Best User-Friendly Laptops for Seniors

With our ever-growing attachment to technology, it’s hard for some people to believe NOT everyone is digital-savvy. Sure, you have toddlers toting iPhones and adults arguing with smart home devices. Still, some groups like seniors often shy away from computers, cellphones, and the internet due to a fear of technology. This actually has a name, known as geriatric technophobia. According to Pew Research, 25% of people over 65 do not go online. 

Maybe you have a loved one who has in the past refused to use a computer but could benefit from health, communication, or productivity apps, teledoc services, or streaming services that are available only via computers. Finding the best laptop for seniors might prove helpful in overcoming their fears and improving their quality of life and well-being. Let’s look at the best Windows-based laptops for seniors or people who are not digital natives.

Laptop Features for Seniors and Non-Digital Savvy People

What makes the best laptops for seniors so great? Features like a lightweight design, with a touchscreen option, larger keyboard keys, a bright, easy-to-read display, and long battery life can help alleviate apprehension in the user and ensure ease of use. However, it’s important to note what you will use the laptop for? Is the user interested in surfing the internet, keeping in touch with loved ones, or playing games? Do they have hobbies like writing or photography? What’s your budget?

Here’s are our picks for the best laptops for senior citizens.

Acer Aspire 5 Laptop

The Acer Aspire 5 (2021 model) with a Ryzen 3 3200U processor can make an ideal pick for a laptop for seniors. This laptop has a 15.6-inch backlit, easy-to-view display and weighs 3.97 pounds, making it the heaviest to make our list. Features also include a webcam and two built-in microphones to help keep in touch through apps like Zoom, Skype, or Google Hangouts. A 7.5-hour battery life can prove ample for usage by seniors or non-digital natives.

HP Stream Laptop 

The HP Stream is one of the best user-friendly laptops for anyone interested in writing, sharing pictures, or surfing the web. It is fast to start up and comes with free one-year subscriptions: Skype (60 minutes per month), plus Microsoft Office 365 and 1 TB of cloud storage, which is a considerable amount for documents and photos. The HP Stream weighs under 3.5 pounds, making it light enough to take it on the go. With a 14-inch HD backlit display and up to 11-hour battery life, you can work then watch your favorite shows right on your laptop.

HP Pavilion Laptop

Need a laptop computer for seniors? The HP Pavilion 11-inch laptop has easy-to-read keys, a touchscreen display, and has 9.5-hour battery life. Although the screen is the smallest on our list, it is also one of the lightest at 2.6 pounds. The HP Pavilion also has a 360-degree hinge, making it ideal to fold over as an e-reader or for streaming.

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 Laptop

When searching for budget-friendly basic laptop computers for seniors, look no further than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14-inch laptop. It is lightweight at 3.09 pounds and has an 8-hour battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 lacks USB-C ports and has a relatively slow processor, so this laptop is best suited for someone who wants a bare-bones, nothing-fancy laptop.

Dell Inspiron Laptop

With its 15.6-inch display, the Dell Inspiron laptop has the largest screen on our list, making it ideal for streaming. This laptop provides a wider keyboard with a touchpad, and a 10-key numeric keypad can make typing more comfortable. While capable of multitasking, the Dell Inspiron is good for tasks like photo-editing or mid-range gaming. At 3.9 pounds, this laptop is the second-heaviest model to make our list. It also has the shortest battery life at 6 hours.

One More Thing: Add This for Laptop Customization

Regardless of which laptop you choose, be sure to install OneLaunch so they can customize their Windows experience. With the OneLaunch dashboard/dock, you can search the internet while having tools like the mute microphone and disable camera buttons easily accessible, so you don’t have to fumble around for the on and off switches to either. OneLaunch allows you to pin productivity apps and tools such as weather, news, shopping, a calculator, and a dictionary that can help make working with the laptop simple and doable.