Best Laptops Under £400 UK 2026

Updated: 12 November 2026. 6 laptops compared. Prices checked 12 Nov 2026 on Amazon UK.

Quick answer: the best laptops under £400 in the UK right now are the Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R8DK at £391.99 and the HP 15 15-fd0032na at £389.99 (both Amazon UK, 12 November 2026). The Acer has a Ryzen 5 7520U, 8GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD. The HP has a Core i3-1315U, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and, unlike most rivals here, a charger in the box. If you can live with ChromeOS, the HP Chromebook 14 (£277.77) and ASUS Chromebook 14 (£229.99) cost far less. The honest limit at this price is memory: all four Windows laptops have 8GB of RAM, and Amazon sold no 16GB Windows laptop under £400 that day.

If you’re shopping for the best laptops under £400 in 2026, the choice is narrower than it was a couple of years ago. We checked six laptops on Amazon UK on 12 November 2026: four Windows machines and two Chromebooks. Battery figures are the makers’ claims, not our tests. If your budget stretches further, see our best laptops under £500 guide or our full UK laptop comparison.

Quick Picks: Best Laptops Under £400 in the UK (2026)

Prices are from Amazon UK, 12 November 2026. Every listing was in stock and sold by Amazon.

Ranked by TheTechVector Rating, highest first. TheTechVector Rating is our own editorial score out of 10 (not a survey or third-party source). It weighs price, spec for the money, what is in the box and how much compromise you accept. See our editorial policy.

Which Are the Best Laptops Under £400? Our Four Winners

What Can You Actually Buy for Under £400 in 2026?

Under £400 you can get a solid everyday laptop with a modern processor, a 256GB or 512GB SSD and a Full HD screen, but you cannot get 16GB of RAM from Amazon on a Windows machine. On 12 November 2026, every Windows laptop sold by Amazon under £400 that we found had 8GB. That suits browsing, email, documents and streaming. It gets tight with dozens of tabs open next to other apps. Our guide on how much RAM you need in a laptop explains where the line sits.

Windows, ChromeOS and Windows on Arm

Four of the six laptops run Windows 11, which runs the widest range of software. The two Chromebooks run ChromeOS, built around the Chrome browser. Microsoft 365 works in the browser, but Windows-only programs will not run. The ASUS Vivobook S16 runs Windows 11 on a Snapdragon X Plus chip, known as Windows on Arm. Most everyday apps work, but some older apps may not run, or may run slower.

The 6 Best Laptops Under £400 (UK) 2026

1. Best Overall: Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R8DK (Ryzen 5 / 8GB / 512GB)

Best for: everyday use, study, browsing, streaming and light office work. At £391.99 (Amazon UK, 12 November 2026) the Aspire 3 has the best mix of processor, memory and storage of the six. It uses a Ryzen 5 7520U with 8GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD, which is double the storage of the HP 15 15-fd1006sax and the ASUS Vivobook S16.

The 15.6-inch screen is Full HD and the laptop runs Windows 11 Home. It has WiFi 6 and a full USB-C port, and Acer lists it at 1.7kg.

*Price note: £391.99, sold by Amazon and in stock, as of 12 November 2026. The listing gives no battery figure. Rating 8.6/10: the strongest spec for the money, held back only by 8GB of RAM and no stated battery life.

Pros

• Ryzen 5 and a 512GB SSD for under £400
• DDR5 memory and WiFi 6
• Full USB-C port

Cons

• Only 8GB of RAM
• No battery figure in the listing we checked

Check price on Amazon UK

2. Best Windows Value, Charger Included: HP 15 15-fd0032na (Core i3 / 8GB / 512GB)

Best for: home use, admin, video calls and anyone who wants the box to contain everything. The HP 15 15-fd0032na costs £389.99 (Amazon UK, 12 November 2026), £2 less than the Acer. It has an Intel Core i3-1315U, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare screen running Windows 11.

The charger is included, it supports fast charging, and HP quotes up to 9.75 hours of battery life (HP’s claim, not our test). The True Vision camera has a privacy door, handy for video calls. The trade-off is the processor: on paper a Core i3 sits a step below the Ryzen 5 in the Acer.

*Price note: £389.99, sold by Amazon and in stock, as of 12 November 2026. Rating 8.4/10: the lower price and the included charger nearly make up for the lower processor tier.

