One thing is certain about Lenovo. They KNOW how to diversify. I’ve tested quite a few of their laptops, and I’m always amazed at how accurately they know their audience. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, a teacher, all of the above, or none at all. You need to find the laptop that delivers the right balance between functionality, physical appeal, portability, and does not exceed your budget.
Let's do a deep dive into the three most popular Lenovo IdeaPad options for you to choose from. I will provide my insights and experience to facilitate your choice.
Top 3 Lenovo IdeaPad Laptops
To start off, I think a quick summary is in order, so you have all the information you need to make your choice in one place. Here is an overview/comparison of the top 3 Lenovo IdeaPad Laptops.
Feature |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 |
Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15 |
|---|---|---|---|
Type |
Budget Traditional Laptop |
Mid-range 2-in-1 convertible |
Slim, Stylish ultrabook |
Display |
15.6” FHD |
15.6” FHD IPS |
15.6” FHD IPS |
Processor |
Up to AMD Ryzen 5/Intel i5 |
UP to Ryzen 7/Intel i7 |
Up to Intel i7 OR AMD Ryzen 5 |
RAM & Storage |
4-12GB RAM, 128-512GB SSD |
8-16GB RAM, 256GB-1TB SSD |
8GB RAM, 256-512GB SSD |
Graphics |
Integrated UHD/Vega |
Integrated or AMD Radeon/Iris Xe |
Integrated or optional NVIDIA MX250 |
Battery Life |
6-8 hours |
8-10 hours |
7-9 hours |
Build |
Plastic body |
Sturdy hinge, partial aluminum |
Sleek aluminum/plastic mix |
Weight |
1.85 kg |
1.8-2.0 kg |
1.7 kg |
Touchscreen |
No |
Yes |
No |
Pros |
Budget-friendly, easy to use, decent ports |
Touch + Convertible, better performance, solid keyboard |
Sleek design, better sound, good for productivity |
Cons |
Lower-end display, build feels basic, not for heavy tasks |
Slightly heavier, more expensive, and limited ports on some models |
No touchscreen, GPU options limited, older model (depending on variant) |
Key Features |
Affordable, decent specs for students and office work |
Touchscreen + 360 degree hinge, great for creative tasks or tablet-style use. |
Premium look, slim, better display, and audio than IdeaPad 3. |
1. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 – Affordable Performance for Everyday Use
When you’re a student struggling to pay your college tuition loans, the last thing you need to worry about is another expense when it comes to your laptop. Let's face it, college without a personal computer is going to be difficult, to say the least. Fortunately, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a budget-friendly laptop to get you through your degree.
Just because something costs less doesn’t mean Lenovo compromised on quality. It is decently equipped, some of the Key Features are:
To summarize, here is a list of the Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
It is very affordable retailing at about $413 and I found the performance to be decent enough to get basic tasks done. If I picture myself as a student and have my laptop in my backpack, I’m carrying it all over campus all day. I think Lenovo made the IdeaPad 3 light keeping that in mind.
That is not to say that this is a perfect laptop. The graphics don’t suit my needs. They could be better, and it is a bit basic-looking.
Overall, I found it to be a good option for students who are a bit strapped for cash. They’ll be able to get by in college using the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 pretty easily.
2. Lenovo Flex 5 – Versatility Meets Performance
When I look at the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5, I just know it was made by an artist FOR an artist. It has one particular edge on the other two in the IdeaPad series which is its 360-degree hinge and touchscreen. These features allow it to be converted into a handheld tablet. Couple that with a stylus and get creative.
Imagine yourself at a tiny cafe, you order your double-shot espresso and pull out one of these. You first type out the draft for your novel, then flip the screen and start annotating different parts, leaving notes for the editor or making improvements along the margins.
Maybe you found a creative niche on a freelance website like making logos for brands, or maybe you started your art page on Instagram for your digital art. All of that and more is possible with the Lenovo Flex 5
Some of the most notable features include:
To summarize, here is a list of the Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
On paper it looks great, as for my personal experience I had a lot of fun using the tablet mode. The touchscreen was surprisingly very responsive, switching between the two modes hardly took a few milliseconds, and multitasking was a piece of cake with this laptop.
