Let S be a domain and R = S[t; σ, δ] a skew polynomial ring, where σ is an injective endomorphism of S and δ a left σ -derivation. We give criteria for skew polynomials f ∈ R of degree less or equal to four to be irreducible. We apply them to low degree polynomials in quantized Weyl algebras and the quantum planes. We also consider f(t) = tm − a ∈ R.