Lenovo IdeaPad 1 UK 2024 Review (2026). Tested & Rated

Every laptop specification sheet is an exercise in compromise mathematics. The AMD Ryzen 5 processor promises performance, but the TN panel suggests cost-cutting. The 16GB RAM looks generous