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The best Chromebooks

Chrome OS options are plenty, so let us help you pick the best one for your needs.
By
February 24, 2024
Acer Chromebook Spin 714
MSRP: $729.00
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Positives
Tough build
Wi-Fi 6E support
360-degree spinning display
Negatives
Expensive
A little heavy
Simple design
ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5
MSRP: $699.99
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Positives
Very nice professional design
Screen flips all the way to tablet mode
Good performance
MIL-STD-810H
Negatives
Expensive for a Chromebook
Some might think it's too large
ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34
MSRP: $439.99
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Positives
Great value
Awesome performance for the price
Nice, clean design
10 hours of battery life
Negatives
No touchscreen
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus
MSRP: $499.00
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Positives
Excellent 2-in-1 design
Sweet spot for Chrome OS performance
Decent variety of ports
Negatives
A bit on the heavy side
Battery life is average at best
No stylus included
ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip
MSRP: $769.99
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Positives
High-end specs for a Chromebook
14-inch HD+ 144Hz display
Elegant design
Negatives
Heavy
Middling battery life
Chrome OS not great for gaming

Since its launch in 2011, Chrome OS has come a long way. Chromebooks are great PC alternatives today, and the better general computing choice for most folks. These devices have gone from cheap and underpowered notebook alternatives to the versatile and powerful computers they are today.

There are a ton of Chromebook options available on the market across various segments. As such, we’ve rounded up the best Chromebooks you can buy in 2024.


The best Chromebooks to buy in 2024

  • The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is the best Chromebook overall, with a solid build, punchy keyboard, excellent performance, and battery life.
  • The ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 is the best convertible Chromebook, with a 2-in-1 design, a solid experience, and great build quality.
  • The ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 is the best mid-tier Chromebook, packing a great design and feel in a lightweight chassis. Its specs are also impressive for the price point.
  • The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is the best Chromebook for students and professionals who want a good design, build, and a reasonable price.
  • The ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip is the best gaming Chromebook. It is powerful, has a great screen, good audio, and fun gaming design.
  • The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is the best Chromebook tablet you can buy, with an excellent battery life packed into a flexible form factor.
  • The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 is the best-looking Chromebook, mixing an excellent design with a great screen and respectable performance.

Acer Chromebook Spin 714: The best Chromebook overall

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 top surface
Eric Zeman / Android Authority
aa2020 the best

Chromebooks are practical computing devices that get work done, and that’s what the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 does. It puts function over form and performs well enough to be our pick of the best overall Chromebook. It has an aluminum chassis that meets the MIL-STD 810H durability standard.

It’s a rather capable machine and packs a 13th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, up to 16GB RAM, and 256GB of storage. The i5 version is the most widely available in the USA. You can find the i7 version if you dig enough, though.

The screen is also good, with a 16:10 aspect ratio display running at 2,560 by 1,600 pixels. That’s for the higher-end model, though. The i5 version has a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution. It has a flip design, which means you can turn this device into a tablet with a flip. You’ll also enjoy a backlit keyboard and 10 hours of battery life.

The i7 model costs $1,000, and the i5 model starts at $700. This makes the Spin 714 one of the most expensive Chromebooks. It’s definitely a powerful, well-built, and overall great Chromebook, though.

Acer Chromebook Spin 714Acer Chromebook Spin 714
Acer Chromebook Spin 714
Tough build • Wi-Fi 6E support • 360-degree spinning display
MSRP: $729.00
The next step in Pro Chromebooks
The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is a laptop that can cater to a wide variety of users. With great video call capabilities, latest Intel processors, and future-proof specs, the machine perfectly bridges the divide between work and home life.

Pros

  • Rugged build
  • Great performance
  • Good battery
  • Backlit keyboard

Cons

  • Somewhat heavy
  • The design is simple, but also pretty boring

Check out our hands-on review of the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 to learn more.


ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5: The best convertible Chromebook

ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5

Solid specs and a beautiful aluminum body are the names of the game with the ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5. It slots in just below our top overall pick but offers just as much flexibility in terms of the flippable design. The ceramic finish makes it more comfortable to use and hold, and the design is gorgeous.

