run apps from the Google Play store<\/a>\u00a0designed for Android smartphones and tablets, including\u00a0Microsoft Office. If you've decided against buying a smartphone for your kids but they talk your ear off about wanting to play mobile games, buying a Chromebook might be a good compromise.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)
\n<\/small>\n<\/p>\n
Windows 10 and Windows 11\u00a0have also become more useful for kid-oriented laptops thanks to S Mode, which is aimed at the education market and, among other security enhancements, prevents apps from being installed unless they're available on the Microsoft Store. This means you've got the ability to block games and apps based on their content ratings (something you can also do with Google Play apps). When your son or daughter gets older and more responsible, you can easily upgrade to the full version of Windows to remove these limitations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n(Photo: Molly Flores)
\n<\/small>\n<\/p>\n
If your child's school has specific software that runs only on Windows, your operating system choice will be decided for you. If not, you'll want to take a close look at Chrome OS, since a few Chromebooks include decidedly kid-friendly features (such as easy-grip coatings, or display lids that double as whiteboards). Again, check out the Chromebooks-for-kids story for more on the specifics around this OS.<\/p>\n
\nBuilt for Backpacks: Assessing Ruggedness<\/h2>\n
Unique features like these are what transforms an ordinary cheap laptop into a school-friendly machine that kids won't outgrow or destroy in a few months. Arguably the most important is how rugged the case is.<\/p>\n
A few Chromebooks and inexpensive Windows laptops have spill-resistant keyboards, which means that they should survive splashing with an ounce or so of water unscathed. It's much rarer to find entire laptops that are waterproof; the rugged ones that are (models like Panasonic's Toughbook line or Dell's Latitude Rugged Extremes) typically cost several thousand dollars and aren't geared toward kids at all, but rather workers in outdoors or shop-floor professions. Likewise, it's relatively easy to find reinforced lids or cases made of rubber to help absorb drops from a few feet, but you just won't find fully ruggedized machines anywhere close to this price range.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)
\n<\/small>\n<\/p>\n
Portability is another key concern, especially for middle- and high-schoolers who walk to school with backpacks laden with heavy textbooks. Most laptops in this category with screen sizes from 11 inches to 13 inches weigh about 2.5 pounds. Go above 3 pounds, and you're putting a real burden on your child's shoulders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Battery life is important, too, but it's no longer the limiting factor that rendered the laptops of a decade ago useless if they spent more than a few hours away from a power outlet. Even some of the cheapest laptops now boast times of about 10 hours on PCMag's battery rundown test, thanks mostly to their power-sipping Intel processors.<\/p>\n
\nWhat Specs Should My Child's Laptop Have?<\/h2>\n
The final consideration is how your kids will use the laptop, which in turn determines the processor, storage, and memory configurations you should select. Tasks such as taking notes, writing papers, or making PowerPoint slides require little more than the bare minimum, which means that an Intel Celeron or Pentium processor will suffice; a few budget Chromebook models now also use AMD or MediaTek mobile processors. These collectively are the lowest performance tier in budget laptops. (The exception to that: AMD's Ryzen C series chips, much peppier AMD processors that are purpose-built for Chromebooks.)<\/p>\n
The next step up is an Intel Core i3, which you should consider if your kid's teachers regularly have them stream online educational videos. An\u00a0Intel Core i5 or i7\u00a0is all but impossible to find on a laptop or Chromebook that costs about $300.<\/p>\n
If you opt for a more powerful processor so your kids can stream videos, you might also want to consider a 2-in-1 convertible or detachable laptop, which can double as a tablet thanks to a hinge that rotates 360 degrees, or a screen that detaches completely from the keyboard base. Most hybrids and convertibles are more expensive than the price range we've discussed to this point, but you\u00a0can\u00a0find a few high-quality models for less than $500. These are best for middle-school-age children or older, since these machines are by nature less durable than a conventional laptop.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)
\n<\/small>\n<\/p>\n
As for memory and storage, a common minimal configuration is 4GB of RAM and 64GB of flash memory. The former (memory) amount is adequate in a budget Chromebook but skimpy in a Windows machine; 8GB is really the best baseline for anything running Windows. You'll definitely want to consider bumping up the storage capacity to 128GB, since the operating system files on a Windows PC can take up more than 20GB, leaving your kid with a paltry 40GB or so of built-in storage. <\/p>\n
The exception is if you choose a laptop that has a roomier but slower (and more easily breakable) spinning hard drive, or one with a built-in SD card reader. (Hard drives have pretty much disappeared from Chromebooks, though, barring some older models.) In the latter case, you could stick with the base configuration and ask your kids to store their bulkier files on SD cards if needed, which you can buy in 32GB capacities for about $20 each.<\/p>\n
\nTime for Fun: What About Graphics and Games?<\/h2>\n
Just because you're selecting from among relatively slow processors and limited memory capacities doesn't mean that gaming is out of the question when your kid is done with his or her schoolwork. Some games are, of course, even educational. For instance, Microsoft has an education version of its immensely popular open-world construction game\u00a0Minecraft. Students can use it to\u00a0explore real-world history like the Oregon Trail,\u00a0solving math problems as they begin to understand how long and challenging the trail was, researching fur-trading companies to learn about the economic concepts of monopolies and supply and demand, and more.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)
\n<\/small>\n<\/p>\n
Minecraft and other similar games will run on Core i3 systems with as little as 4GB of RAM, but if your kid is looking forward to playing them, you'll make the experience much more enjoyable by selecting a laptop with 8GB.\u00a0If your child is planning on doing more intense gaming, you'll need to step up the power and the price to a full-fledged\u00a0gaming laptop\u00a0or\u00a0gaming desktop. These are laptops with a dedicated graphics chip, which will be dubbed GeForce GTX, GeForce RTX, or Radeon RX. <\/p>\n
You won't find current-generation gaming laptops for less than $700. However, $750 to $800 is really the on-ramp for machines with game-worthy GeForce or Radeon dedicated graphics chips, and prices rise rapidly from there as you add features and power. Most kids will be satisfied with a budget model under $1,000, however. (See our guide to budget gaming machines.)<\/p>\n
\nSo, Which Laptop Should I Buy for My Child?<\/h2>\n
Giving your son or daughter a laptop endows them with a portal into the immensely powerful internet, even if the laptop\u00a0itself\u00a0may not be the most potent you can buy. It's up to you (and your kids' teachers) to make sure that tool isn't harmful. Fortunately, both Chromebooks and Windows laptops have parental control features, and a laptop's size relative to a smartphone makes it easier to both monitor activity and set ground rules like disallowing computer use after homework is finished.<\/p>\n
Check out our top picks for laptops designed for school-age kids below. You can also check out our roundup of\u00a0our favorite tablets for kids, as well as\u00a0our top phones for kids.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n