It’s Back to School season, and you’ll have seen countless back to school deals, whether you’re stocking up on new uniform, books or stationery. Tech is an important investment when the school season starts, especially since you want a reliable device to get you through school and help you be the most productive. We’ve rounded up 6 of the best laptops to accompany you into the school year, and prices start from only £119.99! (Low to high)
Asus Chromebook C300MA 13.3″ Light Weight Laptop Intel Celeron N2830, 32GB eMMC £119.99 (save £80)
- Processor: Intel Bay Trail-M Dual Core Celeron N2830 2.16 GHz – 2.41 GHz
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 32GB eMMC
- Screen: 13.3″ Display (1366 x 768) Resolution
- Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics
- Operating system: Google Chrome OS
The ASUS Chromebook C300MA is great whether you’re working on your way to school, at home, in class or even on a school trip. It has a slim and lightweight build so you can carry it around in your bag without a second thought! The 1366 x 786 screen resolution delivers crisp and detailed visuals, and is ideal for small-time entertainment. Speaking of entertainment, this cheap ASUS C300MA features premium style stereo speakers with extra-large audio chamber which exceeds their miniature size.
The laptop has a modern feel with the use of a matte-black chassis and nicely textured, faux-brushed metal top lid and keyboard deck. It also has a HDMI port, headset jack, AC power adapter, SD card reader, single USB 2.0 port and USB 3.0 port. You can easily and quickly share media online and with friends and family, and you can also connect the device to a bigger screen for a better viewing experience – although it already has an impressive screen!
This device is ideal for students as it is one of the most affordable Back to School laptops, currently available for only £119.99; it has a significantly large screen for a Chromebook device along with a large touchpad, so you can comfortably use it for longer periods. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures such as right click and two-finger swipe so it’s great for that fast paced student life.
The C300MA has almost 11 hours of battery life when fully charged, so you can do an entire day’s school work and also use it for entertainment in the evening, without worrying about charging. This also makes it great for on-the-go whether you’re using it on school trips or a weekend break with friends. It is an all-day companion for students, with great connectivity –whether you’re sharing pictures on social media, Skyping with friends and family, or doing a research project.
ASUS X453MA 14″ Cheap Laptop Intel Celeron N2840 2.58GHz Turbo 2GB RAM 500GB HDD £139.49 (save £61)
- Processor: Intel Celeron N2840 / 2.16 GHz (2.58 GHz Turbo) Processor
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 500GB HDD
- Screen: 14″ Display (1366 x 768) Resolution
- Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics
- Operating System: Windows 8.1 64-Bit
Our next best student laptop is the ASUS X453MA. The ASUS X453MA laptop displays the perfect combination of work and play –an all-rounder device; it has a durable and stylish design with a series of efficient features. It includes features which make it especially suitable for social media, making revision notes, emails and online shopping –essentially everything a student needs to do with their device!
You’ll forget you’re using a laptop with this device, as it has the 2-second start-up speed of a high-quality smartphone. The speed of a smartphone is what inspired ASUS when creating this impressive device and this unique touch is what makes it perfectly compliment fast-paced student life. It particularly makes it ideal for using in class, or any other online task you need to do quickly such as tweeting on-the-go or online shopping. It also has a resume function which is great for lengthy assignments, as you can easily pick up where you left off, wherever you are.
The device has a decent 14” screen with a detailed 1366 x 768 screen resolution which provides fine-tuned and vibrant visuals, which are a great touch whether you’re watching revision videos online or a late night movie. You can view memorable pictures with ASUS’ exclusive technology which adjusts screen colour and image quality, depending on the application you are using, so you can get the most out of your media. You won’t worry about how you look whilst Skyping friends or taking pictures with this great laptop as it has a built-in VGA camera with a sensitive sensor, which allows you to capture the best pictures in any lighting or environment.
Screen quality isn’t the only thing ASUS has taken into account with this device as it also has premium quality sound with the help of SonicMaster which provides omnidirectional sound for a cinematic feel. SonicMaster technology boosts application audio so it sounds clearer and more precise.
Typing up notes in class as fast as you can is easier than ever with the Smart Gesture technology in the keyboard of the X453MA which allows you to interact with the touchpad in an effortless way. The touchpad responds to an extensive range of gestures, and it has welcome shortcuts –such as swiping down with 3 fingers to go straight to the desktop.
