These days the offer for thin, light and fast ultraportable laptops is vast, but for those of you for whom size matters more than anything else, a mini laptop might be the ideal choice.
Thus, if you hate lugging around large and heavy computers and you don’t ask much from your portable companion in terms of performance, you’ll be very happy with one of the small and compact mini laptops we’ll mention in this article.
This post is all about the best 11-inch and smaller notebooks available these days in stores. We’ve been reviewing portable light-weight laptops for 15 years now, so we can tell you which are the better options and why, in order to help you pick the right device for your needs and budget.
Just to make things a little easier for you, I’ve split the post into several sections:
- affordable 11-inch mini-laptops (around $400 or less),
- premium 11-inch devices (around $500 and above),
- 10-inch mini-laptops and tablets,
- 12-inch laptops (separated article).
I’ll tell you what I like about each option, the quirks that you need to be aware of, and I’ve also added links to our detailed reviews and to our deals website, where you can usually find these devices for sale at discounted prices. Last but not least, you can also get in touch with me in the comments section if you have any questions or anything to add to the article, I’m around and will help out if I can.
Affordable 11-inch mini laptops and 2-in-1 hybrids
The offer for budget 11-inch mini laptops is diverse, especially in the $200 to $400 spectrum of inexpensive secondary notebooks, travel companions or laptops for kids.
Don’t expect premium features or materials in this class, but you will find simple and compact computers that can handle everyday tasks and run for quite a few hours on a charge.
Chromebooks
Chromebooks are by far your best bet in this segment. As long as they meet your requirements, you’re not going to find better value for your money elsewhere.
It is, however, imperative to understand what a Chromebook is and what it can and cannot do, and I’ve put up a whole article on this topic over here, that you should go through.
In very few words, if you’re on the Internet most of the time and your activities mostly involve browsing, watching movies and clips on Youtube or Netflix, listening to music on Spotify, eMail, text-editing, and other web-related chores, a Chromebook is a perfect match.
These devices are quicker than the Windows computers you’d find for the same kind of money, as well as safer and simpler to use. Due to their design, you don’t have to deal with updates or viruses, and you install applications from a store, like on your phone. On the other hand, if you need to run specific Windows software, games or plan to use your computer offline for long periods of time, you’ll better go for one of the Windows running alternatives we’ll discuss in the next sections.
Most of the available Chromebooks in this price segment get dual-core or quad-core processors, 4 GB of RAM, 16-32 GB of storage expandable through the included card reader, IPS screens with HD or even Full HD resolution, an HDMI port for watching movies on an external screen, as well as long battery life and fast charging abilities, in some cases. As a recommendation, stay away from devices with Intel Atom processors and only 2 GB of RAM, those get sluggish with today’s requirements.
Over here I’ve gathered a detailed selection of the best available models at the time of this update, and you’ll also find a more ample selection via this link.
That aside, our simplified list of recommendations for affordable ultra-compact Chromebooks is down below:
- Acer Chromebook R11 – from ~$220 – compact 2-in-1 laptop with convertible 11-inch IPS display, weighs 2.7 lbs, quad-core Intel processor, 4 GB RAM, 16/32 GB storage, 38 Wh battery;
- Asus Chromebook Flip C302 – from ~$400 – slightly more expensive and larger, but a premium 2-in-1 laptop with a metallic 2.65 lbs build, 12.5-inch FHD IPS touch-screen, Intel Core M hardware and a larger 39 Wh battery (our detailed review available over here).
- HP Chromebook 11 x360 – from ~$250 – plastic build, weighs 3.1 lbs, but get a convertible IPS HD touchscreen and larger 47 Wh battery;
- Lenovo Chromebook C340 11 – from ~300 – newer model, an update of the popular C330 – still built our of plastic, but small and light. It weighs 2.6 lbs and still gets a 42 Wh battery, IPS HD touchscreen, and a snappy Gemini Lake hardware platform;
- Samsung Chromebook 4 – from ~$250 – newer model, an update of the Samsung Chromebook 3. Compact plastic construction, weighs 2.6 lbs, gets an IPS 11-inch HD matte non-touch screen, quad-core Gemini Lake hardware and a 39 Wh battery.
Just some of the available Chromebooks
Clamshell Windows notebooks
This section includes 11-inch mini-laptops with a traditional notebook form-factor (clamshell) and a selling price of between $150 to $400.
