Best cheap Chromebook deals March 2022

If you’re looking for an affordable laptop alternative, Chromebooks are a great option to consider. Yet there are several kinds on the market these days, and it can be overwhelming to pick the right for you and your needs. Some are better suited toward basic work tasks, for example, while some of the higher-end models can even rival some of the best laptops you can buy. Moreover, just because one Chromebook has more features than the other, doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you, nor is it the best value for your money.

That’s why we’ve curated this comprehensive list of the best Chromebook deals. Here, you’ll find discounts on all kinds of Chromebooks, including those from Samsung, Lenovo, Asus, and more. Each varies in price range and come with their own strengths and weaknesses, but all of them come recommended, so you’ll be able to best deal for you. And if you’d like to do even more research before buying a Chromebook, we’ve also compiled a guide to the best on the market, which you can use to help you determine which Chrome OS machine is right for you.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2

If you’re considering a Chromebook, Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook 2 is one of the best Chromebooks on the market right now. It’s the first Chromebook to feature a QLED panel —allowing for vivid colors and high contrast — and it offers better battery life than the convertible’s predecessor, which couldn’t even make it five hours on a charge. Admittedly, we weren’t fans of the Chromebook 2’s plasticky feel or its expensive price tag, but we were happy with the Chromebook overall and liked the red model’s bright, vibrant design.

The base model starts at $549 and offers an Intel Celeron 5205U processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. Best Buy currently is selling that particular model in both colorways for $399, as is Samsung in the red configuration. The $699 model we tested is also on sale at Best Buy, Samsung, and Amazon with an Intel Core i3-10110U chip, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage for $549. That’s this model’s second-best price to date, and only $50 more than its all-time low. Read our review.

Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

If you’re on a budget, our top pick for you is the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. The portable 2-in-1 device is a great Chromebook you can take on the go, with a detachable keyboard and kickstand cover. This is especially true given the device’s lengthy battery life, which allowed us to use it for nearly 11 and a half hours while making Zoom calls and running through a variety of tabs and apps, including Gmail, Slack, and Facebook. It also uses a version of Chrome optimized for tablet use and supports a gesture-navigation system, so you can easily switch between apps with a few finger swipes.

Given it starts at just $299, however, there are some tradeoffs. This includes the Duet’s small keyboard, its single USB-C port, and lack of a headphone jack. With its MediaTek Helio P60T processor, 4GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of storage, it’s also not necessarily great for more advanced tasks, either, but it’s fine for browsing and everyday work. Right now, the model with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage is on sale for $229 at Best Buy instead of $299. Read our review.

Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge

Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook

We consider Lenovo’s ThinkPad C13 Yoga to be the best premium Chromebook and one of our favorites. Unlike others — which are often marketed toward students or kids — the C13 also targets adults and professionals. After reviewing it, we concluded it’s the closest thing to a MacBook in the Chromebook world, with a strong processor and a solid, sturdy build that feels and looks premium. The convertible Chromebook also looks similar to premium Windows ThinkPads, with the same aluminum design, a red Trackpoint in the center of the keyboard, and even a tiny webcam shutter.

While there are more affordable Chromebooks with better battery life and the 16:9 screen is disappointing, the C13 does boast an excellent keyboard and a host of business-focused privacy features. Plus, it can smoothly run mobile games and all kinds of other programs, being the first Chromebook to include AMD’s Ryzen 3000 Mobile C-series processors.

Right now, you can buy the ThinkPad C13 Yoga from Lenovo with 4GB of memory and 32GB of eMMC storage for $349 instead of $599 (promo code NEWYEARC13YOGA should apply at checkout). You can also get the same configuration at Walmart and Newegg for the $349, however, Lenovo will fulfill the order in both instances. Note that his model also comes with an AMD Athlon Gold 3150C processor, which is less powerful than the Ryzen 5 3500C we tested in our review unit. Read our review.

Photography by Monica Chin / The Verge

Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook

The Lenovo Flex 5 — the best Chromebook for midrange shoppers — may typically retail around $400, but it still looks and feels far more premium. It features a sleek, backlight keyboard that’s one of the better ones we’ve used on a Chromebook, along with a physical webcam shutter, front-facing speakers, and a relatively good port selection (for the price) that includes a microSD reader and a USB-C port on each side. The Flex 5’s audio quality and battery life aren’t great, however, with the latter only providing about five and half hours of runtime when we tested it.

If midrange performance is what you’re after, the lower-specced base model of the Flex 5 with an Intel Celeron 5205U processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMc storage is on sale at Lenovo for $334.99 ($95 off) with promo code CHROMEDEAL. Read our review.

Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge

Acer Chromebook Spin 713

The last-gen Acer Chromebook Spin 713 from 2020 was our pick for best Chromebook before the newer, 2021 model took our top spot last year. It may lack Intel’s new 11th Gen processors and support for Thunderbolt 4, but it offers better battery life than the 2021 model and still comes equipped with a spacious 3:2 touch display and enough power for handling basic, everyday tasks. It also still comes with other niceties, such as an excellent keyboard and great port selection that includes a USB-A port, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, a microSD slot, and an HDMI port.

Although the 2021 version — which currently starts at $699 — isn’t on sale right now, Best Buy is selling the previous-gen, 2020 model with 4GB of RAM, a 64GB SSD, and an Intel 10th Gen Core i3 processor for $449.99 instead of $529. Read our review.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5

It may not be our top picks as far as Chromebooks go, but the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 comes with a comfortable keyboard attachment and a terrific, 13.3-inch OLED touchscreen. It also excels when it comes to battery life, offering between 10 and 12 hours of use between charges when used for everyday tasks such as browsing, chatting, and Zoom. The Chromebook doesn’t come with a stylus and lacks biometric authentication, however, and functions far better as a laptop than a tablet given its larger size, at least in our testing.

Still, it’s a decent convertible that’s currently on sale at Lenovo with 4GB of RAM and 256GB of eMMC storage for $399.99 ($100 off) when you use promo code DUET5DEAL1. Newegg and Walmart are also selling the same configuration for $399.99, however, like with the ThinkPad C13 Yoga, it’s sold and shipped via Lenovo. If you can do with less storage, its 64GB variant is on sale at Amazon for $349.99 ($80 off), its best price to date. Read our review.

HP Chromebook x360 14a

While an older model, HP’s Chromebook x360 14a remains an affordable option with great battery life, one that’s a good fit for students in middle school. The Chromebook’s Intel Pentium Silver N5030 processor isn’t the most powerful, but it’s well-suited for web-based schoolwork, browsing, and basic activities students in this age range are typically required to do. It also shouldn’t be too hard to carry around — the 14-inch laptop weighs a little over three pounds — and comes with a decent array of ports, including a microSD card reader, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a pair of USB Type-C ports. There’s even a USB Type-A port, allowing you to use a wider range of laptop peripherals.

Normally $379.99, HP is currently selling the x360 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage for $299.99, one of the Chromebook’s better prices to date.