The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (starts at $1,394.10; $1,499.99 as tested) is a convertible business laptop with a slim build and a feature set built for productivity. It works in several different modes, comes with a stylus, and boasts all-day battery life. The design combines the best aspects of Lenovo's other business laptops into one system, resulting in a fast, light, travel-friendly laptop for work. It has the 14-inch screen size of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon while retaining the convertibility, portability, and price of the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 260. For these reasons, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is our Editors' Choice for convertible-hybrid laptops for business.

Design and Features

The design of the X1 Yoga is perhaps the sleekest rendition of the classic ThinkPad build to date. It marries the convertible functionality of the Yoga 260 with the slim, lightweight body of the latest X1 Carbon. The top cover is made of carbon fiber, while the bottom and wrist rest are built with a magnesium alloy composite, both of which allow for the light and thin design without compromising durability.

As a convertible, the system is meant to be flipped, folded, and carried around with you. At a thin and light 0.66 by 13.11 by 9.02 inches (HWD) and 2.98 pounds, it can do all of this comfortably, and the premium construction materials make it feel satisfying to hold and use. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon measures 0.65 by 13.1 by 9.0 inches and weighs 2.54 pounds, so it's about a half a pound lighter than the X1 Yoga, but lacks the ability to convert modes. The Yoga 260 is thicker and roughly the same weight despite the smaller screen, measuring 0.7 by 12.2 by 8.7 inches and weighing 2.93 pounds, while the Dell Latitude 14 7000 Series (E7450) is even larger at 0.8 by 13.25 by 9.25 inches and 3.59 pounds.

Lenovo pioneered the 360-degree convertible with the Yoga line, and it continues to excel here. Dual hinges allow you to easily transform the system from Laptop mode into Tablet mode (with the keyboard folded back behind the screen), Stand mode (keyboard facedown on a surface with the screen facing out), or Tent mode (propped up on its top and bottom edges with the display facing out). Thoughtful design is apparent here: The keys, for instance, become flush with the deck as you rotate the screen backward, protecting them from debris and spills, but also making the ThinkPad X1 Yoga more comfortable to hold in Tablet mode. The laptop is built for durability; it's humidity resistant, and can withstand extreme temperatures, strong vibration, sand, high altitude (up to 15,000 feet), and mechanical shock.

The keys feel good to type on, something that's consistently true of the ThinkPad line. The X1 Carbon's keyboard is among the best we've tested, and you'll enjoy the same experience here. In addition to backlighting, each key is sculpted slightly for improved comfort, and key travel is nicely balanced, neither too shallow nor long. The touchpad is similarly satisfying to use, and if you prefer it, the signature red TrackPoint controller is embedded in the keyboard for easy access while typing. There's also a biometric fingerprint reader to the right of the touchpad. This laptop is meant to be a business system rather than an entertainment hub, but the speakers are more than competent for playing video and music.

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The 14-inch full HD display shows crisp text and featured In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology for wider viewing angles, responsive capacitive touch, and an antiglare coating that keeps the screen easily viewable in all modes. (Other display options are available, depending on your configuration.) The 1,920-by-1,080 resolution is matched by the Latitude 14 E7450 and the Yoga 260 model we tested; the ThinkPad X1 Carbon boasts a higher 2,560-by-1,440 resolution; and the HP EliteBook Folio G1 is available in both 1080p and 4K versions. The 720p webcam on the top bezel takes decent photos and will work fine for video conferencing.

The X1 Yoga comes with the Pen Pro, a wireless stylus supporting 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity. It can be used to draw, take notes, and navigate. Slotting the stylus into the right side of the laptop when not in use charges its internal battery.

Connectivity options are plentiful on the X1 Yoga. On the right side, there's an HMDI port, two USB 3.0 ports, and a headphone/microphone combination jack. The stylus slot, Power button, volume control, and Kensington lock port are also located on the right. On the left, there are three ports: USB 3.0 with always-on charging, OneLink+ for docking, and Mini DisplayPort. Finally, the rear edge holds microSD and SIM slots. The lack of USB-C is disappointing, since it's increasingly becoming a standard, and there's no Ethernet port either. The X1 Yoga features 802.11ac wireless and Bluetooth 4.1. Lenovo covers the laptop with a one-year warranty.

Performance

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga we tested is powered by a 2.3GHz Core i5-6200U processor with integrated Intel HD Graphics 520, 8GB of memory, and there's a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). The score on the PCMark 8 Work Conventional test (2,846 points) was ahead of those of the X1 Carbon (2,733) and the Latitude 14 E7450 (2,681), but behind the Yoga 260's (3,178). Speed on the multimedia tests was also encouraging: It finished the Handbrake and Photoshop tests in 2 minutes, 29 seconds, and 4:54, respectively, and scored 289 on CineBench. This is faster than or comparable to competing systems, so you shouldn't have concerns about this laptop crunching through media projects for work.

Given the ThinkPad X1 Yoga's integrated graphics, its 3D and gaming performance aren't particularly noteworthy. The system scored 5,858 points on 3DMark Cloud Gate and 378 points on Fire Strike Extreme, falling just behind the X1 Carbon but ahead of the rest of the competition. The X1 Yoga could squeak out playable frame rates on the lowest settings, but your work computer really isn't meant for playing games.

The battery is up the task of delivering all-day productivity, lasting 10 hours, 11 minutes, on our rundown test. The Yoga 260 lasted the same amount of time, and the X1 Carbon (10:13) and the Latitude 14 E7450 (10:12) just barely beat them both.

Conclusion

By combining the best features of Lenovo's other business lines, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga delivers the power and features to get real work done while remaining ideal for travel and carrying around the office or job site. It's roughly as fast as the Yoga 260, but bumps the screen size up from 12.5 inches to 14 inches without adding noticeable weight or any cost. Because of its price, business-ready feature set, and streamlined design, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga is our top pick for business convertible-hybrid laptops.