Best Chromebooks 2019: the top 10 Chrome OS laptops, ranked

Android Central's top-ranking Chromebook reviews ranked

The best Chromebooks of 2019 can provide a top-notch computing experience, perfect for students and anyone looking for a trouble-free laptop with long battery life. We've reviewed and rated the absolute best Chromebooks so that you can find the best value at any budget. Our buyer's guide will help you find the perfect Chrome OS laptop or tablet.

Best overall

Lenovo Chromebook C330

$250 from Amazon

Lenovo's diamond in the rough Chromebook is just right.

This zippy little Chromebook can last over 10 hours, won't weigh down your backpack during an all-day excursion, and with 64GB of storage, you won't run out of local space anytime soon.

Lenovo Chromebook C330 Features

Bright 11.6-inch touchscreen
True 10-hour battery life
Excellent performance for the price
4GB RAM, 64GB storage
Balanced weight and size
Bright, shimmery 2-in-1 design

The Lenovo Chromebook C330 balances size with productivity, style with substance, and panache with price because the best Chromebook is one that everyone can pick up and fall in love with. The screen is bright, the text is easy to read, and you can easily split-screen windows on this 11.6-inch screen without things being cramped. Homework to the left, YouTube to the right!

If you want a Chromebook you can carry without the bulky charger on a typical day, the Lenovo Chromebook C330 won't let you down. Even on max brightness, I've gotten over 6 hours of use on a single charge, and on the lower brightnesses I prefer, I've also pushed it to 12 hours of use before it begged for a charger.

Auto Update Expiration date: June 2022

Runner-up

ASUS Chromebook Flip C302CA-DHM4

$480 at Amazon

Premium package without a premium price tag

Like the idea of the C330 but want something a little more powerful and a little more refined? Meet the ASUS Chromebook Flip C302, an all-metal 2-in-1 touchscreen Chromebook with a larger screen and a beefier processor.

ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 Features

12.5-inch 1080p Gorilla Glass touchscreen
All-metal 2-in-1 construction
Intel Core m3 processor
4GB RAM, 64GB storage
Up to 10 hour battery life
Weighs 2.6 pounds

ASUS is one of the better Chromebook makers around, and the C302 has been a go-to for many enthusiasts when recommending a Chromebook that will go the distance and look good doing it. The base C302CA-DHM4 sports an Intel Core m3, and if you're feeling spendy you can spring for the pricier Intel Core m5 version, but the m3 should be enough for most folks.

With a 12.5-inch 1080p Gorilla Glass touchscreen and full-metal construction, this Chromebook looks good cranking through anything, whether a business presentation or an in-flight Hulu binge. The size is big enough to see everything with ease no matter your display zoom preferences but small enough to be still easily portable.

Auto Update Expiration date: November 2022

Best tablet

HP Chromebook X2

Winner as a tablet and a Chromebook

This powerful Chromebook does double-duty as a tablet — complete with a precision stylus — making the HP Chromebook X2 the perfect Chromebook for creators, consumers, and casual Android gamers alike.

HP Chromebook X2 Features

Vibrant 12.3-inch 3:2 2K touchscreen
Powerful m3 processor
Battery lasts up to 12 hours
4GB RAM, 32GB storage
First Chromebook detachable
Great for multitasking

We love the HP Chromebook X2's Intel Core m3 processor and 0.3-inch thickness, but its screen just runs away with the show. It's the very same 12.3-inch 2400x1600 IPS touch panel that you'll find on the Pixelbook or Samsung Chromebook Pro, and with a productivity-friendly 3:2 aspect ratio, this detachable is worth every penny of its premium price if you want to splurge.

This screen also supports active styluses, and the one included with the X2 is a beauty that makes you want to pull out a sketchbook app and get doodling, but there are still fewer apps to take advantage of that on Chromebooks than we'd like. This was the first Chrome detachable, and with the Pixel Slate still kind of a buggy mess, this is still the best Chrome tablet.

