The 5 Best Laptops for Homeschooling (2023/2024 School Year)

Key Points

• Our choice for the #1 Best Overall laptop for homeschooling is the HP Pavilion 15.
• Nowadays, a computer is pretty much essential for homeschooling.
• Laptops are a great choice for portable learning.
• You don’t necessarily need a high-end computer for homeschooling, so there are many affordable options that are sturdy and can access the learning platforms you need.

The world is ever-changing, and this includes the realm of education. More and more parents are turning to homeschooling their kids, for a variety of reasons. Some parents are dissatisfied with the education their children are receiving at school or are rightfully concerned with their safety while outside the home. Others may find that homeschooling provides the support their child needs, and the flexibility to fit around their lifestyle. Whatever the reason, a reliable computer is essential for ensuring your child has access to the programs, learning platforms, and tools they need. In this article, we’re going to explore the very best laptops for homeschooling, looking at factors like specs, portability, durability, and affordability, so that you can be sure your little one is set up for academic success.

Let’s take a look at the 5 Best Laptops for Homeschooling available today. 

• Best Overall: HP Pavilion 15
• Best Battery Life: MacBook Air M1 (2020)
• Best Budget-Friendly: Lenovo IdeaPad 3i
• Best Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Spin 713
• Best Value: Dell Inspiron 15 (2021)

#1 Best Overall: HP Pavilion 15

Best Overall

HP Pavilion 15

$819.47

• i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage
• Great performance for the price
• 15.6-inch display
• Ideal for homeschooling

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12/02/2023 10:35 pm GMT

We love the HP Pavilion 15 for a lot of reasons. As far as laptops go, its price sits quite nicely in the middle range. It’s not exactly a budget laptop, but there are more expensive options out there. The display is almost 16 inches, which is great for providing an immersive learning experience, and means that you can have your online applications and documents side-by-side with no issues. The i7 processor and 16GB RAM ensure that any learning platform will run seamlessly and without lag. Generally, you won’t need to be downloading too much content, but the huge 512GB storage makes sure your child won’t run out of disk space. There are a lot of customization options, however, so you can adjust these specs to best suit your needs.

The battery life isn’t the longest out there, but sits at around 8 hours, so you should be able to use the Pavilion 15 around the house with no issues. The sound quality isn’t excellent, but for educational purposes, it’s more than suitable. If the price is within your budget, you and your child will be delighted with the Pavilion 15.

Check out the HP Pavilion 15 on Amazon.

Best Battery Life: MacBook Air M1 (2020)

Best Battery Life

Apple MacBook Air

$849.00

• Up to 18 hours of battery life
• 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU
• 13.3-inch retina display
• Integrated graphics card
• Up to 512GB SSD storage

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12/03/2023 05:11 am GMT

It’s hard to go wrong with any MacBook purchase, but the MacBook Air M1 (2020) is an excellent choice for a homeschooling laptop. First things first, the battery life of up to 18 hours is incredible, so you won’t need to charge this up during the day. Maybe not even the next day either. Although the display isn’t the largest, it is among the clearest, thanks to Apple’s Retina technology. Camera functionality is amazing as always, which is handy for when your little student needs to join an online class, or even when you need to check up on them from the other room. The performance is also great due to the M1 chip, which helps the 8GB RAM to reach its full potential.

Of course, one of the best things about MacBooks is how easy they are to use. Setup will be lightning-quick, and you’re unlikely to run into any issues with getting your child used to how the laptop works. MacBooks are also renowned for their virus protection, so you can rest assured your kid’s schoolwork will be safe. You could go with a newer MacBook model, but the specs will honestly be overkill, and the price point is substantially higher. The Air M1 can easily handle everything your child could need to use, and then some.

Check out the MacBook Air M1 (2020) on Amazon.

Best Budget-Friendly: Lenovo IdeaPad 3i

Best Budget-Friendly Option

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i

$439.00

• 8 GB DDR4 RAM, 256 GB SSD
• 14" FHD display 
• HD camera with Smart Noise Cancellation
• 12th-generation Intel Core i5-1235U processor

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12/02/2023 09:41 am GMT

On the budget side of things, we’ve got the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i. This brand has been in the business for a long time and for good reason. Even though this is a more affordable option, it’s by no means unreliable. The 14-inch display is a nice size, not too small or large and awkward. The i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage are perfect for handling educational applications and platforms easily, and pretty much all you need for homeschooling purposes. We also love that the IdeaPad comes with Windows 11. You can be sure that all the software you need will be compatible and work as it should.

It’s a nice touch that this laptop comes with a free 3-month Xbox Game Pass too. This is very useful for when your little one has earned some downtime. The battery life isn’t the best, but if you’re intending on having your homeschooling laptop plugged in most of the time, this may not be an issue.

Check out the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i on Amazon.

Best Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Spin 713

Best Chromebook

Acer Chromebook Spin 713

$796.99

• Sleek, LED-backlit 13.5" touch display
• 128GB SSD storage and 8GB Memory
• Fingerprint Reader, Wi-Fi 6, Backlit Keyboard, and more
• Multiple USB ports ( USB 3.1 Type C, USB 3.1, USB Charging, HDMI 2.0

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12/02/2023 10:11 pm GMT

Chromebooks are very popular for homeschooling because they integrate effortlessly with Google’s suite of applications. These are commonly used in education settings, so this will help your child to keep up with their projects from home. The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is also fairly lightweight with a 13.5-inch display. This makes it easy to move around as and when you need to. Of course, there’s some extra functionality here, which is hinted at in the name. Not only is this a 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop, but there’s a 360-degree hinge so you can flip the screen and use this as a tablet instead. This is a lovely option to have for kids who like to be more hands-on, and for when you want to switch things up to keep their focus. The battery life is great as well, so you can easily keep the learning flowing when on the go.

