Chromebooks offer a good alternative to traditional laptops. They’re typically more affordable, have better Google functionality, and they also tend to be lighter. That very well means Chromebook laptops are great for web-based productivity, especially when you’re not too concerned with heavy digital media tasks such as video editing or 3D design.
But like most Windows laptops, there are too many of them in the market. You’ll often find yourself bombarded with all these letters and numbers and other marketing buzzwords.
Luckily, we’re here to help you find out which of these Chromebook laptops is worth your time. We’ll divide them by price category or by use cases so you can decide which one suits your needs the best.
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Acer Chromebook Spin 713
PROS
- Comes with a stylus pen
- 360-degree hinge
- 2-in-1 laptop
- 15-hour battery life
- Thin and light
CONS
- RAM could be better
- Storage could be better
- CPU/Processor: Intel i5-10210U
- GPU/Graphics Card: Intel Iris Plus Graphics
- RAM/Memory: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Display: 13.5″ 2K VertiView 3:2 Touch
The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 seems to be all the rage these days in the Chromebook laptops category. It’s one of the most well-endowed Chromebooks around, boasting an i5 despite the thin design.
Do be warned though, that despite the i5 tag, this one only has four cores instead of the standard six cores and twelve threads today. Otherwise, the CPU would run too hot for the rather meek cooling system of this thin frame.
Where this Chromebook shines the most is in its engineering. It’s a 2-in-1 laptop and also comes equipped with a 360-degree hinge, letting you transform it seamlessly into a tablet. There’s also a stylus included.
Acer Chromebook Spin 713
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook AMOLED
PROS
- 4K resolution
- 2-in-1 laptop
- 360-degree hinge
- Comes with a stylus pen
- Thin and light
- 6-second bootup
CONS
- RAM could be better
- Expensive
- CPU/Processor: Intel i5-10210U
- GPU/Graphics Card: Intel UHD Graphics
- RAM/Memory: 8 GB
- Storage: 256 GB
- Display: 13.3” 4K AMOLED Touchscreen
Chromebooks are supposed to be cheap or affordable, but it seems Samsung just can’t help it. They made a premium one called Galaxy Chromebook with different versions. But since you’re in this section to splurge on a Chromebook, then the AMOLED touchscreen variant is the best offering.
This one comes with a whopping 4K resolution, which makes it perfect for some light browser-based photo editing. The included pen makes this easier compared to other Chromebooks.
The hinge is also 360 degrees with a touchscreen display, making it technically a 2-in-1 laptop as well. Sadly, the cheaper non-AMOLED models of the Galaxy Chromebook don’t come with a stylus.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook AMOLED
Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3
PROS
- Cheap
- Light and thin
- Stylus pen included
- 2-in-1 laptop
- Detachable keyboard
CONS
- Similarly-priced smartphones have better storage
- Only 4GB RAM
- Odd aspect ratio
- CPU/Processor: ARM MediaTek 8183
- GPU/Graphics Card: Arm Mali-G72 MP3
- RAM/Memory: 4 GB
- Storage: 64 GB
- Display: 10.5″ Touchscreen WUXGA 16:10
All Chromebooks are minimalistic, but the Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3 took portability to a whole other level. It has a detachable keyboard, which makes it more like a tablet than a laptop if you’re going by technicality.
Moreover, the processor is something that Android smartphones and tablets use, but Chrome OS is based on Linus much like Android anyway.
This notepad laptop is also one of the lightest Chromebooks in existence, especially with the 10-inch screen. Sure enough, it becomes even lighter if you leave the keyboard behind. In order to function like a laptop, the Chromebook Detachable CM3 has a folding kickstand further reinforcing the clipboard look.
Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3
Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga
PROS
- Sturdy
- 360-degree hinge
- Chromebook Enterprise classification
- 2-in-1 laptop
- Affordable
CONS
- Only 4GB RAM
- No included stylus pen
- Storage could be better
- CPU/Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 3250C Dual-Core 2.60 GHz
- GPU/Graphics Card: AMD Radeon Graphics
- RAM/Memory: 4 GB
- Storage: 128 GB
- Display: 13.3″ FHD Touchscreen
Lenovo and AMD have always had good pairings when it comes to laptops. Their Legion laptops with AMD processors have some of the best specifications for the price, and they extended that marketing practice to their Chromebook, specifically the Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga.
It looks like a regular plain ThinkPad laptop, sadly, but it’s a capable Chromebook device with a sturdier build quality compared to the thinner models.
The hinge is also 360 degrees despite its inherent bulkiness. This one is also considered a Chromebook Enterprise device, meaning its suite of included applications and programs is more geared toward professionals; it also comes with better software security, for that matter.
Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga
Lenovo Chromebook Duet
PROS
- Thin and light
- Detachable keyboard
- 2-in-1 laptop
- Cheap
CONS
- Only 4 GB of RAM
- No included stylus
- CPU/Processor: MediaTek Helio P60T
- GPU/Graphics Card: Integrated ARM G72 MP3 Graphics
- RAM/Memory: 4 GB
- Storage: 128 GB
- Display: 10.1″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200)
You usually wouldn’t expect a generous sub-$300 laptop, but the Lenovo Chromebook Duet begs to differ. This is one of the best budget options available in the Chromebook market right now.
It’s quite similar to the Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3 since you can also remove the keyboard and it has a kickstand. But this one’s considerably more affordable. It doesn’t seem to come with its own stylus pen, sadly, but those are cheap anyway.
There are some compromises here and there, but at this price point, it’s hard to complain.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet
What to Expect When Buying a Chromebook?
If it’s your first time dabbling into Chromebook territory, we do suggest tempering your expectations. Buying Chromebook laptops and expecting them to perform like a Windows laptop is a sure way to disappoint yourself.
These devices are generally equipped with weaker hardware since Chrome OS isn’t that demanding. Moreover, they’re not meant for heavy digital tasks such as digital media creation or gaming, so don’t purchase these Chromebook laptops for such purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can you play games on Chromebooks?
Yes, you can. They're usually the light apps from Google Play Store. -
Are Chromebooks better than Windows laptops?
For portability and flexibility, they usually are. But for everything else, Windows laptops are better.