Best Laptop for Elementary Students

The world is now hyper-connected and there is no reason your children should be left behind. Early exposure to technology is paramount to helping them understand and communicate in a virtual world. That’s why getting them a laptop as early as elementary school is important. 

However, the computer market is not very considerate of young children. Finding a laptop uniquely designed to meet the needs of an elementary student may prove to be a big hassle. To help with this, we’ve found the best laptop for elementary students you should consider.

Our Complete Guide of Top Laptops for Elementary Students

If you have a kid in elementary school and are finally ready to get them a laptop, this guide will help you find one that perfectly suits your budget. We looked at features only specific to kids’ laptops while doing our research. 

We discuss them in detail towards the end of this guide. So, if you want to know what features to consider in a kid’s laptop make sure to check out that section. 

Brand
Best Overall
Microsoft Surface Go
Best for the Money
Acer Chromebook Spin 11
Best Cheap Pick
Inspiron Chromebook 11 3181 2-in-1
Product
Microsoft Surface Go (Intel Pentium Gold, 8GB RAM,...
Acer Chromebook Spin 11 CP311-1H-C5PN Convertible...
Dell 2019 New Inspiron 11 Convertible 2 in 1...
Processor
1.6 GHz Pentium
Intel Celeron N3350 Dual-Core Processor
1.6 GHz Celeron N3060
RAM
8 GB DDR
4 GB DDR4
4 GB SDRAM
Rating
Best Overall
Brand
Microsoft Surface Go
Product
Microsoft Surface Go (Intel Pentium Gold, 8GB RAM,...
Processor
1.6 GHz Pentium
RAM
8 GB DDR
Rating
Price
Best for the Money
Brand
Acer Chromebook Spin 11
Product
Acer Chromebook Spin 11 CP311-1H-C5PN Convertible...
Processor
Intel Celeron N3350 Dual-Core Processor
RAM
4 GB DDR4
Rating
Price
Best Cheap Pick
Brand
Inspiron Chromebook 11 3181 2-in-1
Product
Dell 2019 New Inspiron 11 Convertible 2 in 1...
Processor
1.6 GHz Celeron N3060
RAM
4 GB SDRAM
Rating
Price

Best Overall Laptop for Elementary Students: Microsoft Surface Go 

Microsoft Surface Go (Intel Pentium Gold, 8GB RAM,...

It’s hard to come across a budget device in Microsoft’s Surface line of products. That’s why the Microsoft Surface Go is our overall special recommendation for elementary students. It features a portable and sleek design that will easily impress the young market segment. 

While Microsoft Surface Go does not boast of a robust spec sheet, it packs enough features to make it attention-grabbing for not only elementary students but also travelers working on the go. 

The laptop inherits most of the features from its pricier cousins but for a smaller price. These include:

  • A lightweight design: Surface Go’s lightweight design makes it easy to stow in a school bag and carry out without any health risks. It measures a mere 1.15 pounds and is very thin.
  • Convertibility: The Microsoft Surface Go is a 2-in-1 laptop so your kid can either use it as a standard laptop or tablet. This kind of flexibility makes it easy to use in different situations. 
  • A well-known operating system: Most parents already know and understand the Microsoft OS so you won’t have problems setting it up for your kids. 
  • Affordability: You don’t want to spend the same amount on your kids’ laptop as you do on your business, work or gaming laptop. Given that kids need basic features, getting them an affordable device such as this is only logical. 

Despite its lack of reliable parental controls, you will love the Microsoft Surface Go for its beautiful 10-inch display and alluring color quality. The storage is a bit limited but the Intel Pentium Gold processor and 8GB of RAM make up for this downside. It can seamlessly handle word processing and light browsing while also allowing for lightweight gaming. 

