Student Laptops 2025: 7 Models Tested Today ⚡️

Why do we like the Dell Inspiron Plus 14?

The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is one of the most well-rounded laptops available right now. It offers reliable performance, phenomenal battery life, and an excellent-quality display. It also costs $14,999.99, which is several hundred dollars cheaper than our previous pick. With a PCMark 10 score of 7,061, it beat out both the Acer Swift Go 14 and the pricier Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. (PCMark 10 measures how well a laptop handles everyday tasks.) Plus, it lasted an incredible 17 hours on a single charge, which is perfect for students looking for a long-lasting machine. You won't have to hunt for an outlet between classes, that's for sure! 🔌📚

Performance and battery life are clear highlights, but the 14-inch, 1400p display also deserves a mention. According to our review, "the screen is extremely well-suited for office work and viewing still images." We measured a maximum brightness level of 418 nits, which is plenty bright for writing and web browsing. Plus, thanks to the screen's anti-glare coating, you can use this laptop in naturally lit environments. ☀️👩‍💻

Who should buy the Dell Inspiron Plus 14?

Students looking for a well-balanced, long-lasting laptop. Its design is a bit monotonous, admittedly, but its hardware capabilities and long battery life make up for the boring aesthetic. You can't get much better than this, especially for $999.99. 😊

Why do we like the Asus Zenbook?

The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED blew us away with its snappy performance, excellent battery life, and sublime OLED display. Movies and games “look lifelike and vibrant” on the 14-inch 1200p screen, and the 75-watt-hour battery ran for an impressive 16 hours on a single charge. This result truly leaves competitors like the Lenovo Slim 7 14 Gen 9 and the HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14 in the dust. Performance-wise, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED is plenty snappy at everyday tasks like web browsing, video calling, and more, achieving benchmark scores just below our top pick. 🎮✨

Who should buy the Asus Zenbook?

He Asus Zenbook 14 OLED It's a fantastic option for students because it offers exceptional battery life, fast overall performance, and a beautiful OLED display. It's also cheaper than our current top pick. However, it's a runner-up for a reason. The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, which remains the champion, is the more balanced option of the two. It has twice the storage, a higher-resolution display, and a better keyboard. However, if you're looking to save a hundred dollars, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED is still a great option. 💰😎

Why do we like the Acer Aspire Go 15?

The Acer Aspire Go 15 is a great option for students on a budget. Its energy-efficient Intel Core i3-N305 processor is capable of handling everyday tasks like watching Netflix, browsing the web, writing papers, and more. It also achieved 12 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is more than enough for a full day of classes. Connectivity options are also quite good. You get a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with Power Delivery and DisplayPort, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio combo jack, a Kensington lock slot, and a barrel jack for power. 🔋🎬

Who should buy the Acer Aspire Go 15?

Anyone who needs an affordable laptop with decent performance. The 53.9-watt-hour battery will last you practically all day, and the CPU has enough power for everyday tasks. The 15.6-inch 1080p display also offers good visibility, and the keyboard provides a comfortable typing experience. It doesn't have all the fancy features you'd see on a high-end machine, but some people don't need all that extra noise. If you're on an ultra-strict budget, the Acer Aspire Go 15 is worth considering. 💼💻

Why do we like the Lenovo Flex?

The Lenovo Flex 5i is a convertible Chromebook that stands out for its versatile design and snappy performance 💻✨. Its aluminum chassis feels premium, as if it costs three or four times as much, and the 360-degree hinge offers flexibility and strength for use in laptop, tablet, or tent mode 🔄. The keyboard is comfortable and fast to type on, and the 1200p touchscreen delivers vivid colors and sharp details, perfect for multimedia consumption and light productivity 🎨📝.

While it feels a bit heavier than expected out of the box and doesn't include a stylus, these are minor concessions compared to a very balanced and practical overall experience for students and professionals looking for a powerful and stylish Chromebook 👍.

If you experience issues with your keyboard or battery, the Lenovo Support Community is a helpful resource for solutions and other user experiences; for example, cases involving keyboard failures after certain updates and battery life concerns are discussed here.

Who should buy the Lenovo Flex?

We think the Lenovo Flex 5i is a good choice for those who prefer using the Google ecosystem and can mostly work online. The beautiful touchscreen and convertible design really give it an edge over other Chromebooks and even some Windows laptops, as you commonly see those features on machines that cost much more. While the nine-hour battery life is a bit below average for a Chromebook, it'll still last a full day of classes and then some. At the end of the day, the Lenovo Flex 5i's list of compromises is pretty small. 👍

Alternative option: If you're on a very tight budget (I've been there), the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 ($249.99 / £399 UK) is worth considering. It's about £100/£100 cheaper than our current pick and comes with plenty of connectivity options, a spacious keyboard, and a sophisticated design. It's not a 2-in-1 laptop like the Lenovo Flex 5i, but I wouldn't consider that a problem, especially if you prefer traditional clamshell laptops.

