The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020) is a very well-built Chrome OS convertible with a 360-degree hinge. It's very lightweight and compact, so you can easily bring it around to do work on the go. The keyboard feels good to type on, with a good amount of travel, and it doesn't cause fatigue. Its 1080p screen displays crisp images and text, but sadly, it doesn't get bright enough to overcome reflections and looks washed out due to its narrow color gamut. Unfortunately, its speakers get loud but don't sound very good, the webcam loses out on fine details, and the microphone is staticky and records hollow-sounding speech. The port selection is sub-par, with no option to output to an external monitor, while the battery doesn't last long enough to get through a full workday. It's only available with power-efficient Intel CPUs, which perform fine for light productivity tasks and video playback but stutter if you have lots of browser tabs open. Neither CPU option is suited for heavy workloads like physics simulations and 3D renders.
We tested the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 with an Intel Celeron 5205U CPU, integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage. There are variants with an intel Core i3-10110U CPU, which are better for medium multitasking and won't lag as much as the Celeron 5205U variants. Models equipped with the 128GB NVMe SSD will run smoother overall.
Our Verdict
The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is alright for school use. It's lightweight and portable enough to easily stow in a small bag, and since it's sturdy, you don't need to worry about it getting jostled around. It has a good keyboard that feels nice to type on and doesn't cause fatigue over long periods, and the battery lasts a little over seven hours of light productivity. Unfortunately, the touchpad's tracking is only alright, and the webcam and microphone don't provide the best quality for online classes. Additionally, the screen doesn't get very bright, so you can't use the laptop to work outdoors in broad daylight.
- Great build quality, with no flex when closed.
- Lightweight and portable enough to stow in a small bag.
- Battery lasts a little over seven hours of light productivity.
- Keyboard feels good to type on, and doesn't cause fatigue.
- Webcam is only alright, losing out on fine details.
- Static in microphone, and voices sound thin.
- Screen doesn't get very bright.
- Touchpad tracking quality is only okay overall.
The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 performs poorly for gaming. Since it's a Chrome OS device, it can't run DirectX games like Destiny 2 or Apex Legends. It's best suited for playing Google Play Store games and Linux games, but since there aren't any variants with a dedicated GPU, it can't run graphically demanding games smoothly. Also, the screen maxes out at 60Hz, and there's no VRR support, but this is typical of most Chromebooks. On the bright side, it remains quiet and doesn't get too hot under load.
- Stays quiet and relatively cool under load.
- Badly performing Intel Celeron CPU.
- Can't run DirectX games.
- No VRR support.
- No replaceable parts.
The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is an unremarkable laptop for watching media. Its glossy screen doesn't get bright enough to overcome direct reflections, and it looks washed out, making content look dull. Additionally, the battery can't make it through two feature-length films before it needs to be plugged in. Although the speakers get decently loud, they still sound disappointing overall. On the bright side, you can flip the screen all the way around to use the laptop in tablet mode, and it's easy to carry around since it's very lightweight.
- Sharp 1080p display.
- Screen supports touch input.
- Lightweight and easy to carry around.
- Can be converted to tablet mode.
- Screen doesn't get very bright.
- Narrow color gamut makes screen look washed out.
- Speakers don't sound very good.
- Battery doesn't get through two feature-length films.
The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 performs terribly as a workstation. The port selection is disappointing, with no option to output to an external monitor, and you'll likely need to use a dongle or hub for multiple wired peripherals. Neither the Intel Celeron nor the Core i3 models are well suited for demanding workloads like 3D modeling or physics simulations, and the eMMC drive in our unit is awfully slow. However, you can get it with a significantly faster SSD that will boot the laptop, launch apps, and transfer files very quickly. If you decide to use it for workstation tasks, it fortunately doesn't get hot or loud under load.
- Stays quiet and relatively cool under load.
- Can be equipped with a significantly faster SSD.
- Badly performing Intel Celeron CPU.
- Incompatible with x86 applications.
- No replaceable parts.
- Sub-par port selection.
