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Best Chromebooks for Students in 2020
These are the best Chromebooks for students in 2020. Affordable and durable laptops that are perfect for helping students learn at school or at home.
With so many different models available all with confusing names, it can be hard to know where to start.
The Chromebooks from our list below are all relatively new and offer good performance, big screens, or a durable design that will easily last students more than one school year.
What makes Chromebooks great and why most schools already use them is because they’re cheap, the software runs great on almost any device and it’s really hard to mess stuff up or get a virus. Plus, if your kid breaks his laptop, they can easily login to any other Chromebook and get all their schoolwork back. With Chrome OS almost everything gets saved in the cloud. Here are some top choices.
- Dell Chromebook 3100 Student (11.6-inch) – $254
- Lenovo C340/330 Chromebook (11.6-inch) – $259
- ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 Rugged (11.6-inch) – $399
- ASUS C523 Chromebook (15.6-inch) – $269
- Lenovo 500e Stylus Chromebook (11.6-inch) – $350
- Google Pixelbook Go (13.3-inch) – $649
- ASUS Chromebook Tablet (9.7-inch) – $315
1. Dell Chromebook 3100
- Durable design
- Splash-resistant keyboard
- 14-hour battery life
The Dell 3100 Studen Edition might not be the biggest or the best, but it’s a great all-around Chromebook and is probably what your child already uses at school. The Dell 3100 is built to handle abuse from kids with a durable design and a splash-resistant keyboard. The lowest model only comes with 16GB of storage, which isn’t a lot, but you can always pay a few bucks more for extra storage. The customization options from Dell are great and there’s surely a model for you, your kid, or your entire classroom.
We really like the rugged design which gives students more ways to interact with the Chromebook, and the 14-hour battery life is just an added bonus. Plus, the 3100 has an SD slot to fill with apps, games or homework. They have a more expensive 2-in-1 model with a touchscreen, too, for $369.
2. Lenovo C340/330 Chromebook
- 11.6-inch display
- 360-Degree hinge
- Stylish tough design
One of our favorite portable Chromebooks is the Lenovo C340 convertible, thanks to its 2-in-1 design. This thing has a small 11.6-inch touchscreen, so students can interact with the display and take advantage of even more Android apps. Plus, the screen folds completely backward 360-degrees so it can be used tent-style, or as a tablet, perfect for Google Classroom or Zoom video calls.
The Lenovo C340 has a premium design, a better screen than most on our list, and its touch compatible, which is important for certain classroom situations. It’s a great little device, as is the more affordable Lenovo C330.
3. ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 Ruggedized
- Foldable 2-in-1- Design
- Optional stylus
- Rugged water-resistance
If you’re willing to spend a little more money the ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 is probably one of the best overall options on the market. It’s not too expensive, but it’s no so cheap that the experience will hinder learning. For years we recommended the C213, and this latest model is more durable, looks better, and the optional stylus is a nice touch, too.
ASUS actually built this thing with a Mil-STD 810G rating so it can handle a few accidents from any classroom or those that aren’t very careful with their backpack. Plus, it has an upgraded 720p HD camera for video calls, which is something we can’t say about all Chromebooks.
4. ASUS C523 Chromebook
- Big 15-inch touchscreen
- 64GB of storage
- 180-degree hinge
Obviously students would prefer a small and portable Chromebook they can carry to class, but if size isn’t an issue or you plan on keeping it at home, consider this big 15-inch Chromebook from ASUS. It’s only 720p HD instead of 1080p, but you still get a big touchscreen experience without spending too much money. Don’t worry about it being massive, either, as the bezels are really small so it is physically about the same size as a 13-inch laptop.
With a huge touchscreen and a powerful Intel processor, this Chromebook is sold out often, but you can find it at B&H, Amazon, Best Buy and more.
5. Lenovo 500e Stylus Chromebook
- MIL-Spec Rugged design
- 6-years of OS updates
- Built-in stylus
Next up we wanted to recommend the Lenovo 500e Chromebook mainly because it’s a combination of almost every other device on our list. You’re getting a military-grade tough design with a water-resistant keyboard, there’s a stylus, plus it features that folding 2-in-1 design we mentioned earlier.
More importantly, this device is guaranteed software updates to Chrome OS and support for six years, just like the Dell 3100 and ASUS C214 we mentioned earlier. Imagine buying it for your 5th grader and him/her being able to use it until high school. That’s a great investment. You can also pick one up locally at Walmart or Best Buy.
6. Google Pixelbook Go
- Powerful Intel Core M3/i5 Processors
- All-day battery life
- Big 13.3-inch display
This next Chromebook is way more expensive than the rest, but for a reason. This is Google’s very own Pixelbook Go. It’s built to last, will get several years of updates, and it’s way more powerful than almost everything else on our list. It comes with 8 or 16GB of RAM, tons of storage, and you can even get one with a Core i5 or i7 processor from Intel. Basically, it’s not your average cheap Chromebook.
Depending on the needs of the student, a regular Chromebook simply won’t have enough power to handle any and all tasks. With a sleek design, plenty of accessories, tons of power, and even dual video chat cameras, the Pixelbook Go is made to go anywhere and do anything. It’s also a tablet and a laptop hybrid. Although at this point you might as well get a Macbook Air.
7. ASUS Chromebook Tablet
- Small portable & rugged design
- 9.7-inch touchscreen
- Built-in stylus
Last but not least we wanted to recommend something a little different for the ever-changing landscape of computing, teaching, and learning these days. This is a Chrome OS tablet, instead of a laptop or Chromebook, and it’s perfect for students that are always on the go. Yes, this is a 9.7-inch tablet, similar in size to an old iPad, yet it runs just like every other Chromebook on our list.
Chrome OS tablets are still fairly new but they’re a great idea and work well. Plus, they’re ideal for younger children and students that are more familiar with a tablet experience. You can always pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard and a stand, too, if needed. Either way, this is a good option for younger students.
In closing, these are some of the absolute best and most durable Chromebooks for students available in 2020. Then, stay tuned as we’ll update this list as new options get released worth mentioning.
