Whether you’re shopping for work or for play, Chromebooks are simple, versatile, and increasingly AI-powered laptops that serve as excellent tools for students and professionals alike. These devices offer reliable performance and battery life in a lightweight package that’s easy to throw into a backpack, so it’s no surprise they’re quickly replacing traditional laptops as the go-to workplace tool.

The tricky thing is that Chromebooks are a massive category. These devices can range from super-durable bricks with barely any features to highly efficient laptops with convertible designs and vibrant touchscreen displays. So which Chromebook is right for you? I’ve tested countless Chromebooks over the years, and I can tell you which pick is right for you and why. So whether you’re a tech-savvy user or you’re shopping for a youngster’s first laptop, if you’re interested in Chromebooks, you’re in the right place.

Andrew Myrick Senior Editor — Smartphones (North America), Chromebooks & Tablets In between figuring out ways to put retro emulators on everything, Andrew thoroughly enjoys exploring what’s possible with Android tablets. He’s constantly looking for new and different ways to use tablets and Chromebooks in particular, such as replacing his laptop or turning tablets into smart home dashboards.

At a glance

Best overall

(Image credit: Acer)

1. Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 Best overall Our expert review: Specifications Display: 14-inch IPS touchscreen Resolution: 1920 x 1200 CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 115U / 125U / Core Ultra 7 155U / 165U RAM: 8GB / 16GB Storage: 256GB / 512GB NVMe SSD Battery: Up to 10 hours via 56Wh cell Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 2x USB-A (USB 3.2 Gen 2), full-size HDMI, 3.5mm stereo combo jack, Kensington lock Weight: 3.21 pounds Colors: Steel Gray Other features: Intel Iris Xe graphics, 2K webcam, webcam privacy shutter, 45W Power Delivery, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 Auto Update Expiration date (AUE): June 2032 Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Fantastic performance without paying a premium + Upward-firing speakers are a nice touch + Comfortable typing experience + MIL-STD 810H6 Reasons to avoid – No fingerprint scanner – Configurations are currently limited to the Core Ultra 5 115U model – Design is getting a bit long in the tooth

The best Chromebook you can buy isn’t necessarily the most powerful or the most expensive. Instead, it combines many features into a compact body that will appeal to almost all Chromebook users; from novices to experts, students to professionals. With the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714, you’re now able to enjoy one of the most performant Chromebooks without paying HP’s or ASUS’ exorbitant prices.

This is also one of the best Chromebooks for those who want to enjoy everything that the Chromebook Plus update has to offer. The currently available configuration is powered by the Intel Core i5-1335U with Iris XE graphics, but Acer plans to add a Core i7 configuration in the near future, giving you even more power, if you need it.

As opposed to the Spin 714 (2023), the 2023 model is missing one big feature and that’s the stowable USI stylus. Acer opted to forgo this altogether, but you’ll still be able to use any of the best USI pens with the Spin 714. It’s just disappointing to see that Acer opted against including a stylus with its best Chromebook.

Best for students

(Image credit: Lenovo)

2. Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus Best for students Our expert review: Specifications Display: 14-inch 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA), IPS touchscreen CPU: Intel Core i3-1315U RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X Storage: 128GB eMMC Battery life: Up to 10 hours Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-A, microSD Card Slot, audio combo jack, Kensington Nano Weight: 3.3 lbs Colors: Storm Grey Other features: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, 1080p camera Auto Update Expiration date (AUE): June 2033 Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon View at Lenovo USA Reasons to buy + Enjoy many of the Chromebook Plus features + Up to 11 hours of battery life + Performance is better than expected + Plenty of ports to choose from Reasons to avoid – Only one configuration is available – Not a convertible design – eMMC storage is a bit lackluster

When Google announced the Chromebook Plus initiative, we were wondering whether Lenovo would jump on the train. Thankfully, the company delivered with a couple of different options, but the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus might be the best of the bunch.

The display is no slouch, thanks to the 1920 x 1200, 14-inch IPS touchscreen, which makes for an enjoyable experience. Adding to that is the convertible design, allowing you to use it as a tablet, or laptop, or take advantage of Tent Mode to watch a movie. Plus, the display is USI-compliant, offering greater flexibility than some of the other options out there.

You can comfortably type on its backlit keyboard for hours at a time and you’ll enjoy serviceable speakers placed just above the keyboard. Battery life is also impressive, as the Slim 3i Chromebook Plus is rated to last for up to 10 hours.

This version comes with Intel’s Core i3-1315U processor with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage. As for port selection, the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus offers dual USB-C ports, one USB-A port, a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm audio-combo jack, and a Kensington lock.

Best Chromebook Plus

(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

3. Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Best Chromebook Plus Our expert review: Specifications Display: 15.6-inch AMOLED, 60Hz, 16:9 Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (FHD) CPU: Intel Core 3 100U RAM: 8GB LPDDR5X Storage: 256GB eUFS Battery: 68Wh (Up to 13 hours) Ports: 1x HDMI, 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A 3.2, microSD, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack Weight: 2.58 pounds Colors: Neptune Blue Other features: Backlit Keyboard, Quick Insert Key Auto Update Expiration date (AUE): June 2034 Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon View at Best Buy Reasons to buy + Thinnest and lightest Chromebook + First Chromebook to feature the new Quick Insert key + Performance is impressive and reliable + More ports than you’d expect + All of the AI features you could want Reasons to avoid – Only comes in one configuration – No fingerprint scanner – Battery life doesn’t meet expectations

It’s been a few years since the last time we saw Samsung release a new Chromebook, but the company is back in a big way with the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. Not only is this the thinnest and lightest Chromebook (at this size,) but there are a few other features that help this stand out from the pack.

The first of which is the 15.6-inch AMOLED display that looks absolutely stunning from the moment you turn it on for the first time. While we do wish Samsung would have used a 1440p resolution in a screen of this size, it’s not really something you’ll think about as you appreciate just how good it looks.

Samsung and Google worked together on this Chromebook, and one way that it shows is with the new Quick Insert key. This replaces the “Everything” key which has been a staple on Chromebooks for years. When pressing the Quick Insert key, a drop-down menu appears, offering different options based on what you’re currently doing. This includes being able to access various Gemini features along with GIFs, symbols, and more.

There really is a lot to like about the Galaxy Chromebook Plus, but there are a few minor gripes that might hold you back. For one, it’s priced at $699, which puts in line with the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714. With that, you get 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is great, but that’s the only configuration to choose from. We really would’ve liked to see at least a 512GB option, or even one with more RAM.

One omission that I was surprised to see was the lack of a fingerprint scanner. It’s not exactly a common inclusion on Chromebooks, but I definitely would have thought one would be built in. Rounding things out, although Samsung claims the Galaxy Chromebook Plus is capable of providing 12 hours of battery life, very rarely did I ever get anywhere close to that.

Best premium pick

(Image credit: Richard Devine / Windows Central)

4. ASUS ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus Best premium pick Our expert review: Specifications Display: 14-inches (16:10), 2560 x 1600, 500 nits CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 115U RAM: 8GB LPDDR5X Storage: 128GB M.2 2280 NVMe Battery: 63WHr w/ 45W Charger Ports: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A / 2x Thunderbolt 4 / 1x HDMI 2.1 / 1x 3.5mm Audio Combo Jack / microSD Card Reader Weight: 2.87 pounds Auto Update Expiration date (AUE): June 2033 Today’s Best Deals View at framework Reasons to buy + 14-inch QHD display with 120Hz refresh rate + Plenty of horsepower + Premium and rigid design + Massive trackpad + Built-in fingerprint scanner Reasons to avoid – No touchscreen – Only one configuration currently available

The ASUS Expertbook CX54 Chromebook Plus has largely flown under the radar ever since it was shown off at CES 2024. Part of that is because ASUS didn’t actually release its latest Chromebook Plus model until May 2024, and didn’t land in Best Buy until even later.

The timeline of events is a real shame, considering what this Chromebook has to offer. Much like the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714, the Expertbook CX54 is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 5 Series 1 SoC. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, all while sporting a gorgeous 14-inch 2560 x 1600 “anti-glare” display.

All of that makes for a fine Chromebook by itself, but the real reason why you’d want to consider this is the design. The chassis is made from aluminum, offering “military-grade durability.” As such, you won’t have to worry about things like “deck flex,” even if you have a tendency of typing a bit harder than others. Plus, there’s a massive trackpad, and even a fingerprint scanner, two things that we would like to see on more Chromebooks.

With that being said, there are a couple of caveats to keep in mind. For one, 128GB of storage, even for a Chromebook, is just simply not enough. Especially with the ever-growing number of AI features being packed into ChromeOS. While the complete ensemble is definitely enticing, the $699 price tag is difficult to justify.

Best for gaming

(Image credit: Acer)

5. Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE Best for gaming Our expert review: Specifications Display: 16-inch (2560 x 1600), 16:10, 350 nits, 120Hz CPU: Intel Core 5 120U RAM: Up to 16GB Storage: Up to 256GB SSD Battery life: 65Whr Ports: 2x USB 4 Type-C, 1x USB-A, 1x 3.5mm audio combo jack, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet Weight: 3.81 pounds Colors: Titanium Gray Other features: Quad force-canceling speakers, RGB anti-ghosting keyboard, Intel Iris Xe graphics Auto Update Expiration date (AUE): June 2032 Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Massive 16-inch 120Hz display + Sleek design with backlit keyboard + Plenty of ports + Great value for the price Reasons to avoid – No touchscreen – Not convertible – No Thunderbolt support

Chromebooks aren’t generally the first thing people look for when they’re picking out a new gaming system, but the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE seeks to change all of that. Thanks to the expansion of Steam for ChromeOS , gamers are now able to log into their Steam account and access their full library of games directly on their Chromebook, and the 516 GE ensures that they look and play better than ever before.

This laptop boasts a big and vibrant 16-inch display (a rarity among Chromebooks) with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. There’s also a sleek and spacious keyboard with eight backlight color options that can be customized at any time in the Settings menu. You also get all of the performance and battery life that we’ve come to expect from the Acer name, in this case, up to eight hours on a single charge. This Chromebook doesn’t skimp on ports either, as the Acer 516 GE boasts dual USB-C ports, a 2.5G Ethernet jack, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

There are a lot of similarities between the Chromebook Plus 516 GE and its predecessor, including a few downsides. A couple of key examples are the fact that you won’t enjoy a touchscreen display here. Plus, while USB-4 speeds are fine for most, it’s still disappointing to miss out on true Thunderbolt support.

Best tablet

(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

6. Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Best tablet Our expert review: Specifications Display: 10.95-inch IPS, 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA), 400 nits, 60Hz, 16:10 CPU: MediaTek Kompanio 838 RAM: 4GB / 8GB LPDDR4X Storage: 64GB / 128GB eMMC Battery life: 29Whr; Up to 12 hours Ports: 2x USB-C (5Gbps) Weight: 510 grams (tablet); 1093 grams (tablet, keyboard, case) Colors: Storm Grey Other features: USI Stylus compatibility, Included stylus, kickstand and detachable keyboard, Physical Privacy Shutter for front camera Auto Update Expiration date (AUE): June 2034 Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Detachable Keyboard, Stand, and Lenovo USI Pen 2 are included + Bright and vibrant display + Physical camera shutter is a nice touch + Quite an improvement over the previous model Reasons to avoid – No expandable storage – Why is there a 4GB/64GB model?

