We break down all of the best Cyber Monday Chromebook deals
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While phones and tablets might get the bulk of the attention when it comes toBlack Friday deals, Chromebook deals can get downright chaotic onCyber Monday. Starting at prices like $80 — we’ve even seen $50 in the past — Chromebook sales can be so sweet, but you’ll have to pay extra attention to avoid “deals” that are really just what a 2019 Chromebook should cost at three years old.
Designed primarily for education and enterprise, thebest Chromebooksare durable, dependable, and made to last. And now that even budget models are getting 6-9 years of system updates, Chromebooks are better investments than ever before. Although most of you probably know Chromebooks as cheap laptops that schools issue to your kids for homework, there are plenty of mid-range and premium models as well, like the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook and the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (neither of which is currently discounted, sorry).
Best Overall
Both the Intel Celeron and Mediatek-powered versions of the Flex 3 were down to $99 for Black Friday, but only the Intel model is still on sale this Cyber Monday. The Celeron N4020 isn’t a barn-burner for performance, but the battery will go the whole school day and then some. I’ve used the Flex 3 before for researching and writing while people-watching and waiting for fireworks t Epcot.
Sequel to the uber-popular Spin 713, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is powerful enough for power users, but for Cyber Monday, it’s down to its lowest price yet. With a gorgeous 14-inch touchscreen, 12th Gen Intel Core i5, and plenty of RAM and storage, this Chromebook is premium on the outside and the inside without going absolutely insane with its prices like the HP Elite Dragonfly.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2, even on sale this Cyber Monday, is still too overpriced, but the newest incarnation, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is down to a reasonable price this holiday weekend. This 12.4-inch screen is 2560 x 1600 pixels and while the Celeron N4500 is a more modest processor, for content consumption and normal day-to-day browsing, this is a great Chromebook for a stellar price.
Lenovo’s sequel to the original Lenovo Duet Chromebook gives us a more premium build quality while maintaining a wonderful casual computing experience. It comes with the keyboard and kickstand in the box, unlike some other “productivity” tablets out there. Best Buy’s got the 4GB RAM version down to $199, but Lenovo’s got the 8GB RAM model down to $310, and that extra memory will be invaluable when multitasking or playing any games.
Acer Chromebooks
If you’re looking for a new primary laptop this holiday weekend — or a new Chromebook that you’re able to trust to work for your high schooler through to college — the Spin 714 is powerful, portable, and wonderfully priced this weekend at its lowest price to date.
Acer’s has been heavily discounting most of its current (and last gen) Chromebooks this entire Fall, leading to some of its best Chromebooks selling out before Black Friday. As a result, there are limited Acer deals to find today, but we’re hoping that more deals will pop up on Cyber Monday. The models to watch for this year are the Acer Chromebook Spin 714, Spin 514, Spin 513, and Spin 311. The Black Friday deals on the Acer 314, 317, and Spin 514 have all expired, but the Spin 714 finally went back on sale, and I’ll take that trade any day.
When watching Chromebook deals, most of the budget-minded Acer models have 2-4 generations of laptops under them, so you’ll need to pay attention to the model numbers. For the Spin 513, the CP513-1H is a lower-powered (yet battery-beast) Qualcomm laptop, while the 2H uses a Mediatek Kompanio chipset and sports a much better screen. For the Spin 311, CP311-2H models are older but have more USB-A ports. The CP311-3H models have fewer ports but will get system and security, and there are also a few R7 models. Although most R7s are too old to bother with, the R722T and R721T could be interesting at the right price.
ASUS Chromebooks
This is a big laptop, but that just means you have room for a number pad on the keyboard, up-firing speakers, and a 16:10 16-inch screen that’s great for split-screening your work and some Twitch streams. Grabbing this for $250 off is great, especially considering this Chromebook will see Chrome OS systems and security updates until June 2030.
ASUS’s Chromebook lineup ended up a bit more sparse this Black Friday. Like Acer, ASUS Chromebooks have basically been on clearance for three months — but unlike Acer, not as many newer ASUS laptops have been on sale. We were hoping for some deals on the outgoing ASUS Chromebook CX9, but all we’ve seen are discounts on the terribly outdated CX1 line. Please steer clear of any CX1 model powered by the Intel Celeron N3350; that budget chip may have been fine for Chromebooks in 2018, but it’s 2022 and that processor just isn’t enough anymore.
HP Chromebooks
The HP x360 14c is powerful while still being on the larger edge of portable, combining 11th Gen Intel Core processors with the 2-in-1 form factor. The 14c’s screen isn’t quite as bright as Lenovo or Acer, but it’s still a 14-inch touchscreen that’s easy to interact through when you get bored with the touchpad. HP’s slashed prices on the customizable version so you can bring home exactly the Chromebook you want.