It has a decent battery life of 4 hours, however if the battery is running low, you can carry on working until it dies as your work is automatically backed up as soon as the battery drops below 5% -it seems ASUS really have thought of everything when it comes to student requirements in a laptop!
This feature-packed and student-centred device is available at only £139.49 and is also eligible for extra 5% student discount via Student Beans, which makes it even more appropriate as your Back to School purchase.
ASUS Transformer Book T200TA 11.6″ Touchscreen Laptop 2GB RAM, 500GB+32GB eMMC £169.99
- Processor: Intel Atom Z3775 / 1.4 GHz
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 500GB HDD+ 32GB eMMC
- Screen: 11.6″ Display (1366 x 768) Resolution
- Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics
- Operating System: Windows 8.1
Hybrid devices are the device of choice for those who are usually on-the-go, and particularly for students, as it increases their multitasking ability. ASUS are experts in making hybrid devices, and the T200TA is no exception. Whether you want to make notes in class or watch movies in bed, both are easily do-able with this versatile device.
Students undoubtedly have a budget to consider, and the T200TA will easily fit into a tight budget, without compromising the features of the device. It feels premium with the smooth plastic coating on the tablet which has a sleek ringed pattern, as well as the metallic material of the detachable keyboard which shapes into a narrow edge. The tablet and keyboard are both sturdy, so they can be detached and re-attached easily, and transported around in your bag without any qualms.
The device looks even slimmer than it is, due to the tapered metallic material on the base of it, and this is a trademark style by ASUS –which we think makes it look all-the-more sophisticated, perfect as an accessory for school –and it has both the looks and the features!
The 11.6” screen size is what makes this device stand out from other laptops, as it means it can also be easily used as a tablet, alongside the detachable feature which also helps. This reliable and feature-packed device is great for students as its available at the budget-friendly price of £169.99.
Lenovo B50-30 15.6″ Cheap Laptop Intel Dual Core N2840 2.16GHz 4GB RAM 500GB HDD £169.99 (save £80)
- Processor: Intel Celeron N2840 / 2.16 GHz Max Turbo Speed 2.58 GHz
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 500GB HDD
- Screen: 15.6″ Anti-Glare Display (1366 x 768) Resolution
- Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics
- Operating System: Windows 8.1 with Bing
At only 22.9mm thick, this cheap Lenovo laptop can slide into your bag with ease. At a price of only £169.99 it’s surprising to see a laptop that’s powerful and also portable. The B50-30 features a 15.6″ Anti-Glare Display with (1366 x 768) screen resolution, so it’s great for watching a late night movie too! Even if you’re using your laptop in the sun the anti-glare display ensures crisp visuals in all lighting. It also has a high quality integrated webcam along with a built-in microphone which makes online chats with family and friends feel like you’re actually there with them.
The exterior is seamless and simple in design, ensuring it is office and school appropriate and also ideal for professional use after studying is complete! It has a matte black, plastic casing and the lid has a roughened texture. Whilst the casing isn’t the most durable, it gets the job done.
An AccuType keyboard allows you to type comfortably, and it is ergonomically designed to reduce errors, so typing notes in class is easier than ever. The device has an extensive 500GB of storage space which ensures you can save a huge amount of files whether its revision notes, homework, music and movies, or memorable pictures, without giving a second thought to the storage space. Windows 8.1 with Bing further intensifies your productivity levels by minimising time wasting to find your needed apps and tools; because they’re all conveniently located on your homepage.
Pop the B50-30 into your school bag with ease, and enjoy the extensive features it has to offer. HDMI and USB 3.0 ports are also included in the device so you can share data easily and have the option of connecting to a bigger screen for better viewing. It’s also great for PowerPoint presentations as you can share them with partners without issues, and also when presenting in class.
Looking for the ideal companion device for all the obstacles of student life? The B50-30 is your answer, and its currently available for only 169.99!