Ever since the original Chromebook Duet debuted back in 2020, this has been one of the best choices for those who want ChromeOS on a tablet. Under the hood, you’ll find MediaTek’s Kompanio 828 chipset, which does wonders to help make the battery last for days.

The Duet 11 is rated for up to 12 hours on a single charge, and this ChromeOS tablet doesn’t disappoint. But Lenovo took things a step further when it comes to charging, giving the Duet 11 dual USB-C ports. Needless to say, these are very welcome upgrades compared to the original Duet.

Continuing with the versatility mindset, Lenovo includes both a kickstand and a detachable keyboard case with the Duet 11, but you’ll also find the Lenovo USI Pen 2 in the box. The kickstand simply attaches to the back using magnets, but the company took a step back when it comes to the keyboard. In our Duet 11 review, we found that the ribbon cable used by Lenovo is a bit too flimsy for our liking, meaning that using this on your lap may result in a frustrating typing experience.

One area where Lenovo didn’t really provide much of an upgrade is in the storage department. The only “upgrade” really is that you can get 128GB of storage with the base configuration, but there still isn’t any option for using a microSD card. But at least with the second USB-C port, you can attach an external hard drive if you want to load up some movies or TV shows. It’s not the perfect solution, but it’s better than nothing.

Best budget tablet

(Image credit: ASUS)

7. ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3001 Best budget tablet Our expert review: Specifications Display: 10.5-inch IPS, 1900 x 1200, 400 nits CPU: MediaTek Kompanio 520 RAM: 4GB LPDDR4X Storage: 64GB eMMC Battery: 38Whr (Up to 12 hours) Ports: 1x USB-3 Type-C, 3.5mm Audio Combo Jack, Weight: 1.92 pounds Colors: Fog Silver Other features: Detachable water-resistant Keyboard / Detachable magnetic kickstand / Supports USI 2.0 Stylus Pen Auto Update Expiration date (AUE): June 2033 Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon View at Best Buy Reasons to buy + A detachable keyboard, cover, and USI stylus are included + At least 12 hours of battery life + Stylus stows away when not in use Reasons to avoid – Performance just doesn’t hit the mark – Not enough ports – Thick bezels

Seeing as Lenovo has yet to release a successor to the Duet 5, this moved the Duet 11 into our pick for best Chromebook tablet. However, this also opened the door for the ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3001 to join the ranks.

For the price, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value than what the CM3001 can offer. It has a listed retail price of $299, but you can easily find it on sale for less, as we’ve seen it drop below the $200 mark a couple of times.

As for what this Chromebook tablet has to offer, ASUS has taken a similar approach to Lenovo, including a kickstand case and detachable keyboard in the box. Making things even better is that there’s even a USI Pen, but you won’t find it in the box. Instead, it’s stowed away in the top right corner, giving you somewhere to put the stylus when you’re not using it, while ensuring that it won’t just fall off or get lost.

Performance is where we see the CM3001 fall short of the Duet 11, as it relies on the Kompanio 520. While it’s far from the worst SoC on a Chromebook, those hoping to enjoy a smooth multitasking experience will be a bit disappointed.

Best cheap Chromebook

(Image credit: ASUS)

8. ASUS Chromebook CX14 (CX1405) Best cheap Chromebook Our expert review: Specifications Display: 14-inch, 1920 x 1080, 300 nits CPU: Intel Celeron N4500 RAM: 4GB / 8GB LPDDR4X Storage: 64GB / 128GB eMMC Battery: 42Whr Ports: 2x USB-C Type 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 1.4, 2x USB-A Type 3.2 Gen 1, 3.5mm Audio Combo Jack Weight: 3.06 pounds Colors: Pure Grey, Misty Grey Other features: 720p HD Webcam, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 Auto Update Expiration date (AUE): June 2033 Today’s Best Deals View at Best Buy Reasons to buy + Great for most regular computing needs + Includes three months of Gemini Advanced for free + FHD display that also features anti-glare + USB-C ports support display out and power delivery Reasons to avoid – 8GB/128GB should be the base configuration – Limited availability

Seeing as how there just haven’t been very many new Chromebooks released in 2025, we’re actually thankful to see the Chromebook CX14 from ASUS. There are some nice things about it, such as the 1920 x 1080 resolution, which isn’t all that common with cheap Chromebooks. Not only that, but ASUS has included an anti-glare coating, which could definitely come in handy if you’re out and about.

The Intel Celeron N4500 isn’t going to win any performance awards, but it tries to make up for that by providing just enough power for multitasking. Plus, the chip efficiency paired with the 42Whr battery means that the CX14 should make it through at least a day, if not longer, before you’ll need to recharge it.

Speaking of charging, ASUS didn’t skimp out on the port selection, as we have two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and even an HDMI 1.4 port. Not only that, but both USB-C ports support display out and power delivery, something else that isn’t very common with budget-minded Chromebooks.

While there’s a lot to like about what the CX14 offers, there are two major sticking points. The first is that companies continue to release new Chromebooks that include just 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. This isn’t a problem limited to ASUS, but is rather common and downright disappointing.

Lastly, there’s only one retailer that offers the CX14, and that’s Best Buy. It makes sense considering that Best Buy is really the only electronics-focused big box store left, but you can’t currently buy the CX14 from Amazon or even ASUS’ own website.

How we test

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Putting Chromebooks to the test is not all that different from how we review any other device here at Android Central. However, given the nature of what a Chromebook can do compared to a tablet, our methodology does vary just a bit.

Specifically when it comes to performance, there are a number of different synthetic benchmarks that are used. These include the likes of Speedometer 3.0, Basemark Web 3.0, Kraken, and others. Given the access to the Google Play Store, we also try to see how well a Chromebook performs in Geekbench and other benchmarking applications.

Furthermore, Chromebooks have the unique advantage of being able to setup and install Linux, with the same being true of Steam for some Chromebooks. In the event that we cannot install and use Linux or Steam on a Chromebook, we make note of during our testing phase, and lean back on the previously mentioned benchmarking tests.

Other things we test out when reviewing a Chromebook include things like stylus support and whether there is any input latency when writing notes or drawing. Not to mention covering the more commonly asked questions, such as design, port selection, convertibility, and others.

How to choose

What are the best Chromebooks on the market today?

Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The beauty of the Chromebook market is that there are so many options to choose from. Our top pick is the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023), as it offers an excellent combination of power and performance. In addition to using Intel’s 13th gen chips, the Spin 714 offers plenty of ports, including HDMI, Thunderbolt 4, and even a headphone jack.

Until the Spin 714 was released, our top pick was the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook, which still hits all of the right markets for a laptop, including build quality, performance, battery life, and longevity — all for a very fair price. The only problems with the Flex 5 were surprisingly mediocre battery life, and that the screen is only a 250-nit, 1080p touchscreen.

There are the best Chromebooks, and then there are the best Chromebooks. Without a doubt, the HP Dragonfly Pro is the best of the best, but that also comes at a steep price. With the Dragonfly, you’ll enjoy a Chromebook that is not only future-proof but one that will make you feel like you’re living in the future. It’s the first Chromebook to feature a haptic trackpad, while also offering an incredibly gorgeous design and even a 1,000-nit touchscreen.

How do I pick the best Chromebook?

Chromebooks might get pegged as only being for students and grandparents, but there truly is a Chromebook for everybody these days, whether you’re just browsing email and social media, or getting down and dirty with Linux apps and coding IDEs.

While there are a lot of great Chromebook manufacturers out there, the Lenovo and ASUS models seem to go harder and last longer than the competition. That being said, Samsung, Dell, and HP can make some pretty premium Chromebooks as well.

Choosing your Chromebook is slightly different from picking a Windows or Mac laptop due to the standardized, cloud-centric nature of Chrome OS. Because Google controls the software look and update schedule for every Chromebook model, a Chromebook built by Lenovo should act the same as a Chromebook from Dell or Samsung. So what does that mean?

It means you can focus a little less on those core specs and more on what you want to do with the machine you choose. This process may seem slightly out of order, but trust me on this one:

Get one with a touchscreen — a 2-in-1 if you can

Touchscreens may be a luxury for other laptop systems, but on Chromebooks, I consider it a requirement. The touch optimization in Chrome OS is getting better every month, and since most of the Android apps Chromebooks can install via Google Play are optimized for touch, treat yourself to a touchscreen model.

Touchscreen models usually aren’t that much more expensive for Chromebooks nowadays — many Chromebook models don’t even bother with non-touchscreen versions these days — but if you see a Chromebook that says it’s non-touch, walk away and don’t look back. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to tap on the screen when scrolling through Amazon, and after playing Solitaire on a touchscreen, you’ll never go back to using a mouse. Especially when buying a student Chromebook, a touchscreen is imperative for helping younger users adapt from the touchscreen world of tablets to the mouse-and-keyboard banality of laptops.

That touchscreen comes in even handier on 2-in-1 systems; the best form factor I’ve seen for Chromebooks yet. Being able to prop up your Chromebook in Tent mode for a movie, or fold it flat into Tablet mode for some in-bed browsing while down with the flu is amazing. However, having a 360-degree hinge is excellent for everyday productivity too. You can bend your Chromebook back to more angles when working in awkwardly-lit offices with weird light glare, or propped in your lap at a ballgame because you didn’t forget those quarterly expense reports that were due tomorrow, and refuse to skip the game for that.

Decide on the other features you want

Chrome OS is almost entirely the same on every device from a software perspective, which means that standout hardware features become paramount, and figuring out which of those features you want or need in a machine can help narrow the field and steer you to your perfect Chromebook.

As mentioned before, you want a touchscreen Chromebook — a 2-in-1 if you can swing it — but if you tend to do a lot of movie-watching, you may want a high-quality screen or loud, front-facing speakers.

If you’re looking to be more productive with many open tabs and multi-window screens, you might want a 3:2 display that’s more suited to split-screening, as well as a more powerful processor/memory configuration.

Productivity-minded users should also pay special mind to the port configurations on their prospective Chromebooks, as USB-C starts to replace most other ports on more premium Chromebooks like the Pixelbook while more grounded models keep USB-A ports around alongside new USB-C charging ports.

Families with younger kids — or travelers prone to slips, spills, and accidents — might want to look to the growing number of Chromebooks with military-grade MIL-STD 810G durability or spill-resistant keyboards.

