Best laptop deals for students, according to Consumer Reports

Wednesday, September 4, 2024
With nearly everything costing more these days, Consumer Reports' extensive product testing shows you don't have to spend a lot to get quality tech for your student. One of the best options for a tight budget is a Chromebook.

They're generally less expensive than Mac and PC laptops. They're not the fastest computers out there, but for everyday stuff like browsing the web, editing documents, and school/work, they're totally fine.

The Acer Chromebook is a solid budget choice. It costs $300. It is $440 fast, has a long battery life, and has more local storage than most other Chromebooks.

If your student needs something that won't weigh down their backpack on a mad dash to class, CR says the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 is an excellent choice for portability and its ergonomics are near top-level. It costs $440.

If your student wants an Apple, save a little bit of money and still get a very good Mac laptop. The 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 processor. It costs $800.



The M2 is Apple's older processor, but CR's experts say the performance difference between the M2 and the newer processor is so small that you might as well save a few bucks by going with the previous model.

If your student also needs a color printer the Epson uses low-cost bottled ink instead of expensive cartridges. It costs $200. While the overall printing performance isn't strong enough to earn a CR recommendation, the text quality and speed should be fine for printing book reports and whatever else the teacher assigns.

Consumer Reports says August and September are the best times to buy a computer because of sales.

When you're shopping, remember to check for student discounts from your school, stores, or computer makers.
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