Choosing a laptop for an older parent or relative
When you're buying for a parent or grandparent, the fastest or flashiest laptop is rarely the right one. What matters is a clear screen, a comfortable keyboard, and something that won't confuse them or need constant fixing.
For most older relatives who mainly use email, video calls, the news and online shopping, a 14–15.6″ Chromebook with a Full HD screen and 8GB of RAM is the simplest, safest and best-value choice — usually £300–£500. If they already use an iPhone and you have a bigger budget, a MacBook Air is excellent. Choose Windows only if they’re already comfortable with it or need a Windows-only program.
What matters most
1. A big, clear screen
Go for 14 to 15.6 inches and a Full HD (1920 × 1080) resolution. Avoid screens listed as “HD” or “1366 × 768”: text looks fuzzy and there’s less room to make it bigger. A bright screen helps too if they’ll use it near a window.
2. A comfortable keyboard and trackpad
A full-size keyboard with clear key labels makes a real difference. A 15.6″ laptop often includes a number pad, which some people find reassuring. If they struggle with trackpads, a plug-in mouse costs about £10 and solves it.
3. Simplicity over power
Email and video calls don’t need a powerful laptop. What they need is something that starts quickly, updates itself quietly and doesn’t throw up confusing pop-ups. That’s why we often suggest a Chromebook: there’s no antivirus to renew and very little to go wrong. Our Chromebook vs Windows vs MacBook guide explains the differences.
4. A decent webcam and speakers
If seeing the grandchildren on video calls is the main reason for the laptop, look for a 1080p webcam(sometimes listed as “FHD camera”) rather than 720p, and read reviews about the speakers.
5. Weight matters less than you think
If it’ll mostly stay on the kitchen table, a slightly heavier laptop with a bigger screen is better than an ultra-light one with a small screen. If they’ll carry it between rooms or take it travelling, aim for under 1.7kg.
What to avoid
- The cheapest Windows laptops (4GB of RAM, 64GB “eMMC” storage). They’re slow and fill up with updates, which leads to lots of worried phone calls.
- Gaming laptops. They’re heavy, noisy, have shorter battery life and cost more for power that won’t be used.
- Old stock Chromebooks near their update end date. Check how long the model will get updates for.
- Paying for extras at checkout such as antivirus subscriptions or setup services. You can do this yourself in half an hour (see below).
Set it up before you hand it over
An hour of setup saves weeks of phone support. Before you give it to them:
- Run all the updates so they don’t start the moment they switch it on.
- Make text bigger. Increase the display scaling and default browser zoom until it’s comfortable for them to read.
- Sign them in to their email and the video-call apps they’ll use, and add bookmarks for the sites they visit most.
- Remove clutter. Uninstall trial software and pin only the few things they need to the taskbar or shelf.
- Set up remote help so you can see their screen when they ring with a problem: Chrome Remote Desktop works on Chromebooks and Windows, Quick Assist is built into Windows, and Screen Sharing works on a Mac.
- Agree a safe place for passwords, and have a quick chat about scam emails and calls (no genuine company will ask them to install software or read out a code).
The bottom line
Spend on the screen, keyboard and simplicity, not on raw power. A well-chosen £300–£500 laptop, set up properly, will serve most older relatives happily for years.
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