The Best Lenovo Laptops for 2024


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It’s been more than 15 years since IBM stopped making ThinkPad laptops, yet you’re still likely to see them in the halls of industry, virtual or actual. That’s thanks to Lenovo.The company formerly known as Legend Computers of Beijing, China still produces the well-regarded laptop line, with its beloved AccuType keyboard. Indeed, a big part of the ThinkPad’s longevity is those rugged, inimitable keyboards. But Lenovo machines nowadays range well beyond the classic black ThinkPad slabs. (For one thing, you can get some of them in silver.)Rather, year after year, Lenovo continues to innovate with radical designs. For instance, the 2-in-1 Yoga laptop family influenced other major PC manufacturers—like Dell, HP, and Acer—to adopt its basic mechanism in their own 2-in-1 convertible laptop designs. Lenovo’s high-concept devices also include the first foldable-screen PC, a ThinkPad. Here, we’ve gathered our top picks for the best Lenovo laptops for 2024, followed by some additional buying advice for navigating Lenovo’s line.

Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. See how we test.

Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8
Best Lenovo Laptop for Most People

Bottom Line:
Lenovo’s Yoga 9i Gen 8 delivers leading performance and a combination of features and design that makes it the premium 2-in-1 laptop to buy.

PROS

Excellent performance from new Intel “Raptor Lake” silicon

Superb OLED touch screen with pen support

Fantastic sound with sophisticated design

Pen and carrying case included

All-metal design looks sharp, feels even better

CONS

Battery life is decent, but not long

Extra function keys aren’t customizable

SPECS

Name
Value

Laptop Class

Convertible 2-in-1

Processor

Intel Core i7-1360P

Processor Speed

RAM (as Tested)

16 GB

Boot Drive Type

SSD

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)

512 GB

Screen Size

14 inches

Native Display Resolution

2880 by 1800

Touch Screen

Panel Technology

OLED

Variable Refresh Support

None

Screen Refresh Rate

90 Hz

Graphics Processor

Intel Iris Xe Graphics

Graphics Memory

Wireless Networking

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1

Dimensions (HWD)

0.6 by 12.5 by 9.1 inches

Weight

3.09 lbs

Operating System

Windows 11 Home

Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)

14:05

Learn More
Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8 Review

Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8
Best Lenovo Gaming Laptop for Most People

Bottom Line:
With the Legion Slim 5 Gen 8, Lenovo shrunk its mainstream gaming laptop while maximizing performance. It’s also aggressively priced, making its souped-up GPU and ace display that much more appealing.

PROS

High-TDP GPU

Well-cooled for its thickness

Sharp and fast display

Excellent keyboard layout

Sturdy build

Cheaper than a lot of competitors

CONS

No USB4 or Thunderbolt 4

Still fairly long front to back

SPECS

Name
Value

Laptop Class

Gaming

Processor

AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS

Processor Speed

3.8 GHz

RAM (as Tested)

16 GB

Boot Drive Type

SSD

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)

512 GB

Screen Size

16 inches

Native Display Resolution

2560 by 1600

Touch Screen

Panel Technology

IPS

Variable Refresh Support

G-Sync

Screen Refresh Rate

165 Hz

Graphics Processor

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

Graphics Memory

8 GB

Wireless Networking

802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.1

Dimensions (HWD)

0.92 by 14.16 by 10.25 inches

Weight

5.17 lbs

Operating System

Windows 11 Home

Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)

6:20

Learn More
Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 Review

Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus
Best Lenovo Chromebook for Most People

Bottom Line:
Lenovo’s Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an affordable 2-in-1 that showcases the Chromebook Plus generation with speedy performance and flashy features at a reasonable price.

PROS

Sturdy 2-in-1 design mixes durability, flexibility

Above-average ChromeOS performance

Crisp display with touch and pen support

Backlit keyboard

Decent variety of ports

CONS

Budget-feeling plastic construction

Merely average battery life

Stylus pen not included

SPECS

Name
Value

Laptop Class

Chromebook, Convertible 2-in-1, Budget

Processor

Intel Core i3-1315U

Processor Speed

RAM (as Tested)

8 GB

Boot Drive Type

SSD

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)

128 GB

Screen Size

14 inches

Native Display Resolution

1920 by 1200

Touch Screen

Panel Technology

IPS

Variable Refresh Support

None

Screen Refresh Rate

60 Hz

Graphics Processor

Intel UHD Graphics

Graphics Memory

Wireless Networking

Wi-Fi 6E

Dimensions (HWD)

0.72 by 9 by 12.4 inches

Weight

3.52 lbs

Operating System

Chrome OS

Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)

11:43

Learn More
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus Review

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 (2023)
Best Budget Lenovo Laptop

Bottom Line:
Lenovo’s IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 provides enough performance and build quality to deliver strong value for shoppers seeking a budget convertible.

