Adding convertible functionality to a thin and light laptop often results in a high price tag, but that’s not the case with the Galaxy Book 3 360. For around $1,000/£1,000, you can get an excellent all-rounder that just happens to have a 360° hinge.

However, the highlight is undoubtedly its 13.3in OLED display, which delivers an excellent, detailed viewing experience and touch support. A 61.1Wh battery doesn’t sound like anything special, but should comfortably last you a full day away from the charger. Intel’s 13th-gen CPUs ensure performance is decent, although it lags behind some rivals with similar processors.

You’ll also have to contend with a lot of extra apps and tools, which may become annoying if you don’t own other Galaxy devices.

But overall, this is a great option for students, even if you’ll find better value for money elsewhere. For something even more premium, consider the Galaxy Book 3 Pro.

The 15in MacBook Air is a new size for Apple’s thin and light laptop, but this extra screen area makes a lot of sense for students.

Performance from the company’s own M2 chip is excellent, even if you need to run demanding apps. But it also helps deliver superb battery life – this device should last you a full day with plenty of charge to spare.

Add in Apple’s wide range of free software, including the iWork office apps and GarageBand, and it’s easy to understand why the 15in Air is great for both studying and free time.

However, that display isn’t touchscreen and could be brighter, while the notch will take some getting used to if you haven’t tried it before. With only USB-C ports on the device itself, you may also need an adapter or hub.

Despite this, the 15in Air is the best Mac for students right now. It’s still worth considering the cheaper 13in M1 version from 2020, though.

The Aspire 3 is currently the best budget laptop around, and running Windows 11 rather than ChromeOS makes it a better buy for students.

Performance from AMD’s Ryzen 7320U is great for everything except gaming, while the keyboard is one of the best you’ll find on any affordable laptop. The webcam is only 720p, but it’s surprisingly good for a built in sensor. You even get solid battery life.

Compromises are inevitable at this price point, and only 128GB of internal SSD storage means you’ll need to store most of your big files in the cloud. The 15.6in LCD display is also only 1080p, but neither of these should be dealbreakers for most students.

Considering everything you’re getting here, the Aspire 3 is a great option for students. You may also be interested in the Intel version with a 12th-gen CPU.

If you’d like something slightly more premium, go for the Aspire 5 instead.

If you’re a student, you’ll probably want a laptop that you can take almost everywhere with you. That’s certainly true of the Swift Go 14, which comes in at just 15mm thick and 1.25kg in weight.

But crucially, there are no big sacrifices in order to make it this portable. Performance from Intel’s 13th-gen CPUs is impressive, while the OLED display is among the best you’ll find on any 14in laptop.

However, the 1440p webcam is a real highlight, making high-quality video calling easy. There are also plenty of ports, all within a slick and premium design.

Battery life is the main reason not to buy it, although a full day is still possible with light workloads. The fans can also get annoying, but you’ll soon get used to them.

If you’re willing to put up with these shortcomings, the Swift Go 14 is definitely worth considering.

The TUF Gaming A15 is the best cheap gaming laptop you can buy, so it makes sense to be included here.

While gaming isn’t a priority for students, it’s certainly a nice option for free time. And the superb performance from the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU is impressive regardless of the situation.

Crucially, all this power doesn’t come at the cost of battery life – the 90Wh cell will last all day if you avoid gaming. Alongside an understated yet durable and great selection of ports, there’s a lot to like here for students.

But like most gaming laptops, it’s not thin or light at 25mm and 2.2kg. The 15.6in Full HD display is quite dim and there’s no alternative to unlocking with a PIN or password, but these are easy to overlook when you look at everything you’re getting here.

The iPad Pro has long represented the finest best tablet money can buy, and the M2 chip takes already-excellent performance to the next level. Incredibly, this makes the iPad Pro more powerful than many of Apple’s MacBooks.

When paired with the stunning 12.9in, 120Hz display, it’s a real treat. Despite its size and quality, you can still expect solid battery life too.

Pairing the tablet with the Magic Keyboard really does turn the iPad Pro into a laptop-style device – with trackpad and all – plus you might also benefit from the advanced features available with the Apple Pencil.

However, these are both expensive accessories, meaning you can easily pay high-end laptop prices. That could be a sticking point, especially when iPadOS still lacks Mac-level apps.

Nonetheless, it’s an amazing all-in-one setup if you can afford it.

Read our full iPad Pro 12.9in (2022) review

Despite a relatively unassuming design, the Swift X 14 packs in plenty of features that will appeal to students.

That includes plenty of power, with Intel’s Core i7-13700H combining with the Nvidia RTX 4050 (on the model reviewed) for excellent performance. It can handle almost every app a student might need, and even deliver solid gaming at 1080p.

And with a high-quality, 14.5in OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, everything looks excellent. The full-size keyboard and large touchpad also impress, while the range of ports is better than on most laptops.

However, you will have to put up with underwhelming battery life, despite a decent 76Wh capacity. You’re looking at around four hours of usage on a single charge, so make sure you don’t stray too far away from a power source.

But if you can put up with that and the price, there’s very little to dislike here.

If you’re looking for a big display but don’t want to compromise on design, the Gram 16 is a great option.

The highlight here is a stunning 16in 2560×1600 display, with tiny bezels making for an immersive viewing experience. While the display is only 60Hz rather than something more fluid and slick, it’s not a big issue.

Everyday performance is also excellent, thanks to Intel’s 12th-gen processors and 8 or 16GB of RAM. There’s a healthy port selection, too, alongside an 80Wh battery and fingerprint sensor built into the power button, all within a device that weighs less than 1.2kg.

If you’re a student with cash to splash, it’s a stunning bit of kit. But for a more affordable 16in option, consider the Huawei MateBook D 16.

There is also now a 2023 version, but aside from new Intel processors, it’s more of the same.

The Surface Laptop Go is designed with students in mind, and this second generation is a compelling compact option.

Microsoft’s premium Surface Laptop design is retained at this more affordable price point, with slim bezels giving the impression of a much more high-end device. The resolution of the 12.4in touchscreen is lower than many laptops, but it doesn’t feel like a compromise once you start using it. Performance from 11th-gen Intel Core i5 CPU is strong, although you’ll probably want to spend more to get 8GB of RAM.

Elsewhere, the Laptop Go 2’s keyboard is one of the best you’ll find anywhere, while the thin (15.7mm) and light (1.16kg) design makes it very portable. It’s prone to overheating and still missing backlit keys, but it remains a solid option for students.

It’s also worth considering the Surface Laptop 5, but its more affordable sibling is a better buy for most students. However, you might want to wait for the Surface Laptop Go 3, which looks to be on the way.

Read our full Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 review

If you’re looking for a budget laptop that will still get the job done, Asus’ E410 is a great option. 

The Intel Celeron N4020 doesn’t sound great on paper, but it delivers solid all-round performance that’s capable of handling the basics. There’s also excellent battery life, with Asus’ 12-hour claims holding up well in real-world usage – a full working day is well within reach. At just 1.3kg, it’s also extremely portable. 

You also get solid 14in Full HD+ display, although it doesn’t get particularly bright. The numberpad built into the touchpad is more annoying than useful, while the unusual rear design isn’t to everyone’s tastes. 

Still, these compromises are more than acceptable when you consider its affordable price.