Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14 review

Workstations are a bit drab and boring, lacking in style and instead focusing purely on maximizing productivity. Lenovo is trying something different with its ThinkPad Yoga line by bringing the hybrid design philosophy to the business world, and for the most part, it has succeeded.

We liked

This convertible workstation sticks out amongst the crowd of boxy workstations with an attractive design. For starters it's much slimmer, plus you can flip the screen back to use it as a tablet or stand it up as your media screen. What's more, Lenovo's ingenious little keyboard trick fixes a problem I've had with almost all of its Yoga laptops.

All the while, the company hasn't forgotten about the notebook's ThinkPad roots by including an excellent keyboard and trackpad. And I'd be remiss not to mention that the vibrant and color-accurate screen makes this laptop a fine choice for those in graphics work.

Whether you're looking for something for work or play, the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14 is a solid device either way. It has more than enough power to get you through a day of office work and some light gaming when you're on lunch or at home.

We disliked

In the course of my review, I didn't find many things that were inherently wrong with this laptop. Sure the screen is a bit glossy, but it's a problem you can remedy with some smart positioning or simply upping the brightness. Likewise, you can remove the abundance of bloatware, but it's nevertheless a nuisance.

The major issue, however, is that ThinkPad Yoga 14 just seems to be poorly manufactured in arguably the most key area: battery. Aside from my own issue with the battery cutoff switch, plenty of other users are facing their own issues with the laptop.

Final verdict

It pains me that I can't wholeheartedly recommend the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14. Barring these serious battery issues, this is an excellent laptop. Everything from the screen, to the build quality and Lenovo's usual stellar inputs are fantastic, but this machine could potentially be a lemon. Our unit was defective and, considering that there are plenty of users in the wild who have reported their own broken notebooks, this cannot be ignored.

Although it's arguably much better than the 15.6-inch HP Envy x360, purchasing this 2-in-1 mobile workstation requires caution and the expectation you may have to send it back for repairs. I've had far fewer problems with the Yoga 3 Pro and Lenovo's other hybrid laptops, so they are definitely worth a closer look over this rendition. It's for these reasons that readers should steer clear of the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14 until these issues are resolved.