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With coronavirus keeping many of us homebound, there’s a dramatic increase in the demand for laptops, especially affordable ones for students and those of us working from home. This has caused massive stock shortages for popular models of various Chromebooks, but we think there are still a few solid picks available that you can get in the $200-300 range.
All of the models we’ve selected are fast enough to handle at least a few Chrome tabs and applications running at once, and most of them have large 14/15-inch screens. We have a dedicated guide for the best Chromebooks overall, but this list is solely focused on budget options with large screens that are actually in stock right now.
Asus Chromebook C523: $280
We’ll be honest, the Asus C523 is not the best value by a long shot, but it’s one of the handful of models currently in stock at a major retailer. It has a low-resolution non-touch 1366×768 display, an Intel Celeron N3350 processor, 4GB RAM, and 32GB of internal storage. On the bright side, the screen is 15.6 inches across, so you at least get plenty of room for multitasking.
As of the time of writing, the Asus C523 is only available from B&H Photo. Google says it will receive Chrome OS updates until June 2024.
Samsung Chromebook 4: $230
While the Samsung Chromebook 4+ is sold out, the smaller (and cheaper) model is still available. It has an 11-inch 1366×768 screen, so while it’s not as great for productivity work as the larger 14-15″ models in this list, the greater portability might make it a better option for some children.
Other specifications include an Intel Celeron N400 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of eMMC storage, a built-in 720p webcam, and both USB Type-A and USB Type-C ports. It will receive Chrome OS updates until June 2026.
If you’re enrolled in a school or university, you may be able to sign up for Samsung’s educational discount, which drops the total price of the Chromebook 4+ on Samsung’s online store to just $254.99.
