One of the best Chromebook you should buy in 2026

Display screen measurement: 14 inches | Display screen decision: 1,920 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.09 lbs | Accessible ports: 2 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, HDMI 1.4, Headphone jack, Kensington Nano safety slot | Drive capability: 512GB | Battery life: 8 hours as examined

Acer has reliably produced a few of my favourite Chromebooks for years now, and with the newest Chromebook Plus 514 mannequin, they’re actually hitting the candy spot of value and efficiency. At solely $350, it’s cheaper than my earlier decide for the very best Chromebook (Lenovo’s IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus) and improves on it in a number of methods.

The massive spec enhancements are a more moderen processor (Intel’s Core 3-N355 chip) and a spacious 512GB solid-state drive. It’s additionally lighter than Lenovo’s machine and has a reasonably spectacular array of ports, together with two USB-A and an HDMI port along with the anticipated USB-C jacks. The 14-inch touchscreen is brilliant and clear and has the marginally taller 16:10 side ratio that you simply don’t usually discover in laptops at this value level – they’re normally caught with narrower 1080p shows. One factor the Acer provides up compared to the Lenovo is a 360-degree hinge, however I’ve all the time discovered that to be a fairly area of interest function that isn’t a compelling promoting level.

Design-wise, this can be a utilitarian slab of a laptop computer, however it’s simply skinny (0.71 inches) and light-weight (3.1 kilos) sufficient to really feel compact and simple to journey with. The keyboard and trackpad, in the meantime, really feel a lot better than I’d anticipate on a laptop computer at this value. The backlit keys are massive and have satisfying journey, making it nice to kind away on for hours at a time. And the glass-covered trackpad is clean and enormous; my solely criticism is that it often was activated by the aspect of my palm whereas typing.

The primary downsides are that the audio system and webcam are fairly mediocre. Audio is tinny and lacks depth, whereas video calls confirmed a definite lack of dynamic vary within the digicam. They’ll definitely do in a pinch, and they’re anticipated corners to be minimize on a reasonably budget-priced laptop computer – however if you happen to take numerous video calls or need higher onboard audio output, look elsewhere.

Battery life is about what I anticipated for an Intel-powered Chromebook. It lasted over eight hours whereas taking part in again a locally-stored video file, and I obtained just a little below seven hours whereas going by means of my regular workday (plenty of Chrome tabs, a handful of internet and Android apps like Maintain, Google Chat, YouTube Music, Lightroom and Todoist). That’s not distinctive, however until you actually should be away from energy for lengthy durations regularly it ought to be ok (particularly at this value).

As this Chromebook was simply launched this summer time, Google is promising software program and safety updates till June of 2035. (Should you’re nonetheless utilizing this laptop computer 10 years from now, I applaud you.) Given the combo of efficiency and functionality at this value level, Acer’s newest Chromebook Plus 514 is simple to suggest for anybody who desires a no-nonsense laptop computer. However if you happen to’re the sort of one who plans to make use of their Chromebook all day, day by day, you would possibly need to contemplate our improve picks.

Display screen measurement: 14 inches | Display screen decision: 1,920 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 12GB | Weight: 3 lbs | Accessible ports: 2 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, Headphone jack, Kensington Nano safety slot | Drive capability: 256GB | Battery life: 13 hours as examined

Acer’s brand-new Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is minimize from a really related material as the usual 514 we suggest, however below the hood there are some main upgrades. It’s one of many first Chromebooks to make use of MediaTek’s Kompanio Extremely 910 chip, fairly than the usual Intel or AMD fare. This makes a significant distinction in how the Spin 514 performs. There are not one of the occasional slowdown or hiccups that also occur on Intel-based fashions you probably have too many home windows or apps open. Tabs not often must reload and pop again up shortly on the uncommon event that they do. Music or video playback by no means skipped no matter what else I used to be doing, and Android apps like Lightroom labored swiftly and easily.

Maybe extra importantly than the way it feels now, the Spin 514 ought to really feel snappy for years to come back. There’s simply extra room for this chip to deal with growing efficiency calls for through the years. Benchmarks from the Android model of Geekbench 6 assist illustrate this: the Spin 514 scored 2,526 on the single-core CPU take a look at, 7,687 on multi-core and 18,020 on the GPU take a look at. For comparability, Acer’s recently-released Chromebook Plus 514 with an Intel Core 3 chip scored 1,150, 4,407 and 5,932 respectively. Clearly, benchmarks don’t inform your complete story, however it’s illustrative of how performant this chip is.

This goes for AI-related duties, as nicely – the MediaTek chip contains the corporate’s NPU 890, which is rated at 50 TOPS (trillion operations per second). In observe, which means the assorted Gemini-powered AI instruments in ChromeOS will run quicker than they do on an Intel machine. Should you’re eager to strive these kinds of options, the Spin 514 is an efficient possibility.

Past the MediaTek chip, you’ll discover 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage; I’m shocked that it has much less storage than a laptop computer that prices half as a lot, however 256GB is usually loads for ChromeOS because it depends totally on the cloud. The keyboard, trackpad and touchscreen show are all glorious, and battery life is outstanding. I obtained greater than 14 hours of video playback from the Spin 514, and hit over 9 hours of use if I wasn’t pushing issues too exhausting.

The audio system are additionally a step up over those in the usual Chromebook Plus 514; whereas they’re not the very best laptop computer audio system I’ve ever heard, they’ve a considerably fuller tone that’s much less tinny. Sadly, I can’t choose the webcam at this level because the mannequin I reviewed didn’t have the ultimate webcam {hardware} in place. Mine has an ordinary 1080p digicam, however the ultimate mannequin promoting in Greatest Purchase steps as much as a 5-megapixel webcam. That ought to supply considerably higher video name high quality, however with out testing it I can’t say the way it seems in observe. That stated, the 1080p webcam on the pc I examined had stable shade stability and was loads sharp for my makes use of.

