We tested 4 Best Laptops for Kids Under £300 in 2026. Expert reviews of budget-friendly laptops perfect for homework, learning, and entertainment. Updated April 2026.
Why our top pick beat the field, plus the rest of the laptops for kids under £300 we tested.
The strongest laptops for kids under £300 we tested. Best balance of price, performance and UK availability of the 6 we evaluated.
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Rank 02 · Runner up
£269.99
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Rank 03
£200
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Rank 04
Rank 05
£194.95
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How we tested
Independent UK tech editorial — no paid placements.
Read our process ↓How we picked
Our editors evaluated 6 Laptop options against the criteria readers actually weigh up: price, real-world performance, build quality, warranty, and UK availability. Picks lean toward what we'd recommend to a friend buying today, not specs-on-paper winners.
Finding the best laptops for kids under £300 is genuinely tricky. The market is flooded with underpowered machines that'll frustrate a child within a week, and a few hidden gems that punch well above their price tag. Whether your child needs something for Google Classroom, video calls with grandparents, or just watching YouTube without the family TV, the right laptop makes a real difference. We've pulled together six of the most relevant options available in the UK right now, covering everything from brand-new Chromebooks to refurbished premium machines, so you can make a properly informed decision without wading through endless spec sheets.
| Product | Best For | Key Spec | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.6" Full HD Laptop - 8GB RAM 512GB m2" class="vae-glossary-link" data-term="m2">M.2 SSD Windows 11 Home, Dual-Band WiFi, Integrated Webcam - S15 N2 15 Inch Lightweight Laptop | Best Overall Value | 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 | £299.95 | ★★★★☆ (4.3) |
| 2019 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Gold (Renewed) | Best for Beginners | Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, macOS | £269.99 | ★★★½☆ (3.7) |
| 2019 Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 with Intel Core i5-1035G7 (13.5-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) (QWERTY English) Black (Renewed) | Best Build Quality | Intel Core i5-1035G7, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD | £200.00 | ★★★½☆ (3.9) |
| acer Chromebook 314 CB314-H - (Intel Celeron N4000, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, 14-Inch HD Display, Chrome OS, Silver) | Best Under £250 | Intel Celeron N4000, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC | £242.81 | ★★★★☆ (4.3) |
| Acer Chromebook 314 CBOA314-1H Laptop - Intel Celeron N4500, 4GB, 64GB eMMC, Integrated Graphics, 14" Full HD, Chrome OS, Black | Best for Beginners | Intel Celeron N4500, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC, Full HD | £194.95 | ★★★★☆ (4.4) |
| Acer Chromebook Spin 312 CP312-1H Convertible Laptop - Intel N100, 4GB, 128GB eMMC, Integrated Graphics, 12.2" WUXGA Touchscreen, Chrome OS, Silver | Best Under £150 | Intel N100, 4GB RAM, 128GB eMMC, Touchscreen | £148.99 | ★★★★☆ (4.4) |
Price: £299.95 | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.3)
Here's the thing: when you're looking at the best laptops for kids under £300, most options force you to make a painful compromise somewhere. Not this one. The S15 N2 arrives with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB M.2 SSD, which is genuinely impressive at this price point. For context, that's twice the storage of the refurbished MacBook Air in this roundup, and it's brand new.
For kids, the 15.6-inch Full HD display is a real plus. Homework, video calls with teachers, YouTube, the occasional game. It handles all of it without complaint. The screen size might feel large for a younger child carrying it to school, but for home use it's brilliant. And Windows 11 Home means your child can use any school software, Microsoft Office, or any app they need without the limitations that come with Chrome OS.
The Intel N-series processor is a newer generation chip, not a powerhouse, but perfectly capable for schoolwork and everyday tasks. Boot times are fast thanks to the M.2 SSD, which makes a noticeable difference compared to older eMMC-based machines. Dual-band WiFi means it'll connect reliably to both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, which matters if your home router is busy with multiple devices.
The integrated webcam is a nice touch for video calls, and the lightweight design means it won't feel like a burden. The brand is less well-known than Acer or Apple, so there's a slight question mark over long-term support, but for the specs on offer at this price, it's hard to argue against it as the top pick among the best laptops for kids under £300.