Specifications 

  • Screen: 10-inch, 1800 x 1200 resolution
  • CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y (dual-core)
  • RAM: 8GB LPDDR3 
  • Storage: 128GB SSD
  • Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 615
  • Battery life: Up to 10 hours 
  • Connectivity: IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.1; LTE optional
  • Weight: 1.15 pounds 

Pros 

  • A 2-in-1 laptop design 
  • Fast performance for basic tasks 
  • Portable 
  • Impressive design
  • Premium display 
  • Affordable 

Cons 

  • No accessories included 
  • Limited parental controls
Sale
Microsoft Surface Go (Intel Pentium Gold, 8GB RAM,...
  • High res 10 inch PixelSense: Display designed to be viewed, touched, and written on
  • Lightest surface yet, starting at 1.15 pounds. Touch: 10 point multi touch
  • All day battery life, with upto 9 hours of unplugged power. Ambient light sensor

Best Laptop for Elementary Students for the Money: Acer Chromebook Spin 11 

Acer Chromebook Spin 11 CP311-1H-C5PN Convertible...

The plastic build on the Acer Chromebook Spin 11 might fool you into thinking that it is vulnerable to the slightest of drops. It is, however, surprisingly sturdy and kid-proof. This is a beautifully designed 11.6-inch convertible that packs all the basic features to excite elementary school students.  

It boasts of a comfortable keyboard, a touch screen, Chrome OS, stylus input and a host of Android apps. Access to the Play Store gives this Chromebook a huge advantage over other laptops targeting school-going kids. In fact, Acer has capitalized on this inclusion as Chromebook Spin 11’s main selling point. 

Browsing the Play Store on this little piece of gadget is a breeze. You can download as many kid-friendly apps as you want. This range from educational apps to sharpen their alphabets and vocabulary skills to drawing apps such as the Adobe Sketch for exploring their creativity. Your can kids can also enjoy some light Android games that aren’t graphic-hungry.

The stylus pen can also keep them engaged by doing some constructive activities on the screen. Much of the designed work is borrowed from the Acer Chromebook R 11 but doesn’t lose its glamor. The laptop is durable enough to withstand all kinds of clumsiness from the kids so maybe you won’t be buying a new one every few months. 

Specifications 

  • Screen: 11.6-inch HD 1,366 x 768 resolution, IPS touch
  • CPU: 1.1GHz Intel Celeron N3350 (dual-core, 2MB cache, up to 2.4GHz)
  • RAM: 4GB LPDDR4
  • Storage: 32GB SSD
  • Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 500
  • Connectivity: 802.11ac wireless LAN, Bluetooth 4.2
  • Weight: 2.96 pounds (1.36kg)
  • Size: 11.65 x 8.11 x 0.79 inches 

Pros 

  • Rugged, making it ideal for elementary students 
  • Comes with a Wacom stylus pen
  • Snappy keyboard 
  • Durable 
  • Cheap 
  • Long battery life 
  • 2-in-1 laptop design
  • Access to the Play Store 
  • Reliable parental controls

Cons 

  • Low screen resolution 
Acer Chromebook Spin 11 CP311-1H-C5PN Convertible...
  • Chromebook runs on Chrome OS - an operating system by Google that is built for the way we live...
  • All the Google apps you know and love come standard on every Chromebook, which means you can edit,...
  • With the Google Play Store, you can access a rich library of apps, games, music, movies, TV, books,...

Best Cheap Laptop for Elementary Students: Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11 3181 2-in-1 

Dell 2019 New Inspiron 11 Convertible 2 in 1...

It’s hard to make computer hardware that can withstand some kids’ natural aggressiveness and curiosity. The Inspiron Chromebook 11 is one of those laptops. 

The small price tag would mean meager features in other models. However, Dell goes beyond the norm to produce a laptop that is both durable and affordable. Durability is perhaps what makes this laptop a great choice for elementary students.

The keyboard is spill-resistant while the edges are rubberized. Additionally, the compact body makes it drop-resistant. This positions the Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11 3181 to handle all types of abuse that kids may subject it to. 

