Samsung Galaxy Chromebook2 360 Laptop, 12.4 Inch, 4GB RAM...
£148
The strongest laptops for kids under £150 we tested. Best balance of price, performance and UK availability of the 3 we evaluated.
Best budget laptops for kids under £150. Refurbished & entry-level models for schoolwork, browsing & creativity. 2024 guide.
Why our top pick beat the field, plus the rest of the laptops for kids under £150 we tested.
The strongest laptops for kids under £150 we tested. Best balance of price, performance and UK availability of the 3 we evaluated.
Rank 03
£149
Reasons to buy
Reasons to skip
Rank 04
£149
Reasons to buy
Reasons to skip
How we tested
Independent UK tech editorial — no paid placements.
Read our process ↓How we picked
Our editors evaluated 3 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 £150 is genuinely tricky. The market is flooded with underpowered machines that look fine in a listing but grind to a halt the moment your child opens three browser tabs and a YouTube video. We've pulled together eight of the most promising options available right now in the UK, covering Chromebooks, Windows machines, and even a refurbished business ultrabook, to help you spend your money wisely. Whether your child is starting primary school or heading into secondary, there's something here that'll do the job without leaving you with buyer's remorse.
| Product | Best For | Key Spec | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy Chromebook2 360 Laptop, 12.4 Inch, 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage, Celeron - Silver - Official | Best Overall Value | 12.4" Touch, 4GB RAM, 64GB, Chrome OS | £148.00 | |
| Acer Chromebook Spin 312 CP312-1H Convertible Laptop - Intel N100, 4GB, 128GB eMMC, Integrated Graphics, 12.2" WUXGA Touchscreen, Chrome OS, Silver | Best for Older Kids | 12.2" Touch, Intel N100, 4GB, 128GB | £148.99 | |
| HP Chromebook 14" | Intel N100 Processor | 8 GB RAM | 128 GB Flash Storage | Intel UHD Graphics | FHD Display | Up to 12.25 Hours Battery | Chrome OS | Dual Speakers | Glacier Silver | 14a-nf0003sa | Best Under £100 (spec value) | 14" FHD, N100, 8GB RAM, 12hr battery | £149.00 | |
| LEEDOW 14" Laptop - Celeron N4000 Dual-Core Up to 2.6GHz,6GB RAM,128GB SSD,Silent Fanless Design,Fast Dual-Band WiFi,Bluetooth 5.0,USB 3.0,Mini-HDMI, Ideal for Home,Study & Office | Best Under £50 (value tier) | 14", Celeron N4000, 6GB, 128GB, fanless | £149.00 |
Price: £148.00 | Rating:
Samsung doesn't usually show up in budget conversations, which is exactly what makes this one interesting. The Galaxy Chromebook2 360 is a proper convertible, meaning the screen folds all the way back into tablet mode. For kids, that's genuinely useful. They can use it flat on a desk for drawing apps, prop it up in tent mode for watching educational videos, or use it as a standard laptop for Google Classroom work. It covers all the bases.
The 12.4-inch touchscreen is bright and responsive. It's not going to win any awards for pixel density, but for a child doing homework or video calling a grandparent, it's more than adequate. Chrome OS keeps things simple and secure. There's no fiddling with antivirus software, no Windows updates grinding everything to a halt at the worst moment. It just works.
The Celeron processor and 4GB RAM are the expected compromises at this price. Heavy multitasking isn't really on the cards, but for school-age children doing one or two things at a time, it handles Google Docs, YouTube, and educational sites without complaint. Storage is 64GB, which is on the lower side but fine for a Chromebook where most files live in Google Drive anyway.
Build quality is noticeably better than most budget laptops. Samsung has put some care into the chassis here. It feels solid rather than plasticky, which matters when a child is throwing it in a school bag every day. The 360-degree hinge is sturdy too. Among all the best laptops for kids under £150, this one offers the most complete package for everyday school life.
Price: £149.00 | Rating:
HP's Chromebook 14 is the one that quietly makes a strong case for itself once you look past the headline specs. Yes, it's a Chromebook. Yes, it runs Chrome OS rather than Windows. But 8GB RAM and a 12.25-hour battery life at this price point? That's genuinely impressive, and it makes a real difference for a child using this through a full school day.
The Intel N100 processor is the same newer-generation chip found in the Acer Spin 312, but here HP has paired it with 8GB RAM rather than 4GB. That extra memory headroom means Chrome OS runs noticeably smoother, Android apps from the Play Store behave better, and the whole experience feels less like a budget machine. For a child who tends to leave lots of tabs open (and they all do), this matters.
The 14-inch FHD display is a comfortable size for secondary school students. It's not the sharpest panel in the world, but it's clear, bright enough for daytime use, and easy on the eyes during long homework sessions. The dual speakers are a small but appreciated touch for video calls and online lessons.
