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The 4 Best Chromebooks of 2024

A good Chromebook can do almost anything that a regular laptop can do, and the best models can feel better to use than their similarly priced Windows counterparts.

After testing most of the Chromebooks released over the past 10 years and testing 25 models so far in 2024, we recommend the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. It’s an excellent laptop, with the best combination of features and price of all the Chromebooks we’ve tested, including fast performance, a spacious touchscreen, and long-enough battery life for a full day of work or classes.

Top pick

Reliable performance, a spacious touch display, and long-enough battery life for a full workday make this model the best Chromebook for the price. But it is a bit heavy.

Recommended configuration

Processor: Intel Core i3-1315U Screen: 14-inch 1920×1200 touch
Memory: 8 GB Weight: 3.6 pounds
Storage: 128 GB eMMC Tested battery life: 9.5 hours

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus has a reliable keyboard and trackpad, a tall touchscreen, and surprisingly good speakers. All of those features combined with the IdeaPad Flex 5i’s reasonable price make it the best Chromebook for most people’s needs. It has enough battery life to last a full day of work or classes, but not much longer, and we wish that it were lighter—at 3.6 pounds, it’s heavy for a 14-inch laptop.

Budget pick

This Asus model is a less expensive option that doesn’t sacrifice performance, but its non-touch display isn’t as tall, vibrant, or convenient as that of our top pick.

Recommended configuration

Processor: Intel Core i3-1215U Screen: 14-inch 1920×1080 non-touch
Memory: 8 GB Weight: 3.26 pounds
Storage: 128 GB or 256 GB UFS Tested battery life: 10 hours

The best cheap Chromebook—and the next-best option if our top pick is unavailable—is the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34. It’s just as fast as our top pick and can handle everyday workloads with ease, unlike many cheap Chromebooks, which feel slow with just a handful of tabs open. The CX34 also has a comfortable, backlit keyboard, battery life similar to that of our top pick, and a light, compact body. This model’s display is fine, but it lacks touch input, it’s not as tall, and its colors aren’t as vibrant as what you can get on our top pick.

Best for

This inexpensive model offers fast performance, a roomy 16-inch screen with a high refresh rate, and an RGB keyboard with a built-in number pad. But it’s huge and heavy.

Recommended configuration

Processor: Intel Core i3-1215U Screen: 16-inch 2560×1600 non-touch, 120 Hz
Memory: 8 GB Weight: 4.01 pounds
Storage: 128 GB eMMC Tested battery life: 10.5 hours*

*We tested the Core i5 model; we expect the Core i3 version to have slightly better battery life.

The best option if you want a big screen is the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16″. Photos and videos look great on its gigantic 16-inch display with a high refresh rate, and the RGB keyboard is a fun extra feature. But this 4-pound laptop is inconvenient to take to work, class, or even a coffee shop—it’s best used around the house. If you need a more portable Chromebook to commute or travel with, consider our other picks instead.

Upgrade pick

The ExpertBook is lighter and has longer battery life, a brighter display, and a crisper webcam than our top pick. But it’s more expensive, and it lacks a touchscreen.

Recommended configuration

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 5 125U Screen: 14-inch 2560×1600 non-touch
Memory: 8 GB Weight: 2.87 pounds
Storage: 128 GB SSD Tested battery life: 12 hours

If you want a more portable Chromebook that weighs less and offers longer battery life, as well as a brighter screen and a crisper-looking webcam, get the Asus ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus (CX5403CMA-DB588). It’s an excellent Chromebook with premium build quality, a reliable keyboard and trackpad, and a convenient fingerprint reader. But it costs several hundred dollars more than our top pick, and it lacks a touchscreen and a 360-degree hinge.

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