Here at Chrome Unboxed, we talk a lot about “flagship” and premium devices. Over the past couple of years, the options for a powerful but affordable Chromebook have expanded immensely and shoppers can get a high-end ChromeOS laptop with a ton of bells and whistles for as little as five hundred dollars. That said, there are plenty of reasons to buy a “cheap” laptop.
Maybe your budget simply doesn’t allow for a $400+ laptop at the moment. (Seriously. With gas prices, you are not alone.) Perhaps, like me, you have some littles around the house, and you just don’t want to drop a ton of cash on a device that is likely going to get treated like a kickball. If you need a laptop for simple tasks like surfing around the web, perusing social media, daily tasks like email and banking, or even playing a rousing game of Roblox, a cheap Chromebook is actually a really good option.
Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook 3
Nearly two years ago to the day, I reviewed Lenovo’s budget-minded Chromebook 3. Back then, I was impressed with the overall build quality and performance of a device that retailed for well under $200. That model had a scant 32GB of storage but for $169, it was an easy recommendation for anyone that wanted a very affordable but surprisingly capable Chromebook. Whether for the kiddos or just as a tote-around device, the Lenovo Chromebook 3 was one of the very few devices in this price range that I would actually give my blessing.
Two years later and the Lenovo Chromebook 3 is still a solid choice if you’re on a budget. Right now, the 64GB model at Best Buy is on sale for a low, low price of only $99. To add some icing to the cake, Google’s updated EOL policy has extended updates for this Chromebook through June of 2027. That means you’ll get five more years of OS and security updates on a Chromebook that gets around just fine for just under $100. If you just need a cheap laptop for general use, this is just about as good as it gets. Check it out over at Best Buy before this deal ends.