Best budget lightweight laptop 2023


A silver laptop with a black screen and keys sat on a light wood desk.
Credit: Kari Shea

The best budget lightweight laptop will tend to offer the versatility needed for everyday tasks, mirroring the capabilities of a PC while being effortlessly portable and, by being budget-friendly, relatively cheap to buy as well.

Unlike the best gaming laptops though, lightweight devices often come at the expense of raw power. As a result, you'll often find the most powerful laptops on the market to be much bulkier than these lightweight alternatives.

Nonetheless, a top-tier lightweight laptop can be a valuable companion for your needs. As long as you are well-informed about what to expect, you'll find them to be a practical choice.

So, to help you in your search, we've evaluated various options, considering reviews, technical specifications, and price, of course, and compiled a comprehensive list of the best lightweight laptops available right now. Here are our top picks...

Best budget lightweight laptops

  1. Acer Chromebook 311
  2. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
  3. HP 14-dq0030nr
  4. ASUS Chromebook Flip C433
  5. Microsoft Surface Go 2
Acer Chromebook 311 product image of a silver laptop with a black keyboard and a mountain scene on the display.
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Credit: Acer

1. Acer Chromebook 311

Best Chromebook budget lightweight laptop

Weight: 2.2lbs - Storage space: 32GB - RAM: 4GB - Processor: MediaTek MT8183C Octa-Core - Display size: 11.6 inches - Resolution: 1366 x 768 p

As mentioned previously, Chromebooks count as some of the best easily affordable lightweight laptops around, and this Acer Chromebook 311 seems like a particularly good option to go for.

It looks nice and sleek with a thin body, and because it’s a Chromebook, it means you can set it up using your Google account (if you have one).

Similar to setting up a MacBook using an already existing Apple ID, this should make life easier for you, as any information you had on your Google account should automatically be transferred onto the laptop and can be accessed immediately once you’ve signed in.

In terms of specs, the Chromebook 311 has a 32GB eMMC hard disk, meaning it comes with a fairly decent amount of storage space. Therefore, you should be able to use it for saving work documents and information, as well as for casual gaming.

Read More: Best budget laptops for graphic design

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 product image of a black lightweight laptop.
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Credit: Lenovo

2. Lenovo IdeaPad 3

Best budget lightweight laptop for travel

Weight: 2.42lbs - Storage space: 32GB - RAM: 4GB - Processor: 1.8GHz Intel Celeron - Display size: 11.6 inches - Resolution: 1366 x 768p

If you’re after a laptop that is small, lightweight, and easy to carry around with you - for example, if your work requires you to travel a lot - then getting the 11-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop should work out very well for you.

Because it’s a Chromebook laptop, it’s extremely useful if you already have a Google account. This is because all you should need to do when initially setting up your laptop is log into your existing Google account, and then you can be instantly ready to go with all of your information saved on it.

With 32GB of storage, a 720p webcam, and a 1.80 GHz Intel Celeron Processor, the IdeaPad 3 should have enough capabilities to be good enough to use for your work, or even to play basic games if that’s one of your hobbies.

It also has up to 10 hours of battery life after a full charge, so you shouldn’t have to worry about it failing on you when you’re using it on the go.

Read more: Best laptops for illustrators

HP 14-dq0030nr product image of a silver and black laptop with a night sky over a lake on the display.
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Credit: HP

3. HP 14-dq0030nr

Best 14-inch budget lightweight laptop

Weight: 3.24lbs - Storage space: 64GB - RAM: 4GB - Processor: Intel Celeron N4020 - Display size: 14 inches - Resolution: 1366 x 768p

At 14 inches, the HP 14-dq0030nr is on the bigger side compared to most of the other laptops on our list. Despite the larger screen size, though, it’s still fairly light and should be easy to carry around with you where necessary.

The slightly larger screen size will give you a better viewing experience than, say, an 11 or 12-inch laptop. This means that if you’re into playing games, it should allow for a little more immersion, too.

Another added bonus when it comes to the viewing experience is that it has Intel UHD Graphics 600, which means, despite the technical difference between UHD and 4K resolutions, you should be able to stream 4K content on it.

With a 64GB hard disk and 4GB of RAM, this HP device should have enough capacity to allow you to download basic games. Plus, if you’d simply like to use it for work, there should be more than enough space to store your documents and files on it.

Read more: Best gaming laptops under 300

ASUS Chromebook Flip C433 product image of a grey laptop folded in multiple positions.
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Credit: ASUS

4. ASUS Chromebook Flip C433

Best touchscreen budget lightweight laptop

Weight: 3.31lbs - Storage space: 64GB - RAM: 8GB - Processor: Intel Core m3-8100Y - Display size: 14 inches - Resolution: 1920 x 1080p

The ASUS Chromebook Flip has a 14-inch touchscreen, so if you’re someone who finds it easier to control a laptop simply by pressing on the screen rather than using the touchpad or one of the best wireless mice, then this might be a good option for you.

The device actually acts as a 2-in-1 laptop and tablet, as it can be flipped (hence the name) into either a tent, stand, or tablet mode because of its 360-degree hinge.

Because it comes with 62GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, it should be a fairly powerful laptop that you can run low-capacity games on, such as Fortnite.

If you want to use the Chromebook Flip for work, though, it should have the capability to store everything you need on it, and it should still be quite easy to transport around with you if you need to travel for your job.

Read more: Best budget laptops

Microsoft Surface Go 2 product image of a black and dark grey tablet-style laptop.
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Credit: Microsoft

5. Microsoft Surface Go 2

Best 2-in-1 budget lightweight laptop

Weight: 1.2lbs - Storage space: 64GB - RAM: 4GB - Processor: 1.7 GHz core_i9_7740x - Display size: 10.5 inches - Resolution: 1920 x 1280p

Acting as a 2-in-1 laptop and tablet, the Microsoft Surface Go 2 is easily convertible and can be used however you please.

It’s the most lightweight option on our list, weighing only 1.2 pounds, which means it should be very convenient if you’re always on the go and want to take it with you.

You can use the Surface Go 2 for certain hobbies, such as writing or drawing, or you can even use it for basic work purposes, such as creating presentations or checking and replying to emails.

It can also be a good choice if you primarily want it for your kids, as with 64GB it has plenty of storage on it for downloading photos, YouTube videos or basic games on it. And, for peace of mind, it has parent-managed screen time limits, spending control, and content filtering on it.

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Frequently asked questions

Don't worry if you've got any questions. We've answered some of the most frequently asked queries below.

How much should a lightweight laptop weigh?

Any laptop that weighs 1.5kg or under usually counts as being ‘lightweight’ and should be easy enough to carry and transport around with you.

However, the very lightest laptops available on the market today tend to weigh even less than that, at under 1kg.

How much should I spend on a budget laptop?

What actually counts as a 'budget' for a laptop may well vary from person to person. We'd say that, generally, any laptop under $500 or $600 is a decent price.

Picking anything within that price range should ensure you still get a good device with a decent amount of storage space and RAM.

How much does a 14-inch laptop weigh?

Usually, a 14-inch laptop should weigh somewhere between 1.5kg and 2kg. Generally speaking, a laptop tends to weigh more if it has a larger screen size, due to the amount of material needed to construct it.


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