Pick your size

Chromebooks come in a variety of sizes, but they tend to gravitate to four sizes in general:

11.6-inch models are portable and affordable. At their smaller size, their screens can look good, even if they’re less than 1080p native resolution — though screen resolution is handled a bit differently on Chrome OS; we’ll get to that a little later. Depending on the bezels on the screen, 11.6-inch Chromebooks can either have full-sized keys or slightly shrunken keys, though most manufacturers use full-size keys on 11.6-inch models.

are portable and affordable. At their smaller size, their screens can look good, even if they’re less than 1080p native resolution — though screen resolution is handled a bit differently on Chrome OS; we’ll get to that a little later. Depending on the bezels on the screen, 11.6-inch Chromebooks can either have full-sized keys or slightly shrunken keys, though most manufacturers use full-size keys on 11.6-inch models. 12.3-13.5-inch models are becoming more and more popular, especially with 2-in-1 models like the Lenovo Flex 5 and the Acer Chromebook Spin 713. This screen size allows you to comfortably split-screen windows, enjoy a full-size keyboard, and you’ve got the room for more powerful components and more battery to power that bigger screen. These are portable but powerful, and I love them.

are becoming more and more popular, especially with 2-in-1 models like the Lenovo Flex 5 and the Acer Chromebook Spin 713. This screen size allows you to comfortably split-screen windows, enjoy a full-size keyboard, and you’ve got the room for more powerful components and more battery to power that bigger screen. These are portable but powerful, and I love them. 14-inch models sit at the high margin for the portable category. Still, with thin bezels and proper engineering, these can be almost as portable and manageable as 13-inch laptops with 7-9 hour battery lives. If you need to display your text in a larger font — and yes, Chrome OS has a separate font scale independent of the display zoom — a 14-inch model is your best bet for a productive Chromebook that won’t strain your eyes, especially as most 14-inch models start at 1080p.

sit at the high margin for the portable category. Still, with thin bezels and proper engineering, these can be almost as portable and manageable as 13-inch laptops with 7-9 hour battery lives. If you need to display your text in a larger font — and yes, Chrome OS has a separate font scale independent of the display zoom — a 14-inch model is your best bet for a productive Chromebook that won’t strain your eyes, especially as most 14-inch models start at 1080p. 15.6-inch models are made for desks and dining room tables. I lovingly refer to these as LIMOs — Laptop in model only — because while you can shove them into larger laptop backpacks for a vacation, these Chromebooks aren’t made for laps and tray tables. Instead, these are made for a standard office environment where they live stationary lives in peace. They are great for productivity because you can see more at once, but they tend to have shorter battery lives and higher weights, which dissuade them from being dragged around daily.

In general, the bigger the size of your Chromebook, the more you can potentially fit on the screen, but it will also be less portable and shorter in battery life. The smaller it is, the less heavy and (usually) less expensive it will be. Still, smaller models can also suffer from lower resolution screens, though Chrome OS’s display zoom and font adjustments can somewhat offset it.

Memory and storage — what do you really need?

RAM — Random Access Memory — is a critical spec for computers of all sizes and shapes; from phones and tablets, to desktops and laptops. It’s used by your computer’s processor(s) to hold your current tabs, apps, and execute the commands, clicks, and operations that make your Chromebook work.

So how much RAM do I need? 4 GB of RAM in a Chromebook is OK, 8 GB is better, and high-end Chromebooks can come with 16 GB or more, but 4 GB of RAM is enough to run Chrome OS with a couple of apps and a dozen Chrome tabs.

If you’re a long-time Windows user — or a long-time computer user of any kind — looking at the storage on most Chromebooks will seem confusing at first because it’s not going to sound like enough. Chrome OS is based around cloud storage — Google Drive is integrated directly into the Files app — but local storage is still essential for things like Android apps from Google Play, offline documents, and downloaded music/movies for those horrible Wi-Fi-less flights.

You can also expand the storage on many Chromebooks with an SD or microSD card, but there’s no beating proper local storage to start with. 32 GB of storage is workable, but I’d recommend a model with at least 64 GB of storage. Finding 128 GB or more is usually reserved for premium Chromebooks with heftier price tags. However, 64 GB Chromebooks are pretty widely available and offer more than enough storage for some Drive offline syncing and emergency entertainment.

Always check the expiration date!

Chrome OS is developed, managed, and updated by Google for all Chromebooks, but Google doesn’t want to be stuck supporting every random budget chipset and driver set forever, so each Chromebook has a shelf life and an expiration date — just like the milk in your fridge. This is the Auto Update Expiration date, and it can be found for every single model on this handy-dandy support page, which you should often check while you’re shopping for Chromebooks.

Now, a Chromebook doesn’t turn into a pumpkin on its AUE date — assuming your Chromebook lasts three to six years until that date — but it does stop receiving those system updates every Chromebook gets every four to six weeks that contain bug fixes, security patches, and new features. If your Chromebook is still running decently at that time, you’re a champ, and with a teeny bit of know-how, you can reformat it to run one of a dozen Linux distros instead.

That said, four-to-six years is a long time for any laptop, and chances are yours will be getting long in the tooth by then. Right now, when shopping, always check the AUE to see how long your Chromebook will get updates. Some Chromebooks have shorter lifetimes than others if they’re built on the same platform as a previous Chromebook — AUE is based on the hardware platform, not individual model, which is also why many Chromebooks have the same AUE dates. That’s why it’s something you’ll always want to check before buying, even if the model itself is brand-new.

Picking the best laptop for college is a tricky decision to make — what OS to go for, how much power you actually need for your studies, any actually useful AI features and what about the battery life? All questions form a finely tuned balance you need to find for your course.

Well, if you’re looking for a recommendation that cuts through all the marketing noise (including Apple’s rather hilarious PowerPoint presentation), I’d like to put one in front of you. The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is a serious shout for the best back-to-school buy you can make.

With a gorgeous OLED screen, the most powerful Arm chip I’ve seen in a Chromebook, an OLED display and up to 17 hours of battery life, the hardware has a lot going for it. But the real beauty lies in the software and its logical AI implementations.

And while comparatively, this is quite pricey for a Chromebook starting at $649, I believe for what you get, it’s absolutely worthwhile. Let’s get into it.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: $749 at Best Buy This is for the maxed-out version, sporting that OLED touchscreen display, 16GB RAM and 256GB of storage. On top of that, you’ll get access to 12 months of Google AI Pro, which gives you all of its best Gemini services, alongside Veo 3 video creation and NotebookLM.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally Price From $649 / £599 Display 14-inch OLED 1920 x 1200-pixels — 400 nits (touchscreen optional) CPU MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 Memory Up to 16GB LPDDR5 Storage Up to 256GB Ports 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x 3.5mm audio jack Connectivity Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Dimensions 12.4 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches Weight 2.6 pounds

An AI productivity powerhouse

(Image credit: Future)

Before I go into all the “just laptop things,” I want to hone in on that MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chip. You see, up until this point, AI on a Chromebook has been very much reliant on the cloud — given the lower-end chips used to keep costs down.

For most of us always being surrounded by Wi-Fi, that’s fine, but it does cause latency in the features that matter. But with a new chip that sports an NPU capable of 50 trillion AI operations per second (TOPS), Google and Lenovo are moving over to a hybrid approach.

(Image credit: Future)

This brings on-device AI features that are sensibly implemented and actually useful! First thing’s first, Smart Grouping — perfect for a multi-tab Chrome browsing monster like me.

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If you’re working across multiple projects and need to bring some structure to what you do, the on-board AI is able to analyze all your tabs and separate them into different desktops by task.

(Image credit: Google)

The speed of doing this is a cinch, too, as you just swipe up with three fingers on the touchpad and you’ll see the suggestion appear at the bottom. Then Chrome OS works it all out for you. It’s a level of smart organization that you just can’t find on a Windows laptop or a MacBook at the moment.

(Image credit: Future)

Then there’s AI image editing directly in the gallery app. This is more of a “fun to have” than a real useful tool, but it does drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to remove a background and create a PNG sticker of the subject.

Up to the cloud

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But the AI features don’t stop there. I could go on about the 12 months of Google AI Pro that you get for free — giving you access to 2TB of cloud storage, Gemini 2.5 Pro and Deep Research, Veo 3 video generation platform and the incredible NotebookLM (perfect for notetaking in lectures).

But what caught my eye the most is the intelligent Text capture that plugs into all your Google services. Essentially, this is the company’s circle to search feature on speed, as it is able to capture text from any image and take contextual action on it.

(Image credit: Google)

So, beyond the usual capture a picture and shop for the thing via Google Search, you could highlight a text entry and get it as editable text in Google Docs, capture an event promo image and add it as a Google Calendar event.

In my testing, I wrote out a table by hand, highlighted the picture of it, and it was still able to intelligently recognize and turn it into a spreadsheet. This could be huge for people who work out by doodling to digitize their work.

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Also, shoutout to the Simplify expansion to help me read, which can take complex subject matter and dumb down the language a bit. Now I can finally sound as clued up on deep psychological studies as my fiancée!

Not forgetting the fundamentals

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For all the things I do like about using a Chromebook, one thing that can get lost along the way is actually being a good laptop. I’ve faced a minefield of mushy keyboards, bad speakers, poor displays and battery life that drops to zero if you even look at it funny.

With the Chromebook Plus 14, I think Lenovo’s cracked it. First of all, I can’t ignore that dazzling OLED screen, which Google has gone ahead and paired with NASA to make some custom wallpapers of Jupiter to really make it sing.

This makes it an ideal panel that’s easy on the eyes for getting work done, which is further backed up by a properly tactile-feeling keyboard (that same comfortable thump to each key that you know and love from Lenovo) and a smooth, clicky touchpad.

(Image credit: Future)

It also comes in clutch for those moments when you’re so over your studies for the evening, as the Dolby Atmos setup of two woofers and two tweeters sounds fantastic (even in the busy room I was in). That’s sure to make this a binge-watching beast or a great laptop to turn to for firing up the playlist in your student dorms.

That Arm chip doesn’t stutter when opening any programs. With 12-16GB of RAM, I didn’t feel any slowdown or hitching when I took the Plus 14 up over 20 tabs. And Lenovo is stepping up to the mighty stamina of MacBooks with a claimed 17-hour battery life.

(Image credit: Future)

And all of this in a premium aluminum shell with a playful ribbed plastic underside and a 5MP webcam for catching up with your family at home. Everything has been considered here, and when it comes to the typical Chromebook compromises, none of them have been made.

Outlook

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For some of these claims (like battery life), I’ll leave that for our full review (coming soon), but early impressions are strong. The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is a shoo-in for the best Chromebook I’ve ever tested, and possibly one of the best laptops of 2025, too.

It’s easy to count out Chrome OS as the third-place option in favor of Windows 11 and macOS. However, with system-level AI implementations across the board that actually make sense and an incredibly easy-to-use UI.

Of course, there are the big question marks here, like dedicated app support. Google does say that more are coming, but we’ll wait and see on that. But in terms of a solidly powerful system with a great screen, zippy internals, a great screen for binge watching and a stellar OS for getting stuff done, this has everything a student needs.

The best Chromebooks in 2025 are far more capable laptops than the basic machines that debuted in June of 2011. They started as simple, cheap laptops focusing on security and ease of use, but many have become some of the best laptops to buy. Competitively priced compared to the best Windows laptops and best MacBooks, it’s now easy to find a Chromebook with an elegant, thin, and lightweight design and features like OLED displays.

Chromebooks boast a simple, user-friendly interface that integrates with the Google ecosystem, making them a solid choice for many people. Google announced the Chromebook Plus line in October 2023, which offers increased CPU performance from more powerful Intel chips from Intel’s 13th Generation up through the Intel Core 100 series.

They also include several of Google’s AI features, as well as the new Gemini AI assistant. Chromebook Plus devices receive additional features and access to the Advanced version of Gemini.

Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly Chromebook, a powerful Plus Series model, or even a Chromebook for gaming, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to find the best Chromebook for you.

This page is regularly updated with our latest reviews to reflect Laptop Mag’s top picks for 2025.