Auto Update Expiration date: June 2024

Best for professionals

ASUS Chromebook Flip C434

From $530 at Amazon

This portable powerhouse is light and compact enough to carry everywhere, with a full-sized, backlit keyboard that's a delight to type on and a 14-inch touchscreen that's great for multitasking and video-binges.

ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 Features

14-inch 1080p touchscreen
Backlit keyboard
Large trackpad
Super-thin bezels
Up to 10-hour battery life
Thin aluminum build

The Chromebook Flip C434 is essentially a 14-inch Chromebook in a 13-inch shell, offering you a bigger screen while still being portable. Between its thin, solid construction, excellent battery life, and options for higher RAM and storage, the C434 is a Chromebook that can do it all. One of the few Chromebooks to offer a backlit keyboard, it's perfect for long nights and dim offices.

Even though 4GB has been more than enough for my 20-tab sessions, the option for 8GB of RAM is welcome. I wish 128GB models were more widely available, but 64GB is more than enough to get by. Throw in a sleek aluminum body, and you get a 14-inch laptop that's only slightly longer than my 11.6-inch C330 daily driver and shines brightly thanks to its "Spangle Silver" finish.

Auto Update Expiration date: June 2024

Google's own

Google Pixelbook

$950 at Amazon

Google's stylish and super-premium Chromebook

As Google's Halo device, the Pixelbook oozes "premium" when using it, has the best keyboard and trackpad of any Chromebook, and a gorgeous touchscreen. It was also designed from the ground up for Google Play and use as an Android tablet, and it excels at it. While you'll pay more than triple the price of our top pick, for some, it will be worth it.

Google Pixelbook Features

Bright 12.3-inch 3:2 2K touchscreen
Ultra-premium "Halo" device
Up to 10 hour battery life
8-16GB RAM, 128-512GB storage
Intel i5 or i7 processor
First for new features

The Pixelbook is a status symbol as a Chromebook, a vision of what Chrome OS can do with top-end specs and top-end design, which makes it alluring but too pricey for most users. If you live for having the latest features, the Pixelbook is for you because as Google's branded Chromebook, this shiny baby gets all the new toys before anyone else does.

The Pixelbook is not rugged and not made to take any sort of a beating, so get it a nice, well-cushioned case if you intend to use it out and about in the world. You'll also want to invest in some USB-C hubs, as the Pixelbook only has three ports: a headphone jack and a USB-C port on either side of the chassis.

We are aware that the Pixelbook is getting a bit old, and is likely to be replaced by the upcoming Pixelbook Go at this year's Google event to be held on October 15. We're keeping a close eye on the release and will update this list when we have evaluated it.

Auto Update Expiration date: June 2024

Best for students

ASUS Chromebook Flip C214

From $350 at Amazon

Rugged, reliable, and ready to pull an all-nighter.

This updated version of the C214 improves on the 2017 model in just about every way. The secondary camera is in a better position, the rugged, rubberized body is slightly slimmer, but the performance and battery are still rock solid.

ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 Features

Durable 11.6-inch touchscreen
Mil-STD-810G rugged 2-in-1
Up to 12 hour battery life
4 GB RAM, 32 GB storage
Spill-resistant keyboard
EMR stylus for drawing

This 11.6-inch Chromebook folds completely flat into tablet mode with a high-strength zinc alloy hinge that shouldn't wear out no matter how hard your kid — or you — are on it, and with a channeled, spill-resistant keyboard, if in-flight turbulence sends your Coke or coffee over your Chromebook, you're not out extra cash for a new one.

This updated model will also move the secondary camera from the top of the keyboard to the lower right corner, putting it top right when the Chromebook is in tablet mode but also making it more prone to grease buildup since it will sit near the user's palm. If I could make a suggestion: grab the version with the stylus. It's great for sketching away in art apps — or scrolling through fanfiction in bed, which is what I use it for most often.

