Shopping for a laptop under $400 can be challenging. Most laptops in this price range are Chromebooks, which are great options for simple tasks like web browsing, text formatting, and video playback. However, they might not be powerful or versatile enough for professionals, especially those who need to run regular Windows x86 applications. That said, you can find some Windows laptops as long as you don't mind compromising on some features, like a dimmer display or lack of biometric login.
We've bought and tested more than 105 laptops. Below, you'll find our recommendations for the best laptops under $400 you can get. See our picks for the best laptops under $300, the best laptops under $500, and the best Chromebooks.
The best laptop under $400 we've tested is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023). This 14-inch Chromebook is great for younger students or anyone needing a simple device for light tasks like text processing, web browsing, and video playback. It's a little chunky compared to, say, an Apple MacBook Air, but it's compact enough to be portable. Plus, its battery lasts around 13 hours of light use. We recommend the Core i3 configuration paired with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and an FHD touch-sensitive IPS display, which you can often find on sale for around $400 USD on Lenovo's website. Cheaper configurations exist; however, you'll have to compromise on performance and display quality.
The FHD IPS display is one of the best features of this laptop. Its brightness reaches around 360 cd/m², which is rare on budget Chromebooks. That's sufficiently bright for good visibility indoors, possibly even outdoors on a cloudy day. Above the display is an excellent 1080p webcam, so people can see and hear you clearly on video calls. Regarding the keyboard and touchpad, the former feels spacious but mushy, while the latter is small and occasionally unresponsive. Unfortunately, there are no biometrics for quick logins, which is to be expected for a budget-friendly device.
The best Windows laptop we've tested under $400 is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2023). Like our pick above, this 15-inch model usually costs more, but it goes on sale regularly on Lenovo's website, so keep an eye out. It's available with various Intel 13th Gen U-series CPUs and up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. These Intel processors can easily handle light productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing. The cheaper configurations come with a low-quality TN panel. We highly recommend spending a bit more for an IPS display, as it has better viewing angles and color reproduction.
The keyboard feels comfortable to type on for an extended period; it's just a little mushy. As for the touchpad, it's small but responsive. Unfortunately, its battery life is rather short at around six to seven hours of light use, so you'll have to plug it in for a short time to get through a typical work or school day. Ports include two USB-As, a USB-C, an HDMI, and an SD card reader. The USB-C supports video output and charging. The power button has an integrated fingerprint sensor to log in quickly.
Our best 2-in-1 tablet pick is the Microsoft Surface Go 3 (2021), a 10.5-inch Windows tablet. It's super compact—small enough to fit into a handbag—so it's easy to carry around, and you can detach the keyboard to save space, which is handy when you don't have much space, like an airplane's seat tray. The display is sharp, bright, and colorful, and this tablet supports pen input, though you'll have to purchase the stylus separately. The keyboard is also a separate purchase, but it's worth it because Windows isn't very touch-friendly, and doing so helps protect the screen from scratches.
There's an outstanding 1080p webcam for video calls and a facial recognition IR camera for quick logins. You can get this tablet with an Intel Pentium Gold or Core i3 CPU; they're fine for simple web browsing, text processing, and video playback, but don't expect to do anything remotely intensive. If you can afford it, we recommend getting a model with 8GB of RAM, as the extra 4GB of RAM will make the user experience significantly smoother.
If you only plan on using the device for media consumption, get the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 (2021) instead. This 2-in-1 tablet has a gorgeous OLED display, and its battery lasts over 10 hours of light use. Plus, Chrome OS is more touch-friendly and easier to use than Windows, so it's great for someone who isn't tech-savvy. Unlike the Surface Go 3, the keyboard comes with the device; however, it isn't nearly as comfortable to type on.
Feb 07, 2024: Added the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (2023) as a Notable Mention. Minor text changes for clarity.
Dec 13, 2023: Replaced the Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) with the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023) because the C340 is near the end of its OS support. Replaced the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 (2020) with the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2023) because the Slim 3i has 8GB of RAM at the same price as a Flex 5 with 4GB.
Oct 18, 2023: Small text changes to provide more information about the Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020)'s end-of-life. No change in recommendations.
Aug 23, 2023: Small text changes to improve clarity. No change in recommendations.
Jun 28, 2023: Added the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2023) as a Notable Mention. No change in recommendations.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best laptops you can get for under $400. We factor in the price (a cheaper laptop wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no laptops that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you prefer to make your own decision, here’s the list of all of our laptop reviews, sorted by price from low to high. Keep in mind that most laptops are available in various configurations, and the table only shows the results of the model we tested, so it’s best to see the full review for information about other variants.