HP TECH TAKES /...
Exploring today's technology for tomorrow's possibilities
Subscribe
Best HP Laptops for Home Schooling
Harry Stewart
|
December 20, 2023
Home schooling is booming in the UK as more British parents discover its benefits. From fortifying family bonds to optimising one-on-one teacher time, there are many compelling reasons to adopt this innovative educational model.
But to teach your kids outside the formal system, you’ll need a home school-ready laptop for each child. Sluggish, substandard tech won’t meet the demands of a virtual learning environment. Plus, fragile devices may shatter when wielded by young, reckless hands.
In this post, we’ll outline what to look for and present some of our best laptops for home schooling.
What to look for in a home schooling laptop
So, what exactly is a home schooling laptop? And how does it differ from an ordinary student laptop?
A laptop for home schooling is any portable computer suitable for teaching a child at home. While many considerations mirror those of a student laptop, there is one important difference. As home schooling laptops don’t need to be carried into the classroom, there’s less emphasis on portability. Here are the top factors to consider.
Hardware specifications
Every student must assess whether a laptop's hardware specs meet their unique needs. Will your child have enough RAM and processing power to handle day-to-day tasks? Constant slowdowns will hinder the learning process and leave your little one feeling frustrated in class.
Graphics cards
While most kids don’t need a dedicated GPU to churn through their homework, some do. Older A-level or vocational students specialising in subjects like animation, video editing and 3D modelling require a potent graphics card for their everyday assignments.
However, dedicated laptop GPUs don’t offer much value for students outside these fields. High-end GPUs add a significant amount to the cost of a laptop. Most users will get by just fine with an integrated graphics card.
Durability
How old is your child? And how gently do they treat fragile technology? If you’re teaching a young, temperamental, or clumsy kid, opt for an extra durable laptop that can withstand rough handling. Low-cost laptops may be appealing as they cost less to replace when they break.
Portability
Your child won’t be lugging their laptop between home and school. But that’s not to say they’ll never have to move it anywhere. Despite the name, home schooling doesn’t always occur at home. Students complete assignments in all sorts of places, from relatives’ homes to historical sites and hotels.
Price
Budget is a crucial consideration for every British parent. Crunch the numbers to determine a maximum figure your family can afford.
If the budget permits, future-proofing your investment can lead to significant savings down the track. For example, purchasing a sixth-form-level laptop for your secondary school child means you won’t have to upgrade anytime soon. Just ensure your little one treats the device with care.
HP laptops for primary school students (ages 4-11)
Primary school students don’t need state-of-the-art tech. Younger children learn to read and write before exploring the basics of science, social studies, and maths. Despite digital learning platforms becoming increasingly sophisticated, there’s no need to invest in a cutting-edge device just yet.
Aim for a cost-effective laptop with basic hardware and a rugged, durable chassis.
HP Laptop (17-cn0041na): Best budget laptop for homeschooling young children
At a fraction of the cost of most top-end laptops, this excellent value device delivers all the power you need for a wallet-friendly price. The HP Laptop (17-cn0041na) provides plenty of grunt to run everyday e-learning apps, web browsers, or the Microsoft Office suite.
Thanks to its sizable 17-inch screen, this spacious laptop makes it easy for students and teachers to collaborate using a single display.
- Processor: Intel® Pentium® Gold 7505
- Memory: 4GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Display: 43.9 cm (17.3”), FHD (1920 x 1080)
- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics
HP Laptop (15s-fq5022na): Best premium laptop for home schooling young children
If you’ve got enough coin in the family coffers, consider upgrading to the HP Laptop (15s-fq5022na). For a modest investment, you get a beefy Intel Core™ i5 and double the RAM. That extra juice will let your child run complex e-learning apps and browse simultaneous tabs without suffering sluggish performance. Thanks to its potent integrated Intel Iris® Xe GPU, it’ll also handle more sophisticated e-learning games.
This cost-effective, mid-range device is also suitable for many (but not all) secondary school-aged students. That’ll save you a considerable sum in the long run, as you won’t have to upgrade later.
