Lenovo is a Chinese company and one of the largest manufacturers of consumer electronics, including products like personal computers (desktops and laptops), tablets, monitors, computer peripherals, and smartphones, among many others. In 2005, they acquired IBM's personal computer division, where the ThinkPad and ThinkCentre lines of computers originated. Lenovo's current laptop lineup is vast and includes popular brands like IdeaPad, Legion, Yoga, and ThinkBook. Lenovo's laptops are often among the best value models you can get, whether you're looking for a cheap Chromebook or a premium mobile workstation.
Updates
- 05/05/2023 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2023) reviewed
- 04/12/2023 Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (2021) updated
- 03/17/2023 Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15 (2021) updated
- 03/07/2023 Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (2021) updated
- 03/01/2023 Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (2022) reviewed
Best Lenovo Laptops
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Best Lenovo Laptop
School7.1Gaming7.5Multimedia7.4Workstation8.7Business7.7The best Lenovo laptop we've tested is the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 4 (2021), a Windows mobile workstation. It packs plenty of power to handle demanding tasks and provides a great overall user experience. It sports a large 16-inch display that's well-suited for multitasking, a comfortable keyboard that you can type on all day, and a responsive touchpad with dedicated buttons. It's available with Intel 11th Gen. H-series Core i7 and i9 CPUs and various NVIDIA discreet GPUs, up to a powerful RTX A5000 or GeForce RTX 3080. You can get up to 64GB of memory and 2TB of storage; plus, the RAM and SSD are user-replaceable, so you can get a cheaper configuration first and upgrade it later on. As for the display, you have QHD and 4k options; the choice will depend on which color space you work in.
Although it's available with powerful internals, this laptop isn't overly bulky, so it's still relatively portable. However, like most laptops with a dedicated GPU, the battery lasts only a little over an hour when performing demanding tasks. You can charge the laptop via its USB-C port, but it won't charge as fast as the barrel plug power adapter, and the battery will even drain if you're using the laptop at the same time. You get plenty of ports, including two USB-As, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, an HDMI 2.1, and an SD card reader. For biometrics, it has both a fingerprint reader and an IR camera for facial recognition. Lastly, the 4k touchscreen display supports pen input (Wacom AES), but you have to buy the stylus separately.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Lenovo Laptop
School7.7Gaming5.7Multimedia7.9Workstation6.7Business7.6If you only need to perform light productivity tasks like text processing, web browsing, and video playback, an ultraportable might be a better fit. Our pick is the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2021), a sleek, sturdy, and portable 2-in-1. It has a sharp and bright display, a spacious and tactile keyboard, and a small but responsive touchpad. The display supports pen input, and it comes with a Wacom AES-based stylus. The stylus has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, but it doesn't support tilt, so it's more for note-taking than actual drawing.
Spec-wise, you can choose between an Intel 11th Gen. Core i5 (Mica model only) or i7, and up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Its port selection includes two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, allowing you to transfer files quickly and connect up to two 4k displays with a single cable. There's no IR camera for facial recognition, but you do get a fingerprint sensor. One thing to note is that there are some design and feature differences between the Mica and Shadow Black, so check out our full review for all the details.
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Best Mid-Range Lenovo Laptop
School7.5Gaming6.0Multimedia6.7Workstation7.5Business7.7Our mid-range pick is the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 (2022), also a 14-inch 2-in-1 convertible. It feels well-built, but as it's a lower-end model, it doesn't feel quite as premium as the Yoga 9i we recommend above. That said, it's still a great laptop for the price. You can configure it with an Intel Pentium Gold or 12th Gen. Core processor (Core i3, i5, or i7) and up to 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage. The base display option is an FHD (1920 x 1200) panel, which looks a little dim and washed out; however, you can upgrade to a 2.2K (2240 x 1400) IPS or even a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED panel if you want a better viewing experience. The display supports pen input, but you may have to buy the stylus separately, as it isn't always bundled with the laptop.
Ports include two USB-As, a USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, an HDMI, and an SD card reader. You also get a comfortable keyboard, a large touchpad, and a good 1080p webcam. As for its performance, its Intel Core i5 is very fast and can handle most general productivity tasks. The Pentium Gold is slower, so it might not be the best option if you're a heavy multitasker or plan on running more intensive applications. Battery life sits around eight hours of light use, which is enough for a full workday but tight, which means you may have to plug it in for a quick charge, depending on your usage. Lastly, this model is a little hard to find at this time. It's worth looking around, though, as you're getting a lot for the price.
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Best Budget Lenovo Laptop
School7.5Gaming4.3Multimedia7.1Workstation4.4Business6.9If you want something that can get the job done while spending as little as possible, a Chromebook is your best bet. We recommend the Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020), the best Lenovo laptop we've tested in the budget category. This 15-inch 2-in-1 convertible has a sturdy build, a thin and light design, and all-day battery life. You can configure it with an Intel Core i3 or Pentium Gold CPU, both of which are fast enough to provide a smooth experience on Chrome OS. You can only get a maximum of 4GB of memory, though, so you may experience occasional stutters if you run too many things simultaneously. The keyboard feels comfortable to type on for extended periods, and while the touchpad is on the smaller side, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. Its 1080p display looks decently sharp and provides enough room for multitasking, but it doesn't get very bright, meaning visibility may be an issue in well-lit settings.