Auto Update Expiration date: June 2025

Best big-screen Chromebook

Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook

$750 at Lenovo

Take Chrome OS to the limit in 4K

This beefy Chromebook is great for watching movies in your hotel room or split-screening your way through long days of editing, but you'll want to keep its charger handy.

Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook Features

15.6-inch 1080p or 4K touchscreen
Beautiful Midnight Blue aluminum
i3 or i5 processor
8GB RAM, 64-128GB storage
Good port configuration
Huge 2-in-1 great for media

If you want a Chromebook with a big, beautiful screen that's great for split-screening Chrome tabs or watching movies while you kill downtime on your business trip or vacation, the C630's 4K model is made entirely for you. It's not the most portable Chromebook around, but it's big, beefy, and good at what it does: viewing 4K video and multi-tasking.

If you're going to get a Yoga C630 Chromebook, go for the 4K model. This screen is bright, beautiful, and Chrome OS's display zoom allows you to get everything exactly the size you want it without downscaling any of your media. Battery life only averaged four to six hours on medium-low brightness levels, so you'll need to pack the charger every time you head out with it.

Auto Update Expiration date: June 2024

Dell durability

Dell Chromebook 3100 2-in-1

From $359 from Dell

Plenty of ports and configuration options.

Dell has been making great computers for education longer than Chrome OS has been alive — and the durable product it puts out speaks for itself. Dell's price tags reflect that legacy of quality, but most laptops in this size bracket lack in the configuration options the Dell 3100 offers.

Dell Chromebook 3100 2-in-1 Features

11.6-inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen
Up to 13 hours of battery life
Two USB-C and USB-A ports
4-8GB RAM, 32-64GB storage
Mil-spec durability & rugged shell
Spill-resistant keyboard

Dell has three new education Chromebooks out this summer, but the 3100 2-in-1 is the cream of the crop. With options for 8GB RAM or 64GB storage — though oddly no option for both — this rugged little Chromebook is ready for anything life throws at you, and while it's aimed as education, with up to 13 hours of battery life and a keyboard that can withstand 12 ounces of liquid being spilled on it, this is also an excellent option for the young businesswoman on the go.

The 3100 2-in-1 has two USB-A and USB-C ports — one on each side — as well as a MicroSD slot and headphone jack, and while the extra USB-A port isn't necessary, spares are always appreciated when they can fit in basically the same size chassis. There's no stylus option here, which is a bummer, but performance is decent, and the configuration options are nice to see, though I'm hopeful Dell will offer better sales closer to the start of the school year.

Auto Update Expiration date: June 2025

Sleek stylus savvy

Samsung Chromebook Plus V2

$380 from Amazon

Pen prowess and professional prestige.

It might not be called an S-Pen, but the active stylus on the Plus V2 is a darling to use, and it stores seamlessly, unlike the Pixel Slate and X2.

Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 Features

12.3-inch touchscreen
S-Pen Active Stylus included
LTE models available
Two USB-C ports, One USB-A port
4GB RAM, 32-64GB storage
9 hours of battery life

Samsung's Chromebooks have had some hits and misses over the years, but the Chromebook Plus V2 has been a winner since the day it was announced back in 2018. Between Samsung's top-quality design and build quality to the enduring performance, the Plus V2 has been a great Chromebook in search of a great price, and over a year after its debut, prices are quite reasonable, at least for the non-LTE versions.

Most premium Chromebooks with Active Pen support have separate pens that don't dock in the Chromebook itself, but the pen on the Plus stores securely in a dedicated slot in the side of the base. This makes it easier to keep track of and ensure it's available to note-taking or sketching when you're out on the road.

Auto Update Expiration date: June 2024

Catch it on sale

Acer Chromebook 514

$350 from Amazon

A good workhorse that won't stand out.

