Best laptop for 12-Year-Old | TOP PICKS 2023

Back in the days, far from the best laptop for a 12 year old, one could only imagine having a PC in each household. It used to be a rare sight one could only get in the huge laboratories as they used to take up rooms worth of space. However, with the advancement of technology and the times that have moved forward, one can’t imagine not having at least one PC in each household.

Over time, computers have shrunk down so much that now they can fit our palms. Perfect for these times’ mobility and work needs, laptops are second to none.

In this modern era, you’d see technology wherever you turn your head. And such modern times come with entirely different needs for the kids that need to be catered to. So to fulfill their needs, to prepare them for the current and the future world, one has to equip them with the best laptops.

With so many different factors to consider, it is no easy job to narrow down the options and buy one of the best laptops for your 12-year-old kid or even younger kids. And that is exactly where we come in, to save your time, energy, Panadol for the headache, and endless web searches. We have listed down the best laptops for your kid of yours, keeping different requirements and needs into consideration.

Best for a Vivid Display

Acer Chromebook spin 11

Suppose you want to look at the visual representation of lightweight. In that case, we present one of the most inexpensive laptops, perfect for Android apps, the Acer Chromebook spin 11 with chrome operating system, whether you place it on a scale or in your pocket. It is one of the best laptops for 12-year-old since it is extremely light as it weighs a mere 2.8 pounds and costs just a little above $200, making it the best budget laptop.

Key Features:

The laptop comes packed with a dual-core Intel processor hitting a clock speed of up to 1.1 GHz and an amazing overclocking capacity up to 2.4 GHz. Even though the clock speed is not a lot, the clocking speed can decently handle a lot more than one can expect when the situation demands the work. Speaking of GPU, the laptop is integrated with an Intel HD500 graphics card that provides decent support to cater to the needs of 12 years old kids.

The laptop’s ram, Acer Chrome book spin 11, offers 4 GB of it, enough to handle any decent level of computational requirements. Moreover, when we talk of ROM, this machine offers a phone-sized memory of 32 gigabytes integrated with EMC storage technology. Even though this combination isn’t a killer one, the specifications are justified because it falls on the lower end of the budget spectrum.

Furthermore, the machine comes with a 10 hours battery backup which is more than enough to last throughout the day, making sure the kids can play games and attend classes uninterruptedly, which might not seem like a big deal but is extremely crucial as the kids can have mood swings on the littlest of the inconveniences. The device also comes integrated with a USB type C port which is very important for fast data transfer and fast charging to charge up the device within an hour.

Now looking at the display, which is exactly the purpose it serves, we have an 11.6 inch widescreen with IPS touch technology the display also offers a decent resolution for the budget it comes with moreover the user interface is quite friendly You might be wondering that for the budget that it falls in this would be it but wait there’s more the laptop can be used as a touchpad as well as a laptop. You can also download Android apps on the device.

Best for Multi-tasking

LG Gram 15

If you’re looking for a device that offers more power and size, then here is the machine you are looking for. This machine is a huge powerhouse packed within a small-sized chassis. The windows laptop, LG gram, offers different sizes and configurations, and you can opt for the right option that suits your child’s needs. However, according to our experts, the machine that deems fit and possibly the best laptop for a 12-year-old and the one currently under discussion is the LG gram 15.

This machine comes packed with an Intel Core I5 processor with a base clock speed of 1.6 GHz, but when the tasks require, it can overclock up to a whopping 4 GigaHertz. This killing CPU is paired with a highly compatible, fully integrated Intel HD graphics card. This power pair can handle any decent level of multitasking with a cushion to perform slightly heavy tasks. Keeping in mind the activities that 12-year-old kids can need to perform, such as attending online classes and playing video games, the Intel core processor paired with this GPU offers sufficient support since going on the higher end would only make sense if one has to perform 3D rendering, video editing or high-end gaming.

When we speak of the laptop’s RAM, the machine offers 8 gigabytes of it which is a complete overkill since 12-year-old kids don’t usually do the level of multitasking that requires this much ram storage. The machine further offers 256GB of SSD storage, making the functioning of the machine even smoother and lag-free. But, again, this storage space is quite a lot to cater to the needs of 12-year-old kids.

