Best refurbished laptop under $300

Welcome to our weekly updated guide to the best laptops under $300 based on reviews, specs, retail sales volume and retail discounts.

With so many options available on the market and the amount of research required before making a purchasing decision, finding the right laptop for a decent price can be a real chore. Were here to help. Below youll find lists of the top laptops under $300 primarily consisting of smaller and thinner 10 to 13-inch laptops.

Students and mobile users will benefit from the portability of the netbook variety at bargain prices while more advanced users may also want to check out our guides featuring deals on finding laptopsunder $400 and laptops under $500.

Introductory Laptop Buying Guide

We would recommend giving ourbeginnerslaptop buying guidea good read before going any further unless you already consider yourself a pro. This will help you to understand some of the technical jargon involved so you can make a better purchasing decision.

Top Picks >> Runners Up >> Honorable Mentions >>

Best Laptop Under $300 Top Pick

1. Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1 Convertible 11.6-inch

For those who have their office based online and arent looking to break the bank when it comes to purchasing a laptop that can fulfil basic office requirements, then a Chromebook is what you are looking for. The laptop makes use of the Chrome OS and the accompanying google ecosystem, so you will require internet connectivity at all times. The Lenovo Chromebook C330 is described as the most awesomely boring device youll ever use. This isnt a bad thing, this is purely a reference to the headache free experience associated with Chromebooks when compared to other laptops. The Chromebook C330 is easy to set up, simply requiring you to sign into your Google account, select wifi network, and that is. This is a contrast to Microsoft and Apple laptops that require some effort to set up. The smart, intuitive nature of the ChromeOS makes it a pleasure to use.

The laptop comes in a sturdy plastic body that has little flex under pressure, and it is very compact and lightweight, weighing in at 2.64 pounds. In this price range, one commonly finds low cost TN panels that underwhelm the user experience, however, while the 1366 x 768 resolution is low, it does come with an excellent IPS panel. This makes for an enjoyable experience when it comes to media consumption. The brightness lacks a bit [200 nits] and does pose some problems in bright environments, such as under direct sunlight outdoors or in well lit interior areas. If it wasnt obvious based on the picture, the laptop also easily converts into tablet or tent mode, and its touchscreen is responsive to the touch.

The MediaTek MT8173C SoC is very low end, however, in combination with the 4GB of RAM, it will carry out tasks such as document management, general office work and web browsing with ease. With the PowerVR SGX543 GPU, you will be able to seamlessly play HD videos and view your photos. The 64GB of storage is somewhat low, but you can make use of Google Drive should you require more. The eMMC storage is also a bit slow, and comparable to a mechanical hard drive.

Most have found that the keyboard delivers a decent experience that is on par with most laptop keyboards, albeit slightly cheap feeling. It has an excellent battery life of around 10 hours according to Lenovo, and this seems to be largely consistent with users reviews. For connectivity, it comes with an SD card reader, a Type-A and Type-C USB 3.0 port, and an HDMI port.

Specs

Best Laptop Under $300 14-Inch Top Pick

2. HP Chromebook 11a-na0021nr 11.6-inch

Despite Chromebooks having had limited releases in recent years, relentless demand from customers has seen many older Chromebooks being resold as refurbished years later. With the HP Chromebook 11a-na0021nr, its clear that HP are trying to fill a gap in the market for a brand new, reliable, and ultra-portable budget Chromebook that wont break the bank.

Highlights of this Chromebook include a stylish and ultra thin design weighing in at only 2.36 pounds, excellent battery life that can last over 10 hours in use, and great connectivity options including a Wi-Fi 5 wireless adapter and USB Type-C port. It also includes a much needed microSD media card reader for adding some extra storage space. It has also been reported to have above average audio quality powered by dual speakers and sports an HP True Vision 720p HD camera with integrated dual array digital microphones.

Under the hood, it features an octa-core MediaTek MT8183 processor usually found in Android tablets which also includes integrated MediaTek ARM Mali-G72 graphics. That said, dont get your hopes if you plan on playing any games or using any advanced applications as the components are designed with power efficiency and portability in mind. Advanced applications will struggle and multitasking will also be limited by the 4GB of included RAM. Storage space may also prove to be an issue at only 32GB out of the box. Media enthusiasts or those who need a lot of apps can use a microSD card to add on more storage.