There are a few different options out there, but my advice would be to aim for a configuration with at least 4 GB of RAM, at least 64 GB of storage and one of the faster CPU options (dual-core, but preferably a newer generation quad-core), otherwise the computer is going to struggle even with daily browsing and light multitasking, or you won’t have enough storage space for Windows and programs (especially on the 16 GB versions). These aside, expect 11-inch non-touch TN or IPS displays in this class, non-backlit keyboards, card-readers, fast Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and fairly well-made lightweight plastic bodies with thin profiles.
Here are some of the sub-$300 units I have on my radar:
- Asus VivoBook E203 – plastic shell, available in a few different colors, 11-inch HD TN matte screen, up to Gemini Lake Celeron/Pentium CPUs, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB eMMC storage, 38 Wh battery, weighs only 1 kg/ 2.2 lbs, around $200 for mid configurations with Gemini Lake Celeron;
- Dell Inspiron 11 3000 – plastic shell, available in a few different colors, 11-inch HD TN matte screen, AMD A6/A9 CPUs, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB eMMC storage, 32 Wh battery, 1.1 kg/ 2.5 lbs, around $200 for mid configurations with AMD A9;
- HP Stream 11 – plastic shell, available in a few different colors, 11-inch HD TN matte screen, up to Apollo Lake Celeron CPUs, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB eMMC storage, 37 Wh battery, 1.1 kg/ 2.5 lbs, around $180 for mid configurations with Apollo Lake Celeron;
- Lenovo 130S – available for under $170, still compact, light (2.6 lbs) and made out of plastic, gets a non-backlit keyboard, 11-inch HD TN screen, and slightly faster Gemini Lake Celeron hardware, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of eMMC storage, but a smaller 32Wh 5+ hours battery.
The Asus VivoBook is my favorite due to the slightly faster hardware, lighter build, and larger battery. The HP Stream is a well-balanced product, but comes as a second choice after the VivoBook, unless you can find it discounted, as it’s both heavier and slower. The Lenovo 130S is the most affordable option and overall on par with the others in terms of features, hardware, and design, but only gets a smaller 32Wh battery. Finally, the Inspiron 11 is affordable and fairly capable with the AMD hardware, but not as efficient and gets s smaller battery.
The HP Stream 11 and Asus Vivobook E series are some of the better Windows laptops you can have for around $200
There are also a couple of nicer clamshell 11-inchers you can opt for if you’re willing to spend a little more. Lenovo and Dell offer a few interesting options, but they’re charging a premium for the rugged construction and faster hardware, thus the average user might find better value with the more affordable options mentioned above.
The Latitude 11 Education series is Dell’s offer in this class. This one gets a black rubberized plastic case that’s supposed to withstand minor bumps and drops, a matte HD TN display, a good spill-proof keyboard and proper IO (including HDMI port, full-size USB slots and a card reader). It’s motorized by dual-quad core Intel Celeron and Pentium Gemini Lake processors with up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of SSD storage, and gets a 42 Wh battery. The base models start at around $350, but the higher-end versions sell for up to $600. Follow this link for more details and this one for updated prices and configurations.
Lenovo offers a very similar alternative, the ThinkPad 11E, with the same kind of rugged build, a matte TN screen, hardware specs, and 42 Wh battery. Some versions of the ThinkPad 11E are available with an older generation Core i3 processor though, and Lenovo’s offer is also a bit more accessible when specked up. Follow this link for updated configurations and prices.
2-in-1 mini laptops
This section covers convertible mini-laptops with a touchscreen. There are a few options to consider, just keep in mind you’re still getting plastic bodies, non-backlit keyboards and mostly IPS HD displays with these, for around $230 to $350.
The HP Pavilion x360 11 2-in-1 is built on Intel Pentium or even Core i3 processors, with up to 8 GB of RAM and usually a 500 GB HDD, which means there’s a 2.5″ bay inside where you can stick whatever storage solution you might want. There’s also a 34 or a 41 Wh battery (on the Core i3 config), so overall this notebook will handle daily chores well and will offer pretty good battery life.
Specs aside, the Pavilion x360 11 is a convertible with an HD TN touchscreen, is made out of plastic, is available in a few different colors and weighs around 3.1 lbs.
HP asks between $350 (for the Pentium model) and $550 (for the Core i3 model) and you can find more about them via this link. Just keep in mind this is an older variant and you might struggle to still find it in stocks.
