Serious laptops don't have to be dull anymore. Just a few years ago, we'd have avoided those designed for business folk like we would a swaying drunk on the train - but the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon proves that Ultrabooks fit for business are now good enough for everyday folk to use and show off...

Practical matte finish screen; supremely well equipped; very portable; tough carbon fibre construction; trackpad and keyboard comfortable for long periods of use; thin and light

Expensive; keyboard and function key changes will polarise opinion; ThinkPad logo might polarise opinion too; far pricier than a MacBook Air

The X1 Carbon has been around for years, but this latest version is bang up to date and doesn't remove the ports and features you need. Read our 2017 ThinkPad X1 Carbon review to find out more.

The big issue with the X1 Carbon is its staggering price. Just like the pricey HP EliteBook Folio 1020 , you'll have to wave goodbye to a huge chunk of your IT budget if you want a fully-loaded model equipped with a high-DPI touchscreen.

T he review unit as supplied is the full-spec job, and in this guise it truly is a supreme business machine. There's an all-encompassing aura of luxury about the Carbon X1, which, in a world of nice looking ultrabooks, sets the Carbon X1 above the rest.

Lenovo's Thinkpad X1 Carbon is the ThinkPad Ultrabook we've been waiting for from Lenovo.

The only thing we can really knock the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon for is its endurance. The battery life is decent, but there are better options out there for longevity such as the Dell XPS 13.

Gorgeous QHD display; Market-leading keyboard; Lightning quick SSD

Lack of Ethernet and SD Card slot; Mediocre endurance

Lenovo installed some junk software which make the PC speed very slow. CPU consumption is always very high even at idle status. I do not like the software installed by lenovo. when I purchased the PC, i maxed out the configuration (intel i7 with 8GB ram with 256GB solid state) and I expected a very...

Keyboard is very nice; PC is a solid built

Lenovo installed some junk software which make the PC speed very slow; Fan noise is really loud

Yet it still gives reason for complaint. The lack of an SD-card reader can only be compensated for with an adapter, which is annoying when using SD-cards a lot. The high case temperatures under load are unpleasant as well and could make working with it on your lap uncomfortable at times.

excellent case; thought-out positions of connections; future-proof ports; flawless workmanship; low weight; quiet in everyday operation; decent system performance; IPS display with stable viewing angles; high-quality input devices; good battery life; mini RJ45 adapter included; 36-month warranty

high case temperatures; CPU-throttling under continuous load; no SD-card reader; microSD-card reader (hard to reach; LAN only possible with included adapter

Except for its steep price, the fifth edition of Lenovo's deluxe 14-inch ultrabook is simply flawless.

Excellence in every detail; Great battery life; Two Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports

Expensive; High-res display not available until June

The Lenovo X1 Carbon is a serious Ultrabook for the business professional. It also carries a seriously high price tag, especially as you start upgrading components, but in return you get a premium system that's built to last, is every bit as portable as a MacBook Air, and is fast on the draw.

Rugged and Rubberized; Input Done Right; Thin and Light; Fast Storage; Superior Resolution

Not Much of A Gamer; Pricey