The alloy sleek and stylish chassis features a 15.6 inches full HD IPS display with a decent resolution, ensuring a great and clear view. The kids can go through a great experience whether they wish to study online, attend lectures, watch videos or play video games. Kids can get a great view from any given angle without compromising color contrast, which is quite promising and comforting since kids can get bored and tired while interacting with the machine in the same state and posture. Moreover, this laptop comes with a battery life of 21.5 hours if used smartly without putting much load on it by performing heavy tasks that would drain the battery.  The laptop further features a fingerprint sensor that might save you from running into the problem of dealing with kids not being able to remember their passwords and being locked out of their own devices. Finally, and surprisingly, packed with so many features and power, the machine weighs only one Kg.

Best Laptop with Exciting Features at a Reasonable Price

Dell Inspiron 14

If one wishes to have a little bit of compact size and more power and performance, they shouldn’t look any further as we have an excellent laptop that perfectly fits the description.

Key Features:

This windows laptop offers an outstandingly powerful 10th generation Intel Core I5 quad-core processor with a decent clock speed of 1.2 GHz. But this does not end here. The processor can overclock to outstanding speeds of 3.7 GHz when 1.2 GHz of speed falls a little too weak to handle heavy tasks. What comes with this CPU is a highly compatible Intel’s very own iris plus GPU. This pair of components deliver a decent level of performance to cater to the needs of 12-year-old kids as they carry out their usual tasks on the laptop.

The device comes back with 4 gigabytes of ram, offering the much-needed and sufficient support to the system to perform a decent light performance multitasking. But if this ram storage falls a little short of keeping up with the multitasking needs of one’s kid, they can modify the hardware to increase it to 8 gigabytes as the machine offers an upgradable ram slot. Moreover, this aesthetic machine packs 256 gigabytes of SSD storage which means you would not expect to see your kids irritated all of a sudden while using the laptop.

This Dell Inspiron model features a high definition 14 inches screen with decent resolution and high vibrancy, which is very important keeping in mind that the kids would be staring at their classroom boards through their laptop screens. Even though the machine has a decent display size, it hardly weighs 2 kilograms. Moreover, unlike the preferences listed above, it offers a battery life of eight hours.

Given the price bracket it falls on, the advancement of components that are offered by it, and a bit of portability, it can be good support for the kids growing up and last for quite a long time, being a perfect fit for their fast-changing needs as kids at this age grow up and move forward quite fast. It will save you the hassle and money of upgrading and buying a new laptop in a very short duration. Moreover, it is a full-time job to search for the new ”perfect fit” for your kids.

Best for Solid performance and brilliant battery life

Acer aspire 5

Now, if your 12-year-old kid is a computer geek or gaming enthusiast, or both, then we have a piece of good news. Your scrolling ends here as we present you Acer aspire five integrated with the Windows operating system, the perfect gaming laptop to keep up with these demands as not every machine is fully capable of handling such power-needy activities.

The machine comes packed with a powerful high-end, most advanced Intel Core i-5 quad-core processor integrated with multithreading technology to serve the specified purpose. The processor runs at a clock speed of an amazing 2.4 GHz, but when your kid determines to test its abilities and performance, the speed can boost up to 3.6 GHz. Additionally, an equally capable and praiseworthy component, Intel Iris Xe GPU is a fit partner to handle any level of heavy task thrown its way, making it a great laptop.

When we look at the RAM of this device, it’s integrated with one of the most demanded and common DDR4 technology, offering 8 GB of it. So it doesn’t disappoint when one has to run powerful titles or go towards the beginner’s programming and development phase. Along with that comes 256 GB of fully capable SSD storage for fast and smooth data processing as kids have to keep up with the fast-moving world.

Moreover, it features a Full High-Definition display integrated with IPS technology. Again, a great experience and comfort are delivered with this technology set as it doesn’t put any angle restrictions on your kid while interacting with the laptop. For its size, it weighs around 2 Kg. It offers a decent battery life of around 8 hours packed in highly durable build quality and plastic chassis perfect to be handed to 12-year-old kids who, being clumsy, are more likely to drop the machine unexpectedly and damage it, adding to costs instead of repairs.

Best for Elegant Design

Microsoft Surface Go

If portability, lightweight, and looks are on your priority list to buy for your 12-year-old kid, then you don’t need to slide down any further as this one of the most inexpensive Windows laptops with a thin and light design is synonymous with all these. Also, if you think buying two sorts of devices for the price and space of one is impossible, you’re up for a surprise. This extremely lightweight aesthetic device can be used as a tab and a touchscreen laptop covering the tablet form factor. Also, it comes with pre-installed apps such as Microsoft store, etc.

