

Best Laptops Under £300
On a budget? Here are the best laptops to buy for under £300.
Looking to buy one of the best laptops under £300? Finding a budget student laptop can be tricky, especially with tons to choose from and all the tech jargon that comes with it.
We’ve made things easier by recommending the best laptops for students under £300, including a ton of brands, features and various price points under £300 to suit all budgets.
Jump to:
- Best laptops for £300
- 14-inch laptops under £300
- Best 15.6-inch laptop options for £300
- Best sub-£300 Windows laptops for students
- Best Apple laptops for £300 or less
- Best Chromebook options
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Best laptops under £300
Lenovo Chromebook Duet — £199.95

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is the most affordable Chromebooks for students in 2022. The portable 2-in-1 laptop offers a detachable keyboard and kickstand cover, as well as long battery life lasting 11+ hours. Perfect for those long days at college or university.
The Duet contains a MediaTek Helio P60T processor, 4GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of storage. It’s the perfect laptop for those who simply need it for browsing and Microsoft work. When detached from its keyboard, you can enjoy it’s Andoird-like user interface and switch between apps very easily.
What’s in the box
- 1 x Lenovo Duet Chromebook
- 1 x USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter.
Technical specs
- Operating system: Chromebook OS
- RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4X
- Processor: MTK P60T Processor (2.00 GHz )
- Storage: 64 GB eMCP
- Screen resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080p
- Screen size: 10.1-inch
- Screen type: IPS LCD
- Touch screen?: Yes
- WiFi?: AC WiFi – 2×2
- Ethernet: No
- Battery life: 11 hours
- Battery type: 2-cell Lithium-polymer
- Disc drive: No
- Memory card reader: No
- HDMI: No
- Audio connections: Dual speakers with Smart amp
- Webcam: 2MP front camera and an 8MP rear camera
- Colour: Ice blue & iron grey
Pros
- 11 hours battery life
- Tablet mode
Cons
- Small keyboard
Best 14-inch laptops under £300
HP 14S-FQ0017NA Laptop — £249.95

Need long-lasting battery life on a budget and a cool looking laptop overall? The HP 145-FQ0017NA is one of the smallest laptops that provides a great appearance and power on a budget. It’s ultra thin with a micro-edge display that gives you lots to look at with more screen in a smaller frame. Plus, it’s equipped with the latest AMD 3020e processor and super responsive touchpad to help you surf the web and research what you need in a flash.
Save as much as you need with their expansive storage including photos, videos and documents. more of what you love with abundant storage for all your photos, videos and documents.
What’s in the box
- 1 x HP 14S-FQ0017NA Laptop
- 1 x Charging cable
Technical specs
- Operating system: Windows 11
- RAM: 4 GB RAM
- Processor: AMD 3020e
- Storage: 64 GB SSD
- Screen resolution: FHD 1366 x 768
- Screen size: 14-inch
- Screen type: LCD
- Touch screen?: No
- WiFi?: Yes
- Ethernet: No
- Battery life: 9 hours and 30 minutes
- Battery type: Lithium-ion
- Disc drive: None
- Memory card reader: Yes
- HDMI: 1
- Audio connections: Built-in audio sound system and mic
- Webcam: HD 720p webcam
- Colour: Black and silver
Pros
- Backlit screen
- Decent battery life
Cons
- Loud clickpad
ASUS E410MA Laptop — £199

This ASUS laptop packs a real punch, It’s equipped with Windows 10 Home, an Intel Celeron processor and up to 128GB of storage. All in all, it’s well made to achieve your study goals.
It’s lightweight and also comes with a ton of ports too. There are two USB-A slots (2.0 and 3.2), a USB-C slot (3.2), a DCIN slot for charging, a headphone jack, a HDMI port and a microSD card reader. The latter is great to have if you need to load up photos and videos for personal use or an assignment.
What’s in the box
- 1 x ASUS E410MA laptop
- 1 x adapter
Technical specs
- Operating system: Windows 10 Home
- RAM: 4GB
- Processor: Intel Celeron
- Storage: 128GB Storage
- Screen resolution: 1366 x 768
- Screen size: 14-inches
- Screen type: LED
- Touch screen?: No
- WiFi?: Yes
- Ethernet: No
- Battery life: 13 hours
- Battery type: Lithium-ion
- Disc drive: No
- Memory card reader: Yes
- HDMI: 1
- Audio connections: Integrated mic & stereo speaker
- Webcam: 720p webcam
- Colour: Blue
Pros
- long battery life
- Lightweight
Cons
- NumberPad may be annoying for some
Best 15.6-inch laptops for students under £300
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Laptop — £289

