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Need a new laptop for uni? Try eBay's refurbished laptops - here's 5 we rate

The affordable way to update your tech ahead of the new term

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Carla Challis
Commerce Partnerships Editor
Updated: October 19, 2022
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The laptops in hot demand for uni students this autumn aren’t necessarily the latest models or fresh out of the packaging PCs – but eBay’s refurbished laptops, an affordable and easy on the environment way to update tech without breaking the bank (of mum and dad).

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What makes a good laptop for university?

It needs to be easy to carry, durable and affordable, not to mention reliable.

eBay’s Refurbished hub includes sellers who offer returns or exchanges, or even warranty should something go wrong. We’ve done the hard work for you, with these five brilliant laptops for university, school or college.

Best laptop for battery life

Dubbed as one of the “most portable pro laptops”, the Pro is great for uni students who forget to charge their tech – it has an all-day battery life.

It’s also super-responsive and wakes up instantly, with speedy storage to save files, load programmes and videos in a flash. Don’t forget its super sleek design, a beauty to carry all around campus.

apple

Apple MacBook Pro 13.3inch, from £939.99, eBay Refurbished

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Best lightweight laptop

Compact, and lightweight, this is the laptop if you’re a student on the go.

It might be light in weight, but it’s heavy in performance – you can work on everything at once without compromising in speed, even if you're editing documents with tens of browser tabs open, and enjoy a large, hi-res LED screen without the bulk (90% screen to body ratio).

asus laptop

ASUS ZenBook Laptop, from £302.99, eBay Refurbished

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Best laptop for watching movies

Storing and watching movies is not a problem for this HP Laptop, with its 256GB of space – there’s plenty of room for movies, music, games and of course, uni work.

Responsive and quick to boot up, this laptop is a great option for those who love to work AND play.

HP laptop

HP 14inch Laptop, £219.97, eBay Refurbished

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Best all-rounder laptop

Easily handling documents, streaming and movies, this multi-tasking laptop is a solid choice for work and play. With 256GB SSD, it’s applauded for being speedier and more reliable than a regular hard drive and has plenty of room for your files too.

The added bonus? There’s the option to use Cortana, who responds to voice commands to keep you as productive as possible – or to take the heat when you’re feeling a little lazy.

acer

ACER Aspire 5 Laptop, £249.99, eBay Refurbished

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Best affordable laptop

Coming in at under £200, the HP Chromebook is a solid purchase for browsing, binging TV and big projects; it's powered by a reliable Intel Pentium Silver processor.

Sound comes courtesy of Bang & Olufsen, and the addition of the Google Play Store gives you access to over two million apps that you can download in a matter of minutes.

chromebook

HP Chromebook Laptop, £199, eBay Refurbished

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