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Are you looking to prepare your kid for the tech-lined future? If yes, then it’s time to get him/her a good laptop. Purchasing a computing device for your child is tricky and satisfying at the same time. But with a lot of options from various brands, how to find the best one?
Most children are excellent with laptops courtesy of their tech-savvy mindsets. Moreover, online schooling is gaining popularity in the post-pandemic era. Many institutions in the US, including grad schools, medical & nursing schools, art schools, and even law schools, have begun schooling via video conferences. Besides, using a laptop/computer in the early stages of life can prepare them for a tech-focused future.
If you’re technically sound and know the specifications required, then you can use our Laptop finder, input the specs and get a list of top-rated models for your child’s computing needs. But if you trust us and are looking for expert advice from computer experts, then continue reading this.
Before choosing one, we suggest you should first ascertain your child’s usage needs, the software they’ll use, and the tasks they’ll do. Once you know them, please find out the minimum system requirements [we’ve made one below, it stands true for most of them,] and make sure to pick a laptop accordingly.
You can go to your favorite store like Amazon and search for a laptop, and you’ll get an endless list of options, but we don’t recommend doing it. Buying a random machine could do more bad than good. That’s why after spending huge time researching, we’ve finally come up with this list.
If you’re interested in learning about what factors we considered before finalizing the models in this list, we have enlisted them separately. [click here to read]
Minimum & Recommended System Requirements
The system requirements depend on the type of productivity your kid is looking to work on. Besides academic studies, we’ve also considered basic gaming, media creation, basic graphics handing, occasional streaming, etc.
| CPU | Intel Celeron N3350 | Intel Core i5 |
| RAM | 4GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 32GB eMMC | 256GB SSD or Higher |
| Display | 11.6-inch HD [1366 x 768] | 14 or 15-inch FHD [1920 x 1080] |
| Battery | Up to 4 hours | Up to 8 hours |
| GPU | Integrated Intel HD 500 | Intel UHD 610 or Higher |
| Weight | Less than 5 pounds | Less than 3 pounds |
8 Best Laptops For Kids in 2022
| Acer Aspire 5 |
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| LG Gram 15 |
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| Apple MacBook Air |
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| Dell Inspiron 14 |
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| Acer Spin 13 |
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| HP 14-CF0014DX |
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| Microsoft Surface Go |
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| Acer Chromebook Spin 11 |
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Although you can get future-proof machines that come with Intel i7 or i9 processors and never look back. However, you don’t need them unless you share the device with your kid or they’re involved in resource-intensive tasks. Also, we don’t believe in specs-based product suggestions. That’s why we interviewed 52 parents who have purchased computers for homeschooling for their kids and picked the options based on their input.
- CPU: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-1135G7
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch FHD [1920 x 1200]
- GPU: Integrated Intel Iris Xe
- Battery: Up to 8.5 hours
Laptops can offer a peek into the world of technology, programming, and more. Acer is familiar with its wide gamut of laptops ranging in different series, from basic utility to powerful gaming laptops.
The Acer Aspire 5 is a perfect fit if you are priming your kid in a technical career trajectory. This edition packs an 11th Gen CPU, adequate RAM, and integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU to keep your kid engaged in a world of learning and entertainment.
Intel Core i5-1135G7 is a quad-core processor with a base clocking speed of 2.4GHz. Its multi-threading capacity and ability to clock up to 3.6GHz offer efficient processing power. The Integrated Intel Iris Xe complements the processor in managing the graphic processing demands.
The 8GB DDR4 RAM gives the power to handle games like PUBG, Civ 6, LOL, etc., at low settings. Modern education, becoming multi-modal in recent times, has placed higher operating memory levels and processing power demands. The 256GB SSD offers quick data accessibility with higher read/write speeds.
The IPS-driven 15.6-inch FHD display has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The Windows 10 Home edition has a user-friendly interface for non-tech savvy parents or seniors to control the kid’s activities. Enabling parental controls will give you control over the content, monitor activity, and set limits on screen time.
The Acer Aspire 5 packs a full-size, backlit keyboard with a dedicated numeric keypad. Adequately spaced keys allow comfortable long-duration typing with the ideal key-travel. The standard touchpad comes with different sensitivity levels to read multi-touch gestures.
The laptop weighs a little less than 4 pounds. It’s neither hefty nor slim and sports a traditional textured black design. It has three USB ports; one USB Type-C, one USB 3.1 Type-A, and one USB 2 Type-A port. Acer brings an Ethernet port, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a headphone/microphone combo jack to the table. The addition of the latest Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 offers high-speed wireless connectivity.
Acer claims a battery backup of up to 8.5 hours. Optimizing the usage with low brightness levels should extend the battery life and get the maximum out of it. Acer packs a workhorse of a laptop with a higher level of utility offered by a strong processing unit complemented by adequate operating and storage memory. A plastic built makes the Aspire 5 from Acer a perfect fit for your kid at a budget-friendly price.
