Help Me, LAPTOP: X1 Carbon vs X1 Yoga

Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon and X1 Yoga are two of the best premium laptops you can buy. Though they are business notebooks, you don't need to be a Fortune 500 CEO to appreciate either system's long battery life, colorful display or sleek, sexy chassis.

A reader named Gilad recently messaged me to ask which of these premium notebooks to buy. So here's a detailed comparison between the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and ThinkPad X1 Yoga, both of which I've tested. 

Use Case

The first and most obvious difference between the X1 Carbon and the X1 Yoga is that the latter is a bendback 2-in-1 that can convert into tent, tablet or stand modes, while the former is a clamshell only. If you definitely want a 2-in-1, you can stop reading here, because you have to get the X1 Yoga. And if you don't like 2-in-1s, your search is also over, because the X1 Carbon is the logical choice.

However, if you think 2-in-1 functionality is a "nice to have" but not absolutely necessary, then you have to consider other factors when choosing between these two laptops.

Winner: Tie. Your answer really depends on how much you want, or don't want, a 2-in-1.

Design and Size

Both the X1 Carbon and the X1 Yoga are available in either black or silver. Though some folks are excited by the possibility of a silver ThinkPad, I would go with black, because it looks a lot classier and comes with a luxurious soft-touch finish. This gentle texture, which both laptops have, is a great advantage for touch typists who can rest their wrists on a much more comfortable deck. Both laptops also have best-in-class keyboards with fantastic feedback and deep travel.