BEST LAPTOP FOR 12 YEAR OLD
- Best Value Macbook: MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020)
- Best for Tight Budgets: Acer Chromebook Spin 311
- Best Value for Gaming: Dell G5 15 SE (2020)
- Best Budget Ultraportable: MSI Modern 14
- Best 17″ Budget Laptop: Acer Chromebook 317
BEST LAPTOP FOR 12 YEAR OLD COMPARISON
| PRODUCT | PRICE RANGE | BATTERY | SCREEN | WEIGHT | PERFORMANCE | STORAGE | REVIEW | SHOP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Value Macbook MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020) |
High | 11h 15m | 13.3″ | 2.8 lbs | Processor: Apple M1 RAM: 8GB |
256 GB | Jump to Review |
Check Price on Amazon.com |
Best for Tight Budgets Acer Chromebook Spin 311 |
Low | 8h 37m | 11.6″ | 2.64 lbs | Processor: 1.1 GHz Intel RAM: 4GB |
32 GB | Jump to Review |
Check Price on Amazon.com |
Best Value for Gaming Dell G5 15 SE (2020) |
High | 7h 33m | 15.6″ | 5.51 lbs | Processor: AMD 4th Gen Ryzen 5 4600H RAM: 8GB |
256 GB | Jump to Review |
Check Price on Amazon.com |
Best Budget Ultraportable MSI Modern 14 |
Medium | 8h 42m | 14″ | 2.62 lbs | Processor: Intel Core i3-10110U RAM: 8GB |
512 GB | Jump to Review |
Check Price on Amazon.com |
Best 17″ Budget Laptop Acer Chromebook 317 |
Medium | 9h 10m | 17.3″ | 5.29 lbs | Processor: Intel Celeron N4500 RAM: 4GB |
64 GB | Jump to Review |
Check Price on Amazon.com |
Table of Contents
BEST LAPTOP FOR 12 YEAR OLD REVIEWS
MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020)
BEST VALUE MACBOOK
| BENEFITS | DRAWBACKS |
|---|---|
| – Good value – Remarkably fast – Amazingly long battery life – High-quality keyboard, touchpad, and display – Absolutely silent in use – High-quality keyboard – Nice speakers – Solid microphone quality – Light and slim | – Only two USB-C ports – Fanless design could impact performance – Needs more ports – Webcam still isn’t great – Not upgradable – Bezels isn’t thin |
QUICK SPECS
- Price: $999
- Battery: 11h 15m (looping a 1080p video at 50% brightness)
- Screen: 13.3″
- Weight: 2.8 lbs
- Processor: Apple M1
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB
WHAT SET IT APART FROM COMPETITION:
- Better performance than PCs in the same price range.
TODAY’S PRICE
MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020) REVIEW
- BOOT TIME:
This MacBook Air boots up in just 15 seconds.
- PERFORMANCE:
Due to the M1 chip, this laptop offers impressive performance.
One drawback to the fanless design is that it can limit the laptop’s performance during heavy load.
- DISPLAY:
This Macbooks display is very sharp due to the high pixel density.
- KEYBOARD AND TRACKPAD:
The new Magic Keyboard is reliable than the butterfly mechanism found in the older models.
The trackpad is large and smooth at scrolling.
- STORAGE:
This MacBook Air has 218 GB of usable SSD storage, which is more than enough for a 12-year-old kid.
- BATTERY LIFE:
The battery life is one of where this laptop shines, it can hold up to 11 hours and 15 minutes running a looped 1080p video at 50% brightness.
- PORTABILITY:
The lighter weight and how thin this laptop makes it very portable.
- WEBCAM
The webcam of this Apple Macbook is offering better colors and an overall brighter picture, but it still can get improved.
- MICROPHONE
The trio of built-in microphones makes speaking away from the laptop more possible.
CONCLUSION
If you are looking for an easy-to-carry Macbook that offers excellent performance and great battery life, this best value macOS laptop is a great choice to consider.
Acer Chromebook Spin 311
BEST FOR TIGHT BUDGETS
| BENEFITS | DRAWBACKS |
|---|---|
| – Responsive keyboard and touchpad – Exceptional battery life – Excellent flip mechanism – Gorilla glass touchscreen protection – Easily to carry – Great value | – thick bezels – low-resolution display – Limited storage space – Dim screen – Limited port selection – Trackpad is tiny |
QUICK SPECS
- Price: $187.96
- Battery: 8h 37m (looping a 1080p video at 50% brightness, max volume and disabled Wi-Fi)
- Screen: 11.6″
- Weight: 2.64 lbs
- Processor: 1.1 GHz Intel
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 32GB
WHAT SET IT APART FROM COMPETITION:
- Its low-cost and its great value is what set it apart.
