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Best Buy's massive Chromebook sale has some excellent back-to-school laptops — here are the 6 best deals I'd buy from $159
My top picks from the Black Friday in July sale
One option if you're shopping for a new laptop in the back-to-school sales is to go for a Chromebook. These lightweight and efficient devices often get more out of weaker components, thanks to the lean ChromeOS and reliance on web services in the Google Suite. That also means you can get excellent value for money, as seen in these 6 top Chromebook deals I've found at Best Buy.
Browse all Chromebook deals at Best Buy
Of all the offers at Best Buy, I think that this Acer Chromebook Plus 516 for $329 (was $479) is my top pick. It's a cheap all-around buy for general use, and has the essential specs you need for school or college, thanks to an Intel i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD for all your key files and applications.
My other picks range from $169 to $649, and feature everything from basic everyday specs for light use to more powerful components that will help with multitasking and more demanding needs, so you should be able to find something that suits.
Have a browse through all of my recommendations below, which I've chosen based on the opinions of our expert testers, my experience hunting down laptop deals for TechRadar, and exactly what you get for your cash.
6 best Chromebook deals at Best Buy
Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel i3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB
This version of the Acer Chromebook Plus offers a solid amount of power for the price. It includes 8GB of RAM and an Intel i3 processor, boosting performance, boot times and load times. Storage of 128GB is a bit underwhelming, but you do get a large and bright IPS display, and decent battery life of around 12 hours — that's more than enough to last a full working day. At a little under $350, it's a smart buy for school or college, or just as a home laptop for light use and everyday tasks.
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Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel i5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB
For a little extra, you can pick up this version of the Asus CX34 Chromebook that comes with an Intel i5 processor — that makes it a solid entry-to-mid-range choice. The 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage are pretty standard, but enough for general use or at college. You might also prefer this option if you want a more portable device at only 14 inches.
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Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
If you want a flexible device that's just as easy to use for work and admin jobs as well as casual web browsing and streaming media, then this Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 14 is an excellent buy. It mainly features entry-to-mid-level components, but there's enough power to keep up with light daily use. Plus, you get the added benefit of a versatile 14-inch touchscreen, effectively giving you a laptop and tablet in one.
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Display - 14 inches
Processor - MediaTek Kompanio 540
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB
You don't always find a laptop with 8GB of memory for under $300, so this Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook really stands out in Best Buy's latest sale. Other components are good for light use, but that bump to 8GB of RAM will really help with everyday performance and load times. It's still a fairly basic laptop, but with enough extra power to avoid dramatic slowdown when multitasking.
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Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Celeron N4500
RAM - 4GB
Storage - 64GB
This HP Chromebook 14 is a basic device, but it's cheap, making it a great buy for light use such as general browsing and schoolwork. It also boasts full-day battery life thanks to the lean but perfectly functional Chrome OS from Google, meaning it's best suited for students or those always on the move. If you have around $200 to spend and need a cheap laptop, then it's one of the best options right now.
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Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 5
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 256GB
This is fairly high-spec when it comes to a Chromebook, with the Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU and 16GB of RAM. Those are great inclusions for a serious performance boost that will ensure this laptop comfortably handles work, college, business, and productivity needs. The 256GB SSD is a bit stingy for the price, but if you rely more on online apps and cloud storage, it shouldn't be an issue. Just be aware that Windows devices with more features are available for a similar price.
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James Pickard is a Deals Editor at TechRadar. After many years of scouring the net for the cheapest games and tech for his personal use, he decided to make it his job to share all the best bargains and coupon codes with you. James also has almost a decade of experience covering some of the biggest sales events of the year at Eurogamer and VG247, including Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Amazon Prime Day. When not deals hunting or stacking coupon codes to get the biggest savings, James can be found on the PS5, watching a classic film noir or cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.