Chromebooks are best when they’re drop-dead simple, and it doesn’t get any simpler than the HP Chromebook 11a (11a-na0xxx series). The HP 11a’s MediaTek 8183 may not be the most powerful processor on the block, but it’s one we know works well for Chrome OS for homework, casual browsing, and even light to medium workloads, so long as you don’t go tab-crazy. A sturdy body helps it weather the daily wear and tear of modern living, and the touchscreen allows for better interaction with Android apps and many websites. While this model from 2020 does see frequent discounts, it’s also prone to selling out at the drop of a hat, so grab it while it’s still in stock. $130 for a laptop that can last you through June 2028 is quite the bargain.
Slim, beautiful, and powerful. The first Chromebook to bear HP’s Dragonfly name can come with up to an Intel i7 processor, up to 32GB of RAM, and a beautiful 13.5-inch touchscreen that can either be 2K resolution or 1000 nits brightness. It’s the best damn Chromebook money can buy, but you’ll want to wait until it’s on sale like it is right now. The ready-to-ship models all have minor discounts in the $60-$80 range, but the customizable model that you can configure however you want is about 35% off if you’re wanting to get your Ultrabook just right.
HP’s most premium Chromebook ever is finally seeing discounts that might finally bring the customizable model down to a stomachable price. The HP Elite Dragonfly usually starts at around $1,200, but the ready-to-ship models are down to as low as $1,089, while the customizable model’s lowest price is now $1,275 (instead of $1,961) and goes up depending on the options you select.
On the budget end, Walmart had one of the many non-touchscreen HP Chromebook 11 models down to $79, but that has expired. Thankfully there’s an HP Chromebook 11a touchscreen model down to $170 at HP. Mid-range 14-inch models are also seeing some deals, especially at Best Buy, but the selection is still rather slim, even for Black Friday weekend.
Lenovo Chromebooks
This is one of the best Chromebooks on the market because it gives an excellent blend of power, performance, and practicality. You have an 11th Gen i3 and 8GB of RAM to keep your schoolwork going even during video calls. It also has 128GB of storage, so it’s possible to download tons of Hulu or HBO Max shows before taking that cross-country trip for the holidays. It was $270 on Black Friday, but that deal is sold out, and it’s up to $330 right now.
Lenovo’s sequel to the original Lenovo Duet Chromebook gives us a more premium build quality while maintaining a wonderful casual computing experience. It comes with the keyboard and kickstand in the box, unlike some other “productivity” tablets out there, and while it was $250 at one point earlier this month, it is a complete steal at $199. The 8GB RAM model is $310, but 8GB of RAM will give you breathing room for games and intense online retail therapy.
This is the first major discount on Lenovo’s first gaming Chromebook. It’s still a bit above most budgets, but if you’re a power user and want a Chromebook that can keep up with you, this is the one. While I wish it had a touchscreen, it’s a sweet 2560 x 1600-pixel 2K+ resolution and a full keyboard with a number pad, excellently backlit in RGB because who doesn’t deserve to type in the rainbow? I know I do. You also get 256GB of storage, which, admittedly, you’ll fill up semi-quickly downloading games on Steam for Chrome OS.
Lenovo Chromebooks make up a good third of our Best Chromebooks list because their laptops are consistent and capable. From budget models like the Flex 3 to mid-range Chromebooks like the Flex 5i — and regular Lenovo Chromebook 5i to more rugged and Enterprise-grade ThinkPad Yoga Chromebooks — deals on these laptops are like playing whack-a-mole. They pop up in clusters, sometimes a few or sometimes a lot, and then they vanish quickly, only to reappear within weeks (if not days). If you want a Chromebook for your primary computer, look at the Flex 5i or Chromebook 5i, as both are well-powered and better-priced than most competitors. Just make sure to grab the version with Intel Core processors, not Celeron or Pentium.
If you’ve been wanting to try out a Chromebook, the $99 Flex 3 is okay, but you’d be much better served with the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3. It’s an ideal couch companion or backup device that will let you explore the capabilities of Chromebooks for work and play. And, if your primary computer breaks, the quality of the Duet 3 is high enough to use for a week or two while waiting for your new PC to arrive.
Samsung Chromebooks
The newest incarnation, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360, is down to a reasonable price this holiday weekend. This 12.4-inch screen is 2560 x 1600 pixels, and while the Celeron N4500 is a more modest processor for content consumption and normal day-to-day browsing, this is a great Chromebook for a stellar price.
Before we get to its more premium fare, I’d like to start by saying that the Samsung Chromebook 4 and 4+ have been “on sale” for $150 or below for the last three Black Fridays, and they are not worth it. Lenovo and Acer have touchscreen models for the same or lower prices with higher durability and longevity.
Moving on to the Galaxy Chromebook series. The original Galaxy Chromebook seems to have finally sold out once and for all, but the Galaxy Chromebook 2 isn’t seeing the discounts we need to recommend it fully. It has a great screen, and premium build quality — Fiesta Red looks delicious — but the Celeron model is $450, and the Core i3 model is $700. Wait until the Celeron model drops to $330 or below and the Intel model hits $550 or less. That hasn’t happened for either one yet, but the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 has hit $310-$330 and offers up a great screen in a slightly more portable size.
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