's all the ports you need, and a decent 4GB memory and 32GB storage, but you can always boost the laptop's storage (for all those movies and photos) by inserting a Micro SD card.
A reliable investment that won't break the bank, but will still provide your child enough speed to do all of their school tasks.
2. Microsoft Surface Go 2
Best touchscreen laptop for kids
An excellent and affordable option from Microsoft, this is officially a tablet but can easily be paired with a type cover to create a versatile and portable laptop.
It's sleek, stylish and ideal for your little one to use at home after school (with a bumper case of course), or for an older child to take with them to university. It runs full Windows so is perfect for homework, has 4GB memory, and can be used as a tablet for playing games and watching movies on-the-go or at home.
It’s not quite as powerful as an iPad but, at this price, it’s a brilliant buy with lots of cool features to ensure your child learns and has fun at the same time.
3. Acer Chromebook Spin 311
Best 2-in-1 laptop for kids
This laptop for kids is like a good old friend - solid, durable and reliable.
It’s perfect for when children need to start writing up work for school, but you don’t want to spend a fortune. It’s a great affordable mix for work and play, offering basic applications for school work and then flipping into a tablet for games, films or checking in on TikTok.
It’s ultra-resistant with a shock-absorbent bumper and can survive drops from 122cm, as well as small spillages (up to 330ml) on the keyboard. A great all-rounder with a 10-hour battery life.
4. GeoBook 110 11.6in HD Dual Core Laptop
Best laptop under £200 for kids
It's not a brand that immediately jumps out as a household name, but for parents on a budget, the GeoBook 110 is desirably priced at under £200.
Powered by an Intel Celeron processor with 4GB RAM, kids can easily multi-task between programmes effectively, the GeoBook 110 is perfect for work, study and casual computing on the move. The HD IPS display brings high-resolution, wide-angle visuals so you can work efficiently.
There's also Office 365 Personal with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more ideal for the kids to swiftly complete homework
5. Lenovo 11IGL05 IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook - Onyx Black
Best Chromebook under £200 for kids
Lenovo is always a good idea if you're looking for affordable options.
Whether they'll be playing games online, scrolling through social media or completing their school work, this model has 10 hours of battery life, so you won't have to worry about constantly charging.
You get one year of online storage with Google One too, meaning you can save anything and access it again whenever you have an internet connection. There's a built-in antivirus for round the clock protection and access to millions of apps to suit their needs.
6. ASUS C223 11.6 Inch Celeron Chromebook
Best compact laptop for kids
Smaller than a sheet of A4 paper, this compact and lightweight laptop was designed with kids in mind.
It has one of the thinnest profiles of any Chromebook, has 4GB of RAM, a battery life of up to 10 hours so would last all day at school without charging, and high-definition display for good movie-watching afterwards.
With access to Google Play Store, it has everything your mini me needs to enjoy the day.
7. Acer Aspire 1 Intel Celeron 14" HD Laptop
Best laptop for Bluetooth for kids
The Acer Aspire 1 is powered by an Intel Celeron processor, boasting 4GB RAM and a very impressive 64GB of storage space, perfect for homework, project or gaming downloads.
To further assist with school work, included in the package is a one year subscription for Microsoft 365 Personal and the added option to include Norton 360 to protect your device.
To easily connect to the internet and other devices like headphones or speakers, the laptop also has integrated bluetooth.
8. Google Pixelbook Go
Best Chromebook for kids
One of the best mainstream Chromebooks, with 16GB and i5 Intel Core, this laptop for kids is lightweight and easy to carry around, offers a good battery life of 12 hours, and has a high-resolution camera for great-quality movie-watching and video chatting.
So, whether they’re collaborating on a Google Doc in a cafe or FaceTiming someone from home, this laptop offers a sleek look and user experience.
9. ASUS VivoBook F515JA 15.6" Laptop
Best gaming laptop for kids
With a 15.6" screen, this VivoBook from ASUS is ideal for game play or streaming all of their favourite shows.
The laptop has a NanoEdge display, perfect for enjoying a big screen without a massive laptop, that then becomes too clunky to carry. There's a sophisticated 10th generation Intel Core i3 processor, meaning you'll be able to work on your spreadsheets or enjoy binging TV with a smooth and swift system performance.
What's more, we love the sleek design of this laptop that can easily be transported in standard sized rucksacks.