- Processor: Intel Core i5 1235U (12th Generation)
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 39.6 cm (15.6”), FHD (1920 x 1080)
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
HP laptops for secondary school students (ages 11-16)
Secondary schoolers need much more processing power than their primary-aged counterparts. After all, the curriculum gradually expands to span a broad range of subjects, from advanced maths (think algebra, geometry, and trig) to English literature, science, and history.
With that in mind, it’s best to invest in an Intel Core i5 or i7 (or AMD equivalent) processor with at least 8GB RAM for seamless multi-tasking. Teenagers typically develop a love for gaming and streaming, so consider getting a laptop with a decent GPU and display.
HP Pavilion x360 (14-ek1000na): Best budget laptop for home schooling teenagers
A perennially popular student laptop, the HP Pavilion x360 (14-ek1000na) offers impressive specs and a 360-degree swivel screen for an affordable price. Its Intel Core i5 and 8GB RAM power through virtually all educational apps, even when multitasking. Meanwhile, the Intel Iris Xe GPU serves up silky smooth graphics for videos and basic animated games.
Bear in mind this one is smaller and more compact than most home schooling laptops.
- Processor: Intel Core i5 1335U (13th Generation)
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 35.6 cm (14”), FHD (1920 x 1080), touch screen
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
HP Pavilion Plus (14-eh1000na): Best premium laptop for home schooling teenagers
Got teenagers with more demanding computational requirements? Check out the HP Pavilion Plus (14-eh1000na). Boasting a 13th Generation Intel Core i7 1355U processor and 16GB of RAM, it’s got ample power to breeze through simultaneous, resource-demanding apps.
This unit ships with a sizeable 512GB SSD of storage and a 4GB NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 2050 GPU, making it suitable for budding young animators and video editors. If your child takes good care of it, this device will serve them well through college and university.
- Processor: Intel Core i7 1355U (13th Generation)
- Memory: 16GB RAM
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 35.6 cm (14”), 2.8K (2880 x 1800), OLED
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 (4GB)
HP laptops for sixth form/college students (ages 16-18)
Whether undertaking vocational training or cramming for A-Level exams, sixth form (AKA college) students have higher requirements than younger kids. It’s a notoriously stressful step in the educational process. Therefore, consider investing in a high-end laptop to avoid ill-timed PC crashes or sluggish performance.
HP ENVY x360 (15-fh0010na): Best budget laptop for home schooling college students
Powered by an AMD Ryzen™ 7 CPU and 16GB RAM, the HP ENVY x360 (15-fh0010na) boasts all the juice a sixth-form student could need. Its 360-degree convertible display is excellent for watching videos and making presentations, not least for its crisp full high definition (FHD) screen.
A massive 1TB SSD ensures your child won’t run out of storage anytime soon.
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7730U
- Memory: 16GB RAM
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 39.6 cm (15.6”), FHD (1920 x 1080), touch screen
- Graphics: AMD Radeon™ Graphics
HP ENVY Laptop (17-cw0005na): Best premium laptop for home schooling college students
If your kid dreams of being an animator, 3D modeller or the like, a solid GPU is a must. The HP ENVY Laptop (17-cw0005na) delivers with its NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, a potent graphics card sporting 4GB of VRAM. What’s more, an ultra-crisp 4K display brings their finely-tuned 3D creations to life.
This high-end model also boasts a 13th Generation Intel Core i7 1335U, a huge 1TB SSD, and 32GB RAM. These top-end specs put the device on par with high-level business-orientated workstations. That means your child can continue using this laptop well into their professional career.
- Processor: Intel Core i7 1335U (13th Generation)
- Memory: 32GB RAM
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 43.9 cm (17.3”), 4K UHD (3840 x 2160)
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (4GB)
Summary
The best laptops for home schooling depend on your child’s age and educational aims. While a basic, low-spec laptop is suitable for primary school-aged kids, it won’t offer sufficient power for secondary or sixth-form students.
Likewise, an up-and-coming 3D modeller will need a potent GPU. But similar-aged classmates majoring in literature, for example, don’t need a fancy graphics card. A simple integrated GPU entails significant savings.
Although aiming for the lower end of the spectrum may be tempting, a cheap laptop doesn’t necessarily equate to good value. Investing in high-quality tech will enhance your child’s educational journey and give them the best possible chance of getting ahead. Revisit our recommendations or see what else is available on the HP UK Store.