Despite its limitations, the HP Chromebook 11a-na0021nr does have the benefit of the streamlined Chrome OS app ecosystem making it a lot easier to setup and use than Windows based laptops. The drawback, of course, is that Windows only applications wont run at all and only apps from the Chrome OS store can be used. Luckily in 2020, this includes versions of most popular applications including Microsoft Office, so basic users should have no trouble.

If you value portability and style over raw power, then the HP Chromebook 11a is certainly a great option to look out for compared to similarly priced refurbished Chromebook models that are years old or Windows based laptops that lack the portability and convenience of a Chromebook.

Specs

3. Lenovo Chromebook S330 81JW0000US 14-Inch

The Lenovo Chromebook S330 81JW0000US is a bestselling Chromebook aimed at users on a budget who want a basic laptop for day to day tasks. As with all Chromebooks, those with limited computer knowledge who may find Windows frustrating will benefit from Googles simple and easy to use Chrome OS operating system. Despite a few limitations, the S330 offers a reliable laptop experience for basic tasks and applications.

The S330 is powered by a MediaTek MT8173C with 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM. This level of hardware is only suitable for basic applications such as document editing and web browsing and will certainly struggle with any more advanced tasks. The storage space included is only 64GB which may not be enough for many users who want to store a lot of apps or large media files on their laptop. Luckily, storage space can be increased by using a microSD card. One other nice feature to consider is also the 100GB of free Cloud storage provided by Google on Google Drive.

The laptop also benefits from the sturdy build quality typical of Lenovo including a well designed keyboard and trackpad which are comfortable to use. The downside for some users may be that this design is relatively plain compared to the likes of competing Chromebooks from Samsung and other brands which are slightly more expensive. Battery life is better than competing Windows laptops at 10 hours and its portable 3.3-pound weight makes it ideal for travel or use around the house.

The screen size is generous for its price at 14-inches, though unfortunately, thats where the positives on the display front end many reviewers reported the S330 as having a mediocre display which could be described as dim and washed out compared to the screens compared on many competing models.

All in all, if you value reliability and a sturdy-feeling laptop and are willing to live with the S330s average display, it provides an excellent easy to use mobile laptop that will get the job done at a very affordable price.

Specs

Best Laptop Under $300 Runners-up

4. Acer Chromebook Spin 311 CP311-2H-C679 11.6-inch

The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 CP311-2H-C679 is one of the top Chromebooks of 2020 thanks to a combination of premium design and hardware finishes and a super nifty 2-in-1 module which allows the Spin to be used as a powerful tablet as well as a laptop. Although its limited to only Chrome store apps and its performance isnt suited to more advanced apps or gaming, the Spin 311 makes up for this with its sturdy build quality and premium-esque features.

Weighing in at 4.2 pounds and at 0.79 inches thick, the Chromebook Spin 311 is fairly chunky for a 2-in-1 Chromebook, but this undoubtedly contributes to its high quality and reliable feel. With a battery life of 10 hours, the 311 will also see you through the day on a single charge without breaking a sweat. Another huge positive is its high quality screen which has excellent viewing angles, a feature usually only found on laptops double or triple its price, though some expert critics have cited it as being dim compared to some competitors. A huge bonus of course is that the screen not only looks good, but its also a highly responsive touchscreen which can be utilized in both laptop and tablet mode.

Despite its excellent feature set, power users may be left wanting more from its Intel Celeron N4020 coupled with only 4GB of RAM which offers adequate performance for most apps but will struggle with gaming or heavy multitasking. Needless to say, being a Chromebook means Windows only apps are also out of the question. Storage space will certainly be an issue for anyone looking to download media or install lots of apps, though luckily Acer have included a microSD slot that can be used to expand the available storage space by purchasing an additional memory card. Another thing worth noting is that unlike previous versions, the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 does not come with stylus support despite its responsive touchscreen which would have been perfect for this.

If you are looking for a solid laptop but have also considered the idea of a high performance tablet, the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 CP311-2H-C679 kills two birds with one stone and is a more than capable laptop that doubles up as a reliable tablet. This, combined with the ease of use and streamlined Chromebook experience, makes the Spin 311 perfect for students or anyone looking for a portable netbook style laptop for daily use around the house or on the move.

Specs

5. ASUS VivoBook L203MA-DS04 11.6-Inch

The ASUS VivoBook L203MA-DS04 is an ultraportable netbook style laptop that has topped bestsellers lists thank to its affordable price and attractive design, fulfilling a much needed niche in the laptop market.

