Skip to main content

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

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Everything has gone digital these days, from paying bills to watching your favorite shows and films, so having some sort of computer to get online is important. That said, a lot of folks probably don’t really need anything to fancy, 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 grabbing 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 $180

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.

Amazon Renewed laptops — starting at $45

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.

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…
This Lenovo ThinkPad is usually $2,399 — today it’s $984
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s facing forward.

Looking for awesome laptop deals? Lenovo is always one of the best places to go, and right now it has some fantastic deals for anyone seeking a business laptop ahead of 2025. Right now you can buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 laptop for $984. According to Lenovo, that’s a huge price cut of 59%, or $1,415. Granted, Lenovo is a little optimistic with its "estimated value" system. However, $984 for these specs is pretty good, regardless of the original price. Here’s what it provides.

Why you should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4
Lenovo is one of the best laptop brands for business users in particular thanks to building robust laptops that are designed to last a long time. With this Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4, you get a 13th-generation Intel Core i5-1335U CPU alongside 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. Those are strong starting points for a work PC. More storage space may have been nice, but it’s not a huge issue, and in a work context you’re likely to use additional storage like cloud services or one of the best external hard drives.

Read more
Get a 4070 Super Alienware gaming PC for $1,800 during Dell’s sale
Alienware Aurora R16 sitting on a coffee table.

If you’re a big gamer, the best desktop computer deals aren’t what you need. Instead, you want to track down the best gaming PC deals. Luckily, f you're reading this, we’ve done all the hard work for you. Right now, you can buy the Alienware Aurora R16 gaming desktop with a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super GPU for $1,800. It normally costs $2,210 so you’re saving $410 off the regular price and scoring a gaming PC that is built to last. If you want to game in style this holiday season, here’s all you need to know before you hit the buy button.

Why you should buy the Alienware Aurora R16 gaming desktop
The Alienware Aurora R16 tops our look at the best gaming PCs. This particular model has a 14th-generation Intel Core i7-14700F CPU teamed up with 32GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage -- aka the fast stuff across the board. It also has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super graphics card with 12GB of dedicated VRAM, so you’ll be playing all your favorites at high detail levels for a while to come.

Read more
The Dell G16 gaming laptop with RTX 4070 is $450 off right now
The Dell G16 7630 gaming laptop on a white background.

Gaming laptop deals that are truly worth buying usually don't come cheap, but if you look hard enough, you can find offers that will let you enjoy huge savings. Here's a great example: the Dell G16 with a $450 discount from Dell, which brings it down from $1,750 to a more reasonable $1,300. You're going to get amazing value at this price, but if you want to pocket the savings, you're going to have to rush into completing your purchase because we're not sure how much time is remaining before the bargain expires.

Why you should buy the Dell G16 gaming laptop
The Dell G16 gaming laptop is a pretty powerful device, as it runs on the 13th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. With these specifications, it won't have any trouble playing today's best PC games, and with its 1TB SSD, you'll have enough storage space for several AAA titles with all of their required updates and optional DLCs. The Dell G16 ships with Windows 11 Home, so you can start downloading and installing games right after unboxing.

Read more