- Quad-core processor
- Wi-Fi 6 support
- Backlit Keyboard
- Affordable price
- Build quality
- No card reader
- CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8265U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch FHD IPS [1920 x 1080]
- GPU: Integrated Intel HD 620
- Battery: Up to 21.5 hours
More power, less weight! Here is what the LG Gram 13 looks to achieve. This laptop features exceptional aesthetics courtesy of the alloyed chassis. Different variants are available in the market, and you can select the perfect version for your kid, depending on their preferences.
The 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Whether it is watching educational videos, listening to music, completing assignments, giving tests, attending online classes, browsing the internet, this display is vibrant enough!
LG Gram packs in a capable Intel Core i5-8265U supporting speeds of up to 4GHz of turbo frequency and 8MB cache. Additionally, there is 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage renders additional power to the laptop. The processing power is more than adequate for most of the children-oriented software, and the integrated Intel 620 graphics support also performs as per expectations.
The Windows 10 Home edition brings forth an intuitive platform for children. The 72wH battery module offers up to 21.5 hours of support when used optimally. In addition to that, this laptop also packs in a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint sensor for added security.
LG brings in a decent set of ports for a sleek and feathery device. There are 2 USB 3.0 ports on offer, followed by one USB Type-C and a solitary HDMI output. Overall, it is a feature-packed device for kids and weighs around 2.4 pounds.
- Ample amount of RAM
- Exceptional battery support
- Sleek and Eye-Catching Aesthetics
- SSD Support
- Backlit keyboard
- Little expensive
- No fast charging
- CPU: 8-Core Apple M1 Chip
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 13.3-inch Retina IPS [2560 x 1600]
- GPU: Integrated Apple 7-Core
- Battery: Up to 15 hours
If you are planning to buy an Apple MacBook for your kid, then this is the one to consider. The MacBook Air with M1 is very relevant to current user requirements.
Although the specs are well-suited for working professionals, web designers, business owners, digital nomads, etc., having this for your child can help them do the tasks quickly and efficiently.
MacBook Air M1 packs in decent processing power with the 8-core Apple M1 chip-on-board. With a boost clock speed of 3.8GHz and 4MB of L3 Cache, the page loading speeds are extraordinary. The 8GB RAM and integrated graphics also perform better than expectations.
The Macbook Air packs in a 13.3-inch full HD Retina True Tone with an LED-backlit panel. The widescreen panel supports a screen resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. The 16:10 aspect ratio further adds to the vibrancy of the screen. In case you’re interested, you shall learn about the difference between Retina and Non-Retina displays.
The build quality is exceptional and weighs around 2.8 pounds. The sleekness of the device is further complemented by the inclusion of the 256GB SSD. Despite the highly interactive macOS, the battery life on display is up to 15 hours. However, the figures might go up if the device usage is optimal and continuous wireless web connectivity is considered.
This version of MacBook Air packs in a generous conglomerate of ports. The device includes 2 USB-C 3.0 ports, 1 Display, and a charging port. All the ports support thunderbolt high-speed data transfers.
- Exceptional Retina Display
- Powerful and relevant processor
- Top-Notch Collection of High-Speed Ports
- Battery Life is more than Decent
- Only Type-C USB Ports
- Camera quality isn’t great
- CPU: 1.2GHz Intel Core i5-1035G4
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Display: 14-inch HD [1366 x 768]
- GPU: Integrated Intel Iris Plus
- Battery: Up to 8 hours
If you are looking for a decent and affordable laptop for your kid, consider the Dell Inspiron 14. Here is one laptop that brings in competitive aesthetics and weighs a mere 3.7 pounds.
The 14-inch HD display [1366 x 768] is vibrant and offers anti-glare support. The backlit display technology makes viewing a charm. The company offers Windows 10 Home Edition, right out of the box.
When it comes to the processing power, we have the 10th Gen Intel family, with a pretty competent i5-1035G4 processor at the helm. The quad-core CPU works well with the built-in 4GB RAM, upgradeable further up to 8GB. Further, the performance of the Iris Plus GPU is satisfactory, considering the price tag.
In addition to that, the highest possible clock speed for the Turbo Mode goes up to 3.7GHz, which makes way for more than decent performances. Lastly, this device packs in 6MB of cache memory. This laptop offers 128GB of SSD storage support.
The 42wH battery module offers up to 8 hours of extended support, depending on the medium to heavy usage. Apart from that, Dell Inspiron 14 [2019] also brings in one USB 3.1 port followed by HDMI and USB 2.0 support.