Build quality is solid on the 514, which makes it suitable for office work and travel. For a 14-inch touchscreen, this is the most affordable one worth using.

Acer Chromebook 514 Features

14-inch IPS touchscreen
Up to 10 hours of battery life
Two USB-C and USB-A ports
4-8GB RAM, 32-64GB storage
Solid build quality
Boring but reliable

While the Acer Chromebook 514 is a little lackluster in a few areas — the screen is adequate but not stellar, speakers are tinny at times — it adds up to a reliable option if you want a big screen but not a big price. There aren't many 14-inch Chromebooks in this price range these days — even fewer with touchscreens — so that helps the overall unimposing 514 stands out just a little in the crowded Chromebook lineup that Acer keeps cranking out.

There are a number of 514 models out there today, and one of them is a non-touch model. Be warned and be wary when checking the specs on a model you find on sale, because there's no point to buy a non-touch Chromebook in 2019 unless you hate fun.

Auto Update Expiration date: November 2023

Extreme Value

HP Chromebook x360 14 G1

Fast and beautiful

The HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 offers excellent value for money with an Intel Pentium 4415U processor, Intel HD 610 Graphics, 8GB of memory and 32GB of eMMC storage. That can go up to an Intel Core i5 CPU and 64 GB of storage. During HP's Back to School sale, this model is reduced from by almost half!

$515 at HP

Recap — There's a Chromebook out there for everyone

Chromebooks might get pegged as only being for students and salarymen, but there truly is a Chromebook for everybody these days, whether you're just browsing email and social media or getting down and dirty with Linux apps and coding IDEs. With Stadia on the horizon, gaming on a Chromebook will be here soon, too. While there are a lot of great Chromebook manufacturers out there, Lenovo and ASUS's models seem to go harder and last longer than the competition, though Samsung, Dell, and HP can make some pretty premium Chromebooks when they put their minds to it.

How to pick the best Chromebook

Choosing your Chromebook is slightly different than picking a Windows or Mac laptop due to the standardized, cloud-centric nature of Chrome OS. Because Google controls the software look and update schedule for every Chromebook model, a Chromebook built by Lenovo should act the same as a Chromebook from Dell or Samsung. So what does that mean?

It means you can focus a little less on those core specs and focus more on what you want to do with the machine you choose. This process may seem slightly out of order, but trust me on this one:

1. Get one with a touchscreen — a 2-in-1 if you can

Touchscreens may be a luxury for other laptop systems, but on Chromebooks, I consider it a requirement. Chrome OS's touch optimization is getting better every month, and since most of the Android apps Chromebooks can install via Google Play are optimized for touch, treat yourself to a touchscreen model!

Touchscreen models usually aren't that much more expensive for Chromebooks in 2019 — many Chromebook models don't even bother with non-touchscreen versions these days — but if you see a Chromebook that says it's non-touch, walk away and don't look back. It's a beautiful thing to be able to tap on the screen when scrolling through Amazon, and after playing Solitaire on a touchscreen, you'll never go back to using a mouse.

That touchscreen comes in even handier on 2-in-1s, the best form factor I've seen for Chromebooks yet. Being able to prop up your Chromebook in Tent mode for a movie, or fold it flat into Tablet mode for some in-bed browsing while down with the flu is amazing, but having a 360-degree hinge is excellent for everyday productivity, too. You can bend your Chromebook back to more angles when working in awkwardly-lit offices with weird light glare or propped in your lap at a ballgame because you didn't forget those quarterly expense reports that were due tomorrow and refuse to skip the game for that.

2. Decide on the other features you want

Chrome OS is almost entirely the same on every device from a software perspective, which means that standout hardware features become paramount, and figuring out which of those features you want or need in a machine can help narrow the field steer you to your perfect Chromebook.

As mentioned before, you want a touchscreen Chromebook — a 2-in-1 if you can swing it — but if you tend to do a lot of movie-watching, you may want a high-quality screen, or loud, front-facing speakers.