The audio isn’t winning any awards, and the price is fairly steep. But, considering the performance, battery life, and overall functionality and versatility of the Spin 713, we feel it’s justified in this case. You’re basically getting two devices in one.

Check out the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 on Amazon.

Best Value: Dell Inspiron 15 (2021)

Best Value

Dell Inspiron 15 (2021)

$491.00

• i5 processor, 16GB RAM
• Huge amount of storage
• Ergonomic keyboard
• Great value-for-money

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12/02/2023 10:20 pm GMT

The Dell Inspiron 15 (2021) isn’t the most budget-friendly choice, but you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck here. Its storage is huge, thanks to not only the fast 256GB SSD but the humongous 1TB HDD as well. The full HD screen is just under 16 inches, which is the perfect size for most applications. Even though the laptop is a decent size, the weight and thickness are minimal. These factors, together with the ergonomically designed keyboard, make for a very comfortable user experience. Any application will run with ease, due to both the i5 quad-core processor and the powerful 16GB RAM.

We can’t say that modern games will run very well on this laptop. However, considering the specs and appreciably long 9 hours of battery life, it’s definitely one of the best choices for a homeschooling laptop. The i7 processor is good to have, but the i5 is still great for your homeschooling needs.

Check out the Dell Inspiron 15 (2021) on Amazon.

How to Pick the Best Laptop for Homeschooling: Step-by-Step

The way you intend to use your laptop greatly dictates what specs you need to go for. There are many things to consider, but the main points to think about are:

• Battery life 
• Weight
• Display 
• Operating system 
• Performance

We’ll get into each one of these next.

Battery Life 

Kids are mobile little creatures and don’t always take too kindly to being rooted in one spot for too long. As such, even when educating from home, having a good battery life is important to keep the education flowing as your child keeps going. Most of these laptops have a pretty good battery life. We must say, though, that the best choices are the MacBook Air and Spin 713. The IdeaPad 3i and Pavilion 15 are good enough but do tend to run out of charge a few hours earlier than these choices. Definitely consider how important this is before purchasing.

Weight

You may appreciate having some weight to your laptop. This is especially true if your child likes to be a bit heavy-handed when moving it around. On the other hand, a clunky laptop can get frustrating quickly. It’s usually best to strike a balance when it comes to weight and dimensions. None of these are very bulky laptops, but the MacBook Air and IdeaPad are very lightweight. The pavilion 15 is a little heavier, but pleasantly thin. Overall, we don’t think you’d have many portability issues with any of these choices. Even so, the weight differences are significant enough to pay attention to.

Display

It’s hard to stop kids from putting their faces right up to the screen. Even so, it’s still best to have a good size display to help prevent eyestrain and headaches. None of these displays are very small, but the MacBook Air and Spin 713 are the smallest. This isn’t too much of a drawback, however, due to the vivid and crisp Retina display of the MacBook and the fact the Spin 713 essentially functions as a tablet at the same time. While the Inspiron 15 and Pavilion 15 have pleasantly large screens, the quality won’t be as great as the MacBook Air. If your child is often involved in visual or creative projects, it may be worth opting for a model with a better display. Generally speaking, though, all of these laptops will be more than sufficient for schoolwork. 

Operating system

Chances are, most of the online platforms you need are web-based and can be used on any operating system. But you may want to consider the other programs your child uses before buying a laptop. Apple’s macOS is great for integrating with other Apple devices, but Windows is the gold standard for compatibility, especially with video games. There are a lot of educational apps in the app store, but Windows pulls ahead with the resources available.

Performance 

You don’t need all the bells and whistles to ensure a smooth, lag-free learning experience. That said, it pays to have a fairly decent processor, like the M1 or the i5. Likewise, too much storage can be overkill. At least 256GB is good for an efficient system and downloading any educational content you may want to use offline. The Pavilion 15 and the MacBook Air are the MVPs here. But the other choices can handle their own when it comes to educational purposes.

What to Know Before Buying a Laptop for Homeschooling in 2023

While it’s nice to have the latest processor, such as the Intel i7 or Apple M2 chip, you don’t need this much power for any educational applications. The only time you may benefit from these is if your child loves to play the latest high-end games. But these aren’t necessary for homeschooling. Portability is always a plus, as we know how difficult it can be to keep a kid in the same spot for too long. Durability is also important to consider since children aren’t known for having the lightest touch. Having a lot of storage space is always useful. However, with a good deal of online learning platforms having server-based storage, and with the popularity of the Google suite of programs, you probably won’t find yourself downloading too much content. 256GB of storage is great, 512GB is better, but 1TB is probably not needed.

If you find yourself using Google programs a lot, a Chromebook is an easy and intuitive way to do this. And if your little one is also a little gamer, then a laptop with an i7 processor like the HP Pavilion 15 is a good investment. Apple fans will always love a MacBook, but the overall compatibility of Windows is not to be understated. The budget-conscious can’t go wrong with the IdeaPad or Inspiron 15, as these are great value-for-money options.

Using a Laptop for Homeschooling: What It’s Like

Any laptop here is a great choice for homeschooling, but every kid’s needs are individual. You know your child best, so the best choice will be one they can get on with. If they don’t like to stay in one place while plugged in, then great battery life is important to consider. You’re going to get better sound quality with the MacBook Air or Pavilion 15. So, if your child loves music or uses a lot of online platforms that rely on audio, these are a good choice. The ergonomics of the Inspiron 15 are great. If you often hear complaints about wrist strain, then you may want to opt for this laptop. While it’s not the cheapest, the Spin 713 from Acer doubles as an amazing tablet. As such, it can be great for kids who prefer this way of working, or have a lot of creative projects.

Summary Table

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