While we often recommend students consider a MacBook Air for school, or a Dell Premium laptop if they're set on Windows, Lenovo has comparable Yoga and Slim models that would serve much of the same function. Likewise, the new ThinkPad X9 series seems like a shoo-in for college campuses, being directly aimed at Apple's thin-and-light titans.

If you're on a tighter budget or your coursework doesn't require such a well-equipped machine, Lenovo's IdeaPad line would serve you better. This series provides budget-to-midrange systems for basic workloads and entertainment needs.

Finally, Lenovo's ThinkPad and ThinkBook lines feature laptops with top-end processing hardware and even professional-grade parts for academic workloads in computer science, software engineering, and media editing, to name a few. (High-end engineering work is best reserved for workstation models in the ThinkPad P line.)

Because Lenovo makes every one of its laptops with a specific set of customers in mind, we can't point you to one line of Lenovo laptops as the absolute "best" for every situation. With that in mind, we've listed and covered each of Lenovo's laptop series below to help you decide which type of Lenovo laptop is best for you.

Lenovo's conventional laptops include ThinkPads (business laptops), ThinkBooks (small-business work machines), and IdeaPads (general-use laptops). Gaming machines fall under Lenovo's Legion (higher-end) and LOQ (budget) lines, while 2-in-1 hybrids come in Yoga (premium) and Flex (budget) varieties. First, let’s look at the laptops that started it all: the ThinkPads.

According to Lenovo's website, "ThinkPad products are currently tested for 12 total methods and 20 procedures" under the US Department of Defense’s MIL-STD 810G standards. These include tolerance for mechanical shock, humidity, sand, dust, and even fungus, among other hazards and contaminants. Like most laptop brands, Lenovo doesn't emphasize durability to the same degree in its general-use, budget, ultraportable, hybrid 2-in-1, and gaming laptop categories.

However, Lenovo isn't known for producing "true rugged" machines that resist significant damage and weather exposure. Dell, Durabook, Getac, and Panasonic are players in that market. For those, check out our buying guide for the best rugged laptops.