Many primary and most high schools now have Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs that invite students to bring their personal devices into the classroom to create a seamless learning experience between the classroom and home. It’s a big decision when it comes to selecting the right device for your learners, so whether you have a little one starting primary or a teen preparing for their final years of school, we’ve rounded up our top BYOD options for you to choose from and why they could be the right fit for your child’s age and stage.

SEE ALSO: Your Most-Asked BYOD Queries, Answered

Key Features to Consider for School Devices

Tablet, Laptop or 2-in-1?

There are a few options when it comes to selecting school tech for BYOD programs; the most common choices include tablets, laptops and 2-in-1s, with tablets more common among primary school students and laptops the common pick for high-schoolers. Consider what features they’ll need for their classes and homework: if a touchscreen display is important for their note taking, look into tablet devices. Will they be running powerful programs? A laptop with a powerful central processing unit (CPU) is a key consideration. Or, if they need something with more versatility, consider a 2-in-1 device – a touchscreen laptop that can be converted for use as a tablet. These questions will help direct you towards the device type best suited to their needs. Schools will also often have guidelines on what devices they recommend students bring to class.

Screen Size

The size of the display is measured diagonally across from corner to corner. Check the dimensions and ensure it fits comfortably in their bag.

Battery Life

For uninterrupted learning, seek out a device with enough juice to last the full six hours of the school day. The longer the battery life, the longer the device can go without needing a recharge. 

Weight

Portability is a key factor as these devices are being carried by kids in their backpacks to and from school five days a week. 

Resolution 

Their BYOD tech will be their gateway to a world of new discoveries, so it’s important they have a good quality screen to engage through. Quality is measured in pixel density; the more pixels, the better the quality resolution. If you select a larger screen, you want to make sure the pixel density correlates with a larger number of pixels as well.

SEE ALSO: Starting Primary School: A Practical Guide for Families

‍Best Tablet For Early Learners: Lenovo Tab M11 11” 4/128GB WiFi + Lenovo Tab Pen 

A front and back view of the Lenovo Tab M11 11-inch tablet and pen in the colour ‘luna grey’, shown on a pink background. 

Screen size: 11 inches

Resolution: 1920 x 1200 pixels

Battery life: 10 hours

Weight: 465 grams

The Lenovo Tab M11 is a great device for little ones getting to grips with learning through tech: Its lightweight design makes it easy to transport and it can locally store up to 128GB of educational games, apps and videos.

Set up a safe space for them to explore with parental controls and track their activity on your phone using the Family Link app. The included Lenovo Tab Pen is ideal for interactive learning and developing fine motor skills, and makes browsing, drawing and handwriting practice a breeze.

SEE ALSO: Late Primary School: A Practical Guide for Families

Best Laptop For Transitioning to High School: Acer 14" Aspire Go N100 8/128GB Laptop

A front-on view of an open Acer 14-inch Aspire Go laptop in silver, shown on a peach-coloured background. 

Screen size: 14 inches

Resolution: 1920 x 1200 pixels

Battery life: 8.5 hours

Weight: 1.49 kilograms

Whether they’re in their final years of primary or just starting high school, this laptop is ideal for helping them with online learning and practising the responsibility of looking after a piece of tech. Its compact size means it’s easy to carry between school and home, and it has 128GB of storage for learning materials, apps and assignments. The LCD display delivers precise picture quality for enjoying educational games and videos in vivid detail, while the webcam helps them engage with students and teachers.

SEE ALSO: Starting High School: A Practical Guide for Families

‍Best Tablet For Audiovisual Learners: Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ WiFi 64GB Graphite  

A front and back view of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ tablet in the colour ‘graphite’, shown on a yellow background. ‍

Screen size: 11 inches

Resolution: 1920 x 1200 pixels

Battery life: 16 hours

Weight: 480 grams

With a full-high-definition screen and four speakers supporting Dolby Atmos sound, students can enjoy immersive audiovisual lessons. The responsive LCD display ensures clear and smooth visuals, even when outside in the sun. As their day progresses, this tablet will see them through to the final bell and beyond with a battery of up to 16 hours. The 64GB storage offers plenty of room for educational apps and schoolwork, but if they need extra space, use a microSD up to 1000GB to expand the capacity.

Best Tablet For Note Takers: Lenovo Tab P12 12.7" 8/256GB Wifi + Tab Pen Plus Storm Grey  

A front and back view of the Lenovo Tab P12 12.7-inch tablet in the colour ‘storm grey’, shown on a light purple background. 

