If you want a laptop that’s portable, affordable and easy to use, you’re probably better off with a Chromebook. Chromebooks use Google’s user-friendly ChromeOS and boast an impressive battery life for all-day work and play. The operation system is lightweight so even basic models are enough for email, online shopping and streaming movies and music and sell for less than $400. Premium models start around $500 and get you more RAM and storage, faster processors, higher-quality displays and better build quality. You’ll also find features like touchscreens, backlit keyboards and USI pen support for notes or drawing. Now, there are even Chromebooks made for cloud gaming.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is the best Chromebook for 2022 that we’ve tested. It is full-featured with a fast 12th-gen Intel Core i5 processor and it is built to last. If you’re looking for a Chromebook to use as your one and only computing device, this is a great choice. It is more expensive than the average Chromebook, though. If you want to spend less, consider the 17-inch Acer Chromebook 317 or, if mobility is a concern, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3.
Read more: The 9 Best Chromebook Deals for Students
The best Chromebook is still somewhat subjective, though. A lot comes down to what features you need in a Chromebook and how big of a budget you have. CNET’s editors tested and reviewed all of the Chromebooks on this list and all offer excellent performance and features for their price. Also, if you’re considering an older or used model, be sure to check the auto-update expiration date for the model. The AUE is when ChromeOS stops receiving system updates and is typically eight years, but the date is not the same for every model.
And if you’re still not sure if this type of laptop is right for you, here’s a breakdown of all that a Chromebook can and can’t do compared with a traditional laptop. This list of the best Chromebook models is updated periodically.
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Josh Goldman/CNET
Acer had one of the best Chromebooks available in 2021 with the Spin 713, and now it’s repeated that success with the Chromebook Spin 714. The premium two-in-one doesn’t stray far from its predecessor in terms of what it offers — sturdy design, nice-looking display, strong performance and long battery life — but Acer did make some changes to keep it competitive, like including a USI pen that stores and charges in the 714’s body. There are less expensive options, but if you want a Chromebook that’ll last for years, this is it. Keep an eye out for a sale on this one: Its normal price is $729, but can be found on sale for less than $600.
Acer Chromebook Spin 714 review
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Josh Goldman/CNET
The 317 is essentially a portable all-in-one ChromeOS desktop, otherwise known as a Chromebase. The big display makes multitasking a breeze. You can stream a YouTube video in the corner while you work on a presentation and keep an eye on email or chat — all without overlapping windows. It is big and heavy compared with all the smaller Chromebooks here, so it’s not a great option if mobility is a priority. But it’s certainly small enough to move around the house, and with more than 10 hours of battery life according to my tests, you can work all day and still have time left for a video chat with family, gaming or streaming a movie. The configuration we tested sells for less than $400 but there is a version that meets our basic requirements for a Chromebook that is less than $300.
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Josh Goldman/CNET
This Lenovo 13-inch Chromebook two-in-one is a better bet than the Duet if you need a laptop for all-day use. It has a full HD display as well as excellent performance and battery life for the money, thanks to an Intel Core i3-10110U processor, 4GB RAM and a 64GB solid-state drive. The Lenovo Flex is not a great Chromebook choice for outdoor use, since the display is pretty dim.
If you’re looking for even better performance, this Chrome OS Tablet was updated with Intel’s 11th-gen Core i3 processor but still has great battery life at nearly 11 hours. Now called the Lenovo 5i Chromebook, it costs a bit more starting at $440. Lenovo also added a privacy shutter on the webcam so you can physically block it when it’s not in use. It is definitely one of the best Chromebook models for the price, power and size.
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Josh Goldman/CNET
If you’d rather have a wider screen instead of a taller one like the Spin 713’s (below), this HP Chromebook is the way to go. It’s roughly 0.75 inch wider than a premium 13.3-inch model, but that extra width makes it easier to work in two side-by-side windows. The two-in-one design means you can use the HP Chromebook x360 as a tablet (though it’s a bit heavy to use as a handheld device). You can also tent it, connect an external keyboard and mouse and use it as a small all-in-one computer.
The Core i3 processor and 8GB of memory in the model we tested kept this HP Chromebook running smoothly even with a couple dozen tabs open and streaming video in the background. The Chrome OS will handle typical usage seamlessly. And this Chromebook laptop has a long battery life, lasting 10 hours and 40 minutes in CNET’s testing. This is a higher-end configuration, though, and its regular price is $699. This laptop regularly goes on sale for less than $500, but if you like the design and don’t need its more powerful components, the Pentium Silver version is a bargain at closer to $300.
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Dan Ackerman/CNET
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is an awesome little 11-inch ChromeOS tablet with a detachable keyboard and touchpad. Its small size and performance aren’t ideal for full-time use. But the Chromebook Duet 3 is a good pick if you’re looking for an affordable ultraportable device to get some work done on the go, sketch or jot down notes in class, or do simple stuff like email, web browsing, gaming, reading and streaming video.
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Acer’s Spin 513 is an update of sorts to one of the best Chromebooks from 2021, the Spin 713. It’s a two-in-one convertible Chromebook with a 13.5-inch display that has a 3:2 aspect ratio. The extra vertical space means less scrolling when you’re working. The screen size is also close to that of letter-size paper, making it comfortable for notetaking in tablet mode with a USI pen. Compared to the 713, it drops a couple of noncritical features like an HDMI output in favor of a more affordable price. It has amazing battery life, though, and a sturdy fanless design, making it silent — perfect for quiet classrooms, lectures or video calls. Also, be sure to get the latest version of the Spin 513, model CP513-2H, powered by a MediaTek Kompanio 1380 processor.
Acer Chromebook Spin 513 review
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It’s unusual for the second generation of a device to have fewer features than the original and still be an improvement, but that’s the case for this Samsung Chromebook. Samsung dialed back on some of the features and components of the original, making this Samsung Chromebook sequel more affordable than the first-gen model. It has a touchscreen, tablet capacity, 8GB RAM and an Intel Core processor. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook also has much better battery life, and Samsung did it all without losing all of its predecessor’s premium appeal.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 review
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Watch this: Here’s why a Chromebook might be all the laptop you need
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A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found in our How We Test Computers page.