If you're looking to be more productive with a multitude of open tabs and multi-window screens, you might want a 3:2 display that's more suited to split-screening and a more powerful processor/memory configuration. Productivity-minded users should also pay special mind to the port configurations on their prospective Chromebooks, as USB-C starts to replace most other ports on more premium Chromebooks like the Pixelbook while more grounded models keep USB-A ports around alongside new USB-C charging ports.

Families with younger kids — or travelers that are prone to slips, spills, and accidents — might want to look to the growing number of Chromebooks with military-grade MIL-STD 810G durability or spill-resistant keyboards.

3. Pick your size

Chromebooks come in a variety of sizes, but they tend to gravitate to four sizes in general:

11.6-inch models are portable and affordable. At their smaller size, their screens can look good, even if they're less than 1080p native resolution — though screen resolution is handled a bit differently on Chrome OS; we'll get to that a little later. Depending on the bezels on the screen, 11.6-inch Chromebooks can either have full-sized keys or slightly shrunken keys, though most manufacturers use full-size keys on 11.6-inch models.
12.3-12.5-inch models are becoming more and more popular, especially with detachables and 2-in-1s like the HP Chromebook X2, Microsoft's Surface Pro line and the Google Pixel Slate. These models often have a 3:2 aspect ratio, which makes them more useful for split-screening windows, multitasking, and sketch/photography apps.
14-inch models sit at the high margin for the portable category, but with thin bezels and proper engineering, these can be almost as portable and manageable as 13-inch laptops with 7-9 hour battery lives. If you need to display your text at a larger font — and yes, Chrome OS has a separate font scale independent of the display zoom — a 14-inch model is your best bet for a productive Chromebook that won't strain your eyes, especially as most 14-inch models start at 1080p.
15.6-inch models are made for desks and dining room tables. I lovingly refer to these as LINOs — Laptop in name only — because while you can shove them into larger laptop backpacks for a vacation, these Chromebooks aren't made for laps and tray tables, they are made for a standard office environment where they usually live in peace. These larger laptops are great for productivity because you can see more at one time, but they tend to have shorter battery lives and higher weights, which dissuade them from being dragged around daily.

In general, the bigger the size of your Chromebook, the more you can potentially fit on the screen, but it will also be less portable and shorter in battery life. The smaller it is, the less heavy and (usually) less expensive it will be, but smaller models can also suffer from lower resolution screens, though Chrome OS's display zoom and font adjustments can somewhat offset it.

4. Memory and storage — what do you really need?

RAM — Random Access Memory — is a critical spec for computers of all sizes and shapes, from phones and tablets to desktops and laptops. It's used by your computer's processor(s) to hold your current tabs, apps, and execute the commands, clicks, and operations that make your Chromebook work.

So how much RAM do I need? 4 GB of RAM in a Chromebook is fine today. 8 GB is better, and high-end Chromebooks can come with 16 GB or more, but 4 GB of RAM is more than enough to run Chrome OS with a couple of apps and a dozen Chrome tabs.

If you're a long-time Windows user — or a long-time computer user of any kind — looking at the storage on most Chromebooks will seem confusing at first because it's not going to sound like enough. Chrome OS is based around cloud storage — Google Drive is integrated directly into the Files app — but local storage is still essential for things like Android apps from Google Play, offline documents and downloaded music/movies for those horrible Wi-Fi-less flights.

You can also expand the storage on many Chromebooks with an SD or microSD card, but there's no beating proper local storage to start with. 32 GB of storage is workable, but I'd recommend going with a model with at least 64 GB of storage. Finding 128 GB or more is usually reserved for premium Chromebooks heftier price tags, but 64 GB Chromebooks are pretty widely available and offer more than enough storage for some Drive offline syncing and some emergency entertainment.