Although it may struggle with advanced tasks as a full-time work machine, the L203MA-DS04s portability makes it an extremely powerful productivity tool for those who move around a lot and need a portable workstation on the go. For most users at school or work the performance should be adequate, though power users who enjoy multitasking and advanced apps may be left wanting.

It was praised for an attractive design that makes the L203MA-DS04 a pleasure to use and carry around with you thanks to its weight of only 2.2 lbs. Although slightly heavier than most tablets, the VivoBook is far more functional and almost as portable, making it legitimate competition for your on-the-go tablet or even smartphone.

Some reviewers had negative experiences with its touchpad which can be unresponsive, and its limited 64GB of storage will probably require an expansion via a SD card or external hard drive.

All in all if you value the ability to be productive on the go and are looking for a budget laptop under $300 to meet your daily needs, the ASUS VivoBook L203MA-DS04 is our current top performer.

Specs

For those on a shoestring budget, our guide to the best laptops under $200is another great place to startas part of our weekly updated series of guides on finding the best cheap laptops.

On the flipside, those looking for gaming laptop under $300 with a dedicated graphics processor may want to view some more budget gaming options in our guide to the best gaming laptops under $300and our other gaming laptop guides.

That said, wed strongly recommend increasing your budget for a gaming laptop to $400 plus unless you plan on playing only much older games. Chromebook lovers can also browse our top Chromebooks guide for some additional Chrome OS based options and our best refurbished laptops guide also has some additional refurbished deals to consider.

6. ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02 11.6-inch

If you are looking for a strong and sturdy Chromebook that can handle the abuses of the classroom, then the ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02 is well worth considering. It has been specially designed with nano-molding technology to ensure that it is tough as nails and the rubber bumpers help to protect this Chromebook from impact in unforeseen accidents. It has even been tested by ASAS to endure a 3.9 foot drop.

ASUS have also given the Chromebook C202SA-YS02 a spill-resistant keyboard to ensure that this Chromebook will still function in the event of an unforeseen spillage while it is being used. The 180-degree hinged display allows for easier viewing while in group discussions and gives the ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02 a bit more flexibility when relaxing with your feet up on the sofa. Powering the ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02 is an Intel Celeron N3060 processor and 4GB of RAM, which combined are more than powerful enough for most Chrome OS tasks. While the standard Microsoft Office cannot be installed on Chrome OS, you will be able to use Google Docs, QuickOffice and Microsoft Office Online for all of your word processing needs.

The 16GB of storage will allow for a handful of applications and documents to be stored on the ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02, however, it has been designed to be used in conjunction with Googles Drive cloud storage. You get 100GB of cloud storage space for 2 years from Google, thereafter it will cost $1.99 a month to keep the same amount of storage. If you would prefer an offline solution, then we recommend purchasing a 128GB MicroSD card and installing it into the MicroSD slot for a more permanent storage solution.

Specs

7. Samung Chromebook 3 XE500C13-K04US

The Samsung Chromebook 3 XE500C13-K04US is priced at under $300 delivers a decent performance that is suitable for basic tasks. The Intel Celeron N3050 processor and 4GB of RAM will allows you to browse the web or create documents with Google Docs easily, while the 16GB of eMMC flash memory offers fast data transfer speeds.

Some may find that the storage space is far too little for their specific needs, however, but keep in mind that Chromebooks make use of cloud storage. The battery life is great for all day use, clocking in around 11 hours, making it well suited for college use. The keyboard is easy to use and it is spill-resistant, meaning accidental spills will not lead to damage. The design is stylish and lightweight and the 1366 x 768 resolution Anti-Glare display delivers good picture quality. If you are a college student on a budget, the Samsung Chromebook 3 XE500C13-K04US would make a suitable study companion.

Specs

8. Acer Aspire 1 A114-31-C4HH 14-inch

It is rare finding laptops under $300 with Full-HD displays that are not refurbished. The Acer Aspire 1 A114-31-C4HH 14-inch laptop comes with a 1920 x 1080 display, and Acer have decided to include an SSD, too. While this may seem to be a dream come true to those on a budget, be aware that there are some drawbacks.The screen is Full-HD, but many have pointed out that it looks washed out and that the viewing angles are poor.

