Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Deal Evergreens

Best refurbished laptop deals: How to find cheap used computers

Add as a preferred source on Google
Image used with permission by copyright holder

With so much stuff these days needing a laptop, owning one can be necessary. That said, not everybody wants to buy a laptop, or wants to spend the large chunks of money they often cost. In fact, most folks probably need something relatively simple, and if you just need something to get online and do work, refurbished laptops are a much cheaper option for you, especially if you’re not interested in one of the best laptops on the market. That means you can snag a good laptop while saving a bit of money, and most places that sell refurbished laptops offer some kind of guarantee, so you may not even be stuck with a computer that has issues if you end up receiving one.

To that end, there are really great refurbished laptop sales that you can check out as part of Best Buy laptop deals, Dell laptop deals, HP laptop deals and Lenovo laptop deals. Alternatively, if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, take a look at these refurbished MacBook deals, or if you still want to go for something new, you could consider checking out these laptop deals instead.

Best Buy refurbished laptops — starting at $190

Best Buy’s refurbished laptops are — you guessed it — Geek Squad Certified and while they may not be free and clear of absolutely all cosmetic scuffs they are still exceptionally clean and always in working order. Some of them even come with additional software like virus tools, streaming access, like Apple TV+, and much more. Of course, the best part is that you can get a premium and fully upgraded model for less, often with more storage, more power, and more features than you would when buying a base model brand new. You’ve got some great options from Lenovo, Acer, HP, Dell, Gateway, and even Apple to choose from. The cheapest models start around $120 and increase from there. The best way to know what’s available is to head over and browse for yourself.

Shop Now

Dell Latitude — starting at $489

Dell sometimes discounts laptops and machines, for varying reasons, including clearance deals of the week to make way for new stock. That’s pretty much the case with Dell’s Latitude models with the cheapest coming in around $189 up to $229 and above. There are a lot of different models, each with individual specifications and features, so you’ll have to sift through the list, especially if you know what you’re looking for already.

Shop Now

Amazon Renewed laptops — starting at $43

Like most other e-tailers, Amazon offers a host of renewed and refurbished systems, but here’s where it gets juicy. Amazon typically runs them through a proprietary renewal process which allows them to offer many laptops and computers at an even lower discounted price. This is another instance where you’ll have to head over and browse for yourself just because Amazon’s inventory is so absolutely massive. You have Chromebooks and older machines starting around $30 to $70, with some more powerful laptops in the running beyond $200 or so. Definitely take a look before you buy new, at the very least.

Shop Now

Should you buy a refurbished laptop?

A refurbished laptop can be fantastic value for your money, but you need to look out for a few key things to make sure you don’t get ripped off. For instance, it’s vital that the refurbished laptop deals you check out are all factory refurbished, meaning the actual manufacturer repaired them. You’ll also want to make sure that the refurbished laptop has at least a 12-month warranty and that the refurbished laptop sales are from a reliable and reputable retailer.

If you stick to these things, then you should be safe. By following such ideals, you’ll ensure your refurbished laptop has been repaired by a company employee using factory parts, and the warranty means that if the same (or a different) issue pops up, you can have it repaired for free.

If you come across something that hasn’t been reconditioned in the same factory in which it was made but is still listed as certified refurbished, it’s still good to go. That tends to mean that it’s been as good as factory repaired by a professional who knows what they’re doing.

It’s sensible to stick to trusted retailers with a warranty and some form of guarantee as it avoids any chance of you accidentally buying stolen stock.

As always, remember to use common sense. If the refurbished laptop deals you’re checking out look too good to be true, they probably are. Make sure you buy from a reputable seller so you won’t be disappointed by your purchase.

Finally, as with all laptops, it’s a good idea to know what to look for. Check out our laptop buying guide and take a look at 11 common laptop buying mistakes you can easily avoid.

Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen is a technology writer with over 15 years of experience in the field. During that time, she's spent the past…
Adobe’s new AI assistant could save you hours in Photoshop and Premiere
Premiere Pro users may never have to rename 500 video clips again
Adobe

Adobe is making one of its biggest bets yet on AI-powered creativity. The company has announced a major expansion of its creative agent across Firefly and Creative Cloud, introducing AI assistants capable of handling complex, multi-step workflows across applications, including Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, InDesign, and Frame.io.

The move positions Adobe's AI agent as a central layer connecting every stage of the creative process, from brainstorming and content generation to editing and final production. Rather than simply generating images or text, Adobe's vision is to create an assistant that can understand a creator's goal and execute a series of actions across multiple tools.

Read more
Trump says Intel will make chips for Apple in a major win for U.S. manufacturing
Intel Foundry may have landed its most important customer yet
Logo

Intel’s efforts to rebuild its chipmaking business may have landed its biggest customer yet. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Apple has agreed to work with Intel to design and manufacture chips in the United States, a deal that could significantly strengthen Intel’s foundry ambitions.

The announcement does not come out of the blue. Earlier reports indicated that Apple and Intel had been discussing a manufacturing partnership for more than a year and had already begun working together on select chip production projects.

Read more
A harmless-looking ChatGPT prompt opened the door to gruesome AI images
The findings show how image safety systems can fail without explicit graphic instructions.
ChatGPT

A harmless-looking ChatGPT prompt pushed the latest public version of ChatGPT into generating sexualized and violent images, AI security researchers told the BBC. The finding puts new pressure on OpenAI’s image safety systems, since the request wasn’t described as plainly graphic.

Mindgard, a British AI security startup, said it reached the results by altering a widely shared instruction that had been used for comedy. OpenAI added safeguards after the BBC contacted it, but the researchers said small wording changes still produced concerning images.

Read more