The best Lenovo laptops for 2023: ThinkPad, Yoga, and more

Picking the best Lenovo laptop is difficult because whichever one you choose won’t be perfect for everyone. With brands as unique and beloved as ThinkPad and Yoga, you’ve got a lot of choices on your hands. Do you go with the one that has the best internal hardware, the nicest display, or the greatest portability? What about the best bang for your buck?

While it’s always a good idea to check out our list of the best laptops you can buy in general, these are the best options that Lenovo has for sale.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10

Lenovo’s all-around best laptop

Why you should buy this: It offers the best combination of build quality, performance, and size.

Who’s it for Anyone who wants a durable 14-inch laptop that gets the job done.

Why we chose the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10:

Lenovo continues to keep the Carbon line updated with the newest components, and this latest model is an excellent example of why. It’s a powerful 14-inch laptop that can keep up with your busy life while still saving on space with its thin, focused design. It’s incredibly well-built and maintains the ThinkPad black-on-black aesthetic through and through.

The current version of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 offers up to a 12-core CPU/16-thread Intel 12th-gen Core i7-1260, plus 8GB to 32GB of RAM and 256GB to 2TB of PCIe SSD storage. You can also upgrade the screen to a UHD+ model if you prefer better visuals. Wi-Fi 6E is supported, and this laptop includes the latest connections like Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports for the best wired speeds you can get. Lenovo has recently updated the laptop to its 11th generation model, and we’ll update this section once we’ve had a chance to check it out.

Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8

A sleek and comfortable convertible 2-in-1

Why you should buy this: It offers a standout design in a comfortable convertible 2-in-1.

Who’s it for: Anyone who wants a gorgeous 2-in-1 that feels good in the hand.

Why we chose the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8:

The Yoga 9i 14 Gen 8 is the flagship model in Lenovo’s convertible 2-in-1 lineup. The Yoga 9i Gen 8 maintained the complete makeover it received in its seventh generation, with rounded chrome edges that not only look great but feel great in tablet mode. The build quality is excellent, and the laptop exudes an elegance that no other Lenovo laptop we’ve tested can match.

What we liked most about the Yoga 9i was its excellent productivity performance thanks to 13th-gen Intel Core CPUs. We tested with the Core i7-1360P and the laptop blew through our standard benchmarks. Up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage can be configured, and there are two excellent 14-inch 16:10 OLED display options, including an optional 4K UHD+ (3840 x 2400) display and a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) option running at 90Hz.

Multimedia is also a strength thanks to the Rotating Sound Bar that surrounds the hinge and provides rich audio in every mode – clamshell, tent, media, or tablet. Our only complaint here was some distortion at maximum volume, but turning it down just a bit alleviated that concern.

Lenovo Slim 9i

A powerful laptop with an outstanding buiild

Why you should buy this: It offers a gorgeous display and plenty of power with a truly premium build.

Who’s it for: Anybody who wants a powerful laptop that exudes quality.

Why we chose the Lenovo Slim 9i:

It’s not an inexpensive laptop, but the Lenovo Slim 9i has a build quality and performance that makes it worth the investment. Its glass covering adds a dash of elegance to go with an attractive rounded chassis that feels incredibly solid.

It’s powered by Intel’s 12th-gen CPUs, up to the very fast Core i7-1280P, and it’s one of the fastest 28-watt 12th-gen laptops we’ve tested. It can be equipped with up to 32GB of RAM for power users who need to multitask.

Even better is its 14.0-inch 16:10 4K+ OLED display that’s incredibly sharp and offers wide and accurate colors and incredibly inky blacks thanks to deep contrast. It’s great for creative work and for consuming HDR media due to Dolby Vision HDR support. The keyboard and touchpad are excellent, and its 1080p webcam is fully up-to-date. It’s a laptop that competes with the best 14-inch clamshell machines and beats most of them.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13

Taking the iconic ThinkPad in a new direction

Why you should buy this: It takes the ThinkPad in some new and innovative directions.

