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In a nutshell

A fantastic and affordable tablet that's perfect for older children and students, whether they're doing homework or playing games with friends

Pros
Fantastic screen
Excellent sound
Tab Pen works really well
Great build quality
Cons
Interface is sometimes sluggish
Software is awkward at times

Best tablet for students: Lenovo Idea Tab, £209

It packs in an excellent screen combined with an included stylus, making it a fantastic way to do homework. Add to that a premium design, a sleek form factor, access to Googles Play app store and parental controls and you've got a formidable tablet at a fantastic price.

Available from: Lenovo, Argos, Amazon, Very

What were your first impressions of the Lenovo Idea Tab?

Unless you're unboxing an Apple product, unboxing any kids tablet is roughly the same and the Lenovo Idea Tab is no exception. Inside the box you get the tablet (wrapped in paper instead of plastic) as well as a charging cable (no wall plug) and the stylus alongside all the instructions and warranty information you'd expect. While my first impressions of the box might have been unspectacular, the same cannot be said for the tablet itself.

At 480g, it is roughly the same weight as an iPad and the two tablets feel similar to hold, with both having 11" screens and roughly the same thickness. My first impression of the tablet upon taking it out of the box is how premium it actually feels for the price. I've purposely compared it with the base model iPad in order to highlight how impressive the Idea Pad's build quality is, especially considering it's around £100 cheaper than Apple's budget friendly model.

The Idea Pad is comfortable to hold and the metal body makes it feel sturdy and durable. Combine the Idea Tab with one of Lenovo's own keyboard cases and you've got a fantastic budget alternative to the iPad that doesn't compromise on durability and functionality.

How easy is it to set up?

Given that the Idea Tab is basically just an Android tablet (albeit with some additional Lenovo bloat that we'll get to later), setup was pretty simple. Select your language, connect to Wi-Fi and login to your Google Account then you're pretty much ready to go.

The fact that it runs Android also allows you to have multiple user profiles on one device (something the iPad STILL can't do), making it ideal if you want to buy one tablet for your children to share.

The Idea Tab also makes use of Google's Family Link app to allow parents to set up and monitor their kids' profiles, to ensure they're only able to access age-appropriate content. You can also set up multiple parental controls for each user profile you have on the device, similarly to the Amazon Fire Kids range, allowing you more specific control over the content, screen time and various system services like location.

Beyond being a bit sluggish at start up (it took a minute for the screen to respond to my input during setup), the process of getting up and running with the Idea Pad was pretty smooth.

How well does the Idea Tab perform?

I mentioned that it was a bit sluggish when I first turned on the device and that trend continued during my testing. While it isn't as slow as some of the Amazon Fire tablets I've tested, it certainly doesn't have the snappy user experience of an iPad. Android also lacks a lot of the polish you get with Apple's devices with a cluttered interface and buggy animations making that lower price point make a little more sense.

This isn't to say that it's unusable. When I really got into the flow of using the Idea Tab for note-taking, web browsing and watching videos, it worked well. Lenovo do offer a Pro version of the Idea Tab, which comes with a larger screen and improved internals that allow you to use AI tools like Google Gemini's Circle to Search with Google, but that device costs a little more than the base level iPad.

How do you rate the Idea Tab's screen and audio quality?

If the internals and general performance were a reminder that this is a budget tablet, the screen and speaker quality is a reminder that this tablet is punching far above its price point.

The 11" 2.5k screen and Dolby Atmos speakers are fantastic and the 90Hz refresh rate keeps things from feeling too jittery during use (something that the base level iPad lacks). Text looks clear and sharp and there aren't any visible pixels at the edges of icons or images making it ideal for reading.

I really can't say enough good things about the Idea Pad's speakers. I watched a bunch of different content on YouTube and it all sounded fantastic. Beyond using the Idea Tab for homework or note-taking, the screen and speakers make it an impressive movie watching machine that's perfect for buying you a few minutes of peace and quiet.

What about note-taking on the Idea Tab?

That screen resolution and 90Hz refresh make using the included stylus almost as easy as using paper (and remember, the Apple Pencil costs an additional £99 on top of the iPad).

Taking handwritten notes is easy and actually enjoyable thanks to the suite of great in-built note-taking apps included from Lenovo. Squid, their app for free form notes, and MyScript Calculator, their app for math notes, are both great partners when marking up images or documents or doing maths homework.

The Lenovo Tab Pen takes regular AAA batteries meaning you won't need to worry about buying a new one when the battery dies and the small form factor and solid build quality match up with the tablet itself.

This is really the Idea Tab's secret weapon that makes it a back-to-school powerhouse. Sure, the screen and speakers are nice and the build quality is great, but finding a tablet with a stylus included that works this well with the software usually costs Apple-level money.

What accessories are available for the Idea Tab?

We've already sung the praises of the included Tab Pen, but there are a whole suite of accessories available for the Idea Tab. The folio keyboard turns the Idea Tab into something akin to a laptop (albeit without a trackpad) and the Lenovo Tab Pen Plus offers increased accuracy and sensativity for serious notetakers.

Best keyboard case for the Idea Tab: Lenovo keyboard pack, £55.25
Best case for the Idea Tab: Lenovo Idea Tab Folio Case, £13.01
Best pen for the Idea Tab: Lenovo Tab Pen Plus, £19.50

I didn't get to test these accessories so I can't speak to their quality, however if the Tab Pen is anything to go by, then I imagine these accessories will only make the Idea Tab more enjoyable to use, though they aren't essential to getting the most out of the tablet.

One accessory we do recommend is a case. While the Idea Tab is built well, the screen can still break and that metal body will still scratch if this is thrown in a backpack or dropped on the floor. Lenovo offers a Folio Case which also includes space to store the Tab Pen and can convert into a stand to offer multiple viewing angles.

Is the Lenovo Idea Pad worth the money?

This is an easy answer. Yes. The Idea Pad is a fantastic overall tablet for the money. It is comparable to Apple's base model iPad in so many areas, making it a bargain at over £100 less than Apple's cheapest tablet.

It's not as cheap as some other options on the market like Amazon's Fire Kids tablet range, but that extra bit of money gets you so much more. Not only does it have better build quality than the Fire tablets and an included stylus, you also get a much wider range of apps and services thanks to the Google Play store.

Who is the Lenovo Idea Tab best for?

While the Lenovo Idea Tab would be suitable for a wide array of ages when combined with Google's parental controls, we'd definitely see it as more of a tablet for older children and students.

Kids doing their GCSE's or A-Levels or heading off to university will get the most out of the wide array of features where a younger child might find more use in the cheaper and more child focused Amazon Fire Kids range.

MadeForMums verdict:

I've tested a lot of different tablets for MadeForMums and few have impressed me as much as the Lenovo Idea Tab. This is the perfect study companion thanks to the fantastic screen, great speakers and impressive (and included!) stylus. No matter what stage of schooling your child is embarking on, the Idea Tab makes for a great back-to-school tablet.

Available from: Lenovo, Argos, Amazon, Very

Images: Lenovo

Matthew Trask