Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Deals

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Best refurbished laptop deals: How to find cheap used computers

By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Shopping the best laptop deals can land you some savings, but if it’s an incredibly low price you’re looking for, shopping refurbished is the way to go. Refurbished laptops offer a chance to save big, and you can often find some of yesterday’s best laptops at super cheap prices today. Most refurbished laptops are backed by warranties and reasonable return windows, so you can shop refurbished laptops with some confidence what you’re purchasing will hold up. There are a lot of great refurbished laptop deals out there right now, and they are laptops that make a lot of sense for students or anyone on a tight budget. Below you’ll find links to some of the best places to buy a refurbished laptop.

Best Buy refurbished laptops — starting at $113

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.

Dell Latitude — starting at $279

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.

Related

Amazon Renewed laptops — starting at $30

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.

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.

More Unmissable Deals

Topics
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Deals Writer
Jennifer Allen is a technology writer with over 10 years of experience. She primarily writes about the best deals coverage…
Best laptop deals: Save on the Dell XPS 14, MacBook Pro 16 and more
The Dell XPS 14 on a white table with the screen open.

Laptops have become an important part of our daily lives, especially for those who don't like dealing with a big and bulky desktop computer. Of course, there are an absolute ton of choices for you to pick from, and while they can get quite expensive, even some of the best laptops have solid deals on them that you can take advantage of. Regardless of which of the best laptop brands you're going for, like Lenovo, Apple, or Microsoft, there's likely a laptop deal that will fit your needs and budget quite well, whether it's a low-end, entry-level device or something super-high-end that can handle 4k gaming. Either way, we've collected our favorite laptop deals for you below.

HP Chromebook 14a -- $300, was $370

Read more
Best Dell XPS deals: Save on Dell XPS 13, Dell XPS 15 and Dell XPS 17
Dell XPS 15 OLED on a table.

Dell has been around for a couple of decades now, and is one of the best laptop brands out there, with a massive variety of options to pick from, whether you want something on the high-end or something budget friendly. That said, one of Dell's most well-known models is the XPS lineup; Dell's answer to the MacBook and a solid alternative if you're looking for the same sort of Apple hardware performance and size at another brand. Of course, much like MacBooks, they can be quite expensive, which is why we've gone out and found all the best Dell XPS deals we could find and compiled them for you below. So, be sure to check out all the options thoroughly, or, if you haven't quite found what you're looking for, check out these other great laptop deals.
Best Dell XPS 13 deals

The Dell XPS 13 is the smallest in the Dell XPS line. It's great for commuters and students. These laptops don't generally have powerful GPUs, but they're fast, reliable and sleek.

Read more
iMac deals: New, renewed and refurbished iMac computers
Apple iMac with Retina 5K Display review close

If you're in the Apple ecosystem and need a desktop computer rather than something like a MacBook, then you'll want to go for the Apple iMac, which is one of the best all-in-one computers on the market. There are quite a few screen sizes and specs to pick from, and if you're willing to go for a renewed option, you can get some older, yes still powerful, iMacs for a great price. Even if you aren't, there are still some great Apple deals you can take advantage of to save yourself some money, which is why we went out and scoured the internet for the best deals we could find.
Apple 21.5-inch iMac (2018) Renewed -- $409, was $460

Even cheaper than any of the MacBook deals going on, this Apple 21.5-inch iMac (2018) might be a few years old but it offers plenty of juice for the price. That's the beauty behind many iMacs -- they last a long time thanks to offering reliable hardware and the benefits of MacOS, which tends to mean they stay fast for awhile. In the case of the 2018 21.5-inch iMac, you get a 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 processor paired up with 16GB of memory which is a great set of specs for ensuring you can get plenty of work done.

Read more