Buying Guide - Battery Life

Some Chromebooks get up to 8 hours of battery life while other Chromebooks get up to 14 hours. Keep in mind that these numbers are listed as "UP TO" which means you can achieve this but only with less demanding tasks and lowered screen brightness. Most real life situations will net you about 2 hrs less than the estimated claim. The average Chromebook battery life in 2017 is (up to) 10 hrs, or rather 8 hrs in real life situations. This is enough to last you a full day of use. In my opinion, a Chromebook with 10 hrs claimed is very good, you will be happy. 

Slower processors allow for longer battery life. If you can find a Chromebook with 12hrs of battery at a low cost (below $300), you're more likely sacrificing processing power.  For example, the 1080p screen version of the Acer Chromebook 14 is listed as up to 12 hrs of battery life. It achieves this through a relatively large 3920 milliamp hour battery size and slower/underpowered processor. The Octane score for this processor is about 8,000, which is on the low end. You can find it refurbished for about $200 at the link above.

Faster processors will drain your battery faster. If you want a fast processor with excellent battery life, it will cost you. The Asus Flip C302 has a fast processor with an Octane score of over 22,000 and battery life estimated at 10 hours. But it comes at a cost of over $400 new. You can find it for less as a used product on Amazon (click link above). If you want a similar processor power with 12 hrs of battery, expect to pay closer to $500+.

As the saying goes... you get what you pay for.