The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is a mediocre business laptop. Its battery doesn't last a full workday, so you need to bring along its USB-C power adapter. Its port selection is sub-par, with no support for video output, and you'll likely need to use a dongle or USB hub for multiple wired peripherals. Also, the webcam and microphone are only okay, meaning you won't look or sound your best during business meetings. On the bright side, it's easy to bring around in a small laptop bag since it's lightweight and compact, and its build quality is great. The keyboard feels good to type on and doesn't cause fatigue over long periods. Although the Intel Celeron variants are fine for light productivity tasks, you'll get a smoother experience with the Core i3 models if you need to multitask often.
- Great build quality, with no flex when closed.
- Keyboard feels good to type on, and doesn't cause fatigue.
- Can be equipped with a significantly faster SSD.
- Fan is very quiet even under load.
- Webcam is only alright, losing out on fine details.
- Static in microphone, and voices sound thin.
- Sub-par port selection.
- No serviceable parts.
Changelog
- Updated Oct 27, 2023: Added mention of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023) as an alternative with longer battery life in the Battery section.
- Updated Dec 08, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Dec 02, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Nov 17, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13 with a 13.3" display, an Intel Celeron 5205U, integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620, 4GB RAM, and 32GB of storage in the Graphite Gray color scheme. Only the CPU, RAM, and storage are configurable. It's also known as the IdeaPad Flex 5 CB at some retailers as it's closely related to the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 (2020). There are newer variants that use a different color scheme and newer 11th Gen Intel processors, but we consider those as entirely different models. To avoid confusion, our review is only applicable to variants with a model number starting with "82B8".
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Our display and performance results are only valid for the configuration we tested. If you come across a different configuration not listed above, or you have a similar Chromebook Flex 5 that doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update it. Some tests, like black uniformity and color accuracy, may vary between units.
You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2020) and the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020) are both Chrome OS convertibles with 360-degree hinges that you can use in tablet mode, but the Acer is the much better laptop overall. The Acer has a much sharper, brighter, more color-accurate display, much better-sounding speakers, and a backlit keyboard. Also, the Acer's battery lasts significantly longer, it can output to an external display, and you can get it with much faster CPUs, more RAM, and a larger SSD. On the other hand, it's easier to take the Lenovo around with you since it's lighter and more compact.
The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020) and the HP Chromebook x360 12 (2021) are Chrome OS convertibles with 360-degree hinges that you can use in tablet mode. The Lenovo is better for school and business use, with much better build quality, a sharper, more color-accurate 16:9 screen, and a much better keyboard. Also, you can equip the Lenovo with a faster Intel Core i3 processor and NVMe SSD. On the other hand, the HP's taller 3:2 screen gives you more vertical screen space, so you don't have to scroll as much, and its speakers sound significantly better. Also, the HP can output to an external monitor, making it a better choice if you need more screen real estate.
The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020) and the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (2021) are 2-in-1 devices with 360-degree hinges that run Chrome OS. The Acer is better for school and multimedia use, with a much lighter frame and a significantly longer-lasting battery. Also, its speakers sound much better, it doesn't get nearly as hot, and it stays completely silent under load. On the other hand, the Lenovo is better for business use, as it has an extra USB-C port, a sharper screen, and a much better-quality webcam and microphone. Also, you can get it with a much faster and more responsive Intel Core i3 CPU, but sadly, it can't output to an external display.
The HP ENVY x360 13 (2020) and the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020) are both 2-in-1 devices with 360-degree hinges, but the HP runs Windows, while the Lenovo runs Chrome OS. The HP is a much better laptop overall, as its screen gets exceptionally bright, its keyboard is backlit, the touchpad tracks and recognizes gestures better, and the battery lasts significantly longer. Also, it's much more compact but has a significantly better port selection, including Thunderbolt 4, and you can get it with a variety of Intel and AMD CPUs, more RAM, and faster, larger SSDs. On the other hand, the Lenovo has a much better-quality webcam and microphone that's better for online classes and video conferences, but sadly, it can't output to an external display.
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