If you’re shopping for your next laptop, consider buying a refurbished model. Not only does this help keep otherwise working laptops out of landfills, but it also saves you money to buy refurbished vs. buying new.

A refurbished item has been inspected, repaired and restored to like-new condition and includes all parts and accessories. These are generally electronics that have been returned for some reason. They may be unused products with open boxes, barely used returned products, blogger review models, floor units or items slightly damaged in shipping. Because they've been through a careful inspection process to ensure they're working as good as new, the best refurbished laptop is actually less likely to have defects or issues than one that comes from the factory.

For anyone debating whether to buy a MacBook or a traditional laptop, a refurbished option can help settle that score since they are sold at a slight discount. Whether you select a refurbished Apple laptop, one of the refurbished laptops from Dell, or one of the refurbished HP laptops, you'll be able to get more computer for your money. Additionally, most refurbished items are covered by the Best Buy Return & Exchange Promise and come with a minimum 90-day warranty. Plus, you always have the option of extending and enhancing coverage for up to three years with computer protection, which includes repair for accidental damage and normal wear and tear, one-time battery replacement, hard drive failure, power surge repair and repair of bad pixels and screen burn-in.

Make sure you equip your like-new refurbished laptop with a case, which is one of several ways to protect your laptop. You may want to use a wireless router to provide a secure digital environment for your refurbished laptop and the other computers or devices on your home network. If you use it for work, consider including an all-in-one printer in your network, so you can wirelessly print, scan and copy right from your refurbished laptop. You could also consider having a separate LED monitor to improve your productivity by giving you much more room to spread out your work. And don’t forget to grab a Bluetooth mouse to make your setup even more ergonomic.

If you’re using your refurbished laptop for entertainment, perhaps you’ll pair it with a larger screen for watching movies, or if you're using one of the powerful refurbished gaming laptops for smooth gameplay. Whatever you decide, a refurbished laptop is as good of an option as any new laptop you can find.