Best Laptops for Kids: Our Top Picks for Elementary School Through High School

So you're ready to buy a laptop for your child—but which laptop is best for kids? It depends on what you're looking for. From rugged but affordable laptops to more expensive personal computers for kids, these are the best options out there.

Best Basic Laptop for Elementary Age Kids: HP Stream 14 photo

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Best Basic Laptop for Elementary Age Kids: HP Stream 14

This 14-inch HP Stream laptop is perfect for younger kids because of its lightweight build, brightly colored cases (options are purple and blue) and affordable pricing. The HP Stream has a long-lasting battery and Windows operating system that make this great for homework and basic web browsing. ($219; walmart.com)

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Best Laptop for Middle Schoolers: Lenovo IdeaPad 330 photo

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Best Laptop for Middle Schoolers: Lenovo IdeaPad 330

The Lenovo IdeaPad also comes in a range of kid-friendly colors but has a mature feel thanks to the muted tones and sleek design. A special protective coating and rubber reinforcements make this a great computer for older kids who will be taking their laptops on-the-go for homework and group projects. The 15.6-inch IdeaPad 330 operates with Windows 10 and has DVD capabilities, which are getting harder to find in affordable laptops. ($250; amazon.com)

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Best MacBook for Kids: MacBook Air photo

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Best MacBook for Kids: MacBook Air

If you would prefer an Apple operating system, the 13.3-inch MacBook Air is a solid choice. It's the lowest-priced MacBook model, but it's still quite a bit pricier than some of the other children's laptops on our list. If you decide to make the investment, your MacBook will be able to sync up with your other Apple products for iCloud storage and functions like FaceTime and iMessage. The computer also comes with lots of preloaded apps exclusive to Apple, like Photobooth, iTunes, iMovie and more. The added cost means added quality — this model should last responsible older kids several years without much maintenance. ($899; apple.com)

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Best Multi-Use Laptop for Kids: Acer Spin photo

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Best Multi-Use Laptop for Kids: Acer Spin

The 11.6-inch Acer Spin operates on Windows 10 and comes with a one-year subscription to Office 365. The Spin has a 360-degree hinge that can be arranged four ways — traditional laptop, tent, tablet or display mode. Kids can also use this laptop computer to Skype, stream Netflix, browse the internet and more. It has up to 8 hours of battery life and weighs around three pounds. ($220; walmart.com)

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Best Touch Screen Laptop for Kids: ASUS Transformer Mini photo

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Best Touch Screen Laptop for Kids: ASUS Transformer Mini

This touch screen laptop can also be used as a tablet and has a super-thin, light build that makes toting it around in backpacks easy. Weighing under two pounds, the ASUS Transformer Mini laptop is surprisingly durable, thanks to its aluminum-alloy body. It has 12 hours of battery life, a 10.1-inch screen, comes with a stylus and operates on Windows. ($380; amazon.com)

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Best Affordable Laptop for Kids: Acer Chromebook 15 photo

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Best Affordable Laptop for Kids: Acer Chromebook 15

The Acer Chromebook 15 operates on Google Chrome OS, which may be unfamiliar to you — but thanks to Google's comprehensive operating system, there is everything your child needs, and then some. This Chromebook has a 15.6-inch screen, USB and Bluetooth capabilities and tons of built-in apps. Because Google's apps mostly live in the Cloud, internet connectivity is required to do most basic tasks on this laptop. ($200; target.com)

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Best Laptop for Busy Students: Microsoft Surface Go Bundle photo

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Best Laptop for Busy Students: Microsoft Surface Go Bundle

The Microsoft Surface Go is a 10-inch tablet and laptop, two-in-one. This bundle includes the Type Cover, which provides protection and makes hours of typing easy on this small, portable device. The bundle also includes Office 365, making this one of our favorite children's laptops for busy students. ($545; microsoft.com)

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Best Gaming Laptop: Acer Predator Helios 300 photo

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Best Gaming Laptop: Acer Predator Helios 300

Gaming laptops can be pretty expensive, and the Acer Predator Helios is no exception. It is, however, one of the best values for the capabilities. It has a 15.6-inch screen with a red backlit keyboard, dual cooling fans, a gaming control panel and a 3.8 GHz processor. If you're going to invest in a gaming laptop for your kid, this computer is a nice choice. ($1,099; amazon.com)

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