- Offers value for money
- Decent processing performance
- Fast SSD PCIe storage unit
- Upgradable RAM
- Lesser RAM out of the box
- Display feels overwhelming at certain angles
- CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB
- Display: 13.5-inch 2K [2256 x 1504]
- GPU: Integrated Intel UHD 620
- Battery: Up to 10 hours
Your kid will love the new convertible Chromebook from Acer, featuring expert craftsmanship, 360-degree hinge, and support for multiple modes. The laptop weighs 4 pounds and also fits in a dedicated, Wacom stylus. Apart from that, the aluminum chassis is worth drooling over.
We get a 13.5-inch screen with an above-par resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels in terms of display. Apart from that, the Corning NBT Gorilla Glass panel further fortifies the 10-point touch screen. As mentioned, the Chromebook runs Chrome OS out of the box and supports Android applications as well.
The raw processing power associated with this device is exemplary courtesy of the Intel Core i5 8250U processor. The turbo boost technology takes the processing frequency up to a decent 3.4GHz. You can expect faster processing speeds with 8GB of RAM and 6MB of built-in cache memory.
In addition to that, the integrated graphics unit from Intel also performs as per expectations. The 128GB eMMC storage unit is certainly worth applauding.
The battery support for this Chromebook extends up to 10 hours, upon optimal usage. In addition to all that, we also get the Type-C connector that supports fast charging, speedier data transfer, and enhanced video streaming. Lastly, this device Acer also integrates an HD webcam with the device for added functionality followed by a backlit keyboard.
- Excellent display
- Faster processor
- Decent storage support
- Innovative modes and form factors
- Included stylus
- CPU: 2.4GHz Intel Core i3-7100U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Display: 14-inch HD [1366 x 768]
- GPU: Integrated Intel UHD 620
- Battery: Up to 8 hours
HP is one of the few trusted brands that you can rely on while purchasing a laptop. This HP device looks good and weighs a standard 4.30 pounds. The HP 14 is one of the sleekest laptops in the market. It also offers a 128GB SSD to ensure aesthetic slimness.
The 14-inch display is a pretty decent addition considering the price. The screen quality gets an increment because of the WLED backlighting technology. Furthermore, the HD display at 1366 x 768 pixels screen resolution offers a wide-angled and glossy effect.
The processing power available here is more than enough for running software in Microsoft Office. The Intel i3-7100U processor gets the needed support from the 8GB of RAM. The integrated Intel Graphics card is a decent addition, considering the dual-core processor.
The HP 14-inch offers Windows 10 OS straight out of the box. The interface, therefore, is exceptional for the kids. Battery life, courtesy of the 41wH unit, goes up to 8 hours at optimal usage. Additional specs include highly efficient USB 3.0, HDMI, and 2.0 ports. It also brings in a feature-packed USB Type-C port for increased productivity.
- Offers excellent value for money
- Packs in decent processing power
- Fast Solid State Drive
- Intuitive user-interface
- Underwhelming display
- Lesser number of ports
- CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Display: 10-inch PixelSense [1800 x 1200]
- GPU: Integrated Intel HD 615
- Battery: Up to 9 hours
If you are looking for aesthetics before purchasing a device for your kid, do consider the Microsoft Surface Go. Here is an ultra-portable laptop that weighs a mere 1.3 pounds.
In addition to that, the slimness on display further validates the credibility of the device. This laptop supports multiple device-alignments modes, including tablet, laptop, and studio mode.
The 10-inch PixelSense display is excellent to look at. With a decent screen resolution of 1800 x 1200 pixels, this laptop is perfect for streaming on Twitch, browsing, and even basic viewing. The versatile device offers Windows 10 Home Edition in the Stylus mode for better performance.
The processing power is adequate for children who aren’t involved in high-CPU intensive tasks such as machine learning. It comes with an Intel Pentium Gold CPU working closely with 8GB RAM and the Integrated Intel 615 GPU. We have the 128GB SSD support in terms of storage, a primary reason for the Surface Go’s unmatched slimness and light-weighted nature.
The battery support at up to 9 hours deserves a special mention. When it comes to ports and compatibility, the Surface Go packs in a USB Type-C port with fast charging support! Furthermore, the laptop offers camera support to the kids with a 5MP front shooter and an 8MP rear shooter. The 2W Dolby speakers also add to the productivity quotient.
- Excellent specs sheet for the given price
- Brilliant aesthetics that is especially eye-catching for the kids
- Extraordinary display
- Portable laptop with multiple modes to work with
- Unmatched battery life
- Kids might take time to adjust to the diverse form factors
- Pretty small even for the kids
- CPU: 1.1GHz Intel Celeron N3350
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 32GB eMMC
- Display: 11.6-inch HD [1366 x 768]
- GPU: Integrated Intel HD 500
- Battery: Up to 10 Hours
If you want to offer something innovative to your kid, this Chromebook from Acer is a great device to consider. Here is a feature-packed 2-in-1 that supports multiple modes, courtesy of the dual-torque, 360-degree hinge. This Chromebook weighs a mere 2.76 pounds.