Screen size: 12.7 inches

Resolution: 2944 x 1840 pixels

Battery life: 10 hours

Weight: 615 grams

From budding artists to avid note takers, this tablet-and-pen duo makes learning more hands-on. The high-resolution display offers a clear and detailed picture, creating a vivid and engaging experience for every task. Its split-screen mode simplifies multitasking, whether they’re sketching and browsing for inspiration or making notes while researching. With 256GB of storage and battery life of up to 10 hours, this tablet is equipped to handle all-day learning without interruptions.

Best Tablet For Senior School Learners: Google Pixel Tablet Porcelain  

A front-on view of the Google Pixel tablet in the colour ‘porcelain’, shown on a light purple background. 

Screen size: 11 inches

Resolution: 2560 x 1600 pixels

Battery life: 12 hours

Weight: 493 grams

As your teen moves into their senior school years, they’ll need a device that can keep up with their study load and curriculum. The Google Pixel Tablet’s built-in AI assistant can set up schedules and reminders to help them to stay on top of their study commitments. It can also search emails, summarise texts, retrieve resources and much more to streamline study time. Collaborative learning is also made easier with the Quick Share feature, which allows seamless sharing of notes and resources between devices.

Best Laptop For Durability: ASUS 14" Chromebook Plus CX3 Intel i5 8/512GB  

A rear view of an opened ASUS 14-inch Chromebook Plus CX3 laptop in the colour ‘pearl white’, shown on a light pink background. 

‍Screen size: 14 inches

Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels

Battery life: 10 hours

Weight: 1.44 kilograms

In need of something with extra protection against knocks and bumps? The ASUS Chromebook will do the trick. Its sleek appearance provides a timeless design and its MIL-STD 810 certification, an American standard of military grade testing, means it can withstand the wear and tear of school life. Its hinge opens up to 360 degrees so it’s flexible for any learning format: you can lay the screen flat to make it accessible for working in a group or fold the keyboard back into a stand for video lessons.

Best 2-in-1 For Creative Learners: HP 14” Pavilion x360 Core i5 8/512GB 2-in-1 Laptop  

A front-on view of the HP 14-inch Pavilion x360 Core i5 2-in-1 Laptop in silver almost completely opened up into its tablet format, shown on a teal background. 

Screen size: 14 inches

Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels

Battery life: 9.5 hours

Weight: 1.51 kilograms

Can’t decide between a laptop or a tablet? This HP 2-in-1 might be what they need. With a 360-degree hinge, the device easily converts between a laptop and tablet to suit any lesson. The touchscreen offers full-high-definition picture quality and the powerful Intel Iris Xe Graphics processing generates smooth images ideal for video or image editing. Plus, with a hefty 512GB of storage, they’ll be able to work on large files without worrying about running out of space.

Best 2-in-1 For Senior School Learners: Lenovo 14" IdeaPad 5 AI QC Xplus 16GB/1TB 2-in-1 Copilot+ PC  

The Lenovo 14-inch IdeaPad 5 2-in-1 laptop in the colour ‘lunar grey’ opened in its tablet form and lying flat, shown on an orange background. 

Screen size: 14 inches

Resolution: 1920 x 1200 pixels

Battery life: 21.5 hours

Weight: 1.49 kilograms

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is brimming with the latest technology to help students learn without limitations. They’ll experience a clear and safe picture with vivid colours through its OLED display and low-blue-light technology, which helps protect eyes from strain. Powered by the mighty Snapdragon X Plus 8-Core processor, it can handle more demanding programs, such as its built-in AI assistant, and the 1TB storage capacity offers plenty of space for all the applications they’ll need. Its battery life lasts up to 21.5 hours, so even if they forget to charge it up overnight, it’ll still have enough battery to get them through the next day. 

SEE ALSO: Senior High School: A Practical Guide for Families

‍BYOD Accessories

Sleeves and Cases

Teach your kids the importance of keeping their tech safe with a case to protect their devices from any accidental bumps or tumbles. 

What to Try 

Screen Protectors

Especially important for touchscreen BYOD tech, screen protectors will help save their display from scuffs and scratches, keeping it clearer for longer.

What to Try 

Headphones

Ideal for video learning, headphones designed especially for kids come with built-in decibel limits to protect little ears.

What to Try