Click to view recent updates to this page. 6/17/25: Added Acer Chromebook Spin 312 as best student Chromebook. Updated the following sections: recently reviewed, benchmark comparisons, intro, FAQs, and how to choose.

The Quick List

CURATED BY CURATED BY Madeline Ricchiuto Staff Writer Madeline Ricchiuto has covered software and hardware of all kinds over the years. She joined Future in 2019 as a tester in the hardware testing lab and moved to Laptop Mag in 2024 and has already reviewed over 25 laptops, including multiple Chromebooks.

CURRATED BY CURRATED BY Joanna Nelius Contributor Joanna Nelius has reviewed laptops and computer hardware since 2018. Her work has appeared in The Verge, USA Today, Gizmodo, PC Gamer, and Maximum PC. She holds an MFA from Chapman University and works as a creative writing instructor.

Best Overall

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1. Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Best Chromebook overall Our expert review: Specifications CPU: Intel Core 3 100U GPU: Intel integrated graphics RAM: 8GB Storage: 256GB SSD Display: 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) AMOLED Size: 13.9 x 8.9 x 0.47 inches Weight: 2.58 pounds Today’s Best Deals View at Currys View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Solid performance + All-day battery life + Very thin and very light + Bright, big, AMOLED screen Reasons to avoid – Still a bit on the pricey side for a Chromebook – Thin and light but quite wide

Why is it our best pick overall? The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is a premium Chromebook with a solid combination of power, battery efficiency, and it comes with a large AMOLED display.

Buy it if ✔️You need a Chromebook that can last for more than a full day of work or school: The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus lasted for 11 hours and 30 minutes on our battery test, making it the longest-lasting Chromebook on this list. So if you need a Chromebook that can last a full day on a single charge, this is the one to choose. ✔️You want to get the best Google AI experience possible: The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is the first Chromebook to feature Google’s new keyboard layout with the Quick Insert button. While all Chromebooks can use the Quick Insert feature, only the Galaxy Chromebook has a dedicated button.

Don’t buy it if ✖️ You need a budget Chromebook: While the Galaxy Chromebook Plus retails for $649, which is far from the most expensive on this list if you need to stay within a small budget, there are definitely better bargains to make. ✖️ You need a super portable Chromebook: The Galaxy Chromebook Plus is very light and very thin, but it can be a struggle to fit this 15.6-inch laptop into every bag. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 may be the better choice if portability is your biggest concern.

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is a premium Chromebook Plus built with Google’s Gemini AI in mind. With an Intel Core 3 100U 14th gen processor, Intel integrated graphics, 8GB of memory, 256GB of SSD storage, and a 15.6-inch FHD AMOLED display, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus has plenty to recommend.

James Pero writes in our review, “While Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook Plus isn’t the first premium Chromebook, it’s probably the best.”

While not the most powerful Chromebook ever, the Galaxy Book still has enough computing power to get the most out of the ChromeOS suite and Google Gemini AI. The Intel Core 3 100U CPU on the Galaxy Book can get more raw CPU power than most Chrome apps will ever need.

The gorgeous 15.6-inch AMOLED display is another high point for the Galaxy Chromebook. Measuring 108.5% on the DCI-P3 color gamut, the Galaxy Chromebook has a nicer display than some premium Windows laptops. With 377 nits of average peak brightness, you don’t have to worry about screen glare on the glossy AMOLED panel, either.

The Galaxy Chromebook Plus also offers full-day battery life, lasting 11 hours and 12 minutes on the Laptop Mag web surfing battery test.

While $699 is a bit pricey for a Chromebook, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus earns its premium rating thanks to an unbeatable combination of performance, battery life, display quality, and portability.

See our full Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus review.

Best for students

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2. Acer Chromebook Spin 312 Best Chromebook for students Our expert review: Specifications CPU: Intel Core i3-N305 GPU: Intel UHD integrated graphics RAM: 8GB Storage: 128GB eMMC Display: 12.2-inch (1920 x 1200) 60Hz IPS touch Size: 11.41 x 8.10 x 0.78 inches Weight: 2.84 pounds Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon View at laptopmag.com Reasons to buy + Affordable price + Sturdy build + Smooth trackpad Reasons to avoid – Shallow audio – Thin keycaps – Grainy webcam

Why is it our best pick for students? The Acer Chromebook Spin 312 offers a better display, trackpad, and battery life than most Chromebooks — some budget Windows laptops, too — for under $500 in an awesomely portable form factor.

Buy it if ✔️ You need a simple laptop for simple tasks. If your studies solely consist of reading and writing (and saving everything in the cloud), there’s no reason to spend more money on a laptop whether or not you’re on a budget. ✔️ You prefer writing instead of typing notes. As long as you have a compatible stylus, this 2-in-1 touchscreen Chromebook can be both your laptop and notebook.

Don’t buy it if ✖️ You need a larger screen. If you’re concerned about your eyesight or regularly use the magnifying tool, this Chromebook’s 12.2-inch display might not serve you well in the long-run. ✖️ The majority of your classwork is writing essays. This Chromebook’s plastic keys feel thinner and feel softer to press compared to competing devices.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is a stand-out example of how much Chromebooks have improved in the last several years. From its design and portability to over 10 hours of battery life, it might be hard to believe this one costs just $450 — but it does, making this device one of the most well-rounded, budget-friendly Chromebooks for students.

With a silver colorway, a black keyboard, and a lightweight chassis, it also resembles a Windows laptop, but with a far better trackpad compared to most. It’s the smoothest I’ve ever felt on a budget laptop. Its keyboard quality is slightly reminiscent of yesteryear’s Chromebooks, with a clicky-squishy feel that highlights the thinness of the plastic keycaps. “It’s a bit like gently pressing into Jello,” as I wrote in my review, but it’s not the worst keyboard I’ve ever tried.

The IPS display produces vivid and clear images, likely due to its Corning Gorilla Glass coating, despite the low color gamut coverage Laptop Mag’s tests revealed. However, you’ll definitely need to watch horror movies in the dark (as they are meant to be watched). The coating makes the IPS display more reflective than average, and the Spin 312’s max display brightness of 277 nits isn’t always enough to prevent bright ambient lighting from completely washing out dimly lit scenes.

For students who like or want to experiment with ChromeOS, its ample 128GB of storage space is enough to run Linux and then some. However, this laptop comes with only 8GB of RAM. That’s fine for a light workload (a dozen or fewer open browser tabs and one or two applications), but a minimum of 16GB is ideal for any laptop, especially if you are a heavy multitasker.

See our full Acer Chromebook Spin 312 review.

Best for kids

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3. Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 Best Chromebook for kids Our expert review: Specifications CPU: MediaTek Kompanio 838 RAM: 4GB Storage: 128GB SSD Display: 10.9-inch, (1920 x 1200) IPS touch Size: 10.05 x 6.57 x 0.3 inches Weight: 2.08 pounds (with folio case) Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Solid battery life + High-quality 5MP front-facing camera and 8MP rear camera + Affordable price-point + Ultra-light chassis + Good performance for the price + Slick stylus and gesture controls Reasons to avoid – Mushy keyboard on the attached folio – Having 4GB memory does limit some applications

Why is it our best pick for kids? The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 is a light, affordable Chromebook with enough power and battery life to make it the ideal companion for keeping your kids entertained wherever they go.

Buy it if ✔️You want a light, affordable ChromeOS tablet: With the Folio case included in the base $359 price and solid performance, the Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 is a great option for kids. ✔️You need a tablet that can do more than just stream video: While Amazon’s Fire Tablets make great options for kids’ entertainment systems, sometimes they just don’t have enough power. But the MediaTek Kompanio 838 processor in the Duet 11 has more than enough juice for almost everything.

Don’t buy it if ✖️You need to multitask like a professional: While plenty of users can get away with just 4GB of memory on a ChromeOS tablet, if you’re going to be using this for work you may run into some bottlenecks due to the low RAM allowance. ✖️You need a high-quality keyboard: While the included folio case is thin and light, the attached keyboard is mushy and soft, making for an unsatisfying typing experience. If you’ll spend most of your time with a Chromebook typing, we recommend the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 instead.

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 offers high portability, solid battery life, slick stylus controls, an ultralight chassis, high-quality 5MP and 8MP cameras, and dependable performance all at an incredibly affordable price point. The Chromebook Duet 11 features a MediaTek Kompanio 838 processor, 4GB of memory, 128GB of SSD storage, and a 10.9-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS touchscreen display.

“Chromebooks haven’t ever been my favorite laptops or tablets, as I’m exactly the type of person who needs the full application support of a Windows or macOS system. However, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 may have changed my mind,” Madeline Ricchiuto wrote in her review.

Because it features a lower-spec, MediaTek Kompanio processor, the Chromebook Duet lags behind other Chromebooks on CPU performance. However, it’s a well-optimized machine that can keep up with multiple Chrome apps running at once.

The Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 does have a quality display, covering 83% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. And the panel is bright, measuring 402 nits of average peak brightness.

The Duet 11 is a small tablet Chromebook, which makes its battery life even more impressive. The Duet 11 lasted 9 hours and 48 minutes on the Laptop Mag web surfing battery test.

Because of its affordable $359 starting price and solid touchscreen controls, the Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 is a fantastic option if you need a tablet for your kids. It offers enough performance to run multiple applications and has the battery life to keep up with a busy schedule of school and playtime.

See our full Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 review.

Best keyboard

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4. Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 Best Chromebook for Keyboard Enthusiasts Our expert review: Specifications CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 115U GPU: Intel integrated graphics RAM: 8GB Storage: 256GB SSD Display: 14-inch (1920 x 1200) IPS touch Size: 12.35 x 8.84 x 0.71 inches Weight: 3.3 pounds Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon View at laptopmag.com Reasons to buy + Built-in AI tools + Fantastic typing experience + Top-firing speakers + Bright, colorful display Reasons to avoid – Occasionally laggy touchpad – Battery life could be better

Why is it our best keyboard pick? The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is an AI-powered Chromebook with solid performance and a bright, colorful display. But the typing experience on the Spin 714 is what truly blew us away.

Buy it if ✔️You want one of the most powerful Chromebooks for better AI performance. To get the most out of Google’s One AI plan, the Spin 714 has a powerful Intel Core Ultra 5 processor under the hood and won’t slow you down while using Gemini for text or image generation. ✔️You need a Chromebook with a great keyboard. Not all Chromebooks have good keyboards. Many have soft, mushy key activations that just feel bad under your fingers. But the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 has a crisp, satisfying key feel.

Don’t buy it if ✖️You need to stay under a tight budget. While Chromebooks are generally cheaper than Windows or Mac laptops, the Chromebook Plus series can get a little pricey. When not on sale, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 starts at $749, which can be pricey for a Chromebook. ✖️ You want a Chromebook designed for gaming. While it is part of the Chromebook Plus platform, the Spin 714 isn’t optimized for Cloud gaming and suffers in comparison to the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, which was built with Nvidia GeForce Now in mind.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is one of the more powerful Chromebooks on this list, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 5 115U processor, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, and a 14-inch WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) IPS display. However, the true star of this laptop is the keyboard, with a satisfying and smooth typing experience.

Stevie Bonifield noted in our review, “The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 keyboard is very satisfying to type on, but it has its quirks… The typing experience on the Spin 714 is smooth and comfortable. On the Monkeytype typing test, I scored 92 wpm with 97 percent accuracy, higher than my desktop average of 84 wpm and 94.35 accuracy.”