Key Features:

All this convenience and compaction come at a price. Microsoft Surface Go comes packed with a very decent Intel Pentium Gold processor. This CPU isn’t built to handle heavy tasks, rather just normal day-to-day digital activities like web browsing, continuous web surfing, and light gaming, but nothing that demands power as the processor works at a decent clock speed of 1.6 GHz. This is supported by a comparatively powerful Intel HD 615 Processor, which compensates to some extent for the lack of processor power.

Now, this is the part where Microsoft Surface Go makes up for the lack of processing power, as it offers 8 GB RAM. Although the machine cannot handle load-intensive programs, it can support efficient multitasking. Surprisingly, the laptop is integrated with 128 GB SSD storage, keeping the processes that it can perform lag-free and smooth. Given its size, the package is huge and quite perfect for usual 12-year-old kids. 

The machine features a small but stylish 10-inch display with adequate resolution. This smart device further packs 9 hours of battery life, commendable for its weight and portability. Perfect to last a whole day, even if the circumstances require a recharge, the device has built-in fast charging USB C ports to solve the problem in no time.

If you think the machine is a little underpowered and wish to upgrade but with the same portability and convenience at any given point, then Microsoft has got your back as it offers a new and better Microsoft Surface Go 2. It packs the same comfort as its predecessor but with a more powerful increase.

Best for MacBook Lovers

Apple MacBook Air

Apple has a league of its own that no one can take away from. Apple fans can’t seem to be able to adjust for anything, be it windows laptops or anything other than apple laptops, no matter how much more or better the other thing might be. So if you’re an Apple fan, don’t have a liking for the windows operating system, have some huge bucks to spare, and want to give your 12-year-old kid a powerful device, so you don’t have to upgrade anytime soon, then this Apple laptop, Apple MacBook Air is the answer. 

Key features:

MacBook Air offers its latest, one of the most powerful, M1 chipset integrated with an Octa-core processor delivering many times the power than previous models. Moreover, this new technology delivers killer performance and doesn’t consume much energy to keep the load off the laptop’s battery giving it a long time. The equal power-blowing octa-core GPU complements the CPU with no comparison. This match has match as there is nothing the pair can’t handle since the sole purpose of the build is to handle anything brought its way for its time or even ahead of it.

Moving onto the RAM offered by the expensive MacBook Air, the device features a superfast 8 GB RAM, a very crucial part of the device ensuring smooth processing and multitasking no matter how demanding the programs are. Alongside comes a whopping 256 GB SSD storage that can save your kid’s course-related material from grade 1 to high school. Moreover, SSD integration ensures the data is transferred at a superfast rate to keep the children’s experience frustration-free.

Considering that a 12-year-old would require a portable and compact device, this compact, sleek-looking MacBook Air comes with a 13.3″ retina display with extremely thin bezels, high resolution, and high vibrancy. Therefore, it’s important to keep the load off young kids’ eyes and keep them engaged with the machine without feeling tired. In addition, the machine offers 15 hours of battery life to last through the longest of days one can live before having to leave for bed and put the device on charge via its USB c ports. MacBook Air is further integrated with advanced features like facetime and touch ID for effortless and quick access to the device and the most advanced user experience one can have. Additionally, it has a robust cooling system with no fans keeping the machine super silent. Finally, you won’t even realize the device is running without having the display on.

Conclusion

Different kids have different needs, preferences, and directions. Some are more inclined towards geeky activities, and some want to dwell on programming and coding, which demands powerful machines. Some are into gaming, again a power-demanding activity. Finally, some kids just use their devices on an absolute need basis.

Usually, online classes and academic activities for 12-year-old kids require a decently powered machine with sufficient battery life and is lightweight for high portability. Also, something that offers durability since kids can be a little clumsy and drop their devices and damage them, which can be costly in the long run as there is no guarantee as to how many times are they going to damage their laptops and what components can get damaged and at what cost. 

Keeping in mind the best laptop for 12-year-old reviews and all sorts of different needs 12-year-old kids nowadays can have, we have listed down the best laptop for 12-year-olds in each category for a specific purpose. Varying from those with high processing power to those with compact size and a little compromise on the power, some are slightly in the middle of both the ends. Covering different price brackets and needs for each league, we have listed the best laptops for 12-year-old kids.