Best tablet and iPad deals for 2021

Whether you're set on an iPad or hunting for a great tablet from one of Apple's rivals, our experts have scrutinised what's on offer to bring you the best deals we've found this month. 

We've identified deals on mid-range models that should hit the mark for most people and high-end big-screen tablets to replace your laptop.

Like all tech products, tablets are constantly being updated and refreshed with new versions. That means there are plenty of deals to be found on last-generation models, as well as the occasional discount on the very latest tablets. We'll update this page monthly with the best deals, as found by our computing experts. 

We also run through some top tips on how to find the latest deals yourself on iPads, Amazon Fire tablets or Microsoft Surface tablets.

Spotted what you think is a great deal on a new tablet? Check our full tablet reviews to make sure the tablet itself is as good as the discount. 

The best tablet deals in February 2021

Here are the top deals we've found as of February 2021.

1. Lenovo Tab M10

• £50 off original price of £149
• Basic tablet with HD screen
• Good for light use and surfing the web on the sofa

This cheap tablet just got even cheaper with a small £10 discount at Currys in addition to the £40 price cut this tablet has seen since it first launched in 2019. If you were umming and ahh-ing about which cheap tablet to buy, perhaps this is the one. Read our full Lenovo Tab M10 review to see how it fared.

Buy now for £99 at Currys PC World.

 (A 2020 Which? investigation into Currys PC World suggests the firm has an issue with how it handles complaints about faulty products. So do consider this before making a purchase.) 

2. iPad 2020

• £9 off the standard price of £329
• The cheapest way to get an iPad from a big-brand retailer
• Costco membership required

It can be hard to find cut-price iPads – you certainly won't find any discounts on Apple's own website. As of early January, Costco is the only major retailer offering anything resembling a discount on iPads. 

You'll need to have a Costco membership to take advantage of the discount, but you don't have to traipse to your local store since Costco offers home delivery. Read our full iPad 2020 review.

Buy now for £320 from Costco.

3. iPad Pro 11-inch (2020)

• 59 off the standard price of £869
• A high-end tablet that could replace your laptop if bought with a keyboard
• Stylus and keyboard cost extra

The top-spec iPad is one of the few models that have a serious discount at the moment, with Currys, dropping £59 off the price for the 256GB model. If you're after a high-end tablet that has oodles of storage for your video library or media projects, this could be a great time to buy. Read our full iPad Pro 11 review to see how it did in our tests. Read our full iPad Pro 11-inch review. 

Buy now for £809 from Currys PC World.

4. Microsoft Surface Pro 7

• £150 off regular price for Core i5/8GB Ram/128GB SSD model (standard price £899) 
• Keyboard and stylus sold separately
• As cheap as Black Friday price

The Pro 7 was discounted at the end of 2020, and has yet to bounce back to its original price at all retailers. At the time of writing, Microsoft is also offering discounts of up to £210 on the higher-spec models, along with a £100 discount on the cheapest model.

Rumours abound that this model is about to be superseded by a Surface Pro 8, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a great price on a very appealing and powerful tablet. Read our full Surface Pro 7 review.

Buy now for £749 from Microsoft.

How to find a good deal on a tablet

We've picked out a selection of good offers on decent tablets, but if these aren't quite right for you there are ample opportunities to find yourself a great tablet deal.

Finding an iPad deal

Apple’s own website provides you with a good baseline of how much an iPad costs, because Apple never discounts new models on its own website. Knowing the full, true value makes it easier to work out how good discounts on other sites really are.

When you're shopping around for deals, be mindful of the fact that there are multiple generations of iPads on sale at the same time, so make sure you know which generation you're buying; our guide on which iPad to buy shows you which models are the latest generation. 

There’s nothing wrong with buying an older-generation iPad (in fact, it’s  a great way to save money), but just make sure you’re comparing like-for-like products instead of a newer, more expensive model with an older, cheaper version.

Another way to keep costs down is to consider a refurbished iPad. While Apple's website never has deals on new tablets, it has a section for refurbished iPads that come with a one-year warranty. What’s available varies day-by-day, but you should be able to save at least 20% on a refurbished model over a new one. 

If you’re a student, you may also qualify for Apple’s student discount programme, which will net you discounts on iPads, among other products. 

See all our reviews of Apple iPads.

Finding a Microsoft Surface tablet deal

It’s sensible to start your search for a Surface tablet on the Microsoft Store website. 

Not only is this the place to find the true RRP of the model and specification you’re after, but you might even find a handy discount while you’re there. It might be a simple discount on a specification, or it could be a discounted or free accessory when you buy a full-price tablet.

If you don’t find a discount on the Microsoft website, it’s highly likely you’ll find one from a different retailer. Make sure you check all the specifications and colour options, as discounts may only be on one or two of these at any time. 

See all our reviews of Microsoft Surface tablets.

Finding an Amazon Fire tablet deal

Amazon Fires are hardly expensive to start with, but deals on these tablets come along fairly regularly. Amazon.co.uk itself often has the best prices, but you can sometimes find decent discounts from the likes of Currys and Argos. 

If there's nothing available on the day you search, you probably won't have to wait for long for a discount to materialise, so if you don’t need to buy right now it could pay to wait until a deal comes up.

See all our reviews of Amazon Fire tablets.