Pros

• Charger included in the box
• 512GB SSD and a Full HD anti-glare screen
• Camera with a privacy door

Cons

• Core i3 is a step below the Ryzen 5 in the Acer
• Only 8GB of RAM

Check price on Amazon UK

3. Best Chromebook: HP Chromebook 14 (Intel N100 / 4GB / 128GB)

Best for: students, browser-based work, email, streaming and anyone who wants a simple laptop for much less. The HP Chromebook 14 costs £277.77 (Amazon UK, 12 November 2026). It has an Intel N100 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of UFS storage and a 14-inch anti-glare display. It runs ChromeOS, not Windows.

That distinction matters. Microsoft 365 runs in the browser and Google apps work natively, but Windows-only programs will not run. If your work depends on desktop software, stay with Windows. If you live in Chrome, Gmail, Google Docs and streaming sites, this saves over £80 against the cheapest Windows laptop here.

*Price note: £277.77, sold by Amazon and in stock, as of 12 November 2026. We leave out resolution, battery and weight because the listing doesn’t state them. Rating 7.6/10: good value and roomier storage than the other Chromebook, offset by 4GB of RAM and the ChromeOS limits.

Pros

• Under £280
• 128GB of UFS storage
• 14-inch anti-glare screen

Cons

• Only 4GB of RAM
• ChromeOS: Windows-only programs will not run
• No battery or resolution detail in the listing we checked

Check price on Amazon UK

4. Cheapest Windows Laptop: HP 15 15-fd1006sax (Core 3 / 8GB / 256GB)

Best for: light use on the tightest Windows budget: web, email, documents and streaming. At £359.00 (Amazon UK, 12 November 2026) this is the cheapest Windows laptop in the guide. It has an Intel Core 3 100U, 8GB of RAM and a 15.6-inch anti-glare screen running Windows 11. HP quotes up to 10.75 hours of battery life (HP’s claim, not our test).

The compromises are real. The SSD is only 256GB, half the size of the top two picks, and the charger is sold separately (it uses USB-C), so the true cost is higher than the sticker price. For most people, an extra £30.99 for the HP 15 15-fd0032na buys double the storage and a charger.

*Price note: £359.00, sold by Amazon and in stock, as of 12 November 2026. Rating 7.4/10: the lowest Windows price and a long battery claim, offset by the small SSD and the missing charger.

Pros

• Cheapest Windows laptop here at £359.00
• Battery claim of up to 10.75 hours (HP’s figure)
• Anti-glare 15.6-inch screen

Cons

• Only a 256GB SSD
• Charger sold separately
• Only 8GB of RAM

Check price on Amazon UK

5. Biggest Screen, With a Catch: ASUS Vivobook S16 S1607QA (Snapdragon X Plus / 8GB / 256GB)

Best for: web, documents, email and streaming if you want a large screen and long battery life. The Vivobook S16 S1607QA costs £399.00 (Amazon UK, 12 November 2026) and has a 16-inch 1920×1200 display, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. ASUS claims 20 hours of battery life, which is the maker’s figure and not something we have tested. Copilot is built in.

The catch: it uses a Snapdragon X Plus processor, which means Windows on Arm. Many everyday apps run fine, but some older programs may not run at all or may run slower. If you rely on specific software, such as an older printer utility, an accounting package or a niche work tool, check that it supports Windows on Arm before buying. The charger is not included.

*Price note: £399.00, sold by Amazon and in stock, as of 12 November 2026. Rating 7.0/10: the big screen and the battery claim are appealing, but Arm compatibility, a 256GB SSD and no charger make it the pick that needs the most checking.

Pros

• Large 16-inch 1920×1200 screen
• 20-hour battery claim (ASUS’s figure)
• Copilot built in

Cons

• Windows on Arm: some older apps may not run or may run slower
• Only a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM
• Charger not included

Check price on Amazon UK

6. Cheapest Overall: ASUS Chromebook 14 CM1405C4 (MediaTek Kompanio 540 / 4GB / 64GB)

Best for: a spare laptop, a child’s first laptop, or basic browsing on the smallest budget. The ASUS Chromebook 14 CM1405C4 costs £229.99 (Amazon UK, 12 November 2026), the cheapest laptop in this guide. It has a MediaTek Kompanio 540 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage and a 14-inch Full HD 60Hz screen, running ChromeOS.

