I test laptops for a living, and this Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook is the best Chromebook you'll find under $250

A Lenovo laptop against a TechRadar background
(Image credit: Future / Lenovo)

Chromebooks are some of my favorite laptops on the market thanks to their portability, functionality, simplicity, and security features, and Lenovo makes some of the best Chromebooks around.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook is a great example, and while I'd normally recommend it even at its full retail price of $429, right now, you can get the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook for just $249 at Best Buy, making it an even better deal.

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook
Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook: was $429 now $249 at Best Buy

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook is as powerful a Chromebook as you're going to find even at its full retail price thanks to its Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processor, 8GB memory, and 128GB SSD storage, but this $180 discount at Best Buy makes it an even better bargain.

More about the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook

While Chromebooks aren't the best laptops for heavy-duty workloads, they're surprisingly capable, especially when it comes to working on the cloud.

And with so many different productivity and creative apps available online, there's a lot more you can do with a Chromebook than most people realize.

What makes this Chromebook such a good deal is its spec sheet. While an Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processor isn't the fastest out there, it's more than enough for everyday computing on a Chromebook, especially for cloud apps.

Even better, the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage are fantastic for multitasking and using more resource-intensive apps from the Google Play Store.

Pair that with a 15-inch, full HD touch display and you have one of the best Chromebooks you can buy for under $500, much less $250.

More Chromebook deals

If you're looking for something other than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook (or if you're outside the US), check below for more great Chromebook deals from retailers in your region.

John Loeffler
Components Editor

John (He/Him) is the Components Editor here at TechRadar and he is also a programmer, gamer, activist, and Brooklyn College alum currently living in Brooklyn, NY.

Named by the CTA as a CES 2020 Media Trailblazer for his science and technology reporting, John specializes in all areas of computer science, including industry news, hardware reviews, PC gaming, as well as general science writing and the social impact of the tech industry.

You can find him online on Bluesky @johnloeffler.bsky.social