Lenovo currently holds the top spot in our roundup of the overall best Windows laptops with its awesome Yoga 9i 14 (Gen 7), but there are many, many other laptops to choose from that cover a wide variety of users. ThinkPad and ThinkBook laptops are legendary in the business world, Yoga laptops are some of the best convertibles out there, Legion laptops handle high-end gaming, and IdeaPad laptops won't break the bank while still offering a great user experience.
Let's take a closer look at each major brand to help you decide which Lenovo laptop is the best fit for your needs.
ThinkPad and ThinkBook — Business supremacy
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Perhaps the most iconic Lenovo laptops come from its Think lineup, which includes ThinkPad and ThinkBook.
ThinkPad is what many people think of first when they think "business laptop." It's a legendary brand that has proven itself time and again as one of the most durable and secure offerings. ThinkPad laptops are best suited for enterprises, small businesses, or simply anyone who appreciates extra security features, durability testing, and fine craftsmanship.
ThinkPad laptops include the iconic TrackPoint system, with red pointing nub in the middle of the keyboard and physical mouse buttons above the touchpad. Many also have the black soft-touch paint, though we've seen some go with different colors (often silver).
ThinkPad laptops are broken up into eight different categories. The X1 series is the top-of-the-line offering, which includes the X1 Carbon and X1 Yoga. The P series includes workstations with ISV certifications and specialized performance hardware, the T series is the legendary workhorse, the X series is compact and powerful, and the E series is super affordable and secure. There's also the budget L series, C series Chromebooks, and 11e series laptops for educational purposes.
If you want one of the best business laptops on the planet, you'll want to stick with the ThinkPad family.
ThinkPad laptops are generally on the expensive side of things, which is why many people turn to Lenovo's ThinkBook siblings. ThinkBook laptops traditionally have a more standard look, with silver finish and convertible or notebook form factors. Lenovo positions these laptops as better suited for small or medium businesses, with extra durability, solid performance, and a modern look.
You generally won't get quite as many high-end features as you'll find in ThinkPads, but for many people that's all right. Especially when they can save some money and still get a worthwhile business partner. The ThinkBook 13x and the ThinkBook 13s are both standouts from this lineup.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon sits at the top of the ThinkPad family. If you want the best, this is it.
Yoga — Versatile convertible PCs
Lenovo positions its convertible Yoga laptops as a high-end consumer alternative for those who don't need the extra business accoutrements you find in ThinkPad and ThinkBook. These laptops are extremely versatile thanks to their ability to rotate around 360 degrees for tent, stand, and tablet modes.
The high-end Yoga 9i 14 (Gen 7) is currently our favorite laptop thanks to modern 12th Gen Intel Core CPUs, soundbar hinge with awesome audio, flawless design, and outstanding touch display with inking. You can also get the 9i in a 15-inch size with an optional discrete GPU for added performance. There are plenty of other options if you don't want to pay the premium 9i price.
The Yoga 7i, available in 16-, 15-, and 14-inch sizes, is a more affordable alternative to the Yoga 9i. The 7i laptops don't have the same soundbar hinge or quite as many premium features, but they're still designed with close attention to detail and have a fair share of attractive features, including high-res displays and inking.
The 13-inch Yoga 6, available with AMD performance hardware, rounds things out. It's the most affordable Yoga laptop on the market, and its small size makes it great for those on the go. Despite its relatively cheap starting price (around $600), it's still packed with plenty of high-end features.
Lenovo's Yoga 9i 14 (Gen 7) is currently our pick for the best Windows laptop you can buy. If you don't want to spend as much, there are a bunch of other great Yoga laptops from which to choose.
Legion — Gaming power
ThinkPads and Yogas are great laptops, but they don't have the right hardware or design to be a dedicated gaming laptop. That's where Lenovo's Legion series steps in. Legion laptops are sorted into "5 Series" and "7 Series" designations based on their overall performance, features, and price.
The best of the best comes from the 7 Series, which includes the Legion 7 (AMD) and Legion 7i (Intel), and Legion Slim 7 and 7i. You can get these laptops in 15- and 16-inch sizes depending on how much screen real estate you want and how much hardware you want to pack inside. Slim versions are just that: lighter gaming laptops that are much easier to take along with you.
I most recently reviewed the Lenovo Legion 7i 16 (Gen 6), coming away quite impressed with the audio quality, gorgeous display with high-end specs, good keyboard and touchpad, and the high level of performance and system stability.
These laptops generally have huge batteries, more aggressive styling, tons of ports, modern processors from AMD or Intel, and the latest laptop-class discrete graphics to power AAA games. Displays have high refresh rates and great color, there's often RGB lighting baked right in, and the pricing is competitive with other brands.
If you're buying a Lenovo laptop to be used primarily for gaming, Legion is your best bet. There are also more affordable IdeaPad gaming laptops, which I cover in the next section.
Need the best from Lenovo for dedicated gaming performance and features? The Legion lineup, including the Legion 7i 16 (Gen 6), is where you want to look.
IdeaPad — Cost-effective computing
Lenovo's IdeaPad lineup encompasses everything from truly affordable laptops (like the 15-inch IdeaPad 3 pictured above) all the way up to fairly premium Intel Evo-certified Ultrabooks. The lineup includes convertible PCs, notebook PCs, and even gaming PCs, with a generous range in prices for each series.
IdeaPad 1 Series laptops are truly affordable, with prices starting around $150. These laptops aren't going to wow you when it comes to features and build quality, but they'll still be great for productivity work like email and word processing. The IdeaPad Flex Series is all about offering affordable convertible and 2-in-1 PCs, while the IdeaPad 3 Series steps things up a bit with more features, better performance, and prices starting around $340.
IdeaPad 5, 7, and 9 Series laptops are still affordable, but they begin to offer features and performance much closer to the other, more premium Lenovo laptops. And don't forget about the IdeaPad Gaming Series; it's made for those who don't want to shell out the big bucks on Legion but who still want modern gaming performance (if with fewer premium features).
If you're looking to keep your new laptop purchase within a certain budget range, Lenovo's IdeaPad laptops are a great place to start.
Lenovo's new IdeaPad Flex 5 14 with AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs is an affordable convertible PC that's built well and comes with plenty of attractive features.
All the best Lenovo laptops in one place
As you've seen, Lenovo has a lot of laptops to browse. There is a lot of fluctuation when it comes to price and performance even within each brand, and you might still be wondering which laptop to choose even if you've selected one series of PCs. For more buying information, be sure to check out our roundup of the best Lenovo laptops.