10. Apple MacBook Air M1 (2020)
Best Apple laptop for kids
Like the Porsche of the computer world, the MacBook Air is the crème de la crème of laptops for kids.
Although it's a lot of money to shell out, the applications, operating system, features, design, battery life, and user experience are second-to-none. Longevity is also excellent, and this may even last older kids through A-levels and university. But be warned: once used, they might not want to return from the Mac.
As Macs are slowly becoming the industry standard, it's a great brand to introduce your child to early on, helping to give them an advantage when they go off to study further and eventually work.
How do I choose the right laptop?
Picking the right laptop can be tricky at the best of times, especially if you're not tech savvy. However, fear not If you don't know your gigabytes from your gigahertz - there are some basic things you can still keep an eye out for, including:
Hardware
While it can be tempting to buy the least expensive laptop, cross your fingers and hope for the best, what goes on under the hood is the first thing you should be looking at.
Why?
Well, there's nothing worse than buying a laptop only to discover that it constantly freezes, slows down or makes more noise than a jet engine as it struggles to perform seemingly basic tasks.
We've all been there, and it's the sign of an underpowered laptop that isn't fit for purpose.
As schools take more of their learning online in the form of virtual classrooms, it's important to look for a laptop that is equipped for the job.
You'll need, at a minimum, a Dual Core processor with a clock speed of at least 2Ghz and 4Gb RAM - the more Ghz and RAM, the better.
You'll get what you pay for at the end of the day, so it's a case of balancing your requirements with your budget. The good news, however, is that there are plenty of affordable laptops that strike this balance perfectly.
Screen
Not only is the size of the screen important, but also the finish. Laptop screens can be matt or gloss, each with their own unique advantages.
While matt screens are easier to view in bright light and help reduce eye strain, glossy screens are better for watching movies and films as the colours are much more vivid.
Smaller screens are perfect for kids as they strike the right balance between portability. While a standard laptop screen size is around 13.5", compact laptops have screens between 11-14".
Laptops with larger screens are only worthwhile if it will be used while sitting at a desk or table. While they are great for gaming and watching videos, the trade-off is that they can be difficult to carry around.
Battery
If your child uses their laptop for everything from work to play, then a longer battery life will almost certainly be useful.
Laptops with 9 or more hours of battery should see them through an entire day of use, which comes in handy for when the charger is inevitably left at home.
This is especially important if they're a bit older and therefore more likely to be multi-tasking and zipping between multiple open programmes.
Operating System
Most laptops these days are powered by one of three operating systems, each with their own unique pros and cons. These are:
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows, or Windows, is one of the oldest operating systems around and, when it comes to versatility and all-round ease-of-use, Windows is hard to beat:
- Familiar: Found on computers and laptops up and down the country in every school, home and office.
- Software: Huge software library that includes MS Office - perfect for for midweek homework assignments
- Security: Keep everyone safe online by setting up parental controls and child user accounts
- Affordable: Windows computers come in all shapes and sizes and cover every available price point
- Virus attacks: While Windows computers are more vulnerable to infection, a good antivirus will help protect your computer
macOS
Exclusive to Apple computers, macOS is known for its ease-of-use, user-friendly design and cross-device compatibility.
- Peace of mind: Less likely to get a malware or virus infection, so no need for an antivirus
- Best of both worlds : Run Windows on your Mac using a built-in feature called 'Boot Camp'
Cross-device compatibility: Transfer files, make and receive phone calls and send text messages from your Mac
Built for speed: No pre-installed promotional software, known as bloatware, that will slow down your computer
- Pricey: A MacBook can set you back hundred, or thousands, of pounds - even pre-owned ones
Chrome OS
Chrome OS powers Chromebooks and is a web-forward operating system with plenty going for it:
Battery life: Spend up to 9.5 hours unplugged
Secure: No need for an antivirus and the ability to set up parental controls and child user accounts
- Storage: With little to no built-in storage, everything is done online via the cloud
Budget-friendly: Chromebooks are less expensive than Windows and Apple computers as they lack expensive hardware and software
- Performance: Not as powerful as Windows or Apple computers, which makes them ill-suited for gaming and all but the most basic tasks such as homework and watching videos online
- Software: Everything from word processing to creating presentations must be done online via Google Docs, a cloud-based suite of tools similar to MS Office..
If you've been looking around for a while but still aren't quite sure on the best laptop for you - try browsing top tech retailers like Amazon, Currys PC World or Argos first.