PROS

Strong application performance

Right-size screen for 2-in-1 versatility

Crisp, accurate 1080p webcam

Varied and useful port selection

Long runtime

CONS

No CPU or screen upgrades

Display’s color coverage is lacking

Gray keys clash with deep blue chassis

SPECS

Name
Value

Laptop Class

Convertible 2-in-1

Processor

Intel Core i5-1335U

Processor Speed

1.3 GHz

RAM (as Tested)

16 GB

Boot Drive Type

Hard Drive

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)

512 GB

Screen Size

14 inches

Native Display Resolution

1920 by 1200

Touch Screen

Panel Technology

IPS

Variable Refresh Support

None

Screen Refresh Rate

60 Hz

Graphics Processor

Intel Iris Xe

Graphics Memory

Wireless Networking

802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.2

Dimensions (HWD)

0.78 by 12.3 by 8.9 inches

Weight

3.5 lbs

Operating System

Windows 11 Home

Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)

13:32

Learn More
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 (2023) Review

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14
Best Extreme-Budget Lenovo Laptop

Bottom Line:
Lenovo’s IdeaPad 1 14 proves that you can have a decent, and even enjoyable, Windows 10 experience on an under-$300 laptop, as long as you don’t need USB-C ports and can make do with a basic processor.

PROS

Crisp 1080p display

Comfortable keyboard

HDMI port

Multiple color options

Lightweight

Long battery life and snappy storage

CONS

No USB-C ports

Dim 220-nit screen backlight

Uses relatively slow AMD Athlon Silver processor

SPECS

Name
Value

Laptop Class

Budget

Processor

AMD Athlon SIlver 3050e

Processor Speed

1.4 GHz

RAM (as Tested)

4 GB

Boot Drive Type

SSD

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)

128 GB

Screen Size

14 inches

Native Display Resolution

1920 by 1080

Touch Screen

Panel Technology

TN

Variable Refresh Support

None

Screen Refresh Rate

60 Hz

Graphics Processor

AMD Radeon Graphics

Graphics Memory

Wireless Networking

802.11ac, Bluetooth

Dimensions (HWD)

0.78 by 12.88 by 9.25 inches

Weight

3.09 lbs

Operating System

Windows 10 S

Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)

12:01

Learn More
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14 Review

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook
Best Lenovo Detachable 2-in-1 Chromebook

Bottom Line:
Shedding the stigma of small, cheap Chromebooks, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 is a compact 2-in-1 detachable Chromebook that offers both laptop and tablet functions, though its battery life is disappointing.

PROS

Compact, totable design

Keyboard cover offers good typing feel

Handy kickstand

Great flexibility for Chrome and Android apps

Solid performance from Qualcomm CPU

CONS

No headphone jack

Pen sold separately

Short battery life

SPECS

Name
Value

Laptop Class

Chromebook, Detachable 2-in-1, Budget

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2

Processor Speed

2.55 GHz

RAM (as Tested)

4 GB

Boot Drive Type

eMMC Flash Memory

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)

64 GB

Screen Size

10.95 inches

Native Display Resolution

2000 by 1200

Touch Screen

Panel Technology

IPS

Variable Refresh Support

None

Screen Refresh Rate

60 Hz

Graphics Processor

Qualcomm Adreno GPU

Graphics Memory

Wireless Networking

802.11ac, Bluetooth

Dimensions (HWD)

0.31 by 10.2 by 6.5 inches

Weight

2.09 lbs

Operating System

Chrome OS

Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)

6:01

Learn More
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook Review

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1
Best Lenovo Mobile Workstation

Bottom Line:
Its price will scare off all but the most demanding design and engineering professionals, but—on sheer muscle and usability—Lenovo’s ThinkPad P16 is a tough mobile workstation to top.