The Intel Core Ultra 5 115U processor on the Spin 714 offers strong performance, making the Spin 714 one of the most powerful Chromebooks. The 14-inch IPS display is also on the nicer side, measuring 78.7% for DCI-P3 color gamut coverage with an average peak brightness of 355 nits.

The Spin 714 is no slouch for longevity either, offering all-day battery life. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 lasted 9 hours and 30 minutes on the Laptop Mag web surfing battery test.

Combined with the slick display and satisfying keyboard, the Spin 714 is nearly the whole package.

See our full Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 review.

Best for gaming

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5. Acer Chromebook 516 GE Best Chromebook for gaming (seriously) Our expert review: Average Amazon review: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Specifications CPU: Intel Core i5-1240P GPU: Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics RAM: 8GB Storage: 256GB Display: 16-inch (2560 x 1600) 120Hz IPS Size: 14 x 9.8 x 0.84 inches Weight: 3.8 pounds Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon View at laptopmag.com Reasons to buy + Smooth 120Hz display + Fast performance + Decent 1080p webcam + Great value for price Reasons to avoid – Tinny audio – Mushy keyboard – So-so battery life – No touchscreen is awkward for Play Store games

Why is it our best pick for gamers? The Acer Chromebook 516 GE remains the only Chromebook dedicated to gaming enthusiasts, with RGB lighting on the keyboard and a sleek black Gaming laptop-style chassis with additional ports. If you want to game on any Chromebook, this is your best bet.

Buy it if ✔️ You want the best gaming experience on a Chromebook. The Acer Chromebook 516 GE comes with more ports than you’ll usually see on a Chromebook, so you can attach all of your gaming accessories and also opt for a hard-wired Ethernet connection so your game stream doesn’t drop due to Wi-Fi shenanigans. You can run Nvidia GeForce Now on any Chromebook, but the 516 GE has all the additional bells and whistles to make it the best choice for gaming. ✔️You want a gaming laptop, but can’t afford the steep price tag. While a dedicated gaming laptop with a discrete GPU will always have better gaming performance than a Chromebook streaming Nvidia GeForce Now, you can get a close approximation with the Acer Chromebook 516 GE without spending gaming-laptop money.

Don’t buy it if ✖️ You need battery life that will last for a full, intense day. If you need a Chromebook with more than 7 and a half hours of battery life for pulling an all-nighter, the Chromebook 516 GE is not the ideal option. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus offers a better balance of performance, battery life, and CPU power. ✖️You want to play games from the Google Play Store. the Acer Chromebook 516 GE doesn’t have a touchscreen, so playing games from the Google Play Store can be difficult. This is particularly true of games that don’t have gamepad support.

Gamers might scoff at Chromebooks, but for cloud gaming services like GeForce Now, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE can offer decent gaming performance and gaming style at a much lower price than your average gaming laptop.

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE features a powerful Intel Core i5-1240P processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 16-inch 120Hz WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS display. So it can handle gaming and schoolwork without blowing your budget.

With an Intel Core i5 12th gen processor, the Chromebook 516 GE offers plenty of powerful performance to handle your day-to-day needs. Even with 8GB of RAM, “You shouldn’t find yourself dealing with any frustrating slowdowns — even if you drown it in tabs,” as Kimberly Gedeon wrote in our review. But if you can afford to upgrade to the 16GB model, we recommend it.

The Chromebook 516 GE’s 16-inch display is a solid choice, and measures 75.8% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is better than some Chromebooks on this list. It also hits a respectable 346 nits of average peak brightness to cut through glare so you don’t need to worry about missing a shot in your next FPS match due to screen glare.

The one drawback to this gaming Chromebook is its battery life, as the Chromebook 516 GE lasted just 7 hours and 40 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test.

While you can technically use cloud gaming services on any laptop or Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE offers a 120Hz display for those who pay for the most expensive GeForce Now membership tier. So, it remains our best choice for gaming on a Chromebook.

Read our Acer Chromebook 516 GE review.

Benchmark comparisons

Click to view chart data in table format Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell – Column 0 Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Acer Chromebook Spin 312 Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 Acer Chromebook Spin 714 Acer Chromebook 516 GE Geekbench 6 (Higher is better) 6015 4477 2323 6335 NA Jetstream 2 (Higher is better) 268.4 215.0 114.3 250.2 253.5 CrXPRT 2 (Higher is better) 167 140.0 106 160 185 Battery life – Web surfing (HH:MM) 11:12 10:33 09:48 09:30 07:40 DCI-P3 Color Gamut (Higher is better) 109% 55% 83% 79% 76% Display Brightness (Nits, higher is better) 377 277 402 355 346 Hottest temperature (95 degree comfort threshold) 84.5 91.5 88 90.5 92.1

Recent reviews

We review dozens of laptops and Chromebooks annually, and while some simply don’t have what it takes to make our buying guides, they’re still strong options that came up short for one reason or another. Here are some of our most recently reviewed laptops that didn’t make the cut for “Best Chromebooks”, but could still be solid machines.

How to choose the best Chromebook for you

Finding the perfect Chromebook isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. Students, businesses, and schools all have different needs.

Students

For students who rely heavily on Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, prioritizing a Chromebook with a long-lasting battery and a comfortable keyboard is crucial.

If you’re a student who wants a gaming laptop that can also function as a great laptop for class (without spending a ton of money) there Chromebooks specfically designed for gaming in the cloud.

Professionals or businesses

Professionals or businesses seeking Chromebooks for their employees should focus on models with strong performance and features that make managing them easier, ensuring a smooth workflow.

Security is also important — Enterprise-edition Chromebooks have extra IT deployment features like real-time threat and data protection, endpoint security, and support integration with 3rd-party software like CrowdStrike.

Schools

If you’re a school looking to equip students with Chromebooks, durability, affordability, and features that support a dynamic classroom environment should be top priorities.

You won’t have to buy a bunch of expensive, business-focused Chromebooks to get the security you need, either. Education Chromebooks also support many of the same security features as business Chromebooks (via Google Workspace for Education), and won’t display ads in core services like Drive, Classroom and Gmail.

FAQs

Q: Who are Chromebooks for?

A: Overall, the best way to tell if someone will enjoy owning a Chromebook is if you know they already spend most of their time in the Chrome browser. Those users will take to the notebook naturally.

If you’re buying this Chromebook for someone else, you should take a few moments to consider how they’re going to use the device. Chromebooks are especially good for younger students, as they are easy to use and are fairly secure. It’s also quite easy to update your Chromebook manually, assuming you don’t want to enable automatic updates.

Q: How well does a Chromebook perform?

A: Chromebooks are lightweight devices, meaning it doesn’t take a lot of CPU performance to run ChromeOS. So, Chromebooks often feature lower-spec processors. Many perform better at lower specs than low-budget Windows laptops, too.

They also generally have less storage space, since many ChromeOS applications run in the cloud. This means more free space for your laptop and speedier performance.

If you don’t need the full Windows or macOS experience to run all your favorite applications, there’s no reason not to opt for a Chromebook.

Q: How are Chromebooks for offline use?

A: Chromebooks are designed to rely heavily on the Internet, which means that many apps simply won’t work if you’re out of Wi-Fi range. But there are more than 200 Chrome apps that can work without internet connectivity, including Gmail, Google Drive, and tons of Android apps like PlayerFM and Here WeGo.

Q: Can I use Android apps?

A: Yes! Most modern Chromebooks now have access to the Play Store. (If you’re unsure if your Chromebook supports Android apps, check out this list.)

However, there are some caveats: many Android apps run via an emulator and may or may not run well. Also, not all apps are optimized for a larger screen (they were built for mobile-first), so you might encounter some scaling issues, especially with mobile games. (Check out our guide to the best Chromebook games for specific gaming app recommendations.)

There are often formatting issues when importing third-party documents into Drive, too. Fortunately, Google Drive allows you to save documents in Microsoft formats, so you’ll still be able to share files with non-Chromebook users through Microsoft Word or other programs — though it may be best to stick with the Office Android apps or Office Online if you’re bringing a lot of files over to your Chromebook.

Q: Do Chromebooks have good battery life?

A: Chromebooks are known for their impressive battery life. Our in-house Laptop Mag web surfing battery test shows that most Chromebooks can last an average of 10 hours on a single charge. This means you can comfortably power through a workday or school day without hunting for an outlet. This makes Chromebooks a great choice for those long stretches in class or meetings.

Q: Are Chromebooks secure?

A: Chromebooks are a great fit for businesses and institutions prioritizing security because their design makes them more resistant to malware, offering built-in protection for employees and students. Some Chromebooks go the extra mile with biometric authentication features like fingerprint scanners, adding another layer of security for sensitive data.

For businesses, the added security and IT deployment features of Chrome Enterprise can make Chromebooks a solid choice for kitting out an office. While enhanced features do require a subscription, Chrome Enterprise is available for free, which can make it a good solution for small businesses.

Q: Can you game on a Chromebook?

A: Chromebooks have access to Steam and can stream games from services like Nvidia GeForce Now. ChromeOS also works with some Android apps, but not every Android game will be available on a Chromebook. But for a game streaming device, Chromebooks work well as an affordable gaming option.

If you want to game without signing up for a streaming service, you may be better off with a gaming handheld or a dedicated gaming laptop.

Q: Are Chromebooks durable?

A: Similar to business notebooks made to survive drops and other minor disasters, Chromebooks are built to withstand falls, scrapes, and similar punishment.

We put the durability of top Chromebooks to the test by dropping 11 different models from heights of 2.5 feet and 4 feet, then scoring them on a scale of 0 to 10 based on how much damage was sustained. You can read our full report here.

How we test the best Chromebooks

(Image credit: Future)

We benchmark Chromebooks as thoroughly as we do any laptop, using synthetic and real-world benchmarks before they end up in the hands of our reviewers. We evaluate each aspect of the Chromebook, including its performance, battery life, display, speakers, keyboard, and heat management.

We rely on tests like Geekbench 6, JetStream 2, WebXPRT 4, and CrXPRT 2 to determine a Chromebook’s CPU and web performance. We also test Chromebook displays using a Klein K10-A colorimeter to detect the brightness and DCI-P3 color gamut coverage.

We test heat management by playing a 15-minute full-screen video and measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop. Last but not least, our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. For premium MacBooks and Windows 11 laptops, a runtime of over 10 hours is considered a good result whereas dedicated workstations that can stay powered for longer than 5 hours deserve praise.

For more information on our testing process, check out our How We Test Laptops page for all the nitty-gritty details.

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We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.

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In this article, we’re going over our recommendations for the Best Chromebook and Chromebook Plus laptops available in 2025.

I’m sure you already know what a Chromebook is by this point, but just in case, here’s a brief summary: Chromebooks are snappy, easy to use, and inexpensive computers designed for everyday use and Internet-based activities such as browsing, email, text-editing, Youtube, Netflix, light gaming, and the like. You’ll find more about the specifics of Chromebooks in this detailed Chromebook buying guide.

Furthermore, as of recently, there’s a new generation of models certified as “Chromebook Plus” to consider. This is a new standard for fast and capable Chromebooks, and includes devices that meet a certain set of hardware criteria, as well as get a set of software capabilities that are not otherwise available on regular options.

