Which ThinkPad is Right For You?

For many users and corporate IT departments, nothing but a Lenovo ThinkPad laptop will do. Whether its their solid build quality, industry-leading keyboards, hyper accurate pointing sticks, or simple black aesthetic, the ThinkPad line has a number of mainstays that Lenovo fans won’t do without.

Even if you’ve already got your heart and your budget committed to a ThinkPad, you’ve got a lot of choices. Lenovo makes six different lines of ThinkPads, with 18 models currently for sale on the company’s U.S. website, from the tiny inexpensive 11.6-inch ThinkPad X120e to the large and powerful ThinkPad W520. Which ThinkPad laptop is right for you?

Best for Students/Small Biz/Budget: ThinkPad Edge E420s (From $629)

You can find less expensive ThinkPads than the Edge E420s, but this lightweight, 14-inch notebook is well worth its $629 price because of its fantastic combination of style, performance, portability, and value. With a dark-green, rubberized interior that reminded us of a fancy pool table, a chrome rim, and edge-to-edge infinity glass, the 4.4-pound Edge E420s is the best-looking ThinkPad yet. 

Lenovo also targets its L Series at small businesses and budget-minded IT managers, but the 14-inch ThinkPad L420 is significantly heavier (5.2 versus 4.4 pounds) and less attractive than the Edge E420s, while offering similar specs at a similar price.

The base-level Core i3 CPU and 7,200-rpm hard drive on the ThinkPad Edge E420s are powerful enough for most productivity tasks, while the sealed battery offers more than 6 hours of endurance. The notebook even comes with both a DVD burner and fingerprint reader standard. 

While the ThinkPad Edge E420s is ideal for students, small business users, and anyone on a budget, you’ll make a few trade-offs for its relatively low price. The glossy screen is only available in a 1366 x 768 resolution, there’s no discrete graphics option, no USB 3.0, and no way to augment the unremovable battery. The island-style keyboard, while responsive, offers less tactile feedback than the T420 and X1. 

Pros: Best-looking ThinkPad; great value; solid battery life

Cons: Keyboard not as responsive as other ThinkPads; few high-end options

Read full review of the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420s

Best Ergonomics: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 (From $1,299)

Simply put, the 3.8-pound ThinkPad X1 has the best notebook keyboard we’ve ever tested. Even among other ThinkPads, the amazing tactile feel of the X1′s island-style, backlit keyboard stands out, as does its comfy, rubberized palm rest. This laptop’s ergonomic superiority is all the more impressive when you consider that this keyboard sits on a svelte chassis that’s only 0.8 inches thick. And if the ThinkPad X1 falls off your lap, the Gorilla Glass screen and durable design are likely to survive the drop.

Despite its best-in-class keyboard, strong performance, and portable frame, the X1 isn’t for everyone. The laptop’s 300-nit, 13-inch screen is bright, but a bit too reflective and, at 1366 x 768, is not as high-res as many would like. The sealed internal battery gets just over 4 hours of endurance, making the $150, 0.6-pound battery slice that boosts the ThinkPad X1′s endurance up to 8 hours an absolute necessity. Users who require the power of discrete graphics will have to look elsewhere.

Pros: World’s greatest keyboard; USB 3.0 ports; durable but lightweight design

Cons: Reflective screen; battery life weak without the slice

Read full review of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1

Best Mobility: Lenovo ThinkPad X220 (From $849)

If you want to work unplugged all day, there’s no longer-lasting notebook than Lenovo’s ThinkPad X220. The 12.5-inch, 3.4-pound X220 ($849 and up) lasts up to 20 hours when equipped with both a nine-cell battery and a 1.6-pound battery slice. Even without the bulky slice, the ThinkPad X220  managed a whopping 12 hours and 39 minutes when paired with its nine-cell battery. The X220′s matte screen has much wider viewing angles and better image quality than the ThinkPad X1′s. Plus, with up to a Core i7 CPU, this laptop brings plenty of processing power.

Though the keyboard itself is quite responsive, we found the experience of typing on the ThinkPad X220 less pleasant than on the X1 because our wrists kept hanging off of the short palm rest. And though the X220′s screen is better than the X1′s, it’s still only available in 1366 x 768 resolution, which is lower than many users would like.

Pros: Epic battery life; light weight, strong performer

Cons: Short palm rest; screen only 1366 x 768

Read full review of the Lenovo ThinkPad X220

Best Everyday Workhorse: Lenovo ThinkPad T420 (From $670)

If you don’t need one of the lightest laptops on the block, the 5.2-pound ThinkPad T420 ($670 and up) provides the best mix of power, affordability, and flexibility. For less than $1,200, you can configure the T420 with a high-res 1600 x 900 screen, a long-lasting nine-cell battery, and an Nvidia NVS 4200 graphics chip that uses Optimus technology to switch back and forth between discrete and integrated modes for the best combination of performance and endurance. On the LAPTOP Battery Test, the T420 lasted a strong 10 hours and 36 minutes with its nine-cell battery, more than double the thin-and-light notebook average.

