Chromebooks are laptops running Google’s ChromeOS and are designed to be user-friendly for everyone. Even better, the best Chromebooks tend to be more affordable than competing Windows laptops or Apple MacBooks. And the prices only get better this time of year with Black Friday sales. Plus, since they’re safe and less complicated to use, a Chromebook can make an excellent gift for kids (they might already be using one for school) and less tech-savvy adults in need of just a simple computer, or anyone who wants an inexpensive laptop for a home office and entertainment.
Read more: Best Chromebook for 2022
To help you find the best Black Friday Chromebook deal for you, CNET’s editors have selected all the top discounted Chromebooks available right now as Black Friday nears. That includes pricier models that you can pick up on sale, as well as more affordable models that are a great value thanks to their low list price. One word of shopping advice: Although Chromebooks can run well on modest components, Black Friday doorbuster models might still be too underpowered. A big discount might not be worth the frustration. Also, if the Chromebook is really cheap, be sure to check the auto-update expiration date for the model. The AUE is when ChromeOS stops receiving system updates and is typically eight years, but the date is not the same for every model.
We’ll continue to monitor Chromebook deals and regularly update this list with the best Black Friday has to offer.
Best Black Friday Chromebooks
Asus
This Asus model is on sale for close to $200 right now and features a 14-inch display powered by an Intel Celeron processor and 4GB of RAM. Those are average components for a budget Chromebook, but it adds a bit more storage than usual with 64GB. It has a 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution display for a sharper picture and more workspace than you’d get with the 1,366×768-pixel resolution found on other low-end Chromebooks.
You’re receiving price alerts for Asus CX1 Chromebook: $223
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This Samsung two-in-one Chromebook features an all-metal chassis, which is a step up in both looks and durability from the usual plastic Chromebook fare. It boasts a 13.3-inch, QLED touchscreen powered by a 10th-gen Core i3 CPU and 8GB of RAM. It also supplies 128GB of solid-state storage. It’s $150 off at Best Buy right now.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 review
You’re receiving price alerts for Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2: $550
Lenovo
Did you know that you can get an OLED display on a Chromebook? Lenovo’s two-in-one Chromebook Duet 5 is proof that such a thing is possible. It features a detachable, 13.5-inch OLED display with a full-HD resolution powered by an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon and 8GB of RAM. It also supplies a spacious-for-a-Chromebook 128GB SSD. It’s $130 off at Best Buy right now.
You’re receiving price alerts for Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5: $369
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Acer’s midrange convertible Chromebook, the 14-inch Spin 514, boasts a slim and durable all-metal body and features an AMD Ryzen 3 processor. It’s a good middle ground between smaller, 11.6-inch models that might cramp your computing style and larger, 15.6-inch models that you might not want to lug across campus each day.
Acer Chromebook Spin 514 review
You’re receiving price alerts for Acer Chromebook Spin 514
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The highlight of this Lenovo two-in-one Chromebook is its 11th-gen Intel Core i3 CPU, which is common to many budget Windows laptops and has more than enough oomph to power the lightweight Chrome OS. The Flex 5i features a 13.3-inch touchscreen with a 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution. It offers USI pen support, but you need to buy a stylus separately. It’s $130 off at Amazon right now.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i review
You’re receiving price alerts for Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i: $300
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This Samsung Chromebook has a smaller display at 12.2 inches than the other models here, but the touchscreen can rotate 360 degrees into tablet mode so you can play Android games — once homework is done, of course. The display boasts a sharp 1,920×1,200-pixel resolution and pen support for the included stylus. Inside, the system features an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. You can pick it up for almost half price right now at Amazon.
Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 review
You’re receiving price alerts for Samsung Chromebook Plus V2: 258
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This is the original Lenovo Duet Chromebook, a 10-inch Chromebook tablet with a detachable keyboard cover and kickstand. Inside is a Mediatek octo-core Helio P60T processor, 4GB of memory and 128GB of eMMC flash storage — powerful enough to handle basic home office tasks like web browsing, writing in Google Docs or sending off some e-mails. But it can also easily be used for entertainment like streaming movies and music, playing Android games or cloud gaming or reading ebooks. It’s currently $110 off its normal $300 price at Best Buy.
Lenovo Duet Chromebook (10-inch) review
You’re receiving price alerts for Lenovo Duet Chromebook: $189
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This HP Chromebook two-in-one features a large touchscreen powered by an 11th-gen Core i3 chip and a generous 8GB of RAM, a powerful combo for a Chromebook. It also has a 128GB solid-state drive, which is bigger than you get with most Chromebooks. The 14-inch full-HD display is a widescreen, which means more scrolling through web pages and documents than a 16:10 display, but better for watching movies and viewing two windows side by side. It’s discounted by $200 on HP right now.
What should you look for in a Chromebook deal?
One of the biggest things to consider is which configuration is on sale. Often, with the best Chromebook deals, only a specific version of the Chromebook is on sale and making any changes to it could affect the price. This means that sometimes you find the 256GB model is actually cheaper than the 128GB option, or a similar situation.
When are the best Chromebook deals available?
Generally, you’ll find the best Chromebook deals during back-to-school shopping time in late summer or early fall, and a bit later in the year during annual Black Friday sales events. There are Chromebook deals available throughout the year, but if you’re looking for the best deal and can afford to wait a little, these are the best times of the year to buy one.
Which retailers usually offer the best Chromebook deals?
You can usually find deals across a variety of retailers when it comes to Chromebook sales. Amazon and Best Buy are constantly running discounts, and deals can also be found at Newegg and Walmart. Amazon’s prices fluctuate and Best Buy’s sales come and go, so it’s worth checking back weekly to see if a discounted price returns.
