Tablet Buying Guide

Is Portability a Priority?
Most tablets with displays 8 inches or smaller weigh well under a pound. Many are very thin, and most have at least 10 hours of battery life. Some top 15 hours. Of course, larger displays can provide a better experience for watching movies, reading, or using productivity and art apps, but they’re not as easy to transport as smaller tablets.

Are You a Bookworm?
You can save some money with a tablet from Amazon if you’re planning on relatively simple tasks such as reading e-books or streaming video, with some casual web browsing and social media use on the side. These tablets start around $50. They don’t have the highest-resolution displays, but you’re unlikely to notice if you’re mostly reading.

What’s Your Budget?
As described above, some small tablets sell for less than $100, but they come with compromises. There are a number of high-performing 7- to 8-inch tablets starting at well under $200. Tablets with larger display sizes and premium features cost more. Check out CR’s roundup of the best tablets for $300 or less.

Are You Looking for Maximum Versatility?
Lots of factors can affect a tablet’s versatility, from the screen size to its memory. If you plan on using a tablet for extended tasks like reading books or watching movies while you travel, you should consider a machine with at least 12 hours of battery life. As an example of a very versatile pick, the entry-level iPad starts at just over $300 and has a 10.2-inch display; it offers a good mix of features and performance, though there’s no memory card slot to expand storage. Most iPad models now support a stylus called the Apple Pencil, which is useful for creating digital art and taking “handwritten” notes. (The Pencil is innovative but pricey—it can cost you an additional $130, depending on which version you need.)

Do You Have Kids?
Parents have more control over what their kids are doing with parental filters. Tablets like the Amazon Fire and Walmart Onn Pro, which cost around $100, let parents create profiles for their children that limit which apps they can use. (Find more on this in "Buying a Tablet for Kids?" below.)

Do You Want a Tablet That’s Also a Laptop?
Microsoft’s Surface line of devices can be thought of as both a tablet and a laptop; Microsoft heavily promotes the use of a keyboard that doubles as a protective cover, but some keyboards are sold separately. Without a keyboard, the device functions as a good tablet. With the keyboard cover, it functions like a Windows laptop.

All models offer WiFi connectivity, and most have a front-facing webcam. Some tablets also have built-in 4G LTE and even 5G connectivity, allowing you to access the internet when you’re out of WiFi range. This typically adds about $10 to your monthly cell phone bill, however. Many people will be happy with just the WiFi connection.

Operating System
A tablet’s capabilities are in large part determined by its operating system. The operating system will determine which app stores and which apps are available to you (see “Consider the App Market,” below). Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android dominate the tablet market. There are fewer Windows tablets available now than in the past, but Microsoft still sells its Surface line of devices. Amazon’s tablets run on the company’s own Fire OS.

One long-held complaint about tablets is that running multiple apps at once can be cumbersome. If you have an Android tablet, you can use a split-screen feature to run two apps side-by-side, but that’s as good as it gets.

If you have an Apple tablet, you’re in luck—with the latest update to the iPad operating system, iPadOS 16, you can now run up to eight apps at the same time in resizable, overlapping windows, just like you can on a computer. Other features include new collaboration tools, an upgraded system for managing files, and more.

Ports
Storage in many tablets can be expanded using a memory card, and a few models can read USB flash drives. The iPad has no memory card slot, but adapters, around $20, are available to connect flash drives.

Printing Capability
Most printer manufacturers have apps that allow WiFi printing from iPad and Android tablets.

Pay Attention to Aspect Ratio
We find the iPad’s squarish screen to be better suited to most uses than a longer, narrower one. However, rectangular screens, like those in the 16:9 ratio when the tablet is held horizontally, offer a wider landscape view that’s better for watching movies.

Consider the App Market
The breadth and quality of Apple’s app market are still a competitive edge for the iPad, and the market continues to overshadow those for Android and for Fire OS, which powers Amazon’s Fire tablets. App developers frequently create apps for Apple’s platforms first, and sometimes exclusively, with no options for Android or Fire OS users. Fire OS users also miss out on several popular apps, including Chrome, Excel, Firefox, Gmail, and Microsoft Word. There are alternatives available, including Amazon’s Silk browser and Amazon WorkDocs, but you may miss working with the exact apps you’re already familiar with.

WiFi Is Good Enough for Most People
WiFi-only models are less expensive than those that incorporate cellular service, and that cell connection adds another charge to your monthly mobile bill. Keep in mind that many cell phone plans allow you to share your smartphone’s cellular internet service with your tablet via tethering, but they may charge extra for you to be able to do so.

You Might Not Need a Tablet Case
Cases are almost mandatory to protect your phone, so you might assume you’d need one for your tablet, too. The truth is cases (and screen protectors, for that matter) might not be as necessary for tablets. Phones are more prone to being dropped because people carry them everywhere and pull them out regularly when they’re on the move. If you’re going to keep your tablet around with you all day, leave it rattling around in a bag with your keys, or give it to a child, a case or a screen protector could be a worthwhile investment. But if your tablet is just going to be lying around the house, we think most people can get away without a case.

What About Detachable Laptops?
You can buy a keyboard for most tablets and prop up the screen so it’s just like typing on a laptop. That’s fine if the keyboard is more of an afterthought, and if you like the phonelike interface of a device such as the iPad. But let’s say you want a regular Windows laptop that you’ll almost always use with a keyboard and mouse—and you’d like to have a tablet once in a while, too.

Instead of buying two devices, you could get a detachable laptop like the models in Microsoft’s line of Surface PCs. CR includes them in our laptop ratings. However, in some ways they are like a tablet. For one thing, you buy the screen and keyboard separately.

For most tasks, detachables like a Surface computer are easier to use with a keyboard and mouse, but you can also use your finger to tap and swipe when you want to. Regular tablets are just the opposite—they’re meant to be held in your hands and controlled through touch, just like a smartphone.

Age
While ordinary tablets are fine for older kids, Amazon has models created specifically for younger children. They offer parental controls that let you block access to certain apps and websites, and they provide curated content for an added fee.

Multiple Profiles
If you plan to have kids share the tablet, look for one that lets you create a profile for each user. That way you can ensure an age-appropriate experience for everyone.

Battery Life
If you’re planning to take the tablet on trips, make sure it will last long enough to keep your child occupied. Look for battery life in the 7- to 9-hour range.

Check out CR’s roundup of the best tablets for kids.