It is slightly heavier because of the hinge. Art students are going to have a bit of light workout carrying this around, and I felt that the battery could’ve been better.
3. Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15 – Sleek Design with Balanced Performance
Most of you are probably here for this specific model and I don’t blame you. Lenovo IdeaPad s340-15 is a stunning laptop. The perfect blend of style and functionality.
When I first purchased this, I had this sudden urge to have a 9-5 job with a corner office and a panoramic view of the city because that is the perfect scenario where I could see this laptop being used, on the desk of a company CEO.
It has a sleek, premium look to it due to its notebook design. It is insanely lightweight given its features, and has a pretty good performance overall. This is for people who want the finer things in life without those things costing them an arm and a leg.
Some of its key features include
To summarize, here is a list of the Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
The main appeal is the visuals. Most people today, if they were to invest in a laptop, would reach for something that suited their everyday needs as well as fit their aesthetic. I am still amazed at how lightweight this thing is. I can see myself using this every day for simple things, and the cherry on top is that it is one of Lenovo’s more affordable options.
Everything on their IdeaPad series was made to provide the most for the least amount of selling price possible. I did strain my eyes a little bit using it, and like the IdeaPad 3, it does have limited ports.
Comparison of the Top 3 Lenovo IdeaPad Laptops
A quick summary of what we’ve learned so far, but let’s make it a little more straightforward for people who don’t understand the tech jargon.
Model |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 |
Lenovo Flex 5 |
Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15 |
|---|---|---|---|
Key Features |
Up to AMD Ryzen 5 / Intel i5 Traditional laptop Budget-friendly |
2-in-1 Convertible Touchscreen AMD Ryzen 5/7 or Intel i5/i7 Backlit keyboard |
Sleek and slim design - Up to Intel i7 / NVIDIA MX250 - Premium build feel |
Pros |
Affordable and good for basic tasks Decent port selection |
Versatile 2-in-1 design Great performance for the price. Active Pen support |
Thin and lightweight Good display and sound Premium look |
Cons |
No touchscreen, Average build, and screen quality |
Slightly heavy for a convertible Limited upgrade options |
No touchscreen Older model, fewer availability options |
Comparison of Lenovo ThinkPad and Ideapad
The Lenovo ThinkPad is probably THE laptop that comes to mind when you think of Lenovo. It is a stunning machine for sure but if you're struggling to choose between the ThinkPad and the IdeaPad, here's a brief comparison of Lenovo ThinkPad vs IdeaPad.
Feature |
Lenovo ThinkPad |
Lenovo IdeaPad |
|---|---|---|
Build Quality |
Durable, military grade tested chassis |
Lightweight, consumer-grade material |
Design |
Classic, functional, often black with red accents |
Sleek, modern, varying sizes |
Keyboard |
Best-in-class, tactile, spill-resistant |
Standard, less tactile |
Performance |
High performance options (Intel i7, Xeon, AMD Ryzen) |
Mid-to-entry level processors |
Display Options |
High-res, color-accurate, some models have a touchscreen |
Mostly FHD, a few options have touchscreens such as the flex 5 |
Port Selection |
Ethernet, multiple USB-A/C |
Basic port options |
Security Features |
Fingerprint and smartcard readers |
Basic security features |
Price Range |
Premium price because it offers business features |
Affordable to mid-range |
Battery Life |
Long battery life, with rapid charging |
Moderate battery life |
Upgradability |
Easy to upgrade |
Limited upgrade options |
Target Audience |
Business professionals |
Students and casual users |
Each of these caters to different user groups and has its own advantages. I felt the ThinkPad was more luxurious, it was extremely smooth to use, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad felt like a slightly less impressive distant cousin.
How to Choose Your Lenovo Ideapad
That is the question of the hour, is it not? Let’s go through some of the scenarios you could need a Lenovo for.
