Refurbished laptop grades, explained

Every shop we track stamps a condition on each refurbished laptop: Grade A, Grade B, Grade C, or its own words for the same idea. The label is about looks only, never function: the cheapest 16 GB machine on the whole site is from €132 (16 GB), seen 16 September 2026. We translate every shop's own label onto one scale: Like New, Good, Fair.

What the shops say

There is no industry standard. Each shop writes its own scale, and two shops' "Grade B" are not the same laptop condition. Dell Refurbished answers the question plainly: "Grading criteria is based solely on cosmetic condition." Back Market says the same thing another way: "Grades are how we classify devices sold on Back Market based on their cosmetic condition. Devices are always 100% functional." PCLiquidations, a US refurbisher, holds the same line: "Products are then graded based on cosmetic quality alone."

So a grade is a claim about scratches and wear, not about whether the machine works. That is the first thing to know. The second is that the same shop grades more loosely or strictly than the next one, which is why this site keeps each shop's own label beside the normalized one.

The three normalized grades

Our table shows every offer's Grade on one scale, with the shop's raw label beside it.

• Like New. Almost no signs of use. Back Market calls this "Premium", Lenovo Outlet US calls it "Scratch and Dent: Excellent".
• Good. Clear signs of use that do not affect use. Dell Refurbished's Grade B lands here, and so does pocitarna.cz's "Třída B" and furbify.eu's Grade B.
• Fair. Heavy wear: scratches, scuffs, maybe a shiny keyboard or a screen blemish. afb, a German shop we track, describes its lowest grade as "Gehäuse: Deutliche Anzeichen einer früheren Nutzung (Kratzer, Schrammen) können vorhanden sein." Dell Refurbished's Grade C and furbify.eu's Grade C land here.

A Grade C screen can carry visible scratches and bright spots. The machine still works: the grade never says otherwise.

Grade A, B, C by shop

Lenovo Outlet US is the interesting row. Its "Refurbished: Good" line is its second-lowest tier and normalizes to Fair on our scale, while "Scratch and Dent: Excellent" is its best. Two shops' "Good" are two different conditions, which is the whole reason the normalized scale exists.

What a grade means for the price

Function is the same across grades at one shop. Dell Refurbished states it directly: "Grade B products are functionally equivalent to Grade A, and will include the same warranty and customer support as Grade A products." So the lower grade is the same machine for less money, and the discount is the trade for cosmetics.

That trade is where the value is. A Grade B business laptop with 16 GB of RAM is often the cheapest useful machine on the whole site. Compare two machines directly on our comparison pages, see the cheapest 16 GB laptops on the 16 GB facet, or filter the whole catalogue to one condition on the Grade-filtered table.

Where to look next

• The Dell Latitude 5420 page shows every live offer with its grade.
• The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 2 page does the same for ThinkPads.
• The compare hub lists every machine pair we can price on both sides.

Questions people ask

What does Grade A mean on a refurbished laptop?

At the shops we track, Grade A or its equivalent ("Premium", "Excellent", "Wie neu") means the case looks close to new. Dell Refurbished's Grade A description reads "Grade A products will have overall excellent to very good cosmetic condition." and some Grade A units are pristine while others carry light scratches.

What does Grade B mean?

Grade B means visible wear that does not affect function. Dell Refurbished: "These units will have some cosmetic blemishes that include scratches and/or other surface imperfections." All key characters stay legible, and the machine carries the same warranty as Grade A.

What does Grade C mean?

Grade C means heavy cosmetic wear. Expect clear scratches and scuffs, possibly a visible screen blemish. afb's description of its lowest grade names "Deutliche Anzeichen einer früheren Nutzung (Kratzer, Schrammen)" for the case. The machine still works and still carries the shop's warranty.