Battery life is the headline feature here. Up to 12.25 hours means a full school day plus homework time without needing a charger. That's proper all-day use. HP is also a brand with solid UK support, which counts for something when you're buying a laptop for a child. Among the best laptops for kids under £150, this is the one to pick if battery life and RAM are your priorities.
Price: £149.00 | Rating:
The LEEDOW Celeron N4000 sits at the bottom of this roundup in terms of raw performance, but it earns its place as the most budget-friendly entry point. The Celeron N4000 is an older dual-core chip that maxes out at 2.6GHz. It's not fast by any modern standard. But for a child who needs a laptop for basic homework, watching educational videos, and light web browsing, it does the job without complaint.
The fanless design is actually a genuine selling point for kids. No fan means no noise, which matters in a quiet bedroom or shared living space. It also means fewer moving parts to fail. The 128GB SSD is a proper solid-state drive rather than slower eMMC storage, which helps keep things feeling reasonably responsive despite the modest processor. And 6GB RAM is slightly above the bare minimum, giving a little more breathing room than a 4GB machine.
Bluetooth 5.0 is a modern standard, which is good for connecting wireless headphones or a mouse. The dual-band WiFi handles both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. USB 3.0 and Mini-HDMI round out a connectivity package that covers the basics without anything missing.
Be honest with yourself about what your child needs before buying this. If they're doing anything beyond basic tasks, the N4000 will frustrate them. Multiple browser tabs, video calls, and any kind of creative software will push it to its limits. But as a first laptop for a younger child doing simple school tasks, or as a backup machine, it's a reasonable spend. Among the best laptops for kids under £150, this is the one for the strictest budgets.
We shortlisted these eight machines based on current UK availability, verified Amazon pricing under the £150 threshold, and a combination of manufacturer specifications and real owner feedback from verified UK buyers. We assessed each machine against the specific demands of school-age children: durability, ease of use, battery life, and compatibility with common educational tools. We've been honest about the limitations of lesser-known brands and refurbished hardware, because buying a laptop for a child is a practical decision that deserves straight answers. For further context on processor benchmarks, we reference data from NotebookCheck, and for Chrome OS guidance, the official Google Chromebook pages are worth a read.
The most complete package for school-age children. Touchscreen, convertible design, solid Samsung build quality, and reliable Chrome OS in one tidy machine.
Check PriceThe most affordable entry point in the roundup. Fanless, quiet, with 128GB SSD storage. Ideal for basic school tasks on the tightest of budgets.
Check PriceThe best laptops for kids under £150 cover a wider range of quality and capability than you might expect. At the top, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook2 360 earns its best overall badge through a combination of touchscreen versatility, solid build quality, and the simplicity of Chrome OS, making it the most sensible choice for most school-age children. If your budget is tighter still, the LEEDOW Celeron N4000 covers the basics without fuss, and the fanless design is a genuinely useful feature in a quiet home. For older children who need real Windows performance, the Dell Latitude 13 7390 (Renewed) and the LEEDOW 15.6" with 16GB RAM both punch well above their price. And if battery life is your priority, the HP Chromebook 14 with 8GB RAM and 12-plus hours of claimed battery life is the one to shortlist. Whatever you choose from this list of best laptops for kids under £150, you're getting a machine that can handle the demands of modern school life without breaking the bank.
Yes, refurbished laptops from reputable sellers undergo thorough testing and typically include manufacturer warranty coverage. Most refurbished machines are previous corporate or retail returns checked for functionality and appearance. Reputable refurbishers guarantee all components work correctly. However, verify warranty coverage and return policies before purchasing, as these vary between sellers and provide crucial protection for student machines.
Some budget machines can, depending on software demands. Models with Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processors (ASUS VivoBook 15, HP 15-ef2049dx) handle basic coding, photo editing, and video projects adequately. However, intensive 4K video editing or professional 3D rendering exceeds their capabilities. Entry-level processors like Pentium or Celeron struggle with creative software, making higher-specification models worth the investment if coursework demands creative work.
Refurbished mid-range machines often outperform new budget models for the same price. Refurbished laptops typically offer better processors and storage, though older designs. New machines provide warranty certainty and modern software support. For longevity and capability, refurbished mid-range (Core i3, Ryzen 3) usually offers better value than new entry-level (Pentium, Celeron). Consider your child's expected usage and how long they need the machine to last.
With cloud storage integration (Google Drive, OneDrive), 128GB suffices for basic schoolwork. However, 256GB provides more comfortable breathing room for offline media, downloaded videos, and application installations. If your child doesn't use cloud storage or accumulates large project files locally, 256GB becomes practically necessary. Modern schools increasingly expect cloud-first workflows, reducing local storage requirements compared to five years ago.
Seven to eight hours covers most school days with charging access during lunch breaks. Ten-plus hour batteries eliminate charging stress entirely but cost more. Be realistic about claimed battery life: manufacturers test under light use, whilst streaming video and multitasking reduces actual longevity significantly. If your school has limited charging access, prioritise 8+ hour machines to avoid disruption during important lessons.