TODAY’S PRICE
Acer Chromebook Spin 311 REVIEW
- BOOT TIME:
The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 boots up in 10 seconds, which is considered average.
- PERFORMANCE:
Under most usage scenarios, this laptop remains smooth.
It feels sluggish only when dozen or more browser tabs are opened.
- DISPLAY:
The display on this laptop supports touch but falls short of being able to display 1080p videos because they look a bit grainy when you are close.
- KEYBOARD
The Spin 311 is responsive with dedicated volume buttons and a mute button on the top row but it still lacks keyboard backlighting.
- TRACKPAD
The trackpad on this laptop is tiny but it offers accurate mousing gestures and firm feedback for mouse clicks.
- STORAGE:
You only get 32GB of internal storage, but you can still expand it using the MicroSD slot.
- BATTERY LIFE:
I see that the battery life on this laptop is average or slightly above it.
It can hold 8 hours 37 minutes looping a 1080p video at 50% brightness, max volume, and disabled Wi-Fi with one single charge.
- PORTABILITY:
The compact size of this laptop makes it easy for carrying around or casually use at home.
- WEBCAM
The webcam’s image lacks in detail due to the webcam’s limited resolution.
The colors aren’t great, with some noise evident and slightly reddish skin tones.
- MICROPHONE
The microphone sound is clear but quiet, with some background noise.
CONCLUSION
If you are looking for a low-cost, compact, and convertible laptop for internet browsing or Youtube, the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is a great choice to consider.
Dell G5 15 SE (2020)
BEST VALUE FOR GAMING
| BENEFITS | DRAWBACKS |
|---|---|
| – Nice performance for the price – Great battery life – Able to run most games at 60 frames per second – Reasonably priced | – No Num Lock indicator – Plastic build feels flimsy – Dim 60Hz display – Chunky design – Gets pretty hot under strain |
QUICK SPECS
- Price: $879.99
- Battery: 7h 33m (looping a 720p video at 50% brightness, max volume and disabled Wi-Fi)
- Screen: 15.6″
- Weight: 5.51 lbs
- Processor: AMD 4th Gen Ryzen 5 4600H
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB
WHAT SET IT APART FROM COMPETITION:
- Strong graphics compared to budget gaming laptops.
- The battery life was a head above the rest.
TODAY’S PRICE
Dell G5 15 SE (2020) REVIEW
- BOOT TIME:
This affordable gaming laptop takes 23 seconds to boot up.
- PERFORMANCE:
The six-core Ryzen 5 4600H CPU should be a solid gaming performer as well thanks to the RX 5600M.
- DISPLAY:
The 120Hz refresh rate makes the screen looks fluid and sharp, with thin side bezels that make the laptop look a bit sleeker.
- KEYBOARD
The keyboard on this laptop feels pretty good for typing, with decent travel and a slightly raised icon that helps center your hand on the WASD keys
- TRACKPAD
The trackpad is far too small but it is decent enough for navigating before switching over to a game controller.
- STORAGE:
For modern games, this laptop offers a 256 GB SSD, which is considered a slightly cramped storage capacity.
- BATTERY LIFE:
The Dell G5 15 SE (2020) laptop can hold up to 7 hours 33 minutes (which is, relatively long battery life) playing repeatedly a 720p video at 50% brightness, max volume, and disabled Wi-Fi.
- PORTABILITY:
Considering its weight of 5.5 lbs, this laptop feels bulky to carry around.
- WEBCAM
The 720p webcam color is OK, with a poorly balanced contrast.
CONCLUSION
If you are looking for a budget gaming laptop with excellent gaming performance, the Dell G5 15 SE (2020) is a great choice.
MSI Modern 14
BEST BUDGET ULTRAPORTABLE
| BENEFITS | DRAWBACKS |
|---|---|
| – Very portable – Sturdy aluminum construction – Comfortable backlit keyboard – Solid port and slot selection – Solid performance – Manageable battery life – Easy to carry – Slim bezels | – Limited storage space – Tinny speakers – No extra RAM – Latency issue in wireless audio |
QUICK SPECS
- Price: $699
- Battery: 8h 42m (looping a 720p video at 50% brightness, max volume and disabled Wi-Fi)
- Screen: 14″
- Weight: 2.62 lbs
- Processor: Intel Core i3-10110U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB
WHAT SET IT APART FROM COMPETITION:
- Slim bezels.
- Stylish design.
- Pretty sweet spot with the price versus performance.
