Budget and midrange devices are becoming more capable than ever, and our favorite cheap laptops are no exception. It’s possible to get a brand-new, capable daily driver for around $500 or $600 in 2024. However, if that’s above what you can spend, the buying situation gets complicated. For people that can spend just a few hundred on a laptop, you basically have three options. First, you can buy a low-end Windows laptop that is barely serviceable, usually featuring massive compromises like slow processors, eMMC storage, or older and low available memory. There’s also the Chromebook route, but the best ones are still quite expensive and ChromeOS might be limiting for some. These factors are why I’d recommend exploring the third and final option, which is purchasing a used laptop.
A lot of people are wary of buying used products, especially when consumer electronics are concerned. Their fears aren’t unwarranted, either. You do need to know what you’re looking for to some degree in order to be successful and avoid scams. Alternatively, you’ll need to take advice from someone who does or do a lot of your own research. The benefits of buying used compared to getting an ultra-budget laptop in new condition usually outweigh the potential risks. If you make the right moves, you can eliminate almost all the commonly-cited concerns about buying used tech. Most importantly, when all is said and done, you’ll have a much better laptop for a similar price as the meager budget one you were considering instead.
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4 You still get purchase protection
If you take the right steps, you’ll still have peace of mind buying used
The first thing to point out is that you can absolutely get purchase protection on a used or refurbished laptop. Certified refurbished devices purchased directly from their original manufacturer should give you the most piece of mind, since they typically carry the original OEM warranty. However, these certified refurbished devices come with a higher price tag than regular used laptops as a result. It’s a common misconception that used devices purchased directly from an individual or corporate reseller don’t come with purchase protection, but that isn’t the case.
As a buyer, using eBay is a safe bet due to the company’s strong Money-Back Guarantee. When you buy something on the marketplace, eBay promises that you get the item you ordered or your money back plus shipping fees — it’s that simple. You have 30 days after the delivery date of your item to request a return (in most cases) if the laptop you get isn’t the one described in the eBay listing description and images. Even if the seller doesn’t accept returns, the guarantee still applies. While you’ll need to make your case to eBay before the company sides in your favor, the company has a long and well-documented history of siding with buyers over sellers.
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Want to make a purchase outside of eBay? Use PayPal for person-to-person payments when buying used laptops from social groups like Facebook Marketplace or community blogs. When paying with PayPal Goods & Services, buyers get purchase protection when the item is significantly not as described. In general, use credit cards whenever possible, even in addition to eBay or PayPal. If all else fails, you can ask your credit card provider to issue a chargeback if you end up getting scammed. Despite not having a standard warranty, there are quite a few ways to keep yourself covered in the event of a scam when buying used laptops.
3 Put an end to E-waste
Do you really need something new when you can repurpose something old?
There are obvious environmental and sustainability benefits to buying used laptops, too. If we can keep older laptops up and running for longer, fewer new devices need to be produced, and the environment is better for it. Sure, recycling E-waste is better than the alternative, but the most destructive part of the process is the manufacturing of new devices. In part, that’s because only a small portion of electronics actually make their way to a recycling plant when they reach end-of-life status.
The best way to combat E-waste is to avoid making an abundance of electronic devices altogether. What does that look like in practice? Use things like laptops until they truly don’t meet your needs anymore, and then pass them off to the next person through donation or resale. By purchasing a used laptop, you’ll be getting a quality machine and do something good in the process.
2 More room for upgrades
Older laptops let you easily upgrade their memory and storage
An unfortunate trend in consumer productivity laptops is the shift to non-upgradeable hardware. All recent MacBooks and even many Windows laptops feature soldered memory or storage, making it difficult or impossible to upgrade those components down the line. With a used laptop from 5 to 10 years ago, there is plenty of room for upgrades that can seriously improve the usability of the computer. For starters, adding an SSD to a computer is hands-down the best way to speed up a slow system. Memory upgrades provide a similar boost as well. If you can find a cheap laptop with a solid processor and display, throwing in a fresh SSD and new memory can make it noticeably faster in daily use.
For example, you can still buy a MacBook Pro from the early 2010s that originally shipped with a hard drive and 4GB of RAM and make significant upgrades. With limited effort, the MacBook Pro (2012) can be switched over to SSD storage and can be upgraded to 8GB of memory. That’s the exact same amount of RAM as a brand-new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or Mac Mini. There are even better examples on the Windows side of the market. You can frequently find cheap Lenovo Thinkpad laptops on the used market, as they’re often offloaded by businesses once they’re no longer needed. The Lenovo ThinkPad T490, for example, is a solid laptop from 2019 that has an extra SODIMM slot for RAM upgrades on some models. With it, you can easily add a bit of extra memory for increased performance.
1 Better value for your money
A midrange or flagship laptop from years ago beats out new budget ones
By far, the best reason to pick up a used laptop instead of an ultra-budget laptop in new condition is for value. Laptops that try to hit the lowest price points often make sacrifices that will be intolerable for some users. For example, ultra-budget laptops usually feature eMMC storage that is painfully slow compared to an SSD. They also include worse displays, cheap plastic chassis, and poor keyboards and trackpads. These areas are specifically where midrange or flagship laptops from a few years ago will outshine brand-new laptops in the cheap sector of the market.
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Without even looking at specific models, I’d comfortably choose the display and build quality of a flagship laptop from five years ago over a brand-new laptop costing a few hundred dollars today. The level of precision, design, and display quality is simply unmatched. While it’s true that used laptops might show their age when it comes to performance, it’s not like laptops costing $200 to $300 are blowing people away with blazing-fast speeds either. Plus, you might be able to upgrade used laptops, but it’s unlikely you can do the same with ultra-budget devices. The bottom line is this: if you only have a few hundred dollars to spend, you’ll get more for your money by going used.
Things to consider when buying a used laptop
While the risks associated with buying used laptops are often overblown, there are still a few things to keep in mind. For starters, remember that laptop batteries are consumable products that will degrade over time. When buying a used laptop, it’s a good idea to expect that it’ll need a new battery sooner or later — but you can get a gauge on when that might be by checking the laptop’s battery cycle count. Of course, you’ll also want to check images for any signs of excessive wear or misuse. Used devices will show scratches and the occasional dent, but if a laptop looks like it was abused, don’t buy it. Damage on the outside of a laptop could be a sign of related problems on the inside.
Still, if you do your due diligence and make use of the ways to get purchase protection on used purchases, buying a secondhand laptop can net you a much better machine than you’ll get with a really cheap one.
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