Nonetheless, many Chromebooks still start at under $300 these days and for that kind of money you’ll get fully functional computers that are able to handle the activities mentioned above. Thus, these inexpensive Chromebooks are excellent for kids, students, seniors, and pretty much anyone else who needs a simple and affordable computer for basic use.

At the same time, those of you looking for nicer-made devices, snappier multitasking performance, longer battery life, and modern features such as higher-quality IPS or OLED screens, backlit keyboards, good webcams, or specific ports, will need to spend more for a better Chromebook and ideally for one of the newer Chromebook Plus models. The market offers plenty of these premium Chromebooks right now, which should cater to even the pickiest of buyers.

We’ve reviewed and compared many of the available Chromebooks here on Ultrabookreview.com, and in this article, we’ll help you narrow down your options to the devices that will best fit your needs and budget, based on their features, strong points, and quirks. For convenience, I’ve split the article into three main sections:

Best budget Chromebooks in 2025 (under $300)

There are still a few competitive Chromebooks selling for under $300 these days, and they’re fine laptops for kids and for students in school, versatile affordable travel companions, or just the go-to’s for those of you on a limited budget.

Down below you’ll find a more detailed list of the options that you should consider in this class, and we’ll get in-depth on our recommendations afterward.

Keep in mind that I’ve only included the more recent products that are on par with today’s expectations in this list. You’ll still find other options in stores as well, older Chromebooks and many of them selling for under $200 (follow this link for more details), but I’d advise stretching your budgets for one of these newer variants if possible, as they are significant upgrades in terms of design, features, and especially in the way they perform with everyday use.

So here’s this list of budget Chromebooks to help you start your research.

Specs are important at this level, as even if you’re after a basic Chromebook, you’ll still want something that can actually smoothly handle basic tasks. To keep things simple, I’d recommend getting a device with at least an Intel Apollo Lake (Celeron N3350) or preferably a Gemini Lake processor (Celeron N4020/4010 or Pentium N5000), or an AMD/Mediatek equivalent, at least 4 GB of RAM, and at least 64GB of storage.

Hardware aside, keep in mind that many of the options in this section are still plastic-made clamshell Chromebooks with matte screens and mediocre quality TN LED panels, non-backlit keyboards, and basic IO. There are however some exceptions that are partially made out of metal, include IPS screens or even a touchscreen, and those are what I’d primarily look into.

Now, as far as our actual recommendations go in this segment, there’s still one option that clearly steps out of the crowd, and that’s the Lenovo Chromebook Duet.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

Starting at under $200 these days, this is an aluminum-made compact and lightweight tablet with a surprisingly good 16:10 FHD+ touchscreen, with pen support. Furthermore, a keyboard folio is also included by default, for laptop use, and the MediaTek hardware platform inside is capable enough for snappy everyday use and some multitasking, while also highly efficient.

So while the Chromebook Duet is only a 10-inch device and bundles a smaller battery as a result, it can still last for 6+ hours of daily use and 8+ of video.

Unfortunately, though, the Duet is not that easy to find in stock these days, and that’s no surprise considering the unmatched value you’re getting here. If you can find it and you’re OK with this sort of smaller Chromebook, go for it, there’s no better alternative in this segment.

Before we move on, if interested, a wider list of mini-laptops with 10 and 11-inch displays is available in this separate article, while a separate article on fanless notebooks is available over here.

OK, so if you’re looking for a device with a larger screen or larger battery, or perhaps prefer the traditional laptop form-factor that would make the computer more convenient to use on the lap, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and especially Asus offer some inexpensive and ruggedly built Chromebook options, but most of them with LED TN screens.

At the lower end of inexpensive models, the Dell Chromebook 11 and the Samsung Chromebook 4 earn my current recommendation over the other options. The newer Asus Chromebook CX1 is another interesting budget 11-inch alternative. You’ll find links for all of these in the table above.

Next, the compact Lenovo’s Chromebook Flex Spin or the Acer Spin 11 sell for a bit extra over the options above, but replace the 11-inch TN matte panel with convertible 360-degree IPS touchscreens, something I’d gladly pay extra for.

As we move up in size, the offer for larger Chromebooks with 14-inch screens starts with the more affordable HP Chromebook 14, Acer Chromebook 314, or Lenovo Chromebook Slim, and goes up to the more lightweight Asus Chromebook C424. None of these are amazing options, and I’d advise saving a little extra for one of the value 14-inch models that we’ll cover in the next section.

Finally, both Lenovo and Acer offer some interesting 15-inch Chromebooks in this price range, if that’s what you’re after, but you’re sacrificing portability for that larger display. The Acer Chromebook 315 is the most interesting inexpensive 15-inch model here.

Overall, I recommend going through more detailed reviews for each of these if you prefer this sort of larger-format device, but I’d rather advise you to step up to the next price category for better-made options with higher-quality screens, faster hardware and a few extra features that are not available in this budget laptop segment.

Best-value Chromebooks in 2025 ($300 to $500)

Having used many of the existing Chromebooks, I’m convinced that you can get better value for your money in this price segment, especially if you’re after a well-rounded laptop with a mid-sized 12 to 14-inch display. You’re not just getting faster hardware, more RAM and storage, and a bigger and improved screen on these options, but also a more spacious and more comfortable keyboard, a larger battery, extra ports, and improved build quality.

First off, just as in the previous section, here’s a more detailed list of the Chromebooks worth considering in this segment as of right now, and we’re getting into more details down below.

Pixel Slate and Asus Chromebook Flip CM3

At the more portable end, the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 and especially the Google Pixel Slate stand out from the crowd, both 12-inch convertibles.

The Pixel Slate is primarily a tablet, thus great for tablet/pen use, but perhaps not as versatile as a laptop. It’s excellently crafted, gets a splendid 3:2 touchscreen, as well as competent Intel Core hardware and a large battery that allows for 10+ hours of daily use. The typing experience is not on-par with some of the other options in this price range, though, and the keyboard deck or the pen are not included by default and will cost around $150 on top of the actual tablet, which alone could be enough to steer many of your towards something else.

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 CM3200, on the other hand, is a 12-inch convertible with a 3:2 touchscreen and a compact, lightweight design, made possible by the fact that this is motorized by a low-power Mediatek hardware platform. That means it’s not the snappiest multitasker, but it’s fine with daily use and lasts for a fair bit on a charge, despite the fact that it includes a smaller battery than what the Intel Chromebooks offer these days. This Flip CM3 is also on the most affordable options in the class, and a solid alternative to last year’s affordable HP Chromebook x360 12.

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13 and Duet 5 OLED

With these smaller options out of the way, my main recommendation in this price range goes once more towards Lenovo Chromebooks, the excellent Flex 5 13 convertible, and the more recent Duet 5 OLED tablet.

At somewhere between $350 to $380, the Chromebook Flex 5 13 laptop punches way above its class and successfully challenges many of the more expensive products.

The construction is part metal and part plastic, much like with the Windows-based IdeaPads, the format allows the screen to convert to 360-degrees, Lenovo implemented a good-quality IPS touchscreen with 300-nits of brightness and fine colors, and the backlit keyboard is one of the better available on any Chromebook.

On top of these, the Core i3 platform is snappy enough for everyday use, the 51Wh battery ensures 10+ h of life on a charge, and even if some of you might appreciate more memory and storage space, 4 GB are still enough for most potential buyers on a budget Chromebook.

Bottom point, sure, you can get more refined Chromebooks if you’re willing to spend $500+, but at roughly $370 right now, there’s nothing out there that can match the Flex 5 at this point.

Update: Recently, Lenovo also unveiled an updated and more affordable version of their popular 13-inch Chromebook Flex 5. This update gets an Intel 11th gen Pentium Gold 7505 hardware platform with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage, so is not as snappy as the Core i3 ChromeBook Flex 5 variant, but it sells for ~$70 to $100 less at the time of this update.

As for the Chromebook Duet 5 OLED, this has an MSRP price of $429.

The format is still of a tablet with a keyboard folio and kickstand, so pretty much an oversized version of the existing Duet. The main selling point is the OLED 13-inch touchscreen, most likely the Samsung panel we’ve already seen on some OLED laptops in the last months. It’s sure punchy and excellent looking, but I wonder whether Lenovo will be able to address the graininess I’ve noticed on some of the Asus models.

We’ll also have to see how the hardware platform inside the Duet 5 is going to handle the FHD OLED screen. It’s the same Snapdragon 7C platform that’s already selling in the Samsung Galaxy Go, so not a very fast implementation based on that product. Hopefully, it can make up for it with good efficiency.

All in all, the Duet 5 OLED might be one of the most competitive Chromebooks of its time, but we’ll have to spend more time with it before drawing conclusions. So for now, just consider this on your shortlist.

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 and HP Chromebook x360 14a

Jumping into 14-inch models, the convertible Acer Chromebook Spin 514 and the HP Chromebook x360 14 are my favorite options in this price segment.

Metal is entirely used for their construction, and the Acer model offers marginally more powerful specs but is also a more expensive option compared to the HP x360 14 and the Flex 5 13 mentioned earlier. You won’t be wrong with any of these. Also, don’t forget that we’re talking about the lower-specced Pentium Gold version of the X360 14a here, as there’s also a newer and more powerful Core i3 X360 14c that we’ll touch on in the next section of this article.

15 and 17-inch Chromebooks

This class also includes full-size 15-inch Chromebooks with IPS screens, partially metal construction, and large batteries, starting from affordable options such as the convertible Acer Chromebook Spin 15, and all the way up to the HP Chromebook 15.

I will also mention the Asus Chromebook C523 and Samsung Chromebook 4+ 15-inchers as more inexpensive alternatives in this 15-inch class, but you’ll end up with mostly plastic builds and TN screens with these, so I’d rather save up for one of the other options as much as possible here.

Finally, 17-inch Chromebooks are also available these days in this mid segment, with an affordable Chromebook 317 from Acer and a higher-tier CX1 CX1700 available from Acer, the latter with faster hardware and a bigger battery. Don’t expect much in terms of display quality on any of these, though.

Best Premium Chromebooks of 2025

While most buyers won’t spend $600 to $1000 on a Chromebook, there are actually quite a few excellent devices available in this segment. With these, you’re getting the uncompromised Chromebook experience, with a mix of upgraded builds, displays, and hardware specs over any of the more affordable options. In fact, most of the options in this class are built on the latest-gen Intel platforms with plenty of RAM and fast SSD storage, so you’re not going wrong in terms of performance with any of them.

In fact, the choice in this segment is between the designs and the form factors that you like best, the specific features offered by some options, as well as the overall pricing and value.

Here’s the list of all the premium Chromebooks available as of now, and we’ll get in-depth down below.

Acer Chromebook Spin 713 and Google Pixelbook Go

For the most part, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 and the Google Pixelbook Go are still the best-balanced premium Chromebooks you can get these days.

The Pixelbook Go is a somewhat older addition to the Pixel family, but still a viable option today.

It doesn’t replace the convertible Pixelbook, instead, it is designed to sell by its side, as a traditional clamshell notebook with a 16:9 FHD IPS touchscreen, fanless fast hardware and good battery life, a lightweight magnesium shell, and some of the better speakers you will find in a Chromebook. The Go is also one of the best typers in this segment, and well as $150-$200 more affordable than a similarly specced Pixelbook Go, all these making it a compelling offer even today, despite the newer options released by the competition in the meantime.