TODAY’S PRICE
MSI Modern 14 REVIEW
- BOOT TIME:
Due to the super-fast SSD, the MSI Modern 14 takes around 13 seconds to boot up, which is considered very fast.
- PERFORMANCE:
This laptop is more than enough for a 12-year-old kid, it can be used for photo or video editing as well as light gaming.
- DISPLAY:
The display on this laptop is clear and bright and it’s a bit better than what you should expect in a laptop at this price.
- KEYBOARD
The keyboard is ergonomic with its large keycaps and 1.5mm key travel, with a white backlight for comfortable typing during the night.
- TRACKPAD
The trackpad is decently large and is smooth to the touch and quite responsive.
- STORAGE:
That 128 GB of storage is a bit restrictive but for a 12 year old kid, it is more than enough.
- BATTERY LIFE:
The MSI Modern 14 can last up to 8 hours and 42 minutes looping a 720p video at 50% brightness, max volume, and disabled Wi-Fi.
- PORTABILITY:
This best-budget laptop is very easy to carry
- WEBCAM
The 720P webcam has 30FPS.
CONCLUSION
If you are looking for day-to-day tasks compelling budget laptop, with reasonable battery life for a 12 year old kid, you should consider the MSI Modern 14.
Acer Chromebook 317
BEST 17″ BUDGET LAPTOP
| BENEFITS | DRAWBACKS |
|---|---|
| – Large screen that looks great – Comfortable keyboard to type on – Spacious touchpad – Decent battery life – Rarely gets bogged down – Sturdy – Solid performance for the money | – No backlit keyboard – No HDMI port – Weak sound – Dim display – Size and weight – Thick – Charging up takes almost two hours |
QUICK SPECS
- Price: $449.99
- Battery: 9h 10m (looping a 720p video at 50% brightness and disabled Wi-Fi)
- Screen: 17.3″
- Weight: 5.29 lbs
- Processor: Intel Celeron N4500
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB
WHAT SET IT APART FROM COMPETITION:
- Full keyboard and its low price is what set it apart from its competitors.
- The first Chromebook with 17.3-inch screen.
TODAY’S PRICE
Acer Chromebook 317 REVIEW
- BOOT TIME:
This laptop takes about 8 seconds to boot up.
- PERFORMANCE:
This Chromebook is good for casual web browsing, messaging, and other basic tasks. It can open half a dozen browser tabs and still don’t faze.
- DISPLAY:
Even in its brightest setting, this massive display still looks dim, its colors are satisfactorily saturated but not vivid.
- KEYBOARD
If you have large hands, you will love this spacious deck.
This keyboard feels comfortable to type on but the full-size makes you have to type off-center from the screen.
- TRACKPAD
The trackpad that sits where your hands will typically sit is easily clicked with lots of room but it can stick.
- STORAGE:
The 64GB of internal storage is a bit on the low but it is still not a big deal since Chromebooks are basically built for web browsing and online services.
- BATTERY LIFE:
The MSI Modern 14 can last up to 9 hours 10 minutes off-plug, which is enough for a full workday.
- PORTABILITY:
Its large 17.3-inch screen and hefty weight make this laptop difficult to carry around.
- WEBCAM
The 720p webcam of this laptop is adequate for family/friends videoconferencing calls but it is mediocre for Twitch streaming.
CONCLUSION
If you are looking for a laptop with a large screen, ample keyboard, acceptable battery life for the entire family to share in the house, the Acer Chromebook 317 is a great choice to consider.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST LAPTOP FOR 12 YEAR OLD
DURABILITY
Since most kids aren’t usually careful with the laptop, I recommend you to get a durable affordable laptop.
PORTABILITY
Easy to carry and lightweight laptops are what you should get for a 12-year-old kid.
PURPOSE
You should consider how your kid will use the laptop. If he will be carrying it between school and home, then you should opt for an ultraportable laptop.
FAQ
MY BEST LAPTOP FOR 12 YEAR OLD IS …
If you have the budget to spend $999 for this laptop, I highly recommend the MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020). It is remarkably fast, offers a long battery life, is Absolutely silent in use, and is very portable.
For medium budgets, I recommend the MSI Modern 14, and for very tight budgets, I recommend the Acer Chromebook Spin 311.
QUICK-ANSWER LIST: BEST LAPTOP FOR 12 YEAR OLD
Best Low-Cost: Lenovo IdeaPad Duet
Best Affordable Chromebook: Acer Chromebook 514 Touch
Best Large-Screen Laptop: Acer Chromebook 317
Best Value Macbook: MacBook Air (M1, Late 2020)