The best 8 cheap tablets available in 2013 in the UK?

8. Lenovo IdeaTab A2107A

• Reviewed on: 7 February 13
• RRP: £150 inc. VAT
• Rating:

We really want to like the IdeaTab: it's so cheap, and comes with a nice (if heavy) chassis and built-in 3G. But it's so slow, and the screen could be improved. Our advice is to stick with the Nexus 7, even if that means splashing out £239 for a 32GB version with 3G connectivity.

7. GoClever Tab R974

• Reviewed on: 6 November 12
• RRP: £179 inc. VAT
• Rating:

One of the better bargain basement tablets we've seen, the GoClever Tab R974 suffers from some of the usual faults of low-cost tablets: poor screen resolution and poor build quality. But it has a great feature set and decent performance. If £200 is your limit and you want a 10in tablet - this is a good buy.

6. Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9

• Reviewed on: 1 April 13
• RRP: £230 inc VAT (16GB); £259 inc VAT (32GB)
• Rating:

The Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is a good-value tablet for those who are happy to be locked into Amazon's system. For a lot of people, that won't matter at all as it's certainly not a bad system, particularly if you want to use it mainly as an e-reader. The hardware is hard to fault – excepting the hard-to-find buttons – and the screen is great for the money. The app store is lacking compared to Google Play, but undemanding users will find almost everything they need.

5. Archos 80 Titanium

• Reviewed on: 20 March 13
• RRP: £130 inc VAT
• Rating:

The Archos 80 Titanium proves that you can get a decent tablet without breaking the bank. Its screen isn't high resolution, but it's a good IPS panel which matches the iPad mini for half as much. Performance is also good, as is build quality; only the cameras let the side down. If you're on a tight budget or want a tablet for your kids, this is a great choice.

4. Asus Fonepad

• Reviewed on: 31 May 13
• RRP: £179 inc VAT
• Rating:

For those genuinely interested in a phablet, the Asus Fonepad is a bit of a bargain. It does the job of two devices for a budget price. However, you'll need to be prepared to make sacrifices including practicality and, in this case, no rear camera and slower performance issues. Not to mention the inevitable Dom Jolly impression, should you decide to use as a phone without a separate earpiece.

3. Amazon Kindle Fire HD

• Reviewed on: 14 November 12
• RRP: £159 inc VAT
• Rating:

If you're after a 7in tablet that's very easy to use, you don't need GPS and don't want to stretch your budget to £200, the Kindle Fire HD is a good buy. However, although Google's Nexus 7 has half the storage for the same price, it's more versatile and has a better range of apps and games and is faster, too.

2. Barnes & Noble Nook HD

• Reviewed on: 6 June 13
• RRP: £159 inc VAT
• Rating:

We can hardly find fault with the hardware, but UK-specific content - including magazines, newspapers, books and apps - is sorely lacking. Much is promised, but you're taking a risk if you jump in and buy a Nook HD right now. As with the Kindle Fire HD, the Nook HD will be good option for anyone wanting something that's easy to use, and there's the bonus of user profiles as well. However, if you don't want to be completely locked in to the Nook store, you're better off with a Nexus 7 at this price.

1. Google Nexus 7

• Reviewed on: 16 July 12
• RRP: £159 inc VAT
• Rating:

Google has set a new standard for budget tablets with the Nexus 7. It's an unbelievably well-equipped device for such an affordable price. The silky smooth performance and high resolution IPS screen are the highlights for us. If you're looking for a tablet under £200 then look no further than the Nexus 7.