The cheapest laptop we hold a verified price on is the Huawei MateBook X Pro from £190 (used). The cheapest refurbished laptop — tested and usually warrantied — is the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 from £430. Both figures are rows in the list below; we keep used and refurbished clearly apart so you know exactly what you are buying.
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Used is the cheapest route and sold as-is. On a laptop the things that decide whether a cheap unit is a bargain or a headache are the battery cycle count (the laptop equivalent of phone battery health — a worn battery is a real replacement cost), the hinge, screen and keyboard for wear, and whether the original charger is included (third-party chargers vary). A graded used unit from CEX still carries a warranty; a private used listing usually does not.
Refurbished (and certified refurbished) costs more because the machine has been tested and restored — typically with a confirmed working battery, a clean OS install and a 12-month warranty. You are paying for assurance and a known-good battery. On a higher-value or work laptop that is often worth it; on an older machine you will replace in a couple of years, a graded used unit usually wins on price.
Match the title to the photos and the spec box: a cheap price next to “spares or repair”, “no OS”, “no SSD”, “for parts”, “cracked screen” or “charger not included” is honest about being incomplete — budget for what is missing. Watch for spec mismatches (a listing that pairs a current model name with an older-generation CPU) and relisted/clone stock that reuses stock photos.
Our matcher takes precision over recall: where a laptop price is unverifiable or counterfeit-suspect — no trusted retailer anchor, a wrong-generation model code, a clone tell — we suppress it rather than show it. The prices above are the ones that survived that filter, so a “too cheap to be true” listing never becomes the headline here.
For most people it is a one-generation-old machine, or an ex-business refurbished model — Lenovo ThinkPad, Dell Latitude or HP EliteBook. These were built to last, bought in bulk and offloaded cheaply, so a graded refurb often undercuts a new budget laptop while being a far better machine.
On platform: a refurbished MacBook carries a premium and an out-of-warranty battery service can be pricey, but holds value and lasts; a refurbished Windows business laptop is the value play; a budget Chromebook only makes sense if you live in the browser and want the lowest possible price. Compare every tracked model on the cheapest laptops live-price guide.
Yes, with checks. A graded used laptop from CEX is tested and warrantied. From a private eBay seller, confirm the exact CPU/RAM/SSD match the title, that the charger is included, the battery still holds a charge (ask for the cycle count or battery-health reading), and that the hinge, screen and keyboard are sound. Steer clear of “spares or repair”, “no OS/SSD” or “sold as seen” unless you intend to fix it.
Often a large amount on business models, which depreciate fast. A one-generation-old machine — or an ex-corporate ThinkPad, Latitude or EliteBook refurbished to grade — is usually the value sweet spot. Right now the cheapest refurbished laptop we hold a live price on is the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 from £430. Used drops the price further, trading the warranty for the saving.
Usually, yes. Certified refurbished and graded-seller refurbished laptops (including CEX) typically include a warranty, often 12 months. Private used listings on eBay generally do not — that warranty, plus testing and a confirmed working battery, is what the refurbished premium buys you.
Battery first: cycle count and health — a high cycle count means a replacement may be due, which adds cost. Then the hinge (no wobble or cracking), the screen (dead pixels, backlight bleed), the keyboard and trackpad, the ports, and that the original charger is included. Confirm the CPU generation, RAM and SSD size match the listing rather than an older spec.
It depends on how much assurance you want. CEX is strong for graded, warrantied refurbished and used stock with easy returns; eBay (including manufacturer and reseller outlets) often has the lowest outright price and the widest choice, but assurance varies by seller. This page tracks the live cheapest verified price across both — currently from £190, and we leave out listings that look too cheap to be real.