The best student laptops of 2020
You are a student? For this you will need a library pass, plenty of coffee and a computer to help you get even better grades. This is our selection of the best laptops to study.
Whether in high school or at university, today practically all work is done on a computer. In fact, there are more and more educational centers that allow taking notes to the machine or taking exams also digitally.
We are not surprised, then, that you are looking for a laptop now that there are only a few weeks left for Back to School. In this article, we have selected the most suitable for students of all ages.
Although there is no doubt that laptops such as MacBooks or Surface Pros are some of the best on the market, there is no doubt that they are among the most expensive, and therefore not the most suitable for students on a tighter budget.
So, here is a list of cheaper but equally valid options. Before, however, we recommend that you take a look at the aspects to consider before buying a laptop.
Guide to buying a laptop to study
1. What ports and disk drives do you need?
Whether you are going to use the laptop to study or to view multimedia content, you must ask yourself if you really need a disk drive or a DVD player. Chances are that you don’t and you prefer to stream the content .
It is equally important to assess how important it is for you that the laptop has some ports or others. Surely you want it to have at least a USB A to connect USB sticks and peripherals, and also a headphone jack port .
2. How big does the screen have to be?
Although small laptops will be more comfortable to carry, if you are going to spend hours and hours in front of your computer screen, you will need it to be large enough. Thus, the 12-14 inch ones are the midpoint.
3. What should the keyboard and trackpad look like ?
Not all keyboards and trackpads on notebooks are created equal. In this sense, there is no trackpad in the world that exceeds the quality of those of MacBooks. But it is also true that Apple computers are very expensive.
You should also think about what type of keyboard you can type best: in those with the keys far apart from each other or in smaller ones, with or without a numeric keypad … Think hard and try several before making a decision.
4. How much battery life do you need?
Without a doubt, one of the elements to take into account when buying a laptop that you are going to use to go to high school or university is the duration of its battery. You will want a computer that can be used without being connected to the power.
At the same time, you should always keep in mind that the battery will drain more or less quickly depending on what you use the computer for. If you only use Word without being connected to the Internet it will last longer than if you play streaming videos .
5. How much are you willing to spend?
Finally, as we said before, it is important that you take into account how much budget you have. You must ask yourself if it is really worth spending more than 50,000 on a laptop considering that it may break or be lost.
Certainly, a more expensive laptop will ensure you better performance when playing demanding video games, but perhaps this is not the reason why you want a laptop intended for students. A cheaper one will surely suffice.
The best laptops for students
1. HP Envy 13 (2019)
It may not stand out for a revolutionary design, but the 2019 HP Envy 13 is a great laptop. It is an ideal computer for students, especially if we consider its value for money.
Even the simplest model in the range has specifications that are worth it. That includes the Nvidia MX250 graphics card, unlike the MX150 of most of its rivals. It also highlights that it includes a microSD card slot.
Of course, you will have to settle for a laptop that is not compatible with Thunderbolt 3, although it surely will not cost you. In return, you’ll get a computer with an improved trackpad , battery life, and display.
2. HP 250 G7
If anything stands out from the HP 250 G7 it is its extremely simple design. That makes the manufacturing quality not too good either, but in any case both with typical characteristics of a low-cost laptop.
But if you can leave this aside, you will see that it is a laptop with quite good specifications for this price. It highlights, above all, the fact that it has a Core i5 processor, an 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB storage capacity (SSD).
All this means that the HP 250 G7 has the same performance that you can find in more expensive laptops, but it is even capable of handling several demanding tasks at once. The battery is also decent, but instead the screen leaves a lot to be desired.
3. Dell XPS 13 9380 (2019)
It is true that the new Dell XPS 13 has not revolutionized the range of notebooks of the American company, but what it does it does very well. This computer has focused on improving its performance and has succeeded.
In this way, the XPS 13 remains one of the best 13-inch laptops you can buy today. Despite its dimensions, it manages to perfectly combine attractive design with powerful features.
