INDIANAPOLIS (CONSUMER REPORTS) — Back-to-school shopping is expensive, especially if a new laptop is on the list. The good news is you don’t have to break the bank to get a great computer. Consumer Reports reveals its laptop picks for every budget. 

With nearly everything costing more these days, Consumer Reports’ extensive product testing shows you don’t have to spend a lot to get quality tech for your student. One of the best options for a tight budget—a Chromebook! 

They’re generally less expensive than Mac and PC laptops. They’re not the fastest computers out there, but for everyday stuff like browsing the web, editing documents, and school/work, they’re totally fine. 

The Acer Chromebook is a solid budget choice. It costs $300 ($400 in Canada). It’s fast, has a long battery life, and more local storage than most other Chromebooks. 

If your student needs something that won’t weigh down their backpack on a mad dash to class, CR says the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 is an excellent choice for portability and its ergonomics are near top-level. It costs $440. 

If your student wants an Apple, save a little bit of money and still get a very good Mac laptop.  

The 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 processor. It costs $800 ($1,000 in Canada). 

The M2 is Apple’s older processor, but CR’s experts say the performance difference between the M2 and the newer processor is so small that you might as well save a few bucks by going with the previous model. 

If your student also needs a color printer, the Epson uses low-cost bottled ink instead of expensive cartridges. It costs $200 ($250 in Canada). While the overall printing performance isn’t strong enough to earn a CR recommendation, the text quality and speed should be fine for printing book reports and whatever else the teacher assigns! 

Consumer Reports says August and September are the best times to buy a computer because of sales. When you’re shopping, remember to check for student discounts from your school, stores, or computer makers.