Best laptop deals
Laptops are still one of the most useful pieces of tech you can buy but they are expensive. Never fear, though, because deals can always be found on a wide range of brands and models if you know where to look – and we do.
In this guide, we’ll show you where to find the best deals and importantly, how to figure out if a deal is legitimate or just a clever ploy to get you to think it’s a bargain.
We also have a dedicated round-up for thebest budget laptop dealsif you want something cheaper.
Best places to buy laptops
You’ll find some great laptop deals on sites including:
And in the UK:
You can go directly to manufacturers too, such as:
You can find loads more good deals on all things tech onour main deals site. We do the shopping so you don’t have to spend hours trawling for the best.
What to look for in laptop deals
There are often decent savings on Microsoft’s Surface range at the moment, as the company is trying to shift older generation Intel models. The same is often true of other brands and a device that’s only the previous generation is still new enough to buy and will still last many years.
Retailers likeCurrys PC World,John Lewis,ArgosandAOalmost always have plenty of deals on laptops. With the right offer, you’ll be able to pick up a half-decent machine for around £300 instead of £500, for example – not bad. You’ll find a similar situation at US retailers likeBest Buy.
You might also see reductions on budget laptops but bear in mind that you are getting what you pay for here – they might be fine for web browsing and Netflix, but they’ll be slow and unreliable for anything more challenging than that. That’s especially true of Chromebooks, which pair low specs with a simple OS for wallet-friendly prices but a slightly more limited feature set.
Higher-ticket items like a Surface Pro or HP’s ultrabooks may still be expensive at around $800/£800 or over a grand, but you might be able to save hundreds on the RRP. See ourdedicated round-up of the best Microsoft Surface deals.
Apple’s MacBooks are a little trickier to get discounts on, as offers are rare, but you can often pick up a model that’s a year or two old for less than the RRP (and still get great performance), and it’s also always worth checking outApple’s official refurbished store.
Amazon usually has some of the biggest bargains. If you find that you’re missing out onAmazon’s Lightning deals, which run for just a few hours and offer limited stock, we’d recommend signing up forAmazon’s 30-day free trialof Prime, which will get you access to deals 30 minutes before everyone else.
Plus, you’ll get free next-day delivery with the Prime trial, as well as access to Prime Instant Video and more.Sign up for Primenow.
If you’re not sure whether a deal is good or not make sure you check the manufacturer’s website for the official RRP (recommended retail price) and other retailers to see if they have an even cheaper price or possibly something to lure you like cashback or a free gift. There are also free tools out there such as theCamelcamelcamel price trackerandHoney pluginwhich can automatically try various voucher codes for you.
You might also want to useTrustpilotto find out if a retailer is trustworthy, for those times you find a great price but you’ve never heard of the company. If in doubt, pay with a credit card for security or simply stick to a major retailer.
Laptop Buying Guides
Tech Advisor has loads of content to help you find your way around buying a laptop, including advice on peripherals and accessories. We’ve put all these articles in one placehere.
If you want to know what the best laptops are,see our dedicated round upof the top devices, all expertly reviewed.
If you don’t want to splash out too much on a premium machine, we also have a guide on thebest budget laptops of the year. It goes through what to look out for in terms of screen, processor, software storage and memory and more.
While we’re on the topic of budget, students may also want to see our article on thebest laptops for students and for studying.
Another popular option now laptop-tablet hybrid. We’ve also compiled a guide on thebest 2-in-1 laptops, full of our expert reviews. In terms of peripherals, we’ve also created guides on the bestSolid State Drives (SSD)and thebest USB PD Power Banks for Laptops.
Author: Chris Martin, Reviews Editor, Tech Advisor
Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been at Tech Advisor for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.