We do not recommend that you buy it if all you are going to do is play video games with it, but it will help you edit videos (if this is what you plan to do during your years at university).
4. Acer Aspire 3
There is much we like about the Acer Aspire 3 : its design, its specifications, its performance and of course its price. This is why it is not difficult for us to recommend this laptop to students or anyone on a somewhat tight budget.
For one, it has a nice design that includes a relatively thin bezel, a full selection of ports, and a dedicated numeric keypad. Now, we would have preferred a screen with more brightness and resolution.
We would also have preferred the Acer Aspire 3 to have a battery life of more than 6 hours. Instead, we’ve been impressed by its specs and performance, with a Core i5 processor and 1TB storage.
5. Microsoft Surface Go
Yes: we have taken the liberty of including a Microsoft tablet in the list of best laptops , and that is that the Microsoft Surface Go is the perfect alternative to a small computer with which you can perfectly perform basic tasks.
Thus, it is a device that is easier to transport and lighter than the Surface Pro convertible , making it perfect for taking to college. In addition, the Surface Go has a much more affordable price designed for students.
Now, we recommend that you bet on the version with 8 GB of RAM, even if it means investing a little more money. That does not mean that the 4 GB version is not enough to check email, write in Word or watch movies on Netflix.
6. iPad Air (2019)
Although it may not be the answer you were looking for, the 2019 iPad Air is also a very good option for students who need an electronic device with which to take notes or to work on the way to university.
As you would expect from an Apple tablet , this iPad has an attractive design, a quality screen, and long battery life. You might like to see that this model still retains the Home button and headphone jack port .
Surely you do not use it to study, but you will be interested to know that the front camera is ideal for making FaceTime video calls and quality selfies . The main camera, on the other hand, does not get as good results.
7. Microsoft Surface Laptop 2
Those who want a Microsoft laptop should bet on the Surface Laptop 2 . True: it does not present many differences with the previous model. But the good thing is that, for the same price, you have a device with some notable improvements.
Thus, you can have an eighth-generation Intel processor and more memory. Furthermore, it is available in black, and that is always a strong point for those who want more elegance and sophistication.
The Surface Laptop 2 has it all: design, build quality, specs, and performance. We have to admit that the battery life is somewhat disappointing, but enough for you to use it in class.
8. MacBook Air (2019)
The MacBook Air has always been one of the best options for students who want an Apple laptop. The main reason is that it is a light and easy to transport computer that is also powerful enough.
Apple has launched a new model this 2019 and, although it presents few improvements over the previous year’s laptop and is somewhat less powerful, there is no doubt that it is still one of the best laptops on the market.
Its design won’t disappoint either, unless you don’t like the sophistication and elegance of the Apple style. Although not perfect, you will notice the improvements in the keyboard, and you will also appreciate that its screen includes True Tone technology.
9. Acer Spin 1
Those who are looking for a cheap convertible laptop and do not expect a very high performance will find in the Acer Spin 1 a more than decent option. It has good build quality, is comfortable to use, and its display is excellent at this price.
Of course, although you might be tempted to bet on the 32 GB model (the one we have tested), we recommend choosing the model with 64 GB of storage, unless you are not going to install practically anything.
A capacity of 32 GB may be enough for a smartphone , the truth is that it is not at all for a Windows 10 laptop. On the other hand, if you are not interested in it being a hybrid, the Acer Swift model is also a very good option.
10. Lenovo Ideapad 320S
The IdeaPad Lenovo 320S is the perfect example of a cheap laptop can also be very attractive. In the case of this model, it achieves this with a frame and a case with a modern look that you won’t mind teaching at university.
Although it is not the best processor in the world by far, it must be said that the Intel Pentium that is included in this laptop works well with Windows 10 that it has installed. In fact, it achieves performance similar to that of some notebooks with Intel Core.
Now, the quality of the screen is really poor, especially since it uses a TN panel. This is why this Lenovo laptop will be enough for you to perform basic tasks, but it will be a bit lazy if you want to spend the day watching Netflix series.
