The best Chromebook laptops

What's a Chromebook? Simply put it’s a laptop, or tablet, that runs the Linux-based Chrome OS from Google.

They're simple to use without a lot of the tech in a regular laptop; this means that for anyone who wants a simple laptop for emails, social media or catching up on Netflix, these are a good choice.

We've found the best Chromebooks available to buy right now, as well as shared what makes them a great alternative to a regular laptop.

Finding some of the jargon a bit confusing? Scroll to the end where hopefully we can help!

Our shortlist of the best Chromebook laptops

• Best everyday Chromebook: Acer Chromebook 14 CB514

• Best all-rounder: ASUS Chromebook C223NA

• Best for versatility: HP x360 2 in 1 Chromebook

• Editor’s Choice: Google Pixelbook Go

• Best design: ASUS Chromebook Flip C433TA

What is a Chromebook?

A Chromebook is a lightweight version of a laptop, often with touchscreen capabilities that runs ChromeOS, as opposed to Windows. It's great for office work and the daily commute with their lightweight build quality, plus they won't break the bank!

Why choose a Chromebook over a laptop?

As well as being simpler than most laptops, Chromebooks also come with less memory, since much of the computing and applications reside in the Cloud. The fact that you don’t have Windows or macOS installed on your machine can be a real godsend.

By being more streamlined, you get a more mobile-friendly approach, while still allowing you to accomplish simple tasks like writing reports or your latest novel. The newer versions now also support Android apps through the Google Play Store, which really opens up what’s possible.

Of course, you won’t be playing state-of-the-art 3D games or first person shooters, and running video or photo editing programs, or 3D design suites are out of the question, but considering these are mostly extremely budget-friendly for what you get, that’s to be expected and even embraced.

Which Chromebook should I buy?

This entry-level Chromebook brings everything you'll need for your average tasks, such as word processing, browsing and streaming video. There's 4GB of RAM, a 128GB hard drive and 14 inch HD display. You get 10 hours of battery life - none too shabby - and it comes pre-installed with Chrome OS, as you'd expect. This is a great everyday laptop for those not wanting to use taxing software.

Reviewers have said that it's a lightweight, sleek and fast and has an excellent battery life too which makes it a great choice for such an affordable price! Their only gripes were that there isn't a backlit keyboard (as advertised) and it took a little while to set-up.

Review: "Lightning fast with no lags. Absolutely the best choice I made. Solid all metal build quality and a good weight to it too. Screen is bright and clear. All android apps and Google apps works really well. Worth the money".

Weighing less than 1kg and measuring smaller than a piece of A4 paper, this Chromebook option offers great performance on the go with a 10 hour battery life and LED-backlit anti-glare display for easy viewing no matter the lighting you're in. The spill-resistant design helps protect your tech from any accidents. With 32GB storage and 4GB memory, you'll be able to breeze through everyday tasks without issue, though it's worth noting there isn't a right click button or CAPS. However there are keyboard tricks to stop this interrupting your flow.

One reviewer was delighted: "Never had a Chromebook before but I needed something to replace a Windows laptop that died and didn't want to spend too much. I don't need it for heavy usage, mainly just browsing and the odd letter, spreadsheet and so on.

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Review: "I'm actually delighted I bought this. I probably would have had to spend another £200 for a Windows Laptop. It does everything I need, was easy to set up, the battery life is brilliant, it's lightening quick switching on and off. If you buy one you will be very much linked to Google. You'll need a Google account and email address. You can log on as a guest without one, but you would miss most of the functionality. Chromebook gives you access through play store to millions of apps to do just about anything."

The HP takes the experience up a notch to deliver great all-round performance. You get a 12 inch multi-touchscreen with a backlit Full HD display - perfect for catching up on your streaming service of choice - and up to 13-hour battery life to match your busy on-the-go lifestyle.

Reviewers said it was really quick to load and get going, simple to use and that they loved the design, making it look much more expensive than it is! The 360 degree feature was great for all-sorts of uses, whether watching movies or surfing the web for example, and the image was clear and distinct. Some struggled to set CAPS on their keyboard and the app store a little limited but overall it absolutely delivered.

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Review: "I got it for my daughter she is loving it, love the flexibility and is quite sturdy used as in tablet mode and touch screen mode, it is sensitive, not slow at all. Love to play her games and also access her online learning."

Google's Pixelbook Go brings a mix of style and power to the range of Chromebooks. Packing in a 13.3 inch Full HD touchscreen, there's a range of options to choose from. The base stats will see you armed with an Intel Core m3 Processor, 8GB RAM and 64GB storage. Granted, it's not as powerful as some of the workhorses available for the same price, but once you head up the ladder, you can configure the Go with anything up-to an i7 processor, 16GB RAM and 256GB storage, not to mention a 4K UHD Molecular Display. Any mode will give you dual front-firing speakers, magnesium chassis and up to 12 hours' battery life.

One reviewer thought it was a beautifully made little device: "Excellent little laptop, great for sitting and surfing/ media consumption etc. due to being lightweight and excellent battery life, but is also capable of a great deal more. With a little effort and thought it could almost replace my Windows laptop. It connects to my wireless printer and deals reasonably well with MS Office. Most of my Android apps run well including Hive, SmartThings etc. Costs more than most Chromebooks but well made and feels like great quality. All in all very satisfied so far."

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Review: "couldn't be happier with the Pixelbook Go. As my first Chromebook it was easy to set up and intuitive to use, and so fast and responsive too. Integration with the Google apps is seamless, definitely recommend."

This Chromebook is great for online browsing, emails and simple office work. Bringing 2-in-1 versatility to the Chromebook list, this ASUS gives you a 64GB storage, 4GB RAM and Intel HD 615 graphics chip with shared memory. The USB-A ports and 10-hour battery life put up a good case, as does the 14 inch Full HD touchscreen, web cam, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

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Review: "I've been using Chromebooks instead of traditional Windows laptops for five years, and they are now at the point that by every metric they outclass them. This is a fast, well-built and intuitive machine with decent speakers and an excellent screen and keyboard. So much so, that I no longer use an external keyboard when docked. The fact it doubles as a tablet is a bonus."

Chromebook jargon explained

The Cloud: Instead of storing on your laptop, 'The Cloud' refers to servers accessed over the internet. It means everything is stored online, rather than on your computer's hard drive.

RAM: RAM stands for Random Access Memory and allows your computer to multi-task. The larger the RAM, the more applications your PC can run at once with efficiency.

Graphics card: This generates the images you see on the screen.

Linux-based Chrome OS: A Linux-based OS (operating system) is basically a collection of basic instructions that manage the electronic parts of the computer, allowing it to run applications and programmes. It's one of the most trusted Operating Systems available today and the fact it's Linux based means that it's open source and free to use, unlike Windows.

The Chrome OS is more lightweight compared to Windows as it's web-based in its processes, meaning everything is operated via the Chrome browser - the web browser developed by Google.

Why are Chromebooks so cheap?

Chromebooks are so ludicrously cheap simply because ChromeOS is incredibly lightweight, unlike Windows. This means that it doesn't require much processing power to use, meaning hardware doesn't have to be as powerful to get the same great performance.

Is the Chromebook good for office work?

The Chromebook is practically designed for office work. They're very good at running Word or Google Docs. Plus they're incredibly lightweight so they're also convenient for the office commute.