PROS

Blazing fast performance

Gorgeous high-resolution screen

World-class keyboard

Impeccable build quality

CONS

Bulky and heavy

No Ethernet port

Quite expensive

SPECS

Name
Value

Laptop Class

Workstation, Business, Desktop Replacement

Processor

Intel Core i9-12950HX

Processor Speed

RAM (as Tested)

64 GB

Boot Drive Type

SSD

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)

2 TB

Screen Size

16 inches

Native Display Resolution

3840 by 2400

Touch Screen

Panel Technology

IPS

Variable Refresh Support

None

Screen Refresh Rate

60 Hz

Graphics Processor

Nvidia RTX A5500

Graphics Memory

16 GB

Wireless Networking

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth

Dimensions (HWD)

1.2 by 14.3 by 10.5 inches

Weight

6.4 lbs

Operating System

Windows 11 Pro

Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)

7:44

Learn More
Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 Review

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12
Best Lenovo Business Laptop for Executives

Bottom Line:
You’ll still find no finer business ultraportable than Lenovo’s 12th-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon, but the latest model suffers from terminal sticker shock for simply decent performance.

PROS

Elegant and light design

Fabulous keyboard

Sharp, vivid OLED screen

USB-A, HDMI, and USB-C ports

CONS

Sky-high price

Decent but not class-leading performance and battery life

No SD or microSD card slot

SPECS

Name
Value

Laptop Class

Business, Ultraportable

Processor

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H

Processor Speed

RAM (as Tested)

32 GB

Boot Drive Type

SSD

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)

1 TB

Screen Size

14 inches

Native Display Resolution

2880 by 1800

Touch Screen

Panel Technology

OLED

Variable Refresh Support

Manual

Screen Refresh Rate

120 Hz

Graphics Processor

Intel Arc Graphics

Graphics Memory

Wireless Networking

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth

Dimensions (HWD)

0.59 by 12.3 by 8.5 inches

Weight

2.47 lbs

Operating System

Windows 11 Home

Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)

13:51

Learn More
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 Review

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5
Best Lenovo Small-Business Laptop

Bottom Line:
Lenovo’s 14-inch ThinkPad E-series is an impressive productivity laptop for the money, with long battery life, a lengthy warranty, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

PROS

Reasonably priced

Long battery life

Gold standard ThinkPad keyboard

Thunderbolt 4 uncommon for the price

Just $50 for touch-screen upgrade

Three-year warranty as tested

CONS

Middling performance, even with Core i7

Screen needs more color

Tinny speakers

SPECS

Name
Value

Laptop Class

Business

Processor

Intel Core i7-1355U

Processor Speed

RAM (as Tested)

16 GB

Boot Drive Type

SSD

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)

512 GB

Screen Size

14 inches

Native Display Resolution

1920 by 1200

Touch Screen

Panel Technology

IPS

Variable Refresh Support

None

Screen Refresh Rate

60 Hz

Graphics Processor

Intel Iris Xe Graphics

Graphics Memory

Wireless Networking

802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.2

Dimensions (HWD)

0.7 by 12.3 by 8.6 inches

Weight

3.11 lbs

Operating System

Windows 11 Pro

Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)

11:53

Learn More
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 Review

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 4
Best Lenovo Business Laptop for Fleets

Bottom Line:
It’s no longer thinner and lighter than the T14, but Lenovo’s ThinkPad T14s is a superb business ultraportable with the brand’s trademark build quality, keyboard, and connectivity.

PROS

Exemplary build quality

World-class keyboard

Long battery life

Ample ports

Lots of configuration options including mobile broadband

CONS

No SD or microSD card slot

IPS screen is just okay compared with OLED

SPECS

Name
Value

Laptop Class

Business, Ultraportable

Processor

Intel Core i7-1365U

Processor Speed

RAM (as Tested)

16 GB

Boot Drive Type

SSD

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)

512 GB

Screen Size

14 inches

Native Display Resolution

1920 by 1200

Touch Screen

Panel Technology

IPS

Variable Refresh Support

None

Screen Refresh Rate

60 Hz

Graphics Processor

Intel Iris Xe Graphics

Graphics Memory

Wireless Networking

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth

Dimensions (HWD)

0.66 by 12.5 by 8.9 inches

Weight

2.69 lbs

Operating System

Windows 11 Pro

Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)