Who’s it for: Anybody who wants a ThinkPad but also wants something different.

Why we chose the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13:

The ThinkPad Z13 bears the line’s iconic name but not its iconic look and feel. That’s not necessarily a bad thing unless you just like the ThinkPad’s usual black-on-black aesthetic. With the ThinkPad Z13, you’re getting a more modern design with an optional faux-leather lid cover that’s warm and comfortable to hold. The red TrackPoint nubbin remains in the center of the excellent, snappy keyboard, and a new haptic touchpad works well and better than mechanical versions.

Inside is AMD, with the Ryzen 7 PRO 6860Z at the high end, along with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. The Ryzen chips provide excellent productivity performance and handle CPU-intensive tasks with ease, making the ThinkPad Z13 a solid choice for most 13-inch laptop users. Display choices include a 2.8K OLED or Full HD+ IPS panels, and connectivity is up to date. It may not look like a ThinkPad, but it’s certainly built like one.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z16

A modern productivity-oriented 16-inch laptop

Why you should buy this: It’s an attractive 16-inch with strong performance and a solid thin and light build.

Who’s it for: Anyone who wants a larger laptop with good performance.

Why we chose the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16:

Like the smaller ThinkPad Z13, the ThinkPad Z16 takes the line in a completely new direction aesthetically. Yes, there’s the red TrackPoint nubbin, but otherwise, the dark silver, all-aluminum chassis has its own look and feel. The keyboard is a more shallow version with a lighter touch that’s still snappy and precise. The haptic touchpad is large and works well — not quite as good as Apple’s Force Touch version, but still excellent. Lenovo also used a good amount of sustainable materials in the ThinkPad Z16, if that’s important to you.

Inside is AMD again, up to the Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H. These are all 8-core/16-thread processors with excellent performance in CPU-intensive tasks. The discrete AMD Radeon RX 6500M GPU is available to help with demanding creative applications. Display options ramp up to a UHD+ OLED panel that provides spectacular colors and contrast.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i

The best multitasker’s Lenovo you can buy

Why you should buy this: It has dual OLED displays that are excellent for multitasking.

Who’s it for: Anyone who needs to run multiple windows at a time.

Why we chose the Lenovo ThinkBook Yoga Book 9i:

The ThinkBook Yoga Book 9i is the latest iteration of Lenovo’s dual-screen laptop. This time, two 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED displays and an origami stand provide a variety of different form factors. You can run as a traditional clamshell with a keyboard that sits over half of the second dsiplay with a virtual touchpad. Or, use both displays in a clamshell format with a virtual keyboard that works surprisingly well. Use the stand and you can either stack the two displays or run them side-by-side for a great multitasking experience.

Performance is good enough thanks to an Intel Core i7-1355U CPU, although the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics limit gaming and creative work. And battery life is surprisingly good. But the real key to the laptop are the dual displays that combine to provide a ton of screen real estate for getting work done. It’s an unusual layout but surprisingly useful.

Lenovo Legion 9i

An excellent gaming laptop with creative chops

Why you should buy this: It’s a gaming laptop with desktop performance.

Who’s it for: Any gamer who’s also a creator.

Why we chose the Lenovo Legion 9i:

The Legion Pro 7i provides excellent gaming performance thanks to a fast 55-watt Intel 13th-gen Core i9-13980HX CPU with 24 cores and 32 threads, up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 CPU, and a 3200 x 2000 Mini-LED display at 165Hz. That ensures tear-free gaming as well as a smooth Windows 11 experience. The Legion Pro 7i also sports an attractive aesthetic in a build that’s surprisingly portable.

The display has incredible brightness, wide colors, and inky blacks. The only thing holding back from being the ultimate creators workstation is its color accuracy that’s on the low side. Even so, its performance in creative applications like Adobe’s Premiere Pro is among the fastest we’ve tested in a laptop. Creators might want to do their most accurate color work on a different monitor, but the laptop is more than capable of churning through their demanding creative workflows. The keyboard and touchpad are also good and work as well for gaming as productivity work.