If you plan on only using the device for media consumption, get the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 (2021) instead. It's also a 2-in-1 Chromebook but in the form of a tablet with a kickstand and removable keyboard. This design allows you to detach the keyboard to save space or make the device easier to hold as a tablet, and you can pop it back on when you need to type something out. The keyboard feels pretty cramped, so it's not the best for typing a long essay. The star feature that makes this device better for media consumption is its OLED screen. It produces rich, saturated colors and inky blacks and gets bright enough to combat glare in most indoor settings. The speakers sound tinny and unnatural, so you're better off using a pair of headphones.
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Best Lenovo Gaming Laptop
School6.5Gaming8.2Multimedia6.2Workstation8.6Business7.5The best Lenovo gaming laptop we've tested is the Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 6 15 (2021). It's a 15-inch model with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H or Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, and there are multiple GPU options, from an entry-level NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 to a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070. It has a sturdy build, a spacious keyboard with backlit keys, and plenty of ports, including an HDMI 2.1 and six USB ports. You can get up to 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage; just remember that the RAM and SSD are user-replaceable, so you can get a cheaper configuration first and upgrade it later on.
As for the display, you have a couple of options. We recommend getting the 165Hz 1080p or 1440p panel, as they will deliver the smoothest and most responsive gaming experience. You just need to ensure that you get a GPU powerful enough to take advantage of the high refresh rate, like an RTX 3060 or 3070. Unfortunately, this laptop is rather bulky, so it isn't very portable, and its battery lasts only an hour when gaming. It doesn't get very hot under load, but the fans get pretty loud.
Compared to other brands
- Wide selection of laptops. Lenovo has a large selection of laptops, from cheap Chromebooks to premium mobile workstations.
- Linux options. Lenovo is one of the few manufacturers that offer laptops with Linux (Ubuntu) installed.
- Online database. Lenovo has an online database where you can find detailed specifications for most of its laptops.
- Well-built budget models. Lenovo's budget models tend to have a sturdier build than its competitors.
- Model names can be confusing. Lenovo sometimes uses different names for the same product, which is confusing for consumers.
- Large number of configuration options can be overwhelming. Although the choice is good, the large number of available configurations for a single laptop can make the purchasing decision harder.
Lenovo vs Dell
Lenovo and Dell offer similar types of laptops. However, Lenovo is more competitive in the budget and mid-range tiers, while Dell focuses more on their premium brands like XPS and Alienware.
Lenovo vs Apple
Lenovo and Apple are very different laptop companies. Lenovo offers models in every price tier, while Apple only makes premium models. Also, Lenovo makes laptops for various operating systems like Windows, Chrome OS, and Linux, while Apple only makes laptops with macOS.
Like Dell, ASUS, Acer, and HP, Lenovo makes a wide variety of laptops. Although some of their high-end models are among the best you can find on the market, their mid-range and budget models tend to stand out more, as they typically have a sturdier build and offer a better overall user experience than the competition. However, shopping for a Lenovo laptop is sometimes hard as they tend to use different names to refer to the same product or have a large number of configuration options, some of which are only available in select regions.
Lineup
Although some Lenovo laptop brands are clearly defined, like ThinkPad and Legion, the company tends to use names to denote a particular feature or price tier. Lenovo also sometimes uses different names to refer to the same product, making it confusing for customers. For example, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is also referred to as the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet. Below are some of Lenovo's laptop brands:
- ThinkPad: High-end business-oriented laptops and mobile workstations.
- ThinkBook: General productivity laptops.
- Yoga: Mid-range and high-end 2-in-1 convertibles.
- Flex: Budget 2-in1 convertibles.
- Slim: A slimmer version of an existing model, like Lenovo Legion Slim 7i.
- IdeaPad: Mid-range and budget models.
- Legion: Mid-range and high-end gaming laptops.
Lenovo tends to make laptops with multiple configuration options. While choice is good, it's sometimes hard to know exactly which features are present in a particular SKU. If you need more information on a Lenovo laptop, you can find it through Lenovo's online database.
Recent Updates
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Mar 31, 2023: Removed the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (2021) because it's discontinued and hard to find. Added the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2021) as the 'Best Upper Mid-Range' pick and the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 (2022) as the 'Best Mid-Range' pick.
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Jan 30, 2023: Minor text changes to improve clarity. No change in recommendations.
Conclusion
Lenovo makes a large number of laptops every year, so whether you're looking for something for school, work, gaming, or media consumption, you can find something that suits your needs and budget. Their laptops are often among the best value models, as they offer a good user experience while remaining affordable. However, finding the right model is sometimes hard, as Lenovo isn't always consistent in their laptop naming scheme.