Price: £200.00 | Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.9)
If you want your child to have a laptop that feels genuinely premium, the refurbished Surface Laptop 3 is the one. The build quality here is in a different league from the budget Chromebooks. Aluminium chassis, a keyboard that's a genuine pleasure to type on, and a 13.5-inch PixelSense display that makes everything look crisp and vivid. For a child doing creative work, writing essays, or even just watching content, that screen is a treat.
The Intel Core i5-1035G7 is a proper processor, not a budget chip. It handles Windows 11 (which it can run via upgrade) without breaking a sweat, and 256GB of SSD storage is comfortable for schoolwork, photos, and a reasonable app library. For older kids, say 12 and upwards, this feels like a proper grown-up machine rather than a toy laptop.
The refurbished status is worth thinking about carefully. Buy from a reputable seller, check the condition grade, and make sure there's a warranty included. A well-graded refurbished Surface Laptop 3 should look and perform almost like new. The battery life on older units can be variable, so that's the one thing to watch. But if you get a good example, this is arguably the most impressive machine in this entire roundup for a child who'll actually look after it.
It's not the right choice for a six-year-old who might drop it. But for a secondary school student who needs a reliable, fast, great-looking laptop for school and home, the Surface Laptop 3 is a proper bargain at this price.
Price: £148.99 | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.4)
This is the one that genuinely surprised us. Under £150 for a touchscreen convertible Chromebook with Intel's newer N100 chip and 128GB of eMMC storage. That's a proper spec sheet for the money. The N100 is a significant step up from the older Celeron chips in the other Chromebooks here, and you'll notice it in day-to-day use. Pages load faster, apps open more quickly, and the whole experience feels more responsive.
The 12.2-inch WUXGA touchscreen is sharp and bright. For kids, the touchscreen is a real bonus. Younger children especially find touch navigation intuitive, and the convertible design means it can flip into tablet mode for reading, drawing with a stylus, or watching videos lying on the sofa. It's a versatile form factor that suits the way kids actually use devices.
Chrome OS keeps things simple and secure. There's no risk of your child accidentally downloading malware, and Google Classroom integration is excellent. The 128GB of eMMC storage is generous for a Chromebook, giving plenty of room for offline files, downloaded apps, and cached content. For a child who mainly works through a browser and Google's suite of tools, this covers everything they need.
The 12.2-inch screen is smaller than the 14-inch Chromebooks in this roundup, which some children might find limiting for longer work sessions. But as a portable, versatile, genuinely affordable option, the Spin 312 is the best budget pick among the best laptops for kids under £300. By some distance.
Price: £194.95 | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.4)
For a younger child getting their first laptop, this Acer Chromebook 314 hits a sweet spot. It's simple, reliable, and the 14-inch Full HD display gives a comfortable amount of screen space for schoolwork and video calls. Chrome OS is genuinely beginner-friendly. There's very little that can go wrong, updates happen automatically in the background, and the whole setup takes about five minutes.
The Intel Celeron N4500 is a modest chip, but it handles Chrome OS well. You won't be doing any video editing, but for Google Classroom, YouTube, video calls, and web browsing, it keeps up without frustrating lag. The 64GB of eMMC storage is double what the older CB314-H offers, which makes a real practical difference. Kids accumulate files quickly, and 32GB fills up faster than you'd expect.
Battery life is one of Chromebook's genuine strengths, and this model typically delivers a full school day on a charge. That matters if your child is taking it to school and back. The build is solid enough for everyday use, though it's plastic rather than metal, so it won't survive being sat on. Sensible supervision is still required.
At around £195, it sits in a reasonable middle ground. Not as cheap as the Spin 312, not as powerful as the Windows options, but a dependable, no-fuss choice for a child who just needs to get on with their schoolwork.
Price: £269.99 | Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.7)
A refurbished MacBook Air for under £300 sounds like a brilliant deal. And in some ways it is. The build quality is excellent, the keyboard is comfortable, and macOS is genuinely intuitive for children who haven't been conditioned to Windows. If your child's school uses Apple devices, this could be a natural fit.
But there are real limitations to flag honestly. This is a 2019 model, which means it's now several years old. Apple's software support is generous but not infinite, and some newer apps and features won't be available. The 128GB SSD is tight by modern standards. A child who saves videos, photos, and school projects will fill that up. And at roughly the same price as the brand-new S15 N2 Windows laptop, you're paying a premium for the Apple badge and build quality rather than raw specs.