Lenovo ThinkPad E565 15.6″ Business Laptop 6th Gen AMD A8-8600P, 4GB RAM, 500GB £229.99 (save £70)
- Processor: AMD A8-8600P / 1.6GHz Max Turbo Speed 3.0GHz Processor
- RAM: 4GB RAM
- Storage: 500GB HDD
- Screen:6″ Display (1366 x 768) Resolution
- Graphics: AMD Radeon R6 Graphics
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit
The ThinkPad E565 is a great Windows 10 device, with a list of features which make it ideal for students. Lenovo have considered all aspects, including visual satisfaction, as the matte black casing of the device counteracts fingerprints, dust and scratches; this is a much preferred material for student use as laptops with a glossier finish are more prone to damage and wearing out. Use your laptop day and night, and pop it into your bag without having to worry about damaging it!
Working on-the-go or forgotten your charger at home? This laptop is still ready to use with an impressive 9 hours battery life, and means you can do your homework, update your social media and catch up on your favourite Netflix Series without worrying about a recharge.
Are you a gamer? The Lenovo ThinkPad E565 takes this into account with the inclusion of an AMD A8 processor which offers immense performance quality, and provides this laptop with the capacity to run power-consuming software and programmes, as well as making multitasking and gaming a breeze.
Additional features such as Bluetooth allow you to easily connect to speakers, the DVD/CD port lets you play films and burn tracks, as well as play games, and the multi-purpose card slots allow you to transfer and edit pictures with ease. This device has tackled everything from small-time entertainment to making pictures ‘Instagrammable’ with the help of a 15.6” up-to-FHD display!
Windows 10 Home 64-bit ensures optimum performance with numerous features that help manage all your apps, files and programmes. With everything you need on your homepage in an easy-to-view and access tiled format, you’ll never waste time searching for what you need and are guaranteed quick start-ups. Customise your homepage for even quicker and easier access to your favourite and most used apps and programmes.
The massive storage space of 500GB caters to all your needed apps, files, documents and programmes and entertainment features too. This device is ideal for those who use graphics software (e.g. photo/video editing software) which takes up a lot of storage space. In the off chance that you do run out of space, you needn’t worry as you’re equipped with all the needed ports to connect to numerous external storage devices.
The ThinkPad E565 is currently available for £229.99 –grab it while it’s still available, and have the perfect companion for school!
Lenovo IdeaPad 300 15.6″ Quad Core Laptop Intel Pentium N3700, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD £229.99 (save £50)
- Processor: Intel Pentium N3700 / 1.6 GHz Max Turbo Speed 2.4 GHz Quad Core
- RAM: 8GB RAM
- Storage: 1TB HDD
- Screen: 15.6″ (1366 x 768) Resolution
- Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit
The Lenovo IdeaPad 300 is great value for money, especially considering the huge range of features it has. It has an Intel Pentium Quad Core processor as well as an extensive 8GB RAM, ensuring performance is faster than ever! It is great as an everyday school companion, and also for entertainment. The powerful processor allows you to multitask without having any power issues so you can easily do homework while watching your favourite Netflix series, and keeping up with social media –although we aren’t recommending that!
Combined with an ultra-fast USB 3.0 SuperSpeed, the Lenovo IdeaPad 300 is fully equipped for data storage with the faster USB port offering up to 10 times faster transfer rates over the USB 2.0 standard.
Even the most disorganised students will have an organised desktop with Windows 10 Home! The unrivalled operating system is familiar and easy to use, so even those who are new to Windows 10 Home will face no trouble navigating, and accessing apps and programmes. Customise your home screen and pin your favourite and most used apps so when you start up your laptop they’re waiting for you; its super simple and quick.
Love watching YouTube videos after school? The IdeaPad 300 will be your best friend as it delivers richer sound with the help of Dolby Advanced Audio, as well as a HD 1366 x 768 display both delivering bright, crisp visuals in 16:9 widescreen format.
The IdeaPad 300 is great for work and play, and ensures productivity at school–get it today at the sale price of only £229.99!
Hopefully our top Back to School laptops under £250 have ended your search for the ideal tech companion. Find the full range of cheap laptops, tablets, PCs, mobiles and more in our Back to School store.
On a budget? Not to worry! We now offer 0% Interest Free Finance with PayPal on all products over £99, so you can spread your payments over 12 or 6 months. Find out more here.
Be sure to check out our blog regularly for more helpful top picks and technology related news.
*Please note: all prices are subject to change without notice and all offers are subject to availability.
