For most budget and laptop preferences
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‘Why is school so expensive?’ It’s a question that parents juggle every year. From clothes to shoes to school supplies, that bill can rack up quickly. Whether your child is in elementary school, high school or college/university, food and transportation costs are likely also on your mind. But all that pales compared to the price of a quality laptop. Those prices often reach in the multi-thousands, and with so many features from which to choose, it can be hard to settle on an affordable laptop that’s reliable, versatile and powerful enough for them to complete work on the go, research topics at large and manage Zoom calls.
Choosing the right laptop doesn’t have to be difficult. We’ve researched some of the best affordable laptops in Canada that won’t break the bank but will still give you ‘bang for your buck.’ So, we’ve got you covered whether you’re a parent buying for an elementary or high school student or a college student looking to spend on a tight budget. This guide will highlight some of the best affordable laptops for students of all levels and detail some of the best models you can buy without sacrificing battery life, size or functionality.
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Summary
Best overall: Lenovo Yoga 7i 14” Touchscreen 2-in-1 Laptop
Overall runner-up: Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 12.4” Touchscreen Laptop
Best for elementary school students: Lenovo Chromebook C340 15.6” Touchscreen 2-in-1 Chromebook
Best for high school students: Acer Aspire 5 15.6” Laptop
Best laptop for college students: 2020 Apple MacBook Air Laptop
Sleeper pick: Acer Swift 3 Thin and Light, 14” FHD IPS Screen
Best affordable laptops
Lenovo Yoga 7i 14” Touchscreen 2-in-1 Laptop
Key specs:
Why buy: The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 14” is the perfect affordable laptop for students in Canada looking for a compact design with excellent battery life. As a Windows operating system model, it can offer more than 15 hours of productivity doing light tasks on Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. It also provides at least 13 hours of uninterrupted video playback. Well-built to boot, it’s also built to last, made of aluminum chassis that keeps it protected. You wouldn’t think it at first glance, but it weighs less than three pounds and is less than an inch wide — important if you’re travelling to and from school; a lightweight model will serve you well.
Operationally, it’s comfortable to type on the keyboard, and its touchpad captures the slightest movements and gestures. A standout feature of this model is its speakers. It comes with the Dolby Atmos speaker system, and you can easily customize its audio preferences to suit your needs. Its screen is also crisp; while it doesn’t have an HDMI port for TV mirroring, it has two USB-Cs with Thunderbolt 4 ports from which to plug in external devices. Of course, it won’t perform serious functions such as video editing and world-class gaming, and its backlight display could be brighter. However, it’s the perfect 2-in-1 model to consider if you’re in the market for an affordable laptop.
Price: $1,499.99
Where to buy: Best Buy
Fine print: Comes with charger and a user guide; active pen sold separately.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 12.4” Touchscreen Laptop
Key specs:
Why buy: Known as the standout of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go lineup, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 12.4” Touchscreen Laptop is one of the best affordable laptops. Granted, it’s terrible for gaming and doesn’t have many USB ports; you will need a dongle to attach external devices. However, it gets high marks for its functionality and features, making it a great laptop model for students.
As a 10.5-inch Windows tablet with a detachable keyboard, it also comes with a balanced kickstand that you can use in various places, whether a bus or cafeteria. Its screen is crisp, clear, and delivers a better picture than a standard 16:9 display. Also, a key selling point is its 1080p webcam and microphone, which runs smoothly. For a full workday, it’s reliable enough to carry a full charge for light tasks and extended Zoom calls.
Price: Starting at $564.03
Where to buy: Amazon, Best Buy, Microsoft
Fine print: Comes with charger, free upgrade to Windows 11.
Lenovo Chromebook C340 15.6” Touchscreen 2-in-1 Chromebook
Key specs:
Why buy: The pandemic taught many parents the value of versatility when supervising and managing their child’s lessons. From Zoom calls to interactive learning, it might’ve been hard to find an affordable laptop to do it all. Look no further — as a 2-in-1 convertible laptop with a 360-degree hinge; it has a thin, sturdy build that makes it perfect for homeschooling and online classes.