Why we like the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is a long-lasting machine with a “reasonably sharp” 14-inch 1920x1200 display. In fact, it lasted almost 24 hours on a single charge – that’s absolutely incredible! This is likely due to the efficient Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 processor inside and the lower-resolution display. The speakers also deliver impressive volume, and the connectivity options are quite diverse. In addition to a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, you’ll find two 5Gbps USB-A ports and two USB4 ports. 🔊🔗

Who should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6?

Anyone with a busy school schedule! The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is designed to keep going, which is perfect when you're moving from class to class. Performance-wise, it's a reliable machine that will keep up with "light workloads wherever you go," according to our review. 🔝📈

Alternative option: If you are looking for a long-lasting 2-in-1, the Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro ($1,649) is truly worth a review. It lasted 23 hours and 15 minutes on a single charge, and the 2800x1800 AMOLED display is absolutely gorgeous. 🌟

Why do we like the MacBook Air?

From its excellent battery life to its expansive Liquid Retina display, the MacBook Air (M3) earns high marks across the board 💫. It packs an 8-core Apple M3 CPU and 10-core GPU, includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 66.5 watt-hour battery, delivering performance very close to that of the MacBook Pro (M3) for schoolwork, everyday productivity, and multimedia consumption with speed and fluidity ⚡️💻.

The absence of fans makes it quieter in use (ideal for classrooms, libraries, and offices) 🔇, and its battery life of up to 19 hours on a single charge makes it the perfect option for those with long days and little time to plug in 🔋⏳. In short: a light, powerful, and quiet laptop with a Liquid Retina display and long-lasting battery – ideal for students, professionals, and creators on the go 🌟. Optimized following good SEO practices

Who should buy the MacBook Air?

Anyone who prefers macOS over other operating systems. The battery life is incredible, and the laptop weighs just over three pounds, meaning you can easily take it anywhere with you. The price of $1,299 is also reasonable for the performance and features it offers. However, the 8GB of RAM is lacking compared to Windows-based alternatives. 💼💵

Why do we like the Asus Zenbook S 14?

From its super-lightweight design (2.65 pounds!) to its stunning OLED display, it’s hard to single out just one good thing about the Asus Zenbook S 14, as it brings so much to the table. First, let’s address the obvious: the versatility of the 2-in-1 design. You can flip the display around and use it as a tablet or prop it up to watch movies. The build quality is impressive for such a travel-friendly machine. According to our review, there was “minimal flex when pressing hard on the center of the keyboard, and the display didn’t exhibit significant movement.” 🚀📏

The 73-watt-hour battery also lasted 21 hours on a single charge, which is great news if you're on a busy schedule this semester. In addition to the fantastic battery life, the 14-inch 1800p OLED touchscreen produces vibrant colors and deep blacks, and the 120Hz refresh rate delivers a very dynamic user experience. 💡👌

Who should buy the Asus Zenbook S 14?

Anyone looking for a portable, long-lasting 2-in-1. The battery life is spectacular, which is impressive given how thin and light it is. Plus, it has good audio. This is great because laptop speakers are generally poor, frequently firing downward into the surface they're resting on. The audio is powered by four built-in Harmon Kardon speakers, which are further enhanced by Dolby Atmos. 🎶💻

Alternative option: He Lenovo Chromebook Duet ($399.99) is another good option to consider. It weighs just 2.09 pounds and is hundreds of dollars cheaper than our current option. However, you're stuck using Google's web ecosystem (i.e., ChromeOS), which can be a drawback if you need to run specific programs for school.

Why do we like the Acer Nitro V 16?

The Acer Nitro V 16 is a fantastic option for those on a strict budget. You get a fast IPS display and RTX 4060 graphics for just under a thousand dollars—a phenomenal value. When we ran the demanding benchmark, Metro Exodus On this machine, the Nitro averaged 38 frames per second, which is “more than competitive with gaming laptops with similar components,” according to our review. 🎮💥

Battery life, as you might have guessed, is the laptop's weak point. We only managed to get four hours before it shut down. It's not a surprising result, as gaming laptops traditionally have poor battery life, but it won't last long unplugged. 💤

Who should buy the Acer Nitro V 16?

Anyone who needs a reliable and affordable gaming laptop. The 16-inch 1920x1200 display is perfect for action-packed games thanks to the 165Hz refresh rate, and thanks to the RTX 4060 GPU, it can run most games with graphics settings on Medium or High. That kind of power also makes it excellent for handling heavier work tasks, though its plastic build may be a turnoff for more demanding students. 💪🎓