The 8 Best Lenovo Laptops to Buy in 2018

Lenovo’s long been out of the shadow of IBM and their ThinkPad laptops have become a business staple for road warriors and travelers everywhere. Their beloved AccuType keyboard has helped set the bar for what a laptop keyboard experience should be and recent 2-in-1 laptop releases show that Lenovo’s ability to innovate is far from over. Lenovo’s quest to move beyond its position as a business favorite and into the consumer world is not without competition, but they’ve begun showing impressive computers and expectations continue to move in the direction that the company can rival powerhouses such as Dell and HP. Here’s a look at today's best Lenovo laptops.

With a 14-inch (1920 x 1080) IPS display, Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga laptop is the total package. It's a do-everything machine, thanks to its 2-in-1 convertible design, 11 hours of battery life and lightweight (2.8 pounds), durable build. The full-sized, backlit keyboard is spill resistant and it retracts into the body of the machine when not in use in 2-in-1 mode. Additionally, the X1 undergoes extreme condition testing to offer military specifications for durability, which provides peace of mind that the X1 Yoga can handle a little wear and tear on-the-go.

Striking a balance between performance, price, and portability, the Lenovo Ideapad 310 offers a wallet-friendly experience that’s good for all purposes. Powered by an Intel Core i5 2.5GHz processor, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, there’s also a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 display for plenty of screen real estate. The screen resolution isn’t going to knock you off your feet when viewing movies, but, for the price you’re paying, it’s more than acceptable. Beyond the display, you’ll find a slew of ports on the Ideapad 310 including USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, Ethernet and an SD card reader. If you do want to play a movie on the road, the inclusion of Dolby technology stereo speakers will provide a crisp audio experience to help you binge Netflix without headphones. Additionally, the inclusion of integrated AMD Radeon graphics will help offer some video and photo editing capabilities not typically found on budget-friendly computers.

Inexpensive, attractive and portable, Lenovo’s Ideapad 100S is an 11.6-inch model that offers modest performance, but does so with over nine hours of battery life. The 100S is powered by an Intel Atom 1.33GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB eMMC flash memory and 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 LED display. At 2.2 pounds, there are compromises to be had in a laptop this size running the full Windows 10 suite, a full-size keyboard and touchpad. There’s little reason to consider the 100S if photo or video editing is your bread and butter, but this is ideal for a kid’s first computer or a secondary computer for road warriors. That it comes with a free one-year subscription to Office 365 including Word, PowerPoint and Excel adds a little extra punch to the price.

Lenovo’s Flex 4 might not have the name recognition of its TouchPad or IdeaPad lineup, but there’s plenty to rave about with this 2-in-1. A more budget-friendly version of its power-hungry Yoga lineup, the Flex 4 shouldn’t be relegated to second fiddle: It’s powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Capable of four different types of uses, the Flex 4 lives up to its namesake with laptop, stand, tent and tablet modes and it can be switched effortlessly between the four types within seconds. The 1920 x 1080 Full HD display isn’t best-in-class, but it does help the keep the price down.

Weighing 3.81 pounds, the Flex 4 isn’t lightweight, but it feels thin and airy while in use. The audio experience is fantastic, thanks to Harmon Karmon technology powering video and audio playback with a crisp, clear sound that doesn’t require headphones. Business users will find something for them, too, with added security courtesy of a fingerprint reader, so you can instantly sign-in without a bothersome typed password. Additionally, the up to nine hours of battery life will help you power through the workday with just enough to spare for some light work at home before you power down for the evening.

Check out our other reviews of the best 2-in-1 laptop tablets available on the market today.

With a frame that’s just .7 inches thin and weight of just 3.42 pounds, the Lenovo Yoga 710 is another all-star Lenovo laptop that pairs a great keyboard and trackpad with excellent performance. To help power through a day of work or a day of play, the Y710 has a 7th generation Intel Dual-Core i5 2.5GHz processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and a 14-inch (1920 x 1080) IPS 10-point multi-touch display.

Additionally, this Lenovo Ultrabook doubles as a 2-in-1 featuring a 360-degree flip-and-fold design that offers four different types of use, including stand, tablet, laptop and tent mode. Add in a surprising number of ports in such a slim frame with 2 USB 3.0 ports, micro HDMI, SD card reader and Bluetooth for syncing with wirelessly compatible devices and the Y710 is a great get.

Lenovo knows how to do business laptops right. The company purchased IBM’s PC business in 2005 and following that, Lenovo focused most of its laptops on serving the needs of the business community. The Ideapad 510, a new addition to the Lenovo family, is a great successor to the ThinkPads of previous years.

The Ideapad 510 runs Windows 10 and has a 15.6-inch IPS display with 1920 x 1080 resolution. This configuration has 8GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1TB hard drive, a 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics card. This will ensure that all your business programs and more run smoothly. It’s admittedly a little heavy at 4.8 pounds, but this matches many business laptops.

As for ports, this unit has two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, audio jack, VGA, HDMI, LAN and a 4-in-1 card reader. This also reads CDs and supports Blu-ray playback, if you want to take break from all your business work to watch a movie.

Interested in reading more reviews? Take a look at our selection of the best business laptops.

With a battery that can get up to 18 hours under the best of conditions, the Lenovo ThinkPad T460 is worth more than quick look. Powered by an Intel Core i5 2.3GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive paired with a 14-inch (1366 x 768) display, the T460 is ready for action. The utilitarian design style is right in line with the rest of Lenovo’s ThinkPad lineup in that it’s not a computer you purchase for looks. Beyond aesthetics, the 3.8-pound machine is notably heavier than today’s Ultrabooks and jumps to 4.2 pounds with the high-capacity battery. For business users, the addition of the security fingerprint reader makes it suitable for both the office and on the road. Additionally, the spill-resistant keyboard follows suit with Lenovo’s excellent typing experience paired with an equally excellent responsive touchpad.

Lenovo’s not likely to be the first name you think of when it comes to gaming laptops, but the Y700 and its 15.6-inch Full HD display is ready to change your mind. Run by an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive and discrete NVIDIA graphics, it’s ready to take the gaming world by storm. At first glance, the Y700 hardly looks like a Lenovo laptop as the trademark keyboard and touchpad are replaced with a matte-black keyboard deck and excellent touchpad. Weighing 6.4 pounds, the Y700 follows the typical gaming laptop profile, which is to say it’s not terribly portable and is better suited to be in one place than constantly being transported around town.

The 15.6-inch LED IPS display features antiglare coating, 10-point multi-touch and Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. Gameplay is more than good enough if you keep your expectations away from the latest releases, which can tax the mid-range NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card. If it’s hardcore gaming you’re after, a mid-range gaming machine like the Y700 isn’t for you. Fortunately, there are plenty of games you can tackle with the Y700 for hours and hours of entertainment.

Read more reviews of the best gaming laptops available to purchase online.

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