It’s not a convertible, though, and it’s built on somewhat older Intel Core Y hardware, so not as fast as other Core U options in this price segment.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 13, on the other hand, is a convertible and a true alternative to the original Pixelbook, but with modern specs.

It gets a 13.5-inch convertible QHD touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, 400-nits of brightness and a built-in EMR pen, the latest-generation Core U hardware, up to 16 GB of RAM, SSD storage, and a backlit keyboard, starting at around $560 at the time of this update. And that’s for a no-compromise Core i5 configuration with 8 GB of memory and 128 GB of SSD storage out of the box, backed up by a 54Wh battery, that creative-focused 3:2 display and fine inputs.

In all fairness, though, inputs are one aspect where Acer could further improve this model, alongside the audio quality, which are still bested by the PixelBook Go.

All in all, though, the Chromebook Spin 713 is one of the best performing Chromebooks out there and an excellent option for heavy users and those interested in running Linux on such a device.

Asus Chromebook CX5 14 and HP Chromebook x360 14

These two 14-inch models are very similar to the Acer Spin 713 and might well be the better options in your region, as they’re nearly the same specs, features, builds, and formats. HP has an edge on battery life, as it offers a bigger battery than the other two, but is also the heavier option. Both are 16:9 screens, and not the 3:2 format available on the Spin.

All in all, I’d make sure to go through detailed reviews of all these options, to better narrow down their particularities and potential quirks. I’m not going in-depth here, but if you have any questions or feedback, please get in touch in the comments section at the end of the article.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook and Chromebook 2

While an older-gen device at this point, the Galaxy Chromebook is still available in stores as a convertible with a 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED touchscreen with 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, 400-nits of brightness, and the excellent black levels you would expect from an OLED screen.

The build quality and craftsmanship are both A++, with metal used for the entire chassis, and a highly compact and portable format that weighs 2.2 lbs. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook does not sacrifice in performance either, with Intel Core U hardware, 8 GB of memory, and fast (upgradeable) NVMe storage. As a side note, this is also passively cooled, which is an advantage on one hand, but also causes the laptop to run warmer than other fan-cooled Chromebooks with similar specs, and somewhat limits the performance.

Furthermore, the battery life isn’t great on this laptop. There’s a 49 Wh battery inside, but the power-hungry 4K display drains power quickly, so only expect around 4-6 hours of battery life on a charge. On top of that, audio quality is also rather mediocre on this Galaxy, which paired with the high price tag further adds to its list of shortcomings. On the plus side, though, you can find this disocunted these days, so it might still be worth considering for that OLED screen.

With the 2nd generation Galaxy ChromeBook, Samsung decided to ditch the OLED screen for a QLED FHD panel, updated the hardware, added a fan inside, and trimmed the build and material quality in order to meet a lower price point. The base variants built on a COmet Lake Celeron processor start at $550 in this case, while the Core U variant goes for around $700, several hundred less than the initial Galaxy Chromebook at launch.

Unfortunately, though, this 2n generation Galaxy has also lost some of its appeal and shine with these changes, and with all the other updated options from the competition, I feel this series is not as compelling in rea-life as I would have perhaps expected.

Lenovo Yoga Chromebook and Asus CX5 15-inch

Lastly, those of you interested in a full-size 15-inch premium Chromebook should still have a look at the Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook, or even the newer and more affordable Asus ChromeBook CX5 15.

The Yoga C630 is a sturdily crafted computer that borrows from the design and build lines of Lenovo’s ThinkPad series, with a 15.6-inch touchscreen available with either an FHD or a UHD panel and EMR pen support, Core U hardware, up to 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of eMMC storage, as well as a backlit keyboard and 56 Wh battery.

The Yoga Chromebook starts at $599, but don’t forget that even if this is compact and light for a 15-inch convertible, with small bezels and a total weight of 4.2 lbs, it’s still nowhere near as portable as some of the other options out there.

As for the Asus CX5, this is available with a 15.6-inch IPS display and either Intel (latest-gen) or Ryzen (older-gen) hardware. The Intel model is especially powerful and a fair bit cheaper than other modern 15-inch configurations, but too bad Asus skimped on the screen quality, only offering a 250-nit washed-out panel. In comparison, there’s a much nicer 300-nits 100% sRGB panel on the 14-inch Chromebook CX5.

Wrap-up

Chromebooks have come a long way in recent years, and these days the offer is diversified to cater to every need.

Many of you are spending the majority of your time online, and if that’s the case, a Chromebook is a compelling and inexpensive option to consider, as a smoother, safer, and simpler alternative to the existing Windows laptops. Of course, Chromebooks are not ideal for specific workloads that require a Windows or Apple architecture, or for gaming, but for everyday multitasking, they’re hard to beat by even the best laptops and ultrabooks out there.

Now, potential buyers can opt for affordable Chromebooks under $300, or get one of the balanced mid-tier options with superior builds and screens, snappier performance, longer battery life, and still excellent value.

The premium Chromebook options are a harder sell, but could still make sense for those of you not interested in specific Windows/Apple software or games, which would rather get a simple and snappier computer with an excellent screen and the build quality and battery life they wouldn’t otherwise get in a similarly priced Windows device.

At the end of the day, Chromebooks make for great travel companions, inexpensive laptops for students in school, and even everyday notebooks for those of you who stick to Internet-based activities like browsing, emailing, multimedia, and so on. They’re not for everyone, but as long as you’re aware of their strong points and limitations, I’d expect you’ll end up satisfied with one of these.

That’s about it for now. I’m constantly updating this list of the best Chromebooks available out there, adding new devices as they pop in stores, and retiring the obsolete variants, so make sure to bookmark this and check it out from time to time for changes. Last but not least, share this post around if you found it useful, and check out the comments section below, it’s open for your suggestions and questions, and I’m around to reply and help you find the best Chromebook for your needs.

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products .

Whether you’re shopping for a budget-friendly laptop for school or a sleek machine for everyday productivity, the best Chromebooks can offer surprising functionality for the price. Chromebooks have come a long way from their early days as web-only devices. Now, many Chromebook models feature powerful processors, premium displays and even touchscreen support, making them a compelling alternative to a regular laptop for plenty of users.

There are more options than ever too, from lightweight clamshells to high-end, 2-in-1 designs that can easily replace your daily driver. Whether you’re after a new Chromebook for streaming, work or staying on top of emails, there’s likely a model that fits both your budget and your workflow. We’ve tested the top Chromebooks on the market to help you find the right one — whether you’re after maximum value or top-tier performance.

Table of contents

Best Chromebooks in 2025

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Best Chromebook overall Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus Screen size: 14 inches | Screen resolution: 1,920 x 1,200 | Installed memory: 8GB | Weight: 3.52 lbs | Available ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, MicroSD card slot (SD 3.0), Headphone jack, Kensington Naon security slot | Drive capacity: 128GB | Battery life: 6 hours as tested Lenovo has been making some of the best affordable Chromebooks you can buy for several years now, and its 2023 IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an affordable laptop that provides just about everything you could want in a basic Chromebook. (We’re calling it the Flex 5i from here.) The 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 touchscreen is both larger and taller than last year’s model. This means you get more vertical screen real estate, which is something I appreciate over a standard 1080p display. This Lenovo model hits the Chromebook Plus recommended specs with a 13th-generation Intel Core i3 processor plus 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. That’s a bump up from the 11th-generation processor in the 2022 model, and the RAM and storage should be plenty, so you’ll get good performance from this machine. Unfortunately, the battery life is fairly mediocre — I got about six hours of regular use out of it. My workflow includes a ton of Chrome tabs, plus web apps for things like Slack, Todoist, Trello, Google Keep and YouTube Music. I usually take a few video calls during the day, so if you’re not on camera much you might get a bit more time from the laptop. I wish it lasted longer, but I can’t knock it too much considering the Flex 5i’s price. The backlit keyboard and trackpad are very good and feel much better than I’d expect on a fairly affordable machine. The keys have nice travel and the trackpad is large and responsive. Despite the fact that it has a 1080p webcam, I can’t say that I looked all that great in the video calls I took. It does the job, but not much more. Other things in the Flex 5i’s favor include both USB-C and USB-A ports, a microSD card slot and a security lock. It also comes with built-in Wi-Fi 6E to meet the latest Wi-Fi standard. At 3.5 pounds and 0.78 inches thick, it’s definitely not the lightest or slimmest option out there. It’s a utilitarian slab of a laptop, but that’s OK. Finally, the Flex 5i will receive software and security updates until June of 2032, so you can buy this computer and have it covered for years to come. For me, the $500 Ideapad Flex 5i is the ideal Chromebook, and the good news is that it’s regularly on sale for quite a bit less. I’ve seen it as low as $350 in recent months. It’ll hit the sweet spot for a lot of buyers out there, providing a level of quality and performance that’s pretty rare to find at this price point. That said, it’s getting long in the tooth compared to the rest of our picks, so I’m keeping an eye out for an update from Lenovo or a replacement from another manufacturer. Pros Good overall performance for the price

Nice display

Solid keyboard and trackpad Cons Mediocre battery life

A year older than our other picks $447 at Amazon

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Best budget Chromebook Acer Chromebook Plus 514 Screen size: 14 inches | Screen resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 | Installed memory: 8GB | Weight: 3.15 lbs | Available ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, HDMI port | Drive capacity: 128GB | Battery life: Up to 11 hours When Google first introduced the Chromebook Plus line almost a year ago, models with that designation started at $400 — but since, things have gotten less expensive. Acer’s just-released Chromebook Plus 514 hits all the key specs, including a 13th-gen Intel Core i3-N305 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 1080p display and webcam. None of this is anything to write home about, but you’re getting a lot of value for a laptop priced at $380. It also includes the aforementioned AI features and a year’s worth of the $20/month Google One AI Premium plan, which includes a generous 2TB of cloud storage for your photos, Drive and Gmail files. Design-wise, the Plus 514 is pretty basic, but it gets the job done; it’s your standard laptop with a 14-inch display. It’s neither overly thin (.81 inches) or light (3.15 pounds), but these specs are totally reasonable for a sub-$400 laptop. (It’s actually ever-so-slightly lighter than the more premium Spin 714.) Same goes for the screen — it’s a touchscreen, and its 1,920 x 1,080 resolution is fine, but I do miss the extra vertical pixels you’ll get with our other picks in this guide. The display is otherwise good, and the keyboard and trackpad are likewise more than good enough for a laptop at this price. Overall, the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a solid option if cost is your main concern — but it’s also worth noting that the Lenovo model we picked as the best overall Chromebook is often on sale, sometimes for under $400 as well. In that case, the price difference between the two laptops is close enough that it’s worth springing for the better display you’ll get with the Lenovo. But I’ve also seen the Plus 514 selling for as little as $330, which is a great deal for a capable Chromebook. Pros Inexpensive

Performance, specs and built quality are all good for this price

Solid display and webcam Cons 1080p display sometimes feels cramped $344 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $319 at Macy’s