The savings come with limits. 64GB of eMMC fills quickly and is slower than an SSD, so this suits cloud storage and web apps. The charger is not included, and a replacement narrows the price gap. Windows-only programs will not run. The HP Chromebook 14 has double the storage for about £48 more.

*Price note: £229.99, sold by Amazon and in stock, as of 12 November 2026. Rating 6.8/10: the lowest price and a Full HD screen, but small storage, 4GB of RAM and no charger.

Pros

• Cheapest laptop here at £229.99
• 14-inch Full HD screen
• Runs ChromeOS, which is simple to use

Cons

• Only 64GB of eMMC storage
• Only 4GB of RAM
• Charger not included

Check price on Amazon UK

Should You Buy a Chromebook or a Windows Laptop Under £400?

Buy a Chromebook if nearly everything you do happens in a web browser, and a Windows laptop if you need desktop software. A Chromebook here costs roughly £80 to £170 less than the Windows picks. Windows runs the full range of programs, including printer utilities and accounting packages.

Buying for school or university? Check what your course needs first. Our best laptops for students UK guide covers that angle, and our best laptops for everyday use guide suits general home use.

Want 16GB RAM? It Costs More Than £400 Right Now

No 16GB Windows laptop sold by Amazon was under £400 on 12 November 2026. The cheapest 16GB laptop sold by Amazon that we found was the HP 15 with a Core 7 at £579.99. That is well above this guide’s budget, so treat it as a different purchase.

If 16GB matters to you, raise your budget instead of hunting for a bargain from an unfamiliar seller. We cover that jump in our best laptops under £500 guide, including its ‘Want 16GB?’ section. For long working days at a desk, our best laptops for working from home guide shows what a bigger budget buys.

Full Comparison: All Six Laptops Under £400

Which Laptop Under £400 Is Right for You?

If you want the best all-rounder

Buy the Acer Aspire 3 (£391.99, Amazon UK, 12 November 2026). It has the Ryzen 5 chip, DDR5 memory and a 512GB SSD for about £2 more than the HP.

If you want everything in the box

Choose the HP 15 15-fd0032na (£389.99). It is the only pick whose listing says the charger is included, and it adds a camera privacy door.

If you mostly work in a browser

The HP Chromebook 14 (£277.77) gives you 128GB of storage and a 14-inch screen for over £110 less than the Acer. The ASUS Chromebook 14 (£229.99) is for when budget comes first.

If you want the lowest Windows price

The HP 15 15-fd1006sax (£359.00) is the cheapest Windows laptop here, but add the cost of a USB-C charger and accept a 256GB SSD.

If you want a big screen and long battery life

The ASUS Vivobook S16 (£399.00) has a 16-inch screen and a 20-hour battery claim, but only if your software works on Windows on Arm. Check first.

How Do You Check a Laptop Listing Before You Buy?

Check five things on the listing page before you click buy: the RAM, the storage type and size, the charger, the seller and the operating system. Budget listings hide the weak spot in the small print.

1. Check the RAM. Look for 8GB on a Windows laptop. Treat 4GB as acceptable only on a Chromebook.
2. Check the storage. Confirm it says SSD (or UFS on a Chromebook) and note the size. 256GB works, 512GB is more comfortable.
3. Check the charger. Three of our six picks do not include one. Look for the words ‘charger not included’ or ‘sold separately’ and add the cost to your budget.
4. Check the seller. Look for ‘Dispatched from and sold by Amazon’ or another seller you trust. Be wary of an unfamiliar seller with a price far below everyone else’s.
5. Check the operating system. Confirm whether it is Windows 11, Windows on Arm or ChromeOS, then make sure the apps you rely on work on it.

Prices and stock move, so recheck the price on the day. For a deeper explanation of what each spec means, our how to choose a laptop guide has the plain-English version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by Vaibhav Kulkarni

Vaibhav is the founder and technical editor of TheTechVector, with 15 years’ experience in quality engineering and software testing. He applies that background to auditing spec sheets, comparing price-to-performance, and checking hardware compatibility across our UK broadband, laptop, VPN, and smart home guides. All prices are checked before publication. If something’s out of date, let us know.

Affiliate disclosure: TheTechVector earns a small commission if you buy via links on this page. This does not affect our recommendations or the price you pay.