The mannequin I examined is promoting at Greatest Purchase for $700, a excessive value that feels truthful given the standard of this pc. Acer additionally plans to promote the Chromebook Plus Spin 514 immediately from its website with 16GB of RAM and a high-res, 2,880 x 1,800 display screen for $750. That’s a pleasant display screen for that value, however I wager most individuals shall be proud of this mannequin. And whereas this pc simply got here out, we’ll be keeping track of Greatest Purchase to see if it will get any value reductions within the coming months, as a result of then it’ll be even simpler to suggest.

Display screen measurement: 16 inches | Display screen decision: 2,560 x 1,600 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.75 lbs | Accessible ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, HDMI, Headphone jack, Ethernet | Drive capability: 256GB | Battery life: 9 hours (producer estimate)

Acer first launched the Chromebook 516 GE within the fall of 2022 as a part of Google’s push to make gadgets appropriate for cloud gaming and up to date it in 2024 with Intel’s Core 5 120U chip. The excellent news is that you simply don’t should be a gamer to understand the Chromebook Plus 516 GE. For $650, you’ll get a 16-inch show with a 2,560 x 1,600 decision and a 120Hz refresh price. NVIDIA’s GeForce Now gaming service helps as much as 4K visuals at 120Hz on its Final tier so that you’ll get to see these advantages. This laptop computer additionally helps Steam, but another excuse avid gamers could be taken with attempting it. However even non-gamers ought to benefit from the Plus 516 GE’s crisp and clear display screen and refined {hardware}.

It additionally contains Intel’s Core 5 120U chip, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Given the laptop computer’s measurement, it’s good that Acer didn’t skimp on ports right here: there’s an HDMI port, USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet and a headphone jack. The keyboard has gamer-friendly LED lights that you could customise, however extra importantly, it’s only a stable and cozy keyboard for taking part in video games or simply typing up studies. The trackpad is massive and responsive as nicely.

The 516 GE weighs 3.8 kilos – fairly mild for a laptop computer with a 16-inch display screen. We haven’t examined the 2024 mannequin but, so I can’t affirm the battery life; Acer claims 10 hours, a determine that’ll absolutely dip if you happen to’re doing greater than watching movies or informal internet looking. Between the highly effective {hardware}, stable design, good trackpad and keyboard and nice display screen, anybody who desires a much bigger Chromebook will probably be proud of this mannequin.

As for assist, Google says the Plus 516 GE will obtain updates till June of 2032. That shorter assist timeline is my fundamental concern about this laptop computer at this level — I’m conserving my eye out to see if Acer updates this mannequin quickly or if there’s one other newer decide with an extended assist window.

Display screen measurement: 14 inches | Display screen decision: 1,920 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 16GB | Weight: 2.75 lbs | Accessible ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, Headphone jack | Drive capability: 256GB | Battery life: 14 hours as examined

Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is a wonderful laptop computer – but when I used to be going to choose one Chromebook to make my main pc, it might be Lenovo’s Chromebook Plus 14. To me, it feels just like the replace to Google’s own Pixelbook Go that we by no means obtained. Which means it’s skinny (0.62 inches), mild (2.75 kilos) and solidly constructed with out being terribly flashy. However it feels way more fascinating than the generic laptop computer vibes I can’t assist however get from Acer; smaller bezels across the show and the ridged, textured underside of the laptop computer make it really feel extra premium and distinctive.

The OLED touchscreen is a standout. Whereas it’s the identical decision because the Spin 514, it’s noticeably brighter and colours are extra vivid with out feeling blown out. I’d be blissful to see it in a better decision, however I believe it strikes an excellent stability between sharpness and total high quality with out going to 4K the place battery life could be affected.

I additionally love the keyboard and trackpad, each of which simply really feel barely nicer than these on the Acer. The keys don’t have fairly as a lot journey, however they really feel extra stable and barely much less wobbly. It could be a matter of private choice at this level as each keyboards are superb, however I really feel like I can kind quicker and extra precisely on the Lenovo. The trackpad can be much less susceptible to unintentional enter from my palm after I’m typing. There’s a fingerprint reader under the keyboard for biometric authentication too, which is one other good luxurious to have. The trackpad is clean and fairly massive, nearly as huge because the one on my MacBook Professional.

Different particulars just like the webcam and audio system are nicely executed right here, as nicely. The 5-megapixel digicam is my favourite out of the assorted Chromebooks I’ve examined, with correct shade copy and a pointy image total. The audio system are additionally the very best I’ve examined on this newest roundup, with spectacular music playback regardless of the laptop computer’s skinny measurement. Lenovo says these audio system assist Dolby Atmos, and music had extra depth and element when taking part in Atmos tracks from Apple Music. However even with out taking part in Atmos content material, the Lenovo’s audio system merely sounded superb.

As for efficiency, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 runs the identical MediaTek Kompanio Extremely 910 chip as Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 514, so all the nice issues I needed to say about it apply right here as nicely. It’s extraordinarily responsive in day after day use and will carry out nicely for years to come back; AI efficiency utilizing varied Gemini instruments was additionally fairly snappy. And the Lenovo’s battery life is the very best of any Chromebook I’ve examined, lasting over 14 hours in our video playback take a look at and about 10 hours of normal utilization throughout my typical workday.

General, the Lenovo’s Chromebook Plus 14 and Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 14 are very related and you’ll’t go incorrect with both if you’re on the lookout for a high-quality laptop computer that’ll work nicely now and into the longer term. I worth the Lenovo’s OLED display screen, keyboard and higher audio system over the Spin’s 360-degree hinge, however your mileage could differ. For me, although, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is the very best Chromebook you should buy.