In terms of display, we get an 11.6-inch IPS touch screen, featuring 1366 x 768 resolution. The Chrome interface looks exceptional on the featured screen. Moreover, the Chrome OS allows users to install android apps onto the device.
When it comes to the processing requirements, the dual-core Celeron N3350 CPU from Intel is a decent addition. Although it isn’t a market mover, it packs in enough power, courtesy of the turbo clocking speed of up to 2.4GHz.
The integrated graphics support from Intel is also a decent addition considering the price tag. When it comes to RAM support, we get 4GB of built-in memory. Furthermore, this laptop also features a 32GB eMMC storage module.
The 3490mAh battery module offers extended support for up to 10 hours. In addition to that, Acer also brings an array of USB Type-C and 3.1 ports for faster file transfers, USB charging, and increased productivity. In addition to that, we also get a decent HD webcam, featuring wide-angle capabilities.
- Exceptional design elements
- Decent and vibrant screen
- Excellent battery life
- Feature-packed conglomerate of usable ports
- Processor feels underwhelming at times
How to Choose a Laptop for Kids?
You must take care of a few things before you move ahead with the purchase. While a good device is always advisable, unrestricted access is never a good thing for children. Besides restricting unbridled access, you also need to look for these elements:
- Cost: Small kids have shorter attention spans, and they aren’t usually careful with the laptops. Therefore, if it is their first laptop, then make sure you don’t buy an expensive laptop.
- Durability: If you are looking to purchase a laptop for your little one, it is necessary to consider durability. Also, it is recommended to look for additional insurance plans, even the external features supporting overall sturdiness and build quality.
- Design: Kids prefer minimalistic and straightforward laptops. However, thin laptops work better for them as they are easy to carry and weigh less.
- Features: It is evident that you are getting the kid a new laptop for educational purposes or for honing the media creation skills. Therefore, the preferred device must pack in decent graphic abilities, raw power, and an intuitive interface. Ease of usage is also a significant factor to consider.
- Parental Control: You would want to purchase a device that allows elders to restrict certain features. Therefore, it is essential to look at the range of parental controls and security features even when you are looking for laptops for girls. This aspect helps increase discretion. It also propagates the concept of safe usage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the more important questions which parents need to find answers for, to simplify the laptop buying process for their kids:
If you are considering a device for a 10-year old kid, it is necessary to concentrate on portability and productivity more than anything else. Therefore, the best option is to purchase the Microsoft Surface Go.
Once your kid turns 11, it is a good time to gift him or her a good laptop. However, you must take care of the usability and requirements before making the purchase. If they are already using the family device and aren’t asking for anything else, wait for a couple of years before reconsidering.
A 15-year old kid is at a formative stage where he or she can enjoy diverse academic and creative tasks. Therefore, these kids require dedicated laptops with features aligned according to their preferences.
When it comes to handling assignments, viewing online lectures, and even making notes, nothing beats the functionality of the Acer Chromebook Spin 13. This device also brings in exceptional aesthetics, making it easier for the kid to use the same for handling assignments.
Nothing beats the utility of the Microsoft Surface Go when helping kids enjoy creative activities. The alignment options and the S-Pen are potent resources for creative brilliance.
While it is good to gift a decent laptop to your kid, you must look for devices with face detection, OS-specific restrictions, and fingerprint sensors for restricting free access. A bit of moderation is necessary when it comes to kids with fully functioning laptops. This is where the LG Gram 13” comes into the mix.
It depends on the preferences of the kids and even the nature of his or her requirements. If he is into studies and nothing creative, an affordable Chromebook shall suffice. Windows-powered laptops are great for additional productivity. Hybrids work well if your kid is always on the move.
To make laptops more productive for kids, you can opt for laptops with pre-installed applications. Moreover, once you purchase a laptop or a Chromebook, you can take some time and install certain productive learning, brainstorming, and relevant applications before gifting the same to him or her.
Verdict
The list finally comes to an end. Like said above, we’ve considered features, aesthetics, affordability, and productivity of tasks. However, if we were to select one, we would consider the Microsoft Surface Go as the best option for kids without a doubt. This 10-inch Surface from Microsoft is one of the best options due to the resourcefulness it brings to the table.
Microsoft Surface Go is powered by a decent processor and packs in 8GB of RAM. Furthermore, the aesthetics, screen size, storage limit, and affordability are all in line with the growing kids’ diverse requirements. Not just that, children hardly rest when they get hold of a new laptop, and the Surface Go can match the energy levels of kids, courtesy of its extended battery life.
Although every laptop mentioned in this discussion is exceptional in its way, Microsoft Surface Go looks like the most complete device for your kid.