Whether it is spilling stuff onto it, knocking around, dropping into a locker or hurriedly putting it in a backpack, this laptop will endure more than any other in this list. 

Its parental control features make it a better pick than the Microsoft Surface Go if you’re worried your kids might indulge in harmful activities like downloading malware or viewing inappropriate content. This model is, however, heavier than both the Surface Go and the Acer Chromebook Spin 11 so it might not be ideal for very young children. 

Its battery life almost parallels that of the Surface Go and can last the whole school day on a full charge. It also has a 2-in-1 laptop design like the first two. You can either use it as a standard laptop or a tablet. Even more, interestingly, you can use it in different positions such as flat or prop up like a tent. 

Although this laptop is heavier than other options, its small body makes it a good choice for kids. It can fit into small school bags or lockers without the risk of being damaged. It also has an attractive body that elementary students are more eager to associate with. For instance, its reflective lid makes it look like a device kids are meant to play with without any meaningful functionality. 

Overall, this model does have meaningful functionality, decent performance, a small price tag and a huge dose of durability. 

Specifications 

  • Display: 11.6-inch HD with 366 x 768 resolution and TrueLife LED Touch IPS
  • CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3060 (dual-core, 2MB cache, up to 2.48 GHz)
  • RAM: 4GB LPDDR3
  • Storage: 64GB eMMC
  • Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 400
  • Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2
  • Weight: 3.17 pounds (1.44 kg)
  • Size: 11.96 x 8.18 x 0.82 inches

Pros

  • Durable design
  • Versatile
  • Split-screen functionality
  • Long battery life 
  • Good display 
  • Impressive design 
  • Decent performance 

Cons

  • Heavy for its size
  • Limited SSD storage 
Dell 2019 New Inspiron 11 Convertible 2 in 1...
  • 11 6 inch HD(1366 x 768) Trulife LED Backlight Touch IPS Display Intel HD Graphics 400
  • Intel Celeron N3060 Dual Core Processor (1 6GHz with turbo upto 2 48GHz) with 4GB Memory 32GB eMMC
  • 1x Audio Jack 1x Volume Control 1x HDMI 2x USB 3 1 Gen1 1x SD card Reader

What Makes a Good Laptop for Elementary Students

Unlike a typical ‘adult’ laptop, a good laptop for kids stays clear of complications and doesn’t need complicated features. Here are some important features to consider when shopping around for the best laptop for elementary students. 

Elementary student using a laptop

Durability

Some kids can be aggressive and being careful with gadgets is the least of their concern. This makes durability a top priority when buying them a laptop. All of the laptops we have recommended in this guide are highly durable. We recommend that you go with a small and lighter laptop since kids are more likely to drop heavier ones. 

Parental controls 

Parental control ensures that you personally approve what your kids interact with. This gives you as a parent the power to only allow them access to school-related tools and a bit of creativity-building apps and games. Chromebooks shine when it comes to providing well laid out parental controls. 

Design 

When it comes to design, we highly recommend 2-in-1 devices. They are flexible and easy to use for different purposes and in different forms.

The laptop should also be stylish and attractive to easily pique the kid’s interest. 

Performance 

Although we don’t recommend that you invest in breath-taking speeds for your kid’s laptop, it should be fast enough to breeze through basic tasks.

Kids may be turned off by slow performance and leave the laptop to collect dust.

Conclusion 

Two elementary students using a laptop at school

Buying a laptop for elementary students is a risky investment. However, if you consider the features above, you might be able to get a laptop that is fairly kid-proof and school-compatible. We hope that this guide will help you get such a laptop for your kid and set them on a path to healthy information technology. 

Liam Weissman

A lover of MacBook Air and the Dell XPS line of laptops, Liam has been researching and writing as a guest blogger for numerous websites for over 10 years. Now, he blogs about tech trends, PCs, laptops, gadgets, and other emerging gadgets on FancyAppliance.com.

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