Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 Leads Wired's 2026 Picks for Google Laptops

Wired has named the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 as the most impressive Chrome OS laptop it has tested for 2026, according to the publication's roundup of recommended Google-powered machines. The outlet describes the device as the strongest Chrome OS hardware since the original Pixelbook, praising its build quality along with its keyboard and touchpad.

Wired reports that the Lenovo model often sells for $649 and carries a retail price of $749. At the discounted figure, buyers get a machine with 16 GB of memory and a 256 GB drive, a combination the publication says it would prefer over the $699 MacBook Neo, which offers twice the storage but only 8 GB of memory.

The laptop's ARM-based MediaTek processor earns particular praise. Wired calls it the most capable chip available on a Chromebook and says it helps the device recover ground on battery life, an area where Chrome OS machines once led but had slipped behind rival laptops. The publication also notes that the $649 price, while common, is still higher than what most shoppers expect to spend on a Chromebook.

Placing second in the roundup is the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514. Wired says it shares the same MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chip as the Lenovo and matches it closely in size and thickness, while adding an extra USB-A port. The Acer is a convertible with a 360-degree hinge and a touchscreen, so it can be used in tent mode or as a large tablet. Wired's reviewer is lukewarm on convertibles generally, citing stiffer hinges, but still prefers having a touchscreen.

The review notes that a higher-resolution version of the Acer, which the reviewer found made the laptop feel more premium than the Lenovo's OLED panel, could not be found for sale online. That leaves a cheaper configuration with a lower-resolution display. Wired describes the remaining model as fast, well built and long lasting, and calls its all-white design attractive, though only a silver version was available at the time of writing.

Wired frames the broader case for Chrome OS around budget. It argues that anyone spending under $500 is better served by a Chromebook than by an old Windows laptop or MacBook. Above that level, the publication says buyers start competing with budget Windows machines and Apple hardware, which offer more open software, but suggests that shoppers who are honest about their needs may still find a pricier Chromebook suits them.