The LED display is pretty large at 15.6 inches, and it has a Full HD resolution. Specs include an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. You’ll enjoy other high-end features like a backlit keyboard, stylus support, and a 12-hour battery life.

The ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 is still a bit expensive at 860, but it is a very nice Chromebook inside and out.

ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5
ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5
MSRP: $699.99

Pros

  • Flexible setup
  • Great design
  • Solid screen
  • Great performance

Cons

  • A bit expensive
  • 45W charging

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34: The best mid-tier Chromebook

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34

Plenty of affordable Chromebooks are out there, but you don’t want to get one of the absolute cheapest either. All things considered, the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 is surprisingly good for a device that starts at $600.

This is a Chromebook Plus device, so you know specs need to meet certain minimum requirements. This laptop comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Battery life is estimated at 10 hours, making it a great on-the-go device. And if you’re worried about damaging it on your adventures, this unit has a MIL-STD 810H certification.

Any downsides? There is no touchscreen, but the 14-inch Full HD display is pretty nice. It also doesn’t flip all the way, which would have been nice.

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34
ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34
MSRP: $439.99

Pros

  • Nice, simple design
  • Fair price
  • Outstanding specs for the price

Cons

  • The screen doesn’t flip all the way back
  • No touchscreen

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus: The best Chromebook for students and office dwellers

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus 07
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority

Lenovo has a strong presence in offices and schools, and the tradition continues with the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. Though it’s pretty affordable, it touts a great-looking design that will look at home in any serious setting.

The unit has a fair $500 price. And because it is a Chromebook Plus, it has some pretty nice specs and a pleasant overall experience, without going overboard. You’ll get an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 14-inch FHD display. The screen also flips all the way back, so you can use it in multiple modes.

Overall, it is a capable Chromebook that should be great for most office tasks or homework. The design won’t stick out like a sore thumb, and it looks professional enough for any setting. You can definitely have some fun with it, too, though. The large speaker grills, Full HD screen, and cloud gaming will work together awesomely.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook PlusLenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus
AA Editors Choice
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus
Excellent 2-in-1 design • Sweet spot for Chrome OS performance • Decent variety of ports
MSRP: $499.00
The next generation of Chromebooks
With capable specifications, a good-looking 2K touchscreen display, and fully convertible form-factor, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is one the first entries in the new Chromebook Plus generation of ChromeOS hardware.

Pros

  • Solid design and feel
  • Fair price
  • Good display and speakers

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Cons

  • It could use a slightly stronger processor, but performance is still great

Check out our full review of the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus to learn more.


ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip: The best gaming Chromebook

ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip review 20
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

ASUS has a long history of releasing gaming computers, peripherals, and other accessories. It’s a popular brand in the gaming world, so it’s no surprise to see it jump with both feet into the recent gaming Chromebook movement. The ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip is one heck of a machine.

For starters, it looks the part. You get a white design that is very nicely thought out, and the keyboard features colored WASD keys to identify the most commonly used keys in gaming. The company has also thought of other factors that make gaming more enjoyable. The Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip has a nice 1,920 x 1,200 LED display with a smooth 144Hz refresh rate. The panel can display 100% of the sRGB color spectrum, too. And the speakers are tuned by Harman/Kardon. Oh, and you get an included stylus!

You’ll also get plenty of performance, as you can get up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i5 chip, as much as 16GB of RAM, and Wi-Fi 6E. There’s also a version with an Intel Core i7, but it is hard to find in the USA. It’s pretty big and bulky, but it’s also as powerful as Chromebooks get. And it even has a MIL-STD 810H rating. Pricing starts at $870, though, which is getting a bit pricey for a Chromebook.

ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 FlipASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip
AA Recommended
ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip
High-end specs for a Chromebook • 14-inch HD+ 144Hz display • Elegant design
MSRP: $769.99
The ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip is a stunning Chrome OS laptop with amazing performance and an outstanding design, delivering a great premium experience for casual and cloud gaming and general productivity alike.