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Best premium Chromebook Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 Screen size: 14 inches | Screen resolution: 1,980 x 1,200 | Installed memory: 8GB | Weight: 3.02 lbs | Available ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C / Thunderbolt, HDMI, Headphone jack | Drive capacity: 256GB | Battery life: 7.5 hours as tested Acer’s Chromebook Spin 714 has long been one of the best premium Chromebook options out there, and the latest model released this spring is no exception. The Chromebook Plus Spin 714 features a 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 touchscreen. Like the screen on Lenovo’s model, this works out to a taller 16:10 aspect ratio than you’ll get from the 1080p panels on most laptops. I’m a big fan of taller laptop screens, and while this isn’t as luxurious as the few 3:2 ratio Chromebooks on the market, it’s still a comfortable and high quality screen. It’s also a little bit brighter than the screen on the Lenovo (340 nits vs. 300). One noteworthy feature is the 2K webcam included in the Spin 714. In a world where we’re all doing more video calls than we’d like, having a camera that doesn’t reduce you to a blurry spot is definitely appreciated. It’s a far better camera than the one on our top pick, too. As for the rest of the hardware, the Spin 714 bests the Lenovo in a few ways. It features Intel’s latest Core Ultra 5 115U processor, along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of local storage. It also has better battery life in my testing — I typically got about eight hours using it under my normal workload. That’s not exceptional, but it’s in line with what I’ve seen on other Intel-powered Chromebooks. Just as the name suggests, the Spin 714 has a 360-degree hinge which lets you use the laptop in tablet mode. I’m not a fan of this convertible design – I don’t know who wants to use a 3-plus pound tablet, but it’s there if you need it. That said, for a $700 laptop, it’s relatively thin (.7 inches) and light (3.2 pounds), so for portability purposes, it’s hard to complain. But Acer has been using this same basic design for a few generations now, so I’m starting to think they could redesign the chassis for the next model. The latest Spin 714 costs $700 – not an unreasonable price for a computer with these specs and built quality. If you’re a serious multitasker, want a better display and keyboard, or just want a computer that’ll last as long as possible (Google says it’ll receive software updates through June of 2034), the Acer Spin 714 is easy to recommend. Pros Great screen

Clear webcam

Plenty of power and storage space

Comfortable keyboard and trackpad Cons A little pricey

Mediocre battery life $699 at Best Buy

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Best Chromebook with a large screen Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE Screen size: 16 inches | Screen resolution: 2,560 x 1,600 | Installed memory: 8GB | Weight: 3.75 lbs | Available ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, HDMI, Headphone jack, Ethernet | Drive capacity: 256GB | Battery life: 9 hours (manufacturer estimate) Acer first introduced the Chromebook 516 GE in the fall of 2022 as part of Google’s push to make devices suitable for cloud gaming and just updated it for 2024. The good news is that you don’t need to be a gamer to appreciate the Chromebook Plus 516 GE. For $650, you’ll get a 16-inch display with a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. NVIDIA’s GeForce Now gaming service supports up to 4K visuals at 120Hz on its Ultimate tier so you’ll get to see those benefits. This laptop also supports Steam, yet another reason gamers might be interested in trying it. But even non-gamers should enjoy the Plus 516 GE’s crisp and clear screen and refined hardware. It also includes Intel’s Core 5 120UL chip, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Given the laptop’s size, it’s good that Acer didn’t skimp on ports here: there’s an HDMI port, USB-C, USB-A, ethernet and a headphone jack. The keyboard has gamer-friendly LED lights that you can customize, but more importantly, it’s just a solid and comfortable keyboard for playing games or just typing up reports. The trackpad is large and responsive as well. The 516 GE weighs 3.8 pounds – pretty light for a laptop with a 16-inch screen. We haven’t tested the 2024 model yet, so I can’t confirm the battery life; Acer claims 10 hours, a figure that’ll surely dip if you’re doing more than watching videos or casual web browsing. Between the powerful hardware, solid design, good trackpad and keyboard and great screen, anyone who wants a bigger Chromebook will likely be happy with this model. As for support, Google says the Plus 516 GE will receive updates until June of 2032. Pros Large, high-resolution screen with a fast refresh rate

Plenty of ports

Core 5 chip provides plenty of power

Large and spacious keyboard

Relatively lightweight for a big-screen laptop Cons Not everyone will appreciate the gamer aesthetic $649 at Best Buy

Best Chromebooks FAQs

What is Chrome OS, and why would I use it over Windows?

This is probably the number one question about Chromebooks. There are plenty of inexpensive Windows laptops on the market, so why bother with Chrome’s operating system? Glad you asked. For me, the simple and clean nature of Chrome OS is a big selling point. Chrome OS is based on Google’s Chrome browser, which means most of the programs you can run are web based. There’s no bloatware or unwanted apps to uninstall like you often get on Windows laptops, it boots up in seconds, and you can completely reset to factory settings almost as quickly.

Of course, simplicity will also be a major drawback for some users. Not being able to install native software can be a dealbreaker if you’re a video editor or software developer. But there are also plenty of people who do the majority of their work in a web browser, using tools like Google Docs and spreadsheets for productivity without needing a full Windows setup.

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Google and its software partners are getting better every year at supporting more advanced features. For example, Google added video editing tools to the Google Photos app on Chromebooks – it won’t replace Adobe Premiere, but it should be handy for a lot of people. Similarly, Google and Adobe announced Photoshop on the web last year, something that brings much of the power of Adobe’s desktop apps to Chromebooks.

Chromebooks can also run Android apps, which greatly expands the amount of software available. The quality varies widely, but it means you can do more with a Chromebook beyond just web-based apps. For example, you can install the Netflix app and save videos for offline watching. Other Android apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Lightroom are surprisingly capable as well. Between Android apps and a general improvement in web apps, Chromebooks are more than just portals to a browser.

What do Chromebooks do well?

Put simply, web browsing and really anything web based. Online shopping, streaming music and video and using various social media sites are among the most common daily tasks people do on Chromebooks. As you might expect, they also work well with Google services like Photos, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Keep and so on. Yes, any computer that can run Chrome can do that too, but the lightweight nature of Google Chrome OS makes it a responsive and stable platform.

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As I mentioned before, Chrome OS can run Android apps, so if you’re an Android user you’ll find some nice ties between the platforms. You can get most of the same apps that are on your phone on a Chromebook and keep info in sync between them. You can also use some Android phones as a security key for your Chromebook or instantly tether your 2-in-1 laptop to use mobile data.

Google continues to tout security as a major differentiator for Chromebooks, and it’s definitely a factor worth considering. Auto-updates are the first lines of defense: Chrome OS updates download quickly in the background and a fast reboot is all it takes to install the latest version. Google says that each webpage and app on a Chromebook runs in its own sandbox as well, so any security threats are contained to that individual app. Finally, Chrome OS has a self-check called Verified Boot that runs every time a device starts up. Beyond all this, the simple fact that you generally can’t install traditional apps on a Chromebook means there are fewer ways for bad actors to access the system.

If you’re interested in Google’s Gemini AI tools, a Chromebook is a good option as well. Every Chromebook in our top picks comes with a full year of the Google One AI Premium plan — this combines the usual Google One perks like 2TB of storage and 10 percent back in purchases from the Google Store with a bunch of AI tools. You’ll get access to Gemini in Gmail, Google Docs and other apps, Gemini Advanced (which runs on the 1.5 Pro model) and more. Given that this plan is $20/month, it’s a pretty solid perk. Chromebook Plus models also include tools like the AI-powered “help me write,” the Google Photos Magic Editor and generative AI backgrounds you can create by filling in a few prompts.

As for when to avoid Chromebooks, the answer is simple: If you rely heavily on a specific native application for Windows or a Mac, chances are you won’t find the exact same option on a ChromeOS device. That’s most true in fields like photo and video editing, but it can also be the case in law or finance. Plenty of businesses run on Google’s G suite software, but more still have specific requirements that a Chromebook might not match. If you’re an iPhone user, you’ll also miss out on the way the iPhone easily integrates with an iPad or Mac. For me, the big downside is not being able to access iMessage on a Chromebook.

Finally, gaming Chromebooks are not ubiquitous, although they’re becoming a slightly more reasonable option with the rise of cloud gaming. In late 2022, Google and some hardware partners announced a push to make Chromebooks with cloud gaming in mind. From a hardware perspective, that means laptops with bigger screens that have higher refresh rates as well as optimizing those laptops to work with services like NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Game Pass and Amazon Luna. You’ll obviously need an internet connection to use these services, but the good news is that playing modern games on a Chromebook isn’t impossible. You can also install Android games from the Google Play Store, but that’s not what most people are thinking of when they want to game on a laptop.

What are the most important specs for a Chromebook?

Chrome OS is lightweight and runs well on fairly modest hardware, so the most important thing to look for might not be processor power or storage space. But Google made it easier to get consistent specs and performance late last year when it introduced the Chromebook Plus initiative. Any device with a Chromebook Plus designation meets some minimum requirements, which happen to be very similar to what I’d recommend most people get if they’re looking for the best laptop they can use every day.

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Chromebook Plus models have at least a 12th-gen Intel Core i3 processor, or an AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series processor, both of which should be more than enough for most people. These laptops also have a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage, which should do the trick unless you’re really pushing your Chromebook. All Chromebook Plus models have to have a 1080p webcam, which is nice in these days of constant video calling, and they also all have to have at least a 1080p FHD IPS screen.

Of course, you can get higher specs or better screens if you desire, but I’ve found that basically everything included in the Chromebook Plus target specs makes for a very good experience.

Google has an Auto Update policy for Chromebooks as well, and while that’s not exactly a spec, it’s worth checking before you buy. Last year, Google announced that Chromebooks would get software updates and support for an impressive 10 years after their release date. This support page lists the Auto Update expiration date for virtually every Chromebook ever, but a good rule of thumb is to buy the newest machine you can to maximize your support.

How much should I spend on a Chromebook?

Chromebooks started out notoriously cheap, with list prices often coming in under $300. But as they’ve gone more mainstream, they’ve transitioned from being essentially modern netbooks to some of the best laptops you’ll want to use all day. As such, prices have increased: At this point, you should expect to spend at least $400 if you want a solid daily driver. There are still many Chromebooks out there available at a low price that may be suitable as secondary devices, but a good Chromebook that can be an all-day, every-day laptop will cost more. But, notably, even the best Chromebooks usually cost less than the best Windows laptops, or even the best “regular” laptops out there.

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There are plenty of premium Chromebooks that approach or even exceed $1,000 that claim to offer better performance and more processing power, but I don’t recommend spending that much. Generally, that’ll get you a better design with more premium materials, as well as more powerful internals and extra storage space, like a higher-capacity SSD. Of course, you also sometimes pay for the brand name. But, the specs I outlined earlier are usually enough.

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Other Chromebooks we tested

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus

Samsung’s new Galaxy Chromebook Plus is one of the more unique Chromebooks out there. It’s extremely thin and light, at 0.46 inches and 2.6 pounds, but it manages to include a 15.6-inch display in that frame. That screen is a 1080p panel that’s sharp and bright, but its 16:9 aspect ratio made things feel a bit cramped when scrolling vertically. Performance is very good, and the keyboard is solid, though I’m not a fan of the number pad as it shifts everything to the left. At $700 it’s not cheap, but that feels fair considering its size and capabilities. If you’re looking for a big screen laptop that is also super light, this Chromebook merits consideration, even if it’s not the best option for everyone.