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Posted March 8, 2025 – by Green Tech Reviewer
Ok so full disclosure – I’ve been feeling super guilty lately about how much tech I burn through. My drawer is literally a graveyard of old phones, tablets, and laptop parts that’ll probably outlive my grandkids. So when I spotted the Acer Aspire Vero on sale for £549.99 (normally £749.99) at The Sun, the whole “made from recycled materials” pitch got me. Marketing: 1, My wallet: 0.
But is this eco-friendly laptop actually, ya know, GOOD? Or is it just greenwashing with a keyboard attached? I’ve been using it as my main machine for the past month, and I’ve got some THOUGHTS.
The “Green” Factor – Is It Actually Eco-Friendly?
Let’s start with Acer’s big claims, because that’s why we’re all here, right? The laptop chassis is made from 30% post-consumer recycled plastic, the keycaps are 50% recycled, and the packaging is 100% recyclable. There’s even these cute little yellow and blue keys (R and E) that stand out to remind you about “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” which is either adorable or eye-rolling depending on your cynicism levels.
The laptop itself has a speckled, textured finish that actually SHOWS OFF the recycled materials rather than hiding them. I kinda dig this – it’s like it’s proudly saying “Yeah, I’m made from your old water bottles, what of it?” It’s also packaging is minimal – cardboard, paper, no plastic bags or twist ties or those annoying little plastic tabs that cut your fingers.
But let’s be real – this isn’t a ZERO impact device. It still has all the same components inside as any other laptop. The battery, motherboard, screen… none of that is particularly eco-friendly. So while I appreciate Acer’s efforts, let’s not pretend buying ANY new laptop is saving the planet. It’s just… less bad? Progress, I guess?
Build Quality & Design – Quirky in a Good Way?
At first glance, the Vero stands out – and not just because of marketing. The speckled, slightly rough textured gray chassis with those yellow and blue accent keys makes it look different from every other boring laptop out there. No sleek aluminum here – this thing embraces its recycled plastic vibe.
The build feels… surprisingly solid? I expected eco-friendly to mean flimsy, but this thing has minimal flex when typing. It’s not MacBook-level solid, but it’s definitely not cheap-feeling either. That said, the textured finish does show oils from hands pretty easily, which is a bit annoying.
At about 1.8kg (that’s around 4 pounds for my American friends), it’s not winning any ultraportable contests. Definitely noticable in my backpack during my commute. But it’s not back-breaking either.
Oh, and weirdly, the laptop actually has standard Philips-head screws on the bottom rather than proprietary garbage, making it decently repairable! The RAM and SSD are actually upgradable!!! In 2025!!! This might be the most genuinely eco-friendly feature – a laptop you can actually fix and upgrade instead of replace!
The Screen – My Biggest Complaint
Let’s not sugarcoat this – the display is… fine. Just fine. The 15.6-inch 1080p IPS panel gets the job done, but it’s definitely the most “budget” feeling part of this laptop. Colors are a bit muted, and the maximum brightness left me squinting when I tried working outside. I measured it with my partner’s calibration tool (they’re a designer and very particular about these things) and it hits about 250 nits and covers around 65% of the sRGB spectrum.
Is it terrible? No. Can you work on it? Absolutely. Would I edit photos on it? Nope. The bezels are also chonky by 2025 standards – not deal-breaking, but definitely reminds you this isn’t a premium device.
Viewing angles are decent though, and for Netflix and general browsing it’s totally adequate. Just keep your expectations in check and you won’t be disappointed.
Performance – Better Than I Expected!
My configuration came with the 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. For £549.99, that’s actually pretty solid specs!
For my typical workload – dozens of Chrome tabs, Spotify, Word, Excel, the occasional Teams meeting (ugh), and some basic photo editing – it handles everything without breaking a sweat. The fans do kick in during video calls, but they’re not jet-engine loud like some other laptops I’ve used.
Some real-world performance notes:
- Boot time: About 12 seconds from press to usable desktop
- Photoshop: Opens in about 7 seconds, handles basic edits fine, struggles a bit with really large files
- Video playback: Smooth 4K streaming, no issues
- Multitasking: I regularly run 15+ Chrome tabs, Spotify, Discord, and Office apps simultaneously without slowdown
- Gaming: League of Legends runs at 60+ fps on medium settings, don’t expect to play Cyberpunk though lol
Battery life is decent but not amazing – I’m getting around 6-7 hours of real-world use. That’s enough for a work day if I’m careful, but I usually bring my charger just in case. Speaking of which, Acer claims the battery is easier to replace than most laptops, which is another eco-point in its favor.