17:27

Learn More
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 4 Review

Buying Guide: The Best Lenovo Laptops for 2024
Which Series of Lenovo Laptops Is Best?Because Lenovo makes every one of its laptops with a specific set of customers in mind, we can’t point you to one line of Lenovo laptops as the absolute “best” for every situation. With that in mind, we’ve listed and covered each of Lenovo’s laptop series below to help you decide which type of Lenovo laptop is best for you. Lenovo’s conventional laptops include ThinkPads (business laptops), ThinkBooks (higher power work machines), and IdeaPads (general-use laptops). Gaming machines fall under Lenovo’s Legion (high-end) and LOQ (budget) lines, while 2-in-1 hybrids come in Yoga (premium) and Flex (budget) varieties. First, let’s look at the laptops that started it all: the ThinkPads.Professional Classics: ThinkPads and ThinkBooksThinkPads are Lenovo’s classically styled, business-oriented laptops, with a wide range of configurable features: touch screens, cellular connectivity, biometric login hardware, and docking options. Their primary commonality? They almost always come colored in Lenovo’s classic matte black.These machines tend to provide more in the way of IT-friendly features for monitoring, management and business-oriented wired and wireless connectivity. To help position certain models within the larger laptop market, Lenovo divides its ThinkPads into a host of sub-classes indicated by a letter. These include the ultraportable ThinkPad X and top-of-the-line X1 lines, the entry-level ThinkPad L family, and the ThinkPad P mobile workstations. The 14-inch X1 Carbon is the company’s executive flagship, joined by the 13-inch X1 Nano, which is the lightest ThinkPad at 2.13 pounds.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The bread-and-butter ThinkPads, though, are the T series, widely deployed business laptops that deliver a decent balance of cost, durability, and feature set, along with the famous ThinkPad keyboard. Current T-series models include 14- and 16-inch notebooks, which have replaced the 13- and- 15-inch models of old, and they often feature an “s” suffix after their model numbers to indicate a slimmer and lighter system.Beyond L, P, T, and X, Lenovo has also pushed two other, newer lines: E and Z. The E series is more of a hodgepodge than most, resolutely budget-minded, with CPUs from both Intel and AMD and models in both 14- and 16-inch screen sizes, which have replaced the traditional 13- and- 15-inch sizes. The newest ThinkPad expansion, the Z line, emphasizes aesthetics and sustainability and employs AMD Ryzen processors. You can still find 13-inch screens within the Z series in addition to a more contemporary 16-inch size.You’ll need a quick decoder to ThinkPad model numbers, whose logic changes every few years according to the moods of Lenovo’s marketing brain trust. Current models carry a letter such as E, T, or X plus two digits marking the screen size. So a ThinkPad E15 is a budget-minded model with a 15.6-inch screen, while the ThinkPad T14 is the classic business fleet machine with a 14-inch panel. The premium ThinkPad X1 models don’t indicate a screen size in their model names, since most of them are 14 inches. Meanwhile, Lenovo ThinkBooks are a distinct line from ThinkPads. They serve small and medium business (SMB) customers and also lean toward the value end of the spectrum. (See our picks for the best business laptops overall.) Like most, the ThinkBook line has consolidated down to 14- and 16-inch screen sizes, but even further down to solely normal-thickness variants—no more “s” models here. ThinkBooks simply use two digits in their names for the screen size.The IdeaPad Line: Consumer ClamshellsLenovo IdeaPads, on the other hand, are aimed mainly at consumers, though design-forward business users and entrepreneurs may gravitate toward using an IdeaPad as a primary PC. You’ll find some preloaded apps on many IdeaPad systems, particularly those bought from big-box stores.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Current IdeaPad models range from the extreme-budget IdeaPad 1 series to the IdeaPad 3 and IdeaPad 5 at the high end of this midrange lineup. The higher the number, the more premium the laptop. An “i” in the model name denotes an Intel processor, while some models have “Gaming,” “Slim,” or “Pro added to their names to denote their intended uses. Screen size isn’t specified; for example, you can find IdeaPad 5 models with both 14- and 16-inch displays, Lenovo having also dropped the 15.6-inch screen size. Lenovo also sells a host of IdeaPad Chromebooks, which are popular choices for buyers on a budget. Google’s ChromeOS is simple to manage and use since it centers on the Chrome Web browser and related apps. Lenovo’s Chromebook lineup includes inexpensive IdeaPad consumer models, as well as more rugged ThinkPad-branded Chromebooks for businesses and schools. Most recently, Lenovo joined the Chromebook Plus program that Google launched to elevate budget Chromebook laptops with better specs and features as a baseline. (See our picks for the best Chromebooks.)Yoga and Flex: Lenovo’s HybridsUnder the larger ThinkPad and IdeaPad umbrellas fall most of Lenovo’s wide range of touch-screen hybrids, which can function as both laptops and tablets: the Yoga and Flex laptops. Introduced in 2012, the first Yoga pioneered the 2-in-1 convertible-laptop concept. Yoga laptops’ 360-degree screen hinges let you flip and fold the system into four positions: a conventional laptop mode, an easel-like stand mode for presentations, an A-frame or tent mode for viewing videos or using touch apps on an airline tray table, and a tablet mode for reading or for scribbling and sketching with a stylus.In addition to high-end consumer systems called simply Lenovo Yogas, you’ll find ThinkPad Yogas and ThinkBook Yogas that target a business audience. They follow the naming and numbering schemes for the lines they fit into, such as the ThinkPad X1 series.