This is a budget Windows laptop designed for students. Although made of plastic, it’s well built, thin and light to carry. It has a 1080p IPS display which is still fairly sharp for its price point and makes the 15.6-inch monitor look great. Its Intel CPU (no matter which one you pick) and integrated graphics will do a great job at handling web browsing, streaming and productivity applications all at once. But it’s not quite powerful if you’re on an animation or design course.
If you don’t plan on taking it out with you much then that’s probably a good thing. It can barely last 8 hours, so it’s best to pack your charger if you do head out with it.
What’s in the box
- 1 x Dell Inspiron 15 3000 15.6″ Laptop
- 1 x Power adapter
- 1 x Documentation.
Technical specs
- Operating system: Windows 11 Home (S mode)
- RAM: 4GB, 1 x 4 GB, DDR4, 2400 MHz
- Processor: AMD Athlon™ Silver 3050U Mobile Processor
- Storage: 128 GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD
- Screen resolution: 1366 x 768
- Screen size: 15.6-inch
- Screen type: LED-Backlit
- Touch screen?:
- WiFi?: 802.11ac 1×1 WiFi and Bluetooth
- Ethernet: No
- Battery life: 8 hours
- Battery type: 3 Cell, 41 Wh, integrated
- Disc drive:
- Memory card reader:
- HDMI: 1
- Audio connections: Stereo speakers, 2 W x 2 = 4 W total
- Webcam: 720p at 30 fps HD camera
- Colour: Platinum silver
Pros
- Large FHD screen
- Comes with Windows 11
- Affordable.
Cons
- No USB-C ports
Best Windows laptops under £300 for students
IdeaPad 1 (14″ Intel) — £249

The IdeaPad 1 is one of the best windows laptops for students at a very affordable price. Great if you’re on a tight budget but need something to get your work done.
It comes with 4GB memory and 64GB of storage. These aren’t revolutionary and won’t be suitable for design students. However, it’s perfect for Microsoft applications, Google Drive, Docs and similar applications for note-taking. The AMD processor is on the lower end of the scale too, so bear this in mind when working with multiple software at once.
Its battery life is pretty decent and it also has webcam that’ll suffice for lectures and group work.
What’s in the box
- 1 x IdeaPad 1
- 1 x User guide.
Technical specs
- Operating system: Windows 11 Home
- RAM: 4 GB DDR4-2400MHz
- Processor: Intel® Celeron® N4020
- Storage: 64GB
- Screen resolution: 1366 x 768
- Screen size: 14-inch
- Screen type: LED Backlit anti-glare
- Touch screen?: Yes
- WiFi?: 11AC (1×1) & Bluetooth® 4.2
- Ethernet: No
- Battery life: 8 hours
- Battery type: 2 cell, 32Wh
- Disc drive: No
- Memory card reader: Yes
- HDMI: 1
- Audio connections: Built-in mic, Dolby sound system.
- Webcam: 0.3MP with Dual Array Microphone
- Colour: Platinum Grey
Pros
- Has an HDMI port
- Decent battery life
- Good display
Cons
- No USB-C ports
Best Apple laptops under £300 for students
Apple MacBook Pro