Keyboard and Trackpad – Mixed Feelings
The keyboard is surprisingly great? I wasn’t expecting much, but the keys have nice travel and feedback. I can type for hours without finger fatigue. The yellow and blue accent keys are a bit gimmicky but don’t affect usability. The keyboard is also spill-resistant according to Acer, which my clumsy coffee-drinking self appreciates.
The trackpad though… it’s usable but definitely not great. It’s plastic rather than glass, so the finger feel isn’t as smooth as premium laptops. It’s also got a slight delay occasionally, especially when doing precision tasks. I ended up connecting a mouse for longer work sessions, which solved the problem entirely.
Ports – A Refreshing Throwback
Remember when laptops came with useful ports? The Vero team apparently does! You get:
- 3x USB-A ports (one with power-off charging)
- 1x USB-C port (with Thunderbolt 4 support!)
- HDMI
- Ethernet (yes, actual Ethernet!)
- Headphone/mic combo jack
- Kensington lock slot
This is honestly like port paradise in 2025 when most thin laptops give you 2 USB-C ports and a prayer. I’ve connected this to my home office setup with external monitor, keyboard, mouse, webcam, and ethernet without needing a single dongle. THANK YOU, ACER.
Software – Some Bloat, But Manageable
Windows 11 runs well on this machine, but Acer does include some bloatware. There’s McAfee antivirus (which I immediately uninstalled), some Acer utilities, and a few random apps I didn’t ask for.
There is one piece of pre-installed software I actually liked – Acer’s VeroSense utility. It gives you different power profiles that help extend battery life, and it has a special “Eco+” mode that sacrifices some performance for power efficiency. It claims this reduces the carbon footprint while using the laptop, which is neat if somewhat hard to verify.
First thing I did was spend 20 minutes removing the junk and setting up a clean Windows installation. After that, performance felt even snappier.
Value – Is £549.99 Worth It?
So here’s the real question – is this laptop worth £549.99 even with the £200 discount?
If you’re just looking at specs-for-money, there are probably better deals out there. You could find a similar i5/16GB/512GB configuration for maybe £50-75 less if you don’t care about the eco-friendly aspects.
BUT…
If you do care about environmental impact (even marginally), the calculus changes. You’re getting:
- A solid productivity laptop with good specs
- Upgradeable/repairable design (huge for longevity)
- Recycled materials that actually reduce plastic waste
- The warm fuzzy feeling of slightly less tech guilt
For me, paying a small premium for those features feels worth it. I’ll probably keep this laptop longer because I can upgrade it, which makes the value proposition even better in the long run.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy This
This is for you if:
- You care about e-waste and sustainability but still need a proper laptop
- You want something with ALL THE PORTS
- You value repairability and future upgradeability
- Your needs are primarily productivity, browsing, streaming, and light photo editing
- You’re ok with a merely “decent” display
Look elsewhere if:
- Display quality is your top priority
- You need something super light for constant travel
- You’re a gamer or video editor needing serious horsepower
- You want premium metal build materials
- Battery life over 7 hours is essential
Weird Quirks & Random Thoughts
Some random observations after a month of use:
- The textured finish doesn’t show fingerprints but DOES collect dust in the tiny crevices
- The speakers are shockingly good for a laptop in this price range – clear vocals, even a hint of bass
- The webcam is absolute garbage (720p and grainy), typical laptop fare
- It runs cool even under load – my legs appreciate this
- The power brick is smaller than expected, which is nice for traveling
- There’s virtually no branding on the lid – just a small recycling symbol and Acer logo
- The fan has this weird habit of spinning up for like 3 seconds and then stopping, even when I’m doing basicly nothing?
Final Verdict – Imperfect But Commendable
After a month with the Acer Aspire Vero, I’m generally happy with my purchase, though not without some reservations. It’s not the best laptop I’ve ever used, but it might be the least guilt-inducing one.
What I love is that Acer didn’t just make an eco-laptop that’s underpowered and overpriced – they made a genuinely good productivity machine that ALSO happens to be more environmentally conscious. The upgradeable design might actually be its most eco-friendly feature, since the greenest laptop is the one you don’t replace.
Is it perfect? No. The display is mediocre, the trackpad is just OK, and let’s be honest – it’s still a new piece of tech consuming resources in a world with too much e-waste.
But it’s a step in the right direction, and at £549.99, it doesn’t ask you to pay an enormous premium for its environmental credentials. If other manufacturers followed suit with repairable designs and recycled materials without compromising performance, I’d be thrilled.
For now, the Acer Aspire Vero earns a solid recommendation from me, with the display being the only major caveat. If you can live with an average screen, you’ll likely be quite happy with everything else it offers – especially at this discounted price.
Rating: 7.5/10 – Good performance, decent price, eco-friendly features, held back by a mediocre display
P.S. The textured recycled plastic actually feels nice? Like, I expected it to feel cheap but it’s weirdly satisfying to touch? Just me? Ok then.
