Best Chromebooks (2026): Most Are Bad, but These Aren’t

Is there a good case to be made for a Chromebook in 2026? In my mind, there are two primary reasons. The first is if you need a laptop under $500 that isn’t awful. If that’s your budget for a new laptop, whether for yourself or for a family member, you’re better off buying a Chromebook than an ancient Windows laptops or MacBook.

Things get fuzzier if you can afford to stretch a few hundred more dollars. All of a sudden, you have to compare against heavy hitters in the world of budget laptops like the MacBook Neo or Dell 14 Plus. Not only do these laptops tend to have better specs, they also have a more open software platform that far less limiting than Chrome OS. But if you’re willing to be honest about your needs, I think you’ll find that even a more expensive Chromebook could be the best option for you—and I know just the one.

There’s no Chromebook quite like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14. Not since the days of the original Pixelbook has a piece of Chrome OS hardware come along that so wanted you to believe in the platform. The laptop chassis feels immaculately designed, and both the keyboard and touchpad are a joy to use. Also, for what is often sold for $649, you’re getting a laptop with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, which I would gladly take over the $699 MacBook Neo. That laptop has twice as much storage but is stuck with only 8 GB of RAM.

Battery life is also really strong, which is an area that Chromebooks used to lead in. But with all the advances in efficiency on competitive laptops lately, Chromebooks had fallen behind. Thanks to its ARM-based MediaTek processor, the Lenovo Chromebook 14 Plus closes the gap. For those who are skeptical just by seeing the name MediaTek, you should know that performance is really solid here too. This is, by far, the most impressive chip you can get on a Chromebook. But you’ll be paying extra for all that. The retail price is $749, and even though it frequently is discounted to $649, that’s still considerably more than most people are willing to pay for a Chromebook.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is a close second to the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14. It’s right around the same thickness and size, and also comes with the identical MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 processor. It has a great keyboard and touchpad, and the screen is vibrant and bright. That’s table stakes. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 14 differs from its rival in two important ways. The review unit I tested originally had a higher resolution, which I thought really made the laptop feel premium. I even preferred it over the OLED screen of the Lenovo model. However, I can’t find the model available to purchase online right now though, leaving just this more basic version of the laptop—this one that comes in at a cheaper price. It’s not a bad tradeoff, though, as you still get a faster, well-made, and long-lasting Chromebook.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 also swerves by being a 2-in-1 laptop, which just means it comes with a 360-degree hinge and a touchscreen. You can flip it entirely around into tent mode or even pretend to use it as an oversized tablet if you really need to. Personally, I don’t find 2-in-1 functionality all that useful and I don’t like the stiffer hinges they have to use. But I’ll always take a touchscreen over not. Beyond that, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 really pulls off its all-white aesthetic (although I can only find the silver model for sale right now). It’s a gorgeous little laptop. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 also comes with an extra USB-A port over the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14.

As popular as they are, cheap Chromebooks suffer from a lot of the same problems that budget Windows laptops do. The quality of the display and touchpad tend to suffer, as it’s an easy place to compromise without indicating it on a spec sheet. No Chromebook I’ve tested that lands under $500 avoids both of these pitfalls—after all, these are very cheap computers.

I was delighted to see that the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 didn’t skimp on a crappy touchpad. That goes a long way toward improving the experiencing of actually using the laptop on a moment-by-moment basis. I wasn’t annoyed every time I had to click-and-drag or select a bit of text. This one’s biggest weakness is definitely the screen, which is true of just about every cheap Chromebook I’ve tested. The colors are ugly and desaturated, giving the whole thing a sickly green tint. It’s also not the sharpest in the world, as it’s stretching 1920 x 1200 pixels across a large, 16-inch screen. But in terms of usability and performance, the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 is a great value, combining an Intel Core i3 processor with 8 GB of RAM and a 128 GB of storage. For a Chromebook that’s often on sale for $350, it’s a steal.