If you must insist on having an Apple MacBook, be prepared for many of them to pre-owned. A great example of a cheap MacBook for students has to be the Apple MacBook Pro A1502. It has an LED-backlit screen and a 720p FaceTime camera that sits above it. It’s a decent-quality camera for Zoom calls and lectures.
Its storage comes with 128GB which is a decent size for your uni projects, but its battery life of 7 hours is one to bear in mind if you’re taking it out for the day.
What’s in the box
Technical specs
- Operating system: macOS
- RAM: 4GB
- Processor: Intel Core i5
- Storage: 128GB
- Screen resolution:
- Screen size: 13.3-inches
- Screen type: LED Backlit
- Touch screen: No
- WiFi: Yes
- Ethernet: Gigabit ethernet
- Battery life: 7 hours
- Battery type: Lithium-ion
- Disc drive: None
- Memory card reader: SDXC card slot
- HDMI: None
- Audio connections: Unknown
- Webcam: 720p FaceTime HD webcam
- Colour: Silver
Pros
- Very fast
- Stays cool under heavy use
Cons
- Can be expensive if bought brand new
Check out our Apple student discounts
Best Chromebook laptops under £300 for students
HP Stream 14s-fq0020na — £219.98

This HP Stream laptop is one of the best HP laptops under £300. It has everything you need for a fraction of a typical laptop price.
It has 4GB RAM and a 64GB hard drive. When you combine the AMD CPU it makes the whole system super fast and responsive. Plus, it comes with Windows OS installed already! This laptop also charges really fast. In fact, you can get it to 50% in less than 45 minutes of charging time. Great if you need it charged in a hurry.
What’s in the box
- 1 x HP Stream 14s-fq0020na laptop
- 1 x AC adapter
- 1 x Power cord.
Technical specs
- Operating system: Windows 11 Home in S mode
- RAM: 4 GB DDR4-2400 MHz
- Processor: AMD 3020e
- Storage: 64 GB eMMC
- Screen resolution:
- Screen size: 14-inch
- Screen type: HD (1366 x 768)
- Touch screen?: No
- WiFi?: Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (1×1) Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® 4.2 combo
- Ethernet: No
- Battery life: 9 hours
- Battery type: Lithium-ion
- Disc drive: None
- Memory card reader: 1 multi-format SD media card reader
- HDMI: 1
- Audio connections: Dual speakers
- Webcam: HP True Vision 720p HD camera with integrated dual array digital microphones
- Colour: Mulberry burgundy
Pros
- Lots of ports
- Decent battery life
Cons
- Short charging cable
Check out our HP student discounts
And that concludes the best laptops under £300. We hope this has given you an idea of what you can get on a budget.
What is the best laptop to buy for under £250?
We’re huge fans of the HP 14S-FQ0014NA laptop which is priced at £189.99. It comes with an incredibly powerful AMD Athlon processor (you can pick from a huge range of AMD processors too), which gives you all the power to multitask, store big files and work on group presentations during your studies.
What is a Chromebook vs a laptop?
A Chromebook is a budget-friendly alternative to a Windows laptop or Apple MacBook. Chromebooks run using a Google operating system called Chrome OS. This means Windows and macOS programs don’t work on these devices.
What does this mean for applications? You won’t be able to run Microsoft Office or MacOS versions either. However, you can use Office 365 online and install Office web apps instead. Or you can simply use Google Docs, Sheets and more.
Is 4GB RAM enough for a laptop?
4GB of RAM is more than enough to use productivity applications like Microsoft Office and is perfect for a budget student laptop. You can even stream Netflix comfortably too.
However, if you’re a design student or want to game on your laptop, then you’ll need a laptop with at least 8GB RAM. Nonetheless, 4GB is more than enough for a laptop for its basic functions, completing assignments and running group projects.
Are Chromebooks worth it?
Do you complete all of your tasks on a web-based app like Google Docs? Then Chromebooks are definitely worth investing in. They’re intuitive and easy to use because they follow on from the Google Chrome browser application interface. In fact, Chromebooks are designed for students and business professionals! But the only downside is that you absolutely need an internet connection to make full use of one. So have a hotspot handy.
Want to save cash on laptops? Get these laptops for under £300 for even less when you sign up to Student Beans. Check out our other tech student deals too while you’re at it!