(Credit: Molly Flores)

The Flex models, meanwhile, are broadly similar but tend to be cheaper than Yogas. At various times, the Flexes have been their own brand, though at this writing they’re marketed under the IdeaPad banner. The latest Yogas and Flexes generally follow the single-digit naming scheme of the IdeaPads, though you’ll find occasional exceptions, like the Yoga 6.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

With these machines, the screen stays attached to the keyboard, meaning they’re 2-in-1 convertibles as opposed to detachables—Windows tablets with removable keyboards akin to Microsoft’s Surface Pro slates. Lenovo also sells a ThinkPad X12 Detachable tablet, a business device with one of the best detachable keyboards on the market. The other prominent detachable 2-in-1s we’ve seen of late from Lenovo are the company’s consumer-oriented Chromebook Duet tablets.Legion and LOQ: Meet Lenovo’s Gaming BrigadeFinally, to keep up with the growing popularity of PC gaming, Lenovo launched an all-new laptop line, the Legion family, in 2017. It did this to differentiate its gaming systems from the main IdeaPad line, where the gaming rigs were until then known as “IdeaPad Y”-family models. The Legion brand includes both gaming laptops and desktops. (Note: Some IdeaPad Gaming models continue to be offered for players on tight budgets.)

(Credit: Molly Flores)

Current models bear single digits (a “5,” a “7,” or a “9”) that indicate a range from mainstream to flagship gaming, respectively. Legions with an “i” suffix use Intel Core processors, while others rely on AMD Ryzen CPU power. The Legion family’s pricing, given the models’ specs and feature sets, has been attractive. Today, you’ll see Legion laptops in the more modern 14- and 16-inch screen sizes and in a mix of distinctive designs, with more features specifically aimed at a gaming audience than the IdeaPad Gaming models offer.Last year, Lenovo also began to sell a revamped budget line of gaming laptops known as LOQ, most of which contain entry-level graphics and processing hardware focused on fast and responsive 1080p play. They’re one of the more attractive lines of budget gaming laptops, but it will take another update generation or two to see whether LOQ can rise to the top.Which Lenovo Laptop Is Most Durable?According to Lenovo’s website, “ThinkPad products are currently tested for 12 total methods and 20 procedures” under the US Department of Defense’s MIL-STD 810G standards. These include tolerance for mechanical shock, humidity, sand, dust, and even fungus, among other hazards and contaminants. Like most laptop brands, Lenovo doesn’t emphasize durability to the same degree in its general-use, budget, ultraportable, hybrid 2-in-1, and gaming laptop categories.However, Lenovo isn’t known for producing “true rugged” machines that can resist significant damage and weather exposure. Dell, Durabook, Getac, and Panasonic are players in that market. For those, check out our buying guide for the best rugged laptops.Which Lenovo Laptop Is Best for Students?While we often recommend students buy a MacBook Air for school, or a Dell XPS laptop if they’re set on Windows, Lenovo has comparable models in its Yoga and Slim series that would serve much of the same function. Currently, these are the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i.If you’re on a tighter budget, or your coursework doesn’t require such a well-equipped machine, Lenovo’s IdeaPad line would serve you better. This series serves up budget-to-midrange systems for basic workloads and entertainment needs.Finally, Lenovo’s ThinkPad and ThinkBook lines feature laptops with top-end processing hardware and even professional-grade parts for academic workloads in the areas of computer science, software engineering, and media editing, to name a few. (The high-end engineering stuff is best reserved for workstation models like the ThinkPad P line.)So, What Is the Best Lenovo Laptop to Buy?For more of our favorite machines (that is, the ones outside the Lenovo sphere), check out our favorite laptops overall, as well as our guides to the best cheap laptops and business laptops. But for our current, ever-evolving list of Lenovo favorites, scroll down for a detailed spec breakout of our picks up top.

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