Another key selling point is its durability. It doesn’t scratch easily and can handle the wear and tear your kids will inevitably put it through. What’s more, its battery life is stellar. You get up to 12 hours of battery life, so if your child forgets to shut it off and recharge it for the next day, you might have enough battery life to start your day off without a hitch. Its keyboard will set you up for success in day-to-day schoolwork and after-school learning. And although its touchpad is a tad small, it has three USB ports to add a mouse extension if needed. As it’s a Chrome OS device with a low-power Intel CPU, it can only handle simple tasks like web browsing and basic video playback. However, for elementary school students, it has all the bells and whistles.
Price: $641.17
Where to buy: Amazon
Fine print: Includes power adapter, power cable and a user guide.
Acer Aspire 5 15.6” Laptop
Key Specs:
Why buy: For the price, this Acer Aspire 5 15.6” Laptop packs a serious punch. With 8GB RAM and an Intel Core i5 processor, it’s a portable machine that’s lightweight and easy to carry around. Its keyboard is also top-notch, durable, and powerful enough to handle light and medium tasks.
Made from anodized aluminum, it has a grippy bottom that allows you to work easily on smooth or rough surfaces, and its large screen gets bright enough to work in darker settings. While its speakers lack bass, you can easily buy external speakers, and it has Bluetooth connectivity to allow for wireless headphones and more usage. In addition, it has three USB ports and an HDMI 2.0 port for presentations and streaming.
Pro tip: Close windows or unused tabs to ensure optimal performance.
Price: $649.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Fine print: Comes with AC adapter.
2020 Apple MacBook Air Laptop
Key specs:
Why buy: The MacBook Air laptop is a premium machine. Lightweight and excellent on battery life, it also has the capability and battery life to match. It can easily last through a full workday and has video playback features that are perfect for video and engineering tasks. In addition, it has a stellar keyboard, a great keyboard, and a webcam that’s perfect for Zoom calls or on-camera interviews.
While it’s short on USB ports, the MacBook Air is a great tool for creatives handling graphically intensive tasks. Great for media professionals or engineering students, this model is cheaper than other expensive Mac laptops that can break the bank. It pairs well with phones and functions appropriately with Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365, and Google Drive apps. Lastly, the speakers on the model are far better than average, justifying it as the highest-priced model on the list.
While the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is better, the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) is comparable to the Dell XPS 13 (2021), which is three times the price.
Price: $1,299
Where to buy: Apple, Best Buy, Amazon
Fine print: Comes with power adapter and charging cable. Unfortunately, other accessories are not included.
Acer Swift 3 Thin and Light 14” FHD IPS Screen
Key specs:
Why buy: With more than 13 hours of battery life, the Acer Swift 3 Thin and Light is a lightweight, affordable laptop that is easy to carry around without charge. Although it’s not as bright as other models, it has a reasonably well-calibrated 1080p display with full sRGB coverage — better colour than most. Like most laptops, it’s not great when used outdoors, but indoors, it works like a champ and has great functionality. It has a full-size HDMI and a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support, and its Core i5 CPU is powerful enough for general productivity like web browsing, text formatting, spreadsheets and more.
It’s our sleeper pick because of its ability to handle heavier workloads than some previous models, outside of the Mac, can’t tackle. It can take on photo and video editing tasks and even manage above-average gaming programs. The only downside is a small touchpad and a bad webcam, but overcoming these items is possible, especially if you’re schooling or doing an internship from home.
Price: $949.96
Where to buy: Best Buy
Fine print: Comes with Windows 10; free upgrade available.
Bottom line
Overall, these options will surely do the trick if you’re looking for a good, affordable laptop to buy for a student in your household or a student studying abroad. The Macbook Air and the Acer Swift 3 models will serve you well if you’re looking for a high-performance opportunity with great battery life. Still, the Microsoft Surface Pro or the Acer Aspire 5 is also great if you’re looking for the best budget option. Whatever you decide, do the appropriate research, and find a model that best suits your child’s needs.
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