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Tech · Lenovo · 2018

Lenovo ThinkPad X280

A 12.5-inch ThinkPad that fits a small bag, with soldered memory and a screen that feels cramped now.

Off-lease ThinkPads: which generation is still worth it — #5

Overall

7.4

out of 10

Axis scores

Strongest on Value (8.2), weakest on Performance (6.6), a 1.6-point spread. The 7.4 overall is the plain average of all 5 Tech axes, with no weighting.

Lenovo ThinkPad X280 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Lenovo ThinkPad X280: Performance 6.6, Value 8.2, Durability 6.9, Ease of use 7.5, Design 7.6.PerformanceLenovo ThinkPad X280 — Performance 6.6 out of 106.6ValueLenovo ThinkPad X280 — Value 8.2 out of 108.2DurabilityLenovo ThinkPad X280 — Durability 6.9 out of 106.9Ease of useLenovo ThinkPad X280 — Ease of use 7.5 out of 107.5DesignLenovo ThinkPad X280 — Design 7.6 out of 107.6Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Processor
8th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 (quad-core U-series)
Memory
8GB or 16GB soldered
Display
12.5-inch, 1366×768 or 1920×1080
Battery
48Wh internal
Ports
Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, 2× USB-A, HDMI

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • You want the smallest ThinkPad here and the screen is secondary
  • It is a travel or couch machine for writing and email

Skip it if

  • You can find only 8GB units, since the memory cannot be added to
  • You work in spreadsheets or code side by side on a single screen

The X280 replaced the X270 and dropped two things that made the X series popular secondhand: the removable battery and socketed memory. What is left is a small, sturdy laptop with the same 8th-gen chips as the T480.

A 16GB unit is the one to buy. The 8GB version runs out of room with a browser and a video call open, and there is no fixing that later.

At 12.5 inches, even the 1080p panel feels small for two windows side by side. As a carry-everywhere machine for writing it still works, and a seller listing the 1080p screen is worth paying a little more.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.