Tablets are the adolescents of Tech products; they are in between smartphones and personal computers. Most people and vendors find it hard to find the perfect use case for tablets, so they don’t get one altogether. But I think I have figured out the best use for tablets; content consumption and entertainment.

My tablet is really a go-between my smartphone and laptop. I tend to pick up when I want to watch Youtube videos or Netflix or play a game. These tasks don’t really require a lot of horsepowers. What you need is a device with a great display. Full HD 1080p screen means you will watch videos and movies with stunning picture quality. Another factor that comes to mind is the display size. I tend to gravitate towards a 10-inch screen, but an 8-inch display would still do. That gives you enough screen real estate for watching videos or reading articles, books, and magazines online.

So my primary tablet is actually the iPad Air 3. It doesn’t fall under this budget category, but there are refurbished Apple iPads that do. Of course, the iPad still reigns supreme in the tablet category. Google might be to blame here for having almost given up on the development of Android for tablets opting instead to put all its resources in Chromebooks.

Even if that has handsomely paid off, I can’t forgive Google for treating tablets as second-class citizens. Even then, there’s a renewed interest from the search giant to prioritize Android for tablets with the latest Android 12L which is specifically tweaked to work on a larger display. As a result, a number of vendors such as Oppo and Realme have announced or have been rumored to add tablets to their product lines.

With that said, here are our top recommendations for budget tablets below and around the $300 price point.

Fire HD 8 tablet (10th Gen – 2020 release)

Onn. 8 Inch Tablet

It’s based on the Android 10 operating system giving it a smartphone feel. There are no pre-installed Apps, so you get a clean tab. With Google Kids Space, you can quickly turn this tab into a child-friendly device. User reviews indicate this tab has a good display with a responsive touchscreen and the speakers sound good too. This tab goes for only $69 at Walmart.

Lenovo Tab M8 2nd Gen Android tablet

Lenovo has one of the most affordable Android tablets. This tab features an 8 inch 1280×800 IPS HD Screen, a stylish metal cover, and 83% panel-to-body ratio, is powered by a Quad-core Helio A22 MediaTek processor, 2GB LPDDR3 memory, and 16GB storage. This tab has a long battery life of upto 12 hours of video playback according to Lenovo.

Samsung Tab A7 Lite 8.7″

If you already own a Samsung device, then you probably should stick in the ecosystem with the Samsung Tab A7 Lite. This tab is a lighter version of the much feature-rich Tab A7. The tab is compact thanks to an 8.7 inch 1340×800 screen with a sturdy all-metal frame. It’s powered by an Octa-core MediaTek MT8768T Helio P22T, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 5,100mAh battery and runs on Android 11.

Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (2nd Gen)

This Lenovo Tab is comparable to the Lenovo Tab M8 mentioned above but adds a bigger 10.3 inch Full HD (1920×1200) IPS display. It has a standout metal design giving it a premium look and feels. It’s also powered by an Octa-core MediaTek Helio P22T processor. So those four extra cores boost this tablet’s performance. It comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and runs on Android 9.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

This tablet runs on Chrome OS instead of Android. It’s the only Chrome OS-powered tab on the list and it has very good reviews. This tablet comes with a nice detachable keyboard and kickstand similar to what you see with most iPad cases or Microsoft Surface books. It has a 10.1 inch Full HD display which is your typical big tablet size, but that’s close to the standard 11.6” that most Chromebooks have.

Apple 9.7″ iPad 2018 MR7F2LL/A (Renewed)

This list wouldn’t be complete without the Apple iPad. The iPad is still the undisputed winner of tablets offering unraveled performance, stunning retina display, App customized specifically for the tablet form-factor, and long-term software updates. Only the price tag will make you consider other options, but if you don’t mind pre-owned products, you can still get a great used iPad within your budget.

This refurbished 2018 6th generation Apple 9.7” iPad goes for only $236 which is within our $300 budget category. This iPad is powered by the A10 Fusion chip, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and supports Apple Pencil. It comes with iOS 11, but you can update it to the latest iPadOS 15. But if you really want to go for a new budget iPad, then simply top up another $100 and go with the 2021 Apple 10.2-inch iPad priced at $329.

Nokia T20

CHUWI Hipad Plus Android 11 Tablet

Realme Pad

The Realme Pad was launched this year and marks Realme’s first serious attempt at the tablet product line. It features a 10 inch 2000×1200 WUXGA+ LCD display. It’s powered by the Helio G80 Octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. It comes with Quad speakers that support Dolby Atmos sound.

It has a whopping 7,100 battery which gives about 12 hours of video playback. This tab is currently available in India for ₹ 13,999 ($185) for the WiFi-only version and ₹ 15,999 ($211) for the 4G LTE version on the Realme website or Flipkart. Realme recently started shipping the WiFi-only 4GB+64GB model of this tablet to some European countries (Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal.) at €260.

Alright, that’s all we have for you. There are definitely other tabs that didn’t make it to the list that are within or slightly more than $300. Notable mentions include;

  • Lenovo Tab P11 Plus Android Tablet – $299(amazon), $143(Alixpress)(Refurbished) Apple iPad 9.7inch with WiFi 32GB- Space Gray (2017 Model) – $210.27Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite 10.4-inch – $305Cubot TAB 10 Android 11 Tablet 10.1” FHD+ – $160 (Aliexpress)Lenovo 10e Chromebook – $99(Lenovo)