Lenovo’s Flex 11 series, on the other hand, comes with a cheaper price tag, slower hardware (Intel Celeron and Pentium) and a 36 Wh battery. It still gets up to 8 GB of RAM and upgradeable M.2 storage, so it can be a fine mini laptop as well. You’ll find out more about this device, its latest configurations and their updated prices via this link.
Dell’s Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1 is a solid alternative for the HPs, a similarly sized computer with the same form-factor.
Dell’s option is available with a larger selection of hardware specs though, from Intel Celeron up to Intel Core M CPUs, 2-8 GB of RAM and eMMC to SSD storage. It also gets a 32 Wh battery, but the screen still uses a TN panel. The Inspiron 11 3000 is also made out of plastic, available in a bunch of different colors and weighs 3.1 lbs.
Dell asks between $200 and $550 for this series, and you can find more about them via this link. Keep in mind there are also some older Inspiron 11 3000 versions, with larger 43 Wh batteries and a more rugged design. Those were available in silver and you should easily recognize them by their outer-aspect.
Dell’s Inspiron 11 3000 is available in many colors and configurations
The premium 11.6-inch ultraportable laptops
While many manufacturers migrated their premium ultraportables towards the 12-inch segment in recent years, you’ll still find good value with the few premium 11-inchers listed below, especially since these are normally more affordable. Some of them are rather old though, and you should make sure you understand and can accept their quirks.
HP ProBook X360 11 Education
This is one of the very few options with modern hardware, a sturdily built 11-inch convertible that meets MIL-STD-810G standards, thus is ideal for kids, thanks to its ability to survive the daily hassle and occasional bumps.
The specs list includes either an Apollo Lake Celeron/Pentium or an Intel Core m3 processor, up to 8 GB of RAM and SSD storage, alongside a 41 Wh battery and a spill-proof keyboard, all tucked inside a 3.2 lbs plastic shell. It only comes with a TN HD screen though, and I would have expected an IPS panel in this price range.
The ProBook x360 11 starts at under $350 at the time of this update, but the higher end configurations sell for around $700. Follow this link for more details and updated configurations/prices.
The ProBook X360 is rugged and modern, but can get expensive
HP EliteBook Revolve 810
The Elitebook Revolve 810 is an older model, but still one of the most complete 11-inchers you can find in stores. It gets a nice metallic outer shell, an excellent backlit and spill-proof keyboard, a bright IPS convertible multi-touch touchscreen, Core U (5th gen) hardware and a 44 Wh battery.
Potential buyers might complain about the screen’s HD-only resolution and the dated hardware inside, but both should be good enough for everyday use.
If you can look past these quirks, the Revolve 810 might be what you want, especially as it’s greatly discounted these days, as a Core i5 configuration with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of SSD storage sells for a little over $500. Follow this link for more details.
The EliteBook Revolve 810 is still one of the most complete 11-inchers you can find in stores
Lenovo Yoga 710 11
This is also an older model, but a slimmer and lighter convertible that only weighs 2.3 lbs, so much easier to carry around. It’s made out of plastic, so it is not as sturdy as the HP options, but is still nicely built and good looking. It also gets an FHD IPS touch screen, something the other options lack, and a fairly good non-backlit keyboard.
The Yoga is powered by Intel Pentium or 5th gen Core M hardware, with up to 8 GB of RAM, SSD storage and a 40 Wh battery, so is not as fast as the EliteBook, but will handle everyday chores well and it’s much quieter, as it’s built on fanless hardware.
The 11-inch Yoga 710 was pricey at launch and has still retained a fair chunk of its value. These days you can find the Pentium versions for under $500, but the Core models still sell for over $600. Follow this link for more details and updated configurations and prices.
The Yoga 710 is a thin-and-light 11-inch convertible with fanless hardware
Apple Macbook Air 11
We’ll still mention the 11-inch MacBook Air in here, although it’s no longer something we’d normally recommend, due to its dated hardware, the poor-quality TN glossy screen, and still high price-tag.
The build quality, typing experience, the long battery life and even the performance to handle everyday tasks are still here though, so this might still be a good buy for some of you looking to get a cheap MacBook, even with these significant quirks, but only if you can find it greatly discounted, for $500 or less. Follow this link for updated prices.
Just keep in mind that a discounted or a Certified Refurbished 12-inch MacBook could be a much nicer alternative, and you’ll also find better-value devices in the Windows camp.