5. Always check the expiration date!

Chrome OS is developed, managed and updated by Google for all Chromebooks, but Google doesn't want to be stuck supporting every random budget chipset and driver set forever, so each and every Chromebook has a shelf life and an expiration date, just like the milk in your fridge! This is the Auto Update Expiration date, and it can be found for every single model on this handy dandy support page, which I have bookmarked because I am a freak and you should bookmark while you're shopping for Chromebooks.

Now, a Chromebook doesn't turn into a pumpkin on its AUE date — assuming your Chromebook lasts three to six years until that date — but it does stop receiving those system updates every Chromebook gets every four to six weeks that contain bug fixes, security patches, and new features. If your Chromebook is still running decently at that time, you're a champ, and with a teeny bit of know-how, you can reformat it to run one of a dozen Linux distros instead.

That said, four to six years is a long time for any laptop and chances are yours will be getting long in the tooth by then, but right now when shopping, always check the AUE to see how long your Chromebook will get updates. Some Chromebooks have shorter lifetimes than others if they're built on the same platform as a previous Chromebook — AUE is based on hardware platform, not individual model, which is also why many Chromebooks have the same AUE dates — so it's something you'll always want to check before buying, even if the model itself is brand-new.

What is Chrome OS?

Chromebooks run Chrome OS, the Google-managed version of Chromium OS, a free Linux distribution that is open-source, lightweight, and web-centric. Chrome OS does not allow you to install regular applications and programs the way you would on Windows PCs; instead, Chromebooks rely on web-based applications, Android applications installed and managed via Google Play, and Linux apps, which are slowly rolling out to more and more Chromebook models.

Chrome OS's biggest strength lies in its lightweight stability and reliability. On computers with specs that barely support other operating systems, Chrome OS runs adequately and often excellently, meaning that for lower-end laptops, Chromebooks rule! That said, Chrome can take advantage of the most potent components available — from latest-gen multi-core processors to 4K displays — to create a super-smooth, super-powered premium experience.

Chrome OS is designed in large part for education and enterprise, which means the system is hard-to-break, easy-to-manage — all updates are handled in the background by the system itself — and wonderfully secure, with a lucrative bounty program, including a huge standing bounty for anyone who finds ways to compromise Chrome OS in its extra-locked-down Guest mode.

In short, Chrome OS is a lightweight, high-security system that's great for users with any level of technical know-how. Chromebooks are easy enough for school children to use and powerful enough for bigshot businesspeople, which means that they're great for everyone that doesn't need system-specific high-intensity programs like video editors, CAD rendering, and PC gaming — and even that's coming to Chromebooks soon with Stadia.

What are the best Chromebooks for students?

For students — and younger users in general — you'll want to look for a rugged machine a portable size. 11.6-inch Chromebooks are 10-inch Chromebook tablets dominate the space, with slightly older/lower specs to help offset their robust requirements and cut-throat pricing.

You should check out our full rundown on the best Chromebooks for students, but these are our favorites:

ASUS Chromebook Flip C214

From $350 at Amazon

This new model improves on the C213 in just about every way: the secondary camera is in a better position, the rugged body is slightly slimmer, and the performance and battery are still rock solid.

Dell Chromebook 3100 2-in-1

From $359 from Dell

Two USB-A and USB-C ports, rugged body and a keyboard that can withstand 12 ounces of liquid, and configurations available for 8GB of RAM or 64GB of storage make this a pricier Chromebook, but one that's built to last.

Lenovo 300e Chromebook (2nd Gen)

$280 from Lenovo

This Chromebook takes much of the same specs and form factor from the handy, helpful C330, adds rubber bumpers, drop resistance, and a spill-resistant keyboard, and bumps the AUE date out to June 2025.

ASUS Chromebook Tablet

$330 from Amazon

For younger users that are consuming content more than writing it, this tablet is perfect for watching videos, drawing in art apps, and easing children into Chrome OS before they start using regular Chromebooks in school.