Pros

  • Stunning design
  • Powerful performance
  • Great display with 144Hz refresh rate
  • MIL-STD 810H rating
  • Wide port availability

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Battery life is average
  • Pretty large and heavy

Check out our full review of the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip to learn more.


Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook: The best Chromebook tablet

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook straight on
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is a sequel to the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. The company has upgraded the display from a 10.1-inch to a 13.3-inch screen, and it is one of the best things about this Chromebook tablet. It’s a solidly built Chromebook tablet that uses good-quality hardware and gets a performance boost thanks to the upgrade to Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 SoC.

You can get 4-8GB of RAM with 64-128GB of storage. Both variants get eMMC 5.1 storage. Despite having a bigger footprint, it carries the same superb usability that the Chromebook Duet did. It also has a 42Wh battery that gave between 11-12 hours of battery life during our testing, which is rather impressive for a device of this class.

You also get the promise of eight years of Chrome OS updates, so it’s safe to say this is a future-proof Chromebook tablet as well.

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5
AA Recommended
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5
High-quality hardware • Bright, colorful display • Excellent battery life
MSRP: $429.99
Could a detachable serve you better than a regular Chromebook?
Lenovo put together a solid offering in the Ideapad Duet 5 Chromebook. This flexible device can act like a tablet or a laptop depending on your needs or preferences. It allows you to easily switch between modes thanks to the removable keyboard and folio design.

Pros

  • High-quality hardware
  • Bright and colorful display
  • Great battery life

Cons

  • Average performance
  • Limited port selection
  • Weak webcam and speakers

Check out our full review of the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook to learn more.


Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2: The best-looking Chromebook

Chromebooks aren’t exactly the most fashionable computing device, with most of them geared towards performance. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 sticks out, giving us a taste of what a premium Chrome OS device can be in a sea full of low-key devices.

It has an elegant design that exceeds expectations for a Chromebook but doesn’t look too flashy, even in the bright red colorway. You also get a rather great-looking QLED touchscreen display and a convertible design.

The hardware power on offer isn’t the best you can get, with options limited to Intel Celeron and i3 CPUs, a maximum of 8GB of RAM, and up to 128GB eMMC storage. It suffices for what it is, though, and in this case, the choice leans more toward form than function.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2
AA Recommended
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2
Appealing design • Attractive QLED display • Good battery life
MSRP: $699.00
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 stands out thanks to its flashy design. How about the performance?
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 helps define what premium design looks like in a Chromebook that's still affordable. While it lacks some of the raw appeal of the original, this follow-up machine stands on its own thanks to zippy performance, a pleasing display, and solid battery life.

Pros

  • Great design
  • Solid QLED display
  • Good performance and battery life

Cons

  • Limited ports
  • The keyboard is not for everyone
  • Limited configurations

Check out our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 to learn more.


The best budget Chromebooks

Lenovo Chromebook Duet desktop
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

We know many of you are specifically looking for the best Chromebooks at a lower price. Most options listed above are relatively expensive, so we thought creating a specific section for affordable Chromebooks was important. Here are some of our favorite picks.

  • Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 ($449.99 at Samsung): This is a great Chromebook for the price. It isn’t exactly cheap, but at $430, it is a great laptop with a nice design and fair specs.
  • Lenovo IdeaPad Duet ($325 at Amazon): The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet is no powerhouse, and it is not the fastest, but it is excellent for casual tasks and is one of the very few actual Chromebook tablets. It also has a low $300 starting price, and we’ve seen it on special for as low as about $180.
  • Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go ($249 at Amazon): The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go has mostly gone unnoticed, but it is actually a pretty nice Chrome OS laptop. It has modest specs, but a really nice design and enough performance for most casual users. Not to mention it has cellular data support, which is very convenient. The pricing starts at just $350.
  • Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook ($579 at Amazon): Gaming Chromebooks are usually expensive, but this is the cheapest one you can find. It is nicely spec’d with an Intel Core i3, 8GB of RAM, and a large 16-inch display. It even has a colorful RGB keyboard! All for just $430.