While we’re here, let’s go even cheaper, shall we? Asus has two dirt-cheap Chromebooks that I tested last year that I was mildly impressed by. The Asus Chromebook CX14 and CX15. Notice in the name that these are not “Chromebook Plus” models, meaning they can be configured with less RAM and storage, and even use lower-powered processors. That’s exactly what you get on the cheaper configurations of the CX14 and CX15, which is how you sometimes get prices down to as low as $130. I definitely recommend the version with 8 GB of RAM, but regardless of which you choose, the both the CX14 and larger CX15 are mildly attractive laptops. You’d know that’s a big compliment if you’ve seen just how ugly Chromebooks of this price have been in the past.

With these, though, I appreciate the relatively thin bezels and chassis thickness, as well as the larger touchpad and comfortable keyboard. The CX15 even comes in a striking blue color. The touchpad isn’t great, nor is the display. Like the Acer Chromebook Plus 516, it suffers from poor color reproduction and only goes up to 250 nits of brightness. It only has a 720p webcam too, which makes video calls a bit rough. But that’s going to be true of nearly all the competition (and there isn’t much).

Of the two models, I definitely prefer the CX14 though, as it doesn’t have a numberpad and off-center touchpad, which I’ve always found to be awkward to use. Look—no one’s going to love using a computer that costs the less than $200, but if it’s what you can afford, the Asus Chromebook CX14 will at least get you by without too much frustration.

Whatever you do, don’t just head over to Amazon and buy whatever ancient Chromebook is selling for $100 for your kid. It’s worth the extra cash to get something with better battery life, a more modern look, and decent performance.

We’ve tested dozens and dozens of Chromebooks over the past years, having reviewed every major release across the spectrum of price. Unlike Macs and Windows laptops, Chromebooks tends to stick around a bit longer though, and aren’t refreshed as often. I stand by my picks above, but here are a few standouts from our testing that are still worth buying for the right person.

Photograph: Daniel Thorp-Lancaster

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 for $750: Acer’s Chromebook Spin line has made a name for itself over the years, and its latest entry, the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (9/10, WIRED Recommends), keeps that reputation alive. For $699 (or less if you find it on sale), Acer packs a surprising amount of power into this laptop thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 5 115 processor. It showcased breezy performance in my testing, and the chip’s dedicated AI processing power is a perfect complement to the AI features Google is sprinkling into ChromeOS. It’s a bit too expensive compared to some newer Chromebook Plus models.—Daniel Thorp-Lancaster

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus for $550: In many ways, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is the successor to this Chromebook, which came out a year earlier. It was one of the first Chromebook Plus models, and it remains a decent option with solid specs. However, I’d opt for the better battery life and performance of Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, while still getting the 2-in-1 functionality.

Asus Chromebook CX34 for $499: Chromebooks don’t tend to be lookers, but Asus breaks tradition with the Chromebook Plus CX34 (7/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s wrapped in a gorgeous white shell that, while plastic, felt durable in my testing. I’ve reviewed many bland, gray Chromebooks, and I found myself reaching for the CX34 more because of its attractive design. The hardware in the CX34 is typical for a Chromebook Plus, and it felt responsive even when I had my usual complement of more than a dozen tabs and a handful of apps running. Unfortunately, this model doesn’t come with a backlit keyboard, and its 14-inch, 16:9 display feels cramped compared to other Chromebooks I’ve used with taller 16:10 screens. If you can look past those shortcomings, though, the CX34 is a solid little workhorse that stands out.—Daniel Thorp-Lancaster

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 for $400: If you want a snappy laptop but don’t want to spend the extra cheddar on some of our other top picks, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) will do the job. It’s not stylish, but it keeps the price low by sticking to the basics. Inside is an Intel Core i3-1215U processor, which handles ChromeOS and up to 20 open tabs with ease. Battery life is also good enough to get you through a workday, and it handled 8.5 hours of full-screen video before calling it quits in our testing. The 15-inch 1920 x 1080-pixel screen is nothing to write home about, but it’s crisp and won’t strain your eyes.—Daniel Thorp-Lancaster

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