Furthermore, the fast SSD is a great inclusion for boot times and application loading times, but at only 32GB, you wont be able to load much on it. It comes with an Intel Celeron N3450 CPU and 4GB of RAM, and at least the system feels more responsive than other laptops in this price range that come with older mechanical hard drives as opposed to SSDs. The Acer Aspire 1 A114-31-C4HH is suitable for users looking for a Chromebook like Windows machine, as it does come with Windows 10. It is lightweight, weighing it at just 3.64 pounds, and comes with a chiclet-style keyboard and a trackpad that one user described as average at best. It has a decent port selection, coming with an HDMI port, an SD card reader, a USB 3.0 port, and two USB 2.0 ports, and then the usual headphone jack and power jack. Some pointed out that speakers are rather unimpressive, so do not expect much in terms of sound.

Specs

9. Acer Chromebook CB3-431-C5FM 14-inch

The Acer Chromebook 14s all-aluminum chassis make it look and feel like it costs much more than its modest price tag. This makes it stand out amongst competitors, and despite the metal design, it remains light enough to carry around easily. Sporting a 1920 x 1080p resolution, its display is sharp and reproduces colors accurately.

However, it is not bright enough for comfortable outdoor use, and its color palette is middling at best, but understandable at this price point. Moving on to input devices, the keyboard offers nice feedback and is well spaced out, but we would have liked deeper travel. It is by no means bad, but it tires you out faster than other keyboards.

The touchpad, however, is smooth, accurate, and correctly registers multi-touch gestures. Acer fit an Intel Celeron N3160 processor and backed it up with 4GB of low power RAM. Office apps run like a breeze, and there is no visible lag during multitasking. Intel Celeron processors are also designed to be as efficient as possible, and this allows the Chromebook a long 10-hour battery life that will last any school day. Unfortunately, the integrated graphics will not tolerate anything except light gaming. This might actually be a good thing, seeing as how you should be studying rather than playing computer games.

Specs

10. Acer R11 CB5-132T-C7R5 11.6-inch

The Acer R11 CB5-132T-C7R5 comes with a 11.6-inch 1366×768 IPS touchscreen that most have noted is pretty responsive and crisp. It has a lightweight design of 2.76 pounds. It has a solid construction and has the 360-degree flip-and-fold design that should be familiar to those who have owned convertible laptops, easily converting into tablet form. The Quad-Core Celeron N3160 will be no means deliver a groundbreaking performance, but together with the 4GB of RAM and 32GB eMMC storage it will feel quite snappy and responsive overall.

One wouldnt be able to go wild on multitasking, however, as the 4GB of RAM will reach its limits fairly quickly unless you go for a RAM upgrade. Most noted that the chiclet-style keyboard is comfortable, but the touchpad feels pretty cheap according to some critical reviewers. The R11 packs enough juice to last almost a full day, with some reviewers pointing out that it can push around 10 hours and 30 minutes, affording you some extra space in your backpack that would usually be taken up by a charging adapter.

Specs

Lenovo IdeaPad 80TJ001QUK-AG 15.6-inch

If you are seeking a budget friendly laptop that can get you through your daily tasks with ease, the Lenovo IdeaPad 80TJ001QUK-AG 15.6-inch will serve you just fine. While the numerous complaints directed towards its build quality and the tiny shift key are worrying, expecting a build quality comparable to that of the higher end laptops with steep price tags is simply unrealistic, especially if you are wanting a laptop that performs as well.

The A6-7310 Quad-Core is a respectable processor, and the 4GB of RAM of will allow you some decent multitasking capabilities, although heavy multitasking will force the RAM to reach its limits fairly quickly. It is a useful multimedia machine thanks to the AMD Radeon R4 Graphics and the larger 500GB HDD, but this HDD will affect the overall speed of your laptop since it is mechanical, and program loading and boot times will be slow.

The 15.6-inch LED display has a resolution of 1366 X 768, which is standard for budget laptops, however, every now and then you get a laptop in this price range that sports a 1080p display, like the Acer Chromebook CB3-431-C5FM 14-inch. The poor battery life of 3 hours is disappointing, so be prepared to carry your power cable with you. Be aware that some customers complained about quality control due to the fact that they were receiving faulty laptops, with some customers receiving faulty DVD drives and faulty keys that triggered all sorts of commands when pressed.