How about 10-inch mini laptops?
With netbooks no longer a reality, you can hardly find a 10-inch mini laptop in stores anymore these days, with some exceptions like the Panasonic Let’s Note for instance, which is only available in Japan. There are however quite a few good Windows tablets with 10-inch screens to consider, and these are usually paired with keyboard docks or folios, so can be used as both notebooks or slates.
Among them, the Microsoft Surface Go is the go-to recommendation as one of the few 10-inch devices with modern specs and features. It’s also fairly expensive and you’ll have to pay at least $400 for the tablet, or more for extra RAM and storage space, with accessories like the detachable keyboard folio and the Surface pen as extras. Microsoft does offer discounts for student/parents/teachers/ military personnel all year-long, as well as various bundles and periodical discounts for everyone else, so you should keep an eye on their site for updates and deals.
Even if not cheap, the Surface Go is worth every penny. It’s built from a durable magnesium alloy with Gorilla Glass on top of the screen, it’s extremely light at only 1.15 lbs, and gets an excellent-quality 10-inch touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio and pen support. All these are motorized by a low-power, yet still fairly capable fanless Pentium Gold platform, with 4-8 GB of RAM and 64-128 GB of storage, while the 28 Wh battery inside offers around 5-6 hours of daily use battery life and 6-8 hours of video. The battery charges via USB-C, btw, and supports quick charging.
All in all, the Surface Go is perfectly usable as a stand-alone device, but even more versatile when hooked up to the small-sized, yet otherwise fairly good and backlit keyboard cover.
You’ll find more about the Surface Go from this review, and you can check out the latest configurations and prices via this or this link.
The Lenovo Tablet 10 is the alternative to consider if you’re after a 10-incher that can last for longer on each charge, includes optional LTE connectivity, offers more ports and is overall a more ergonomic laptop, as this one gets a keyboard dock, not a keyboard folio (see the pictures for details).
It starts at around $400 as well, or $500 with the keyboard, but Lenovo offers occasional discounts for as low as $350. It gets a 16:10 10.1-inch IPS touchscreen, with pen support, and is a tad slower than the Surface Go, as it’s motorized by Intel Apollo Lake Pentium processors and only 4 GB of RAM. It can last for 6-7 hours of daily use, thanks to the 39 Wh battery inside, but that does bump the weight to 1.45 lbs, and the keyboard is not backlit.
All in all the Surface Go is still my favorite, but the Tablet 10 from Lenovo can be a good alternative if you’re on a tighter budget. Follow this link for a more detailed comparison between the two, and this one for updated prices and configurations at the time you’re reading this post.
Other more affordable options include the rather unique Lenovo Yoga Book or the some of the older Asus Transformer Pad Minis and Acer Aspire Switch tablets, if you can still find them in stock.
You’ll also find some lesser-known products that sell for under $200, like the CHUWI Hi10 Air, the Fusion5 Tablet PC or the RCA Cambio 2-in-1, (more details via this link) but these are not products we can openly recommend for two main reasons: questionable quality and support. Still, as long as you’re getting them from a reputable store like Amazon, Walmart or Best-Buy, I guess you could give them a try, but adjust your expectations and prepare yourself to run into quirks.
Wrap up
These are the 11.6 and 10 inch small laptops and mini tablets I’d look at right now if I’d be in the market for an ultra-compact computer, either Chromebooks or Windows running options.
Most of them cater to those of you on limited budgets, those looking for devices for primarily tablet use, or those looking for secondary travel notebooks or inexpensive notebooks for your kids. The options for high-end 11 and 10-inchers are limited nowadays, when most OEMs have migrated their higher-tier options towards the 12-inch and 13-inch classes, which offer an increased screen-area and more space for the required components and battery cells.
If you need more power in a small form-factor though, you should also check out my general list of recommended 13-inch ultrabooks and thin-and-light laptops as well, where you’ll find marginally larger and heavier options than those mentioned in this article, but able to meet most requirements in terms of performance, keyboard experience, screen-quality, ports or battery life.
With that in mind, we’ll wrap this up here. I’m constantly updating this list of mini-laptops as new qualifying devices are launched, so do save the link and come back in the future. If you spot any mistake, care to suggest a device that’s missing from the list or just want to add anything to the article, leave a comment below, I’m around to reply and help out.