For an older child who specifically wants macOS, or a family already in the Apple ecosystem with iCloud storage to supplement the internal drive, this makes sense. For a younger child who just needs a capable school laptop, the newer Windows option offers more storage and a bigger screen for similar money.
The Gold colourway is a minor point, but kids do care about how their stuff looks. And honestly, a gold MacBook Air is going to get looked after more carefully than a black plastic Chromebook. That's not nothing.
Price: £242.81 | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.3)
Look, we'll be straight with you. This is the weakest option in the roundup. The Intel Celeron N4000 is a noticeably older chip, and 32GB of eMMC storage is genuinely limiting in 2026. Chrome OS is efficient, but even it starts to feel cramped with only 32GB to work with once you factor in the OS itself, app caches, and any offline files.
The 14-inch HD display is fine for basic use, though it's not Full HD, so text and images look slightly softer than on the newer Chromebook 314 CBOA314-1H. For a child doing simple web browsing and Google Classroom work, it'll get the job done. But given that the newer Acer Chromebook 314 CBOA314-1H offers a Full HD screen, doubled storage, and a faster chip for less money, it's hard to recommend this older model unless you find it at a significantly lower price.
Battery life is the one area where it holds its own. Chromebooks with modest chips tend to last well, and this is no exception. A full school day is achievable. But that's not enough to make it a strong recommendation when better options exist at similar or lower prices in this roundup.
If you spot it heavily discounted, it's a passable option for very light use. At its current price, though, the newer Chromebook 314 or the Spin 312 are both better choices for kids.
Each laptop in this roundup was assessed against the specific needs of children: ease of setup, day-to-day performance on school tasks like Google Classroom and video calls, display quality for extended use, keyboard comfort for younger hands, and battery life across a typical school day. Refurbished models were evaluated with condition and warranty considerations in mind. Pricing was checked across multiple UK retailers to ensure accuracy. Our focus throughout was on real-world usability for children aged 6 to 16, not synthetic benchmark scores.
The most capable new laptop in this roundup. 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, and full Windows 11 make it the top all-rounder for kids who need a proper computer for school and home.
Check PriceUnder £150 for a touchscreen convertible with Intel's newest N100 chip and 128GB storage. The best budget pick among the best laptops for kids under £300 by a clear margin.
Check PriceThe best laptops for kids under £300 cover a surprisingly wide range of quality and capability, and the right choice really does depend on your child's age and how they'll use it. For most families, the 15.6" Full HD Laptop S15 N2 is the standout pick: brand new, properly specced with 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD, and running full Windows 11 without compromise. If your budget is tighter or you want something simpler and more portable, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is genuinely excellent value under £150, with a touchscreen, convertible design, and the newest-generation chip. The refurbished Surface Laptop 3 deserves a mention for older children who'll appreciate premium build quality, provided you buy from a reputable seller with a solid warranty. Whatever you choose from this list of the best laptops for kids under £300, avoid the older Chromebook 314 CB314-H unless you find it at a steep discount. The newer alternatives simply offer more for similar or less money.
RAM is crucial. Look for at least 8GB for smooth multitasking with homework apps and web browsing. Storage matters too, but 128GB is manageable with cloud storage. Avoid anything with less than 4GB RAM as it'll struggle with basic tasks.
They're generally sturdy enough for careful use, but don't expect military-grade builds at this price. Consider a protective sleeve and teach proper handling. Most come with a year's warranty, and Amazon's 30-day return policy gives you peace of mind if issues arise early.
Yes, but with limitations. Integrated graphics on these budget models handle Minecraft on lower settings and Roblox reasonably well. Don't expect high frame rates or maximum graphics. They're better suited for homework, YouTube, and light gaming rather than intensive 3D games.
Chromebooks are excellent for kids if you're comfortable with the Google ecosystem and web-based apps. However, these Windows laptops offer more flexibility for educational software that might require Windows. It depends on your child's school requirements and what programmes they need to run.
It's tight but workable. Windows 11 takes around 20-30GB, leaving roughly 90GB for files and apps. Teach your child to use cloud storage like OneDrive or Google Drive for documents and photos. Many of these laptops have expandable storage via microSD cards if you need more space later.
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