Now is the best time to buy a laptop — Here is why

Should you buy a laptop right now?
Dell XPS 13 (OLED) (Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Your timing makes a world of difference when shopping for a new laptop when on a strict budget. Outside of the holidays, one of the best times of the year to buy a laptop for less is during the back-to-school season. 

We're in mid-summer and back-to-school sales are in full swing right now as students and educators prepare for the new semester. Among must-have back-to-school supplies, deals on laptops for students are of Black Friday proportions right now. Whether you're back to school shopping or not, if you're considering buying a MacBook, Chromebook, Windows laptop or a gaming machine for less, it's a great time to save. 

Retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart offer fantastic back-to-school laptop deals during the summer. And if you want to go to the source, PC makers Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft and Samsung also slash prices on their laptops around this time of year. From premium laptops to affordable PCs under $500, summer sales have something for everyone. 

On any given day, you can find student discounts and deals on laptops throughout the year. However, during July and August, in particular, retailers offer especially low Black Friday-like laptop deals to make way for new inventory. These post-Prime Day summer savings events are dubbed "Black Friday in July" sales. 

For example, Amazon and Best Buy are slashing hundreds off various configuration current and previous-gen MacBooks, some of which are at all-time low prices. If you're looking for a sub-$300 laptop, a kid’s first device, or a Windows 10 or macOS alternative for yourself, Chromebook deals are abundant this season. 

We recommend newer model Chromebooks with Intel or AMD processors. With this kind of CPU power paired with Google’s lightweight Chrome OS, you’ll benefit from fast boot times, snappy performance and long battery life. If you have more room in your budget, the Editor's Choice Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is of tremendous value. This 10th Gen Intel CPU-charged 2-in-1 Chromebook with a 2K display is a solid choice for students, business users, and general consumers alike.

As retailers run seasonal deals all summer long, we're seeing aggressive discounts on laptops right now. When you find the laptop you want, it's a good idea to compare prices among stores to get the best value. To save you the trouble, we've already done the leg work for you.

Check out our hand-selected roundup of the best laptop deals for today's top discounts. 

Hilda Scott

Hilda Scott uses her combined passion for gadgets and bargain shopping to bring you the best prices on all things tech. She has a bachelor’s degree in film and media studies from Hunter College and 11 years of tech and entertainment journalism. Her work has been featured on Tom’s Guide, iTechPost, Examiner.com, Parlemag, Enstars, and Latin Times. When she's not scouting for the best deals, Hilda’s catching up on her favorite TV shows and pro-wrestling matches.