The best touchscreen Chromebooks

ACER Chromebook Spin 714 in hand
Austin Kwok / Android Authority

A suitable multi-tasking device can often do more than your usual computing stuff. Because Chrome OS has Android app support, Chromebooks may also double as tablets. If you’re looking for a laptop that can work as a computer and tablet, you may want to look for the best touchscreen Chromebooks.

  • Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook ($349 at Best Buy): All in all, this continues to be the best Chrome OS tablet around. It is fairly spec’d for the $500 price, has a nice design, is pretty slim, features a magnetic stand cover, and comes with a detachable keyboard.
  • Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 ($589 at Amazon): The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 is built amazingly, looks gorgeous, is pretty slim, and comes with competent specs. Not only that, but it is no longer as expensive as it once was, and you can easily find it at about $350 these days.
  • ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip ($699 at Best Buy): We would have picked the ASUS Chromebook CX34 Flip, but that laptop is a bit too bulky and heavy. The older CX55 Flip is significantly lighter and is better suited to be used as a touchscreen tablet when you flip the screen around. It is a gaming Chromebook with great spec options, a backlit keyboard, and an excellent design.
  • Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus ($379 at Best Buy): This Chromebook offers a great balance between price, performance, and design. Because the screen flips all the way back, it’s also an awesome device to use the touchscreen with. It has stylus support, and offers an overall outstanding experience.

Chromebooks vs laptops

Outlook on laptop stock photo 2
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Chromebooks are great for light usage, but should you be picking one over a Windows laptop? The fact is that you get a lot more options with Windows, but Chromebooks have started getting more diverse in recent years. Chrome OS is still not a full equivalent to Windows, though.

Check out our detailed Chromebook vs laptop comparison. We go deep into all the differences, as well as the pros and cons of each ecosystem.


Picking the best Chromebook accessories

Logitech MX Anywhere 3 in a bag pocket
Luke Little / Android Authority

Now that you have a feel for the best Chromebooks to buy, you might want to check out some accessories to complete the setup. Here are some of our favorite Chromebook chargers. For more precision and productivity, you should also consider getting one of the best travel mice. And if you want to get gaming, here’s our list of the best gaming controllers.


Buying the best Chromebook for your needs

Chromebooks are perfect for run-of-the-mill home, office, and educational use. And the good news is that there is something for everyone. You can find affordable Chromebooks, high-end ones, tablets, and even cloud gaming ones.

The screen size, weight, and form factor are important things to consider, depending on your portability and usage requirements. If you consume much media, a convertible two-in-one design or Chromebook tablet is the way to go. There are typical laptop design options also available, if that’s more aligned with your usage. For media consumption, a good display is also important, and there are quite a few options there, with some Chromebooks even sporting 4K displays.

These devices also come with a wide variety of spec configurations. You’ll want to focus on the processor and RAM for improved performance. If you plan on making one your primary computer, you’ll be better served by a more powerful CPU. However, having a more powerful CPU will likely come at the cost of lower battery life, so make sure you find the right balance for your needs. Some even come with included styluses, for the drawers and designers among us.

Many big computing brands make Chromebooks, so brand preference shouldn’t be a big issue while shopping for one.

If you’re still unsure which Chromebook would be the best for you, below are our picks of the best Chromebooks to buy in 2024 across multiple categories and price points.


Frequently Asked Questions

Chromebooks are available in varying price brackets, with many options available under $200, and some going over a thousand dollars. The sweet spot for these devices lies between $350 and $600, though, as you can get a solid price-to-performance ratio in this bracket. The most affordable Chromebooks aren’t too great but work better than laptops available in the same price bracket.

We have a list dedicated to the best Chromebook tablets, but our top recommendation is the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5.

A Chromebook is a type of laptop that runs Chrome OS, in contrast to traditional laptops that run Windows, or MacBooks, which run macOS.

There are some ways to play Minecraft on Chromebooks. We’ve created a full guide on it.

Chromebooks are not as susceptible to viruses as, say, Windows computers. However, it’s still possible that your Chromebook can get infected with malware. Chromebooks are not impervious to viruses and malware.