Three Most Common User Scenarios
For Work and Productivity
Lenovo Flex 5 should be your go-to. The 2-in-1 design allows for versatility, making creative work and multitasking. The processor allows for a smoother experience, and the battery life is reasonable. I would be very happy with my pick if this is my work laptop.
For School and Study
Hands down, Lenovo IdeaPad 3. It has all the functionalities that a student needs while being affordable and lightweight. Wish I had one of these when I was in college.
For Gaming or Graphics Work
This requires some heavy processing power and graphics, so my pick would naturally be Lenovo IdeaPad S340-15.
Checklist for Choosing:
Go through the following if you want to figure out which IdeaPad is meant for you. See what features you are willing or unwilling to compromise on
Once you’re through the list, I am confident you’ll land on the right pick
Enhance Your Ideapad Experience with WPS Office
Lenovo blessed us with a variety of great laptop options. On one end of the spectrum you have basic models like the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i laptop 16’’ Glass Intel Core Ultra 7 155h, and on the other end you have Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7. Luckily for you I have an Office Suite that works across all of them.
Why WPS Office is a Perfect Match
Worried about paying for Microsoft Office? You don’t have to. WPS Office is a lightweight, powerful alternative that’s fully compatible with all Microsoft Office file formats — including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Whether you’re using a Lenovo Yoga or IdeaPad, WPS runs smoothly without hogging your system's RAM.
On top of that, WPS Office comes packed with features: edit PDFs, sync documents to the cloud, and even use its built-in AI-powered writing assistant. And the best part? The essential tools are completely free, with the option to upgrade to premium at a very affordable price. Here are some of the features you get for free on WPS Office.
WPS Writer
It is your free replacement for Microsoft Word. Perfect for essays, reports, and professional documents. Supports formatting, tables, images, comments, and track changes.
WPS Spreadsheet
Need to manage budgets, analyze data, or plan a project? WPS Spreadsheet works even better than Excel for FREE. It is able to support functions, pivot tables, charts, and perform conditional formatting with ease.
WPS Presentation
Create stunning presentations with animations, transitions, and images. All presentations made using WPS Presentation are compatible with .ppt and .pptx formats.
WPS PDF
A standout feature that goes beyond MS Office. You can view, annotate, merge, and convert PDFs. You can even convert PDFs to Word and vice versa, all in one app.
Get Started with WPS Office on Your Lenovo Device
Step 1: Download WPS Office from the official website.
Step 2: Install it on your Lenovo Yoga, IdeaPad, or any device at your disposal (compatible with all OSs such as Windows or Linux).
Step 3: Open or create your first document in Writer, Spreadsheet, or Presentation.
Step 4: Explore WPS AI for smart writing suggestions and assistance.
WPS Office delivers everything you need to handle assignments, projects, and presentations without spending a dime. Give it a try, and your Lenovo laptop just found its perfect productivity partner.
While testing this series I had the perfect opportunity to test WPS Office across all three laptops to test its performance on each one. While other Office Suites might lag or show some sort of difference in performance based on the processor its working with, WPS Office does exceptionally better on all three laptops.
No matter what specs it has to work with, it is so light that I found it running lightning fast on all three Lenovo IdeaPads.
FAQs
1. How does the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 compare to the Flex 5 in terms of performance?
Both of these laptops have their strengths but each one might work better for a certain set of tasks than the other. The IdeaPad 3 is suitable for basic tasks like browsing and document editing, while the Flex 5, with its more powerful processors and additional RAM options is much better with more demanding tasks or tasks that require you to switch between tabs quickly, in other words, multitasking.
2. Is the S340-15 a good choice for students?
I'd certainly say so. The S340-15 offers a balance of performance and portability. They work well for students who have to lug their laptops around the campus for taking notes or completing assignments in the library.
3. Can WPS Office handle Microsoft Office files?
Without question, WPS Office is fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats, allowing you to open, edit, and save documents without any issues. Plus, all documents, spreadsheets, or presentations that you make will be accessible to anyone who has an Office Suite.