The T420 features a responsive, classic-style Lenovo keyboard, a fantastic low-light webcam, and superior sound, too. The T420 even comes with an optical drive, for those who still need one. This laptop’s only real drawbacks are its relatively beefy chassis and the lack of a USB 3.0 option.  

Pros: 1600 x 900 screen option; Nvidia Optimus graphics option; long battery life (if you choose the right configuration)

Cons: No USB 3.0; bulkier than other ThinkPads

Read full review of the Lenovo ThinkPad T420

Best for Power Users: Lenovo ThinkPad W520 (From $1,299)

Demanding users who have the money and the muscle to carry a 6.2-pound desktop replacement will appreciate the high-octane performance of the 15.6-inch ThinkPad W520 laptop.  The W520 offers high-end options such as a quad-core Core i7 CPU, Nvidia Quadro 1000 or 2000 Graphics, an extremely bright 1920 x 1080 screen, and a color calibrator. 

If you’re a graphics or video editor on the move, the ThinkPad W520 is built for you. If you’re a touch-typist, you’ll appreciate the notebook’s highly responsive, classic-style keyboard. And if you need to go unplugged, you’ll appreciate that the W520 can last more than 9  hours on a charge.

That said, the W520 is expensive—$1,699 with the full HD screen and quad core—and heavy so, if you don’t need this amount of power and screen real estate, you should go for something smaller.

Pros: Powerful performance; optional full HD screen; long battery life

Cons: Expensive; heavy

Read full review of the Lenovo ThinkPad W520

Best for Touch: Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Tablet (from $1,149)

If you need a convertible tablet and must have a ThinkPad, there’s only one choice: the 12.5-inch ThinkPad X220 Tablet. Starting at $1,149, the X220 has a similar look and feel to its non-convertible fraternal twin, the ThinkPad X220. We haven’t tested the X220 Tablet, but we reviewed the prior-generation ThinkPad X210 tablet and found it bright, responsive, powerful, and long-lasting. The X220 Tablet is available with CPUs up to a Core i7 and an outdoor-capable screen. Forget about discrete graphics.

Those who don’t absolutely need a convertible touchscreen should choose a different ThinkPad, because the the X220 Tablet, like its predecessors, has a relatively small keyboard and a palm rest that’s even more uncomfortable than the one on the X220 non-tablet. In our tests on the X210 Tablet, we found the hard edge of the palm rest scraping our wrists as we typed.

Pros: The only convertible ThinkPad

Cons: Uncomfortable keyboard; no discrete graphics

Best Screen in Slim Package: ThinkPad T420s (From $1,149)

The ThinkPad T420s offers the kind of performance found on the ThinkPad T420 but in a package that’s more than a pound lighter and just 0.8 to 1 inches thick. Like the T420, the T420s (the S is for slim) has a fantastic classic-style keyboard, an optical drive, a durable roll cage, and strong performance. The difference is that the T420s weighs just 4 pounds compared to the T420′s 5.2, and a high-resolution screen of 1600 x 900 pixels comes standard. You also get an optional fingerprint reader that can cold-boot the system and log you into Windows with a single swipe.

However, the ThinkPad T420s saves on weight by skimping on juice. Its flush six-cell battery provided a modest 5 hours of endurance, less than half the 10:36 provided by the T420. Fortunately, there’s a $129 bay battery that promises another to 2 to 3 hours of endurance when you swap it with the optical drive.

Pros: Lightweight and slim; 1600 x 900 display option; Nvidia Optimus graphics option; great keyboard

Cons: Short battery life without bay battery; pricey

Read full review of the Lenovo ThinkPad T420s

Best Secondary System: Lenovo X120e (from $399)

Though not as powerful and functional as the 14-inch ThinkPad Edge E420s or the 12.5-inch Edge E220s, the 11.6-inch, 3.4-pound ThinkPad X120e offers more than 6 hours of battery life, a great low-light webcam, and really good sound for a system this size. Its matte 1366 x 768 display even has strong viewing angles. However, the notebooks’ small size and value-oriented build make it ideal as a mobile companion to a larger notebook or desktop, not as a primary PC.

Because of its low price, the X120e doesn’t use the kind of premium materials (ABS plastic, carbon fiber, chrome, rubberized surfaces) found in other ThinkPads. The X120e’s keyboard is much less spacious and comfortable than its larger brethren, with a short palm rest that’s almost as uncomfortable as those on the ThinkPad X220 and the X220 tablet. The notebook also got a bit hot during our testing, with the keyboard reaching a steamy 100 degrees Fahrenheit after we streamed a video for 15 minutes. 

Users who want to buy a budget-oriented ThinkPad and use it as a primary PC would be better off with a 14-inch or 12.5-inch ThinkPad Edge. 

Pros: Light weight; inexpensive; 6+ hours of battery life; great viewing angles

Cons: Hot temperatures; uncomfortable typing experience; modest performance

Read full review of the Lenovo ThinkPad X120e