12" and Under Laptops

An 11in or 12in laptop is genuinely portable — light enough to carry all day and small enough to use on a train table. Most of what is made at this size now is Chromebooks, and they dominate this range.

That is worth understanding before buying. ChromeOS runs the Chrome browser, web apps, Google Workspace and Android apps. It is fast on modest hardware, very simple to manage, and it will not run Windows software such as the desktop Microsoft Office applications or specialist Windows tools. For school work, browsing, email and documents it is excellent value.

Many models here are built to education specifications — the Lenovo 500e and HP Fortis ranges have reinforced hinges, spill-resistant keyboards and drop-tested chassis, which is exactly what you want for a child’s laptop.

Touchscreen and 2-in-1 models fold flat or detach into a tablet.

If you need Windows, look at our wider laptop range — Windows machines start at 13.3in.