Specs

Lenovo IdeaPad 110-15 15.6-inch

While it is labeled as a High Performance laptop on Amazon.com, the Lenovo IdeaPad 110-15 15.6-inch is actually more suited for basic use as opposed to power use. It comes with a lower-tier A6-7310 Quad-Core processor and 4GB of RAM, both of which put up a respectable performance for basic tasks, but heavy multitaskers and those looking to run resource heavy applications should look elsewhere.

It is suitable for multimedia purposes such as video streaming, photo viewing [even some basic photo editing perhaps], and word processing, and the AMD Radeon R4 Graphics will even allow it to play some of the older classics pretty well. It comes with a sufficient amount of storage space of 500GB, but the mechanical hard drive will make boot up times and applications loading times are slow when compared to the loading times of the modern SSDs. The battery life is terrible to the say the least, lasting only around 3 hours, meaning that you will need to lug around a power cable if you intend on using it outside of your home or office. The 15.6-inch LED display is 1366 X 768, meaning it is only 720p, but most seem happy with the display.

Specs

Laptops Under $300 Honorable Mentions

ASUS VivoBook E403NA-US04 14-inch

We are happy to see an affordable portable Windows laptop in a market that is dominated by Chromebooks at this price point. The ASUS E403NA has a sleek, brushed-aluminium lid that is common on pricier laptops and the keyboard deck has a solid plastic construction. It weighs in at 3.18 pounds and it has a thickness of a mere 0.7-inches. The fact that the display is Full-HD is something that ASUS can boast about, but it is a TN panel that is rather unimpressive: the colors are washed out, the viewing angles are average and it is quite dim. It has a quality keyboard and touchpad, but the touchpad is said to be slightly slippery according to Laptop Mag.

However, they do go on to say that the it does respond well to multi-touch gestures. The laptop offers a fairly standard budget performance. It is sluggish, but handles the essential tasks well. It comes with the underpowered Intel Celeron N3350 processor and 4GB of RAM. You will be able to edit documents in Word or Google docs, email, stream movies, view photos or browse the Internet fairly comfortably, but you wont be able to go wild with multitasking. It has an all day battery life of around 12 hours [if used moderately of course] according to ASUS, so you can happily take your laptop with you wherever you go. The 64GB eMMC drive is fast, but you wont have much rooms for large files, but cloud storage services such as Google Drive arent solely reserved for Chromebooks, so be sure to make it use of it.

Specs

Laptops Under $300 Buying Tips

The most important factor to consider when buying a laptop is what you intend to use it for. Do you want to use it for office work? Are you a work-at-home pro who uses the laptop mostly to scour the internet for jobs and communicate with clients? Or a college student who wants his notes and assignment to be in one place? Regardless of the task, theres something here to fit your needs.

For students

Students are more or less all-round users. While they primarily use their laptops for downloading and uploading notes and tests, they also spare some time to watch movies, listen to music and even play a few games. While you may not need a 1TB laptop, you need to consider the need for space to store your movies and notes. If you are studying anything requiring your PC for work applications such as video or graphic editing then you to check the requirements for these programs beforehand. Luckily for most students a $300 laptop will do just fine.

For office and other general purpose tasks

For people who work from their laptops and do a lot of business over these devices, what matters most is reliability. The last thing you expect is a laptop that will freeze up when youre in the middle of a conversation with a potential client. Portability is also a big concern especially if you intend to take your laptop with to meetings. In terms of a general office laptop, a 15.6-inch laptop with 4GB of RAM and excellent Wi-Fi are recommended. Many of our other best laptop guides cover laptops in higher price brackets that may be better suited to business applications, although a cheap 13-inch laptop or 2-in-1 specifically for taking notes at client meetings is also not a bad idea.

For gamers

Gamers need powerful laptops with high processing power and significant memory [both RAM and HDD]. You may also want to pick a laptop with high graphics and reliable battery life otherwise you may have to play while the laptop is plugged into the power supply. For a great laptop that wont let you down when trying to play the games you love most youll probably want t to raise your budget to between $500 and $1,000, although we have also curated some uber budget gaming laptops in our guide to gaming laptops under $300if you are comfortable only playing older games.

That marks the end of our list of the top laptops under $300 for now. If you are still unsure after reading all of your options here be sure to checkout our other guides to cheap laptops which cover various budgets and models for the savvy consumer and be sure to check back for updates soon.

More Cheap Laptops >>