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Best budget tablets: 10-6
The iPad Air 2 is ruling the roost as the best tablet in the world, but with prices starting at £399 and rising to £659, it's clearly priced in a bracket way above many people's budget.
Apple's sky-high prices mean those wanting a more affordable tablet experience will have to look elsewhere, although the iPad mini 2 has seen a price cut since the new and only slightly improved iPad mini 3 and now features on this list.
Google's Android operating system now adorns a multitude of tablets, from those priced at the same lofty heights of Apple's offerings to those that can be picked up for less than £100 at your local supermarket – although we'd advise against purchasing most of these.
We're also seeing Windows 8.1 tablets dropping in price, although for the most part they're still not at the level of the Android slates.
If you can't quite hack the lower offerings, and you've managed to scrape together enough money to indulge in a pricier tablet experience, then take a gander at the following:
For those of you who are still with us, well done. To reward you for your loyalty, here are some top tablets for under £250 currently on sale.
10. Acer Iconia W4
OS: Windows 8.1
We always knew it was going to happen, and at last it has. We now have several low cost Windows 8.1 tablets, and the Iconia W4 is now sitting comfortably within the £250 threshold.
The big selling point of the Iconia W4 is its full blown Windows 8.1 operating system, giving you all the functionality of a PC on an 8-inch display and wrapped in a portable chassis.
Its 1.33GHz quad-core processor may not be the most powerful around, and with 2GB of RAM it's less powerful than some high-end smartphones, but with a decent display and reasonable battery life the Iconia W4 is a solid performer.
- Read our in-depth Acer Iconia W4 review
9. Linx 7 / Linx 8
OS: Windows 8.1
The Linx 7 isn't the most powerful slate around, but at roughly £65 it doesn't need to be, especially as for that money you get both Windows 8.1 and a year's subscription to Office 365 Personal.
You've arguably got your money's worth on the strength of those things alone, but it also has a decent screen and a solid build quality. With just 1GB of RAM it might struggle with more demanding tasks, but for basic use this 7-inch slate really is fantastic and it's got an impulse purchase price tag.
If you'd rather have a slightly bigger screen you can stump up an extra £25 and grab the Linx 8, which has an 8.0-inch display and is otherwise similar.
- Read our in-depth Linx 7 and Linx 8 reviews
8. Pipo W2
OS: Windows 8.1
There isn't a huge selection of affordable Windows slates around and to get the most bang for your buck you have to look away from the big name manufacturers.
The Pipo W2 is a case in point, it's an unknown name in England and in fact it dispatches from Hong Kong, but it's excellent value for money, with a solid build, decent battery life and reasonable performance.
Of course it runs Windows 8.1, so whether you want to stream videos, browse the net or get some serious work done it's up to the task.
- Read our in-depth Pipo W2 review
7. Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7
The Kindle Fire HDX 7 may be an Android tablet at heart, but fire it up and you wouldn't recognise Google's work. That's because Amazon has completely rebuilt Android to its own liking, giving you instant access to all the services the online retailer offers.
This means browsing Amazon's huge collection of eBooks, watching a movie on Amazon Prime Instant Video or even just browsing the web is simple on the full HD display - but anyone looking for flexibility here will be sorely disappointed - the Kindle Fire HDX is almost as locked down as an iPad.
In short, if you're heavily invested in Amazon's ecosystem, or want a hassle free (yet limited) user interface, the Kindle Fire HDX 7 could be the perfect tablet for you - if you want something more, keep reading.
- Read our in-depth Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7 review
6. Asus MeMoPad 7 ME572C
It may not have a catchy name, but with the company behind the Nexus 7 making it the Asus MeMoPad 7 ME572C was always likely to be good.
A full HD display, stereo speakers and 2GB of RAM are a good start. A slim, attractive design and solid battery life don't hurt either and it even one-ups the Nexus 7 with the inclusion of a microSD card slot.
With the Nexus 7 now off sale the 7-inch MeMoPad 7 is perhaps the closest alternative and it's one of the best options for fans of small-screen Android slates.
- Read our in-depth Asus MeMoPad 7 ME572C
Best budget tablets: 5-1
5. Nvidia Shield Tablet
The Nvidia Shield Tablet has been built from the ground up with gamers in mind, as such it's definitely not a tablet for everyone.
But if gaming on the go is important to you you'll struggle to do much better and it's downright impossible to beat it for under £250. High end performance and solid battery life ensure it will keep you gaming through the day and its impressive 8.0-inch 1920 x 1200 display will show your games off in all their glory.
If you're serious about gaming on it you might want to invest in the Shield controller, which is sold separately and pushes the total cost above £250, but it's still a great slate even without it.
- Read our in-depth Nvidia Shield Tablet review
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4
This is a bit of a surprise - a fairly high-end Samsung slate making it into the "best cheap tablets" roundup - but the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 does just that.
It's obviously towards the upper end of the £250 boundary, but you get a lot for your money, including an 8.4-inch 1600 x 2560 Super AMOLED display, 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, Android KitKat and a microSD slot, plus front and rear cameras.
The plastic construction isn't the best we've seen on the tablet, and the speaker placement could be better, but if you want a supremely powerful tablet with an impressive screen the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 is a decent shout.
- Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 review
3. Tesco Hudl 2
A few years ago the prospect of a Tesco-brand tablet wouldn't have filled us with confidence, but the impressive Hudl changed our minds and the Hudl 2 has impressed us all over again.
At just £79 it's really incredible value for money, thanks to an 8.3-inch HD screen and stereo speakers. The low cost combined with handy parental controls also make it a great choice if you've got kids around.
There's not much built in storage, but a microSD card slot makes up for that somewhat, and the battery life could be a LOT better, but this is about as cheap and cheerful as a tablet gets.
- Read our in-depth Tesco Hudl 2 review
2. LG G Pad 8.3
If the 7-inch tablet range is a little too small for your liking, and the iPad mini 2 is just out of your price range then you'll love the LG G Pad 8.3.
As you may have already guessed it sports an 8.3-inch display, a full HD affair which looks great and with a 1.7GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM the G Pad 8.3 has no trouble running Android KitKat.
The metal finish means the G Pad 8.3 also feels great, almost putting it on a par with the premium design of the iPad mini 2 - it's a lovely tablet which won't disappoint.
- Read our in-depth LG G Pad 8.3 review
1. iPad mini 2
OS: iOS 8
What's this? The iPad mini 2 in a list of the best cheap tablets? Why yes. It may be a premium slate but it's been superseded by the iPad mini 3 and as such it's dropped in price to a sliver under £250.
Better yet, as the iPad mini 3 is basically the same tablet with added Touch ID you hardly miss out on anything by buying this older model.
With a brilliant screen, a stunning design and quite a lot of power the iPad mini 2 really is impossible to beat at this price point. It looks, feels and performs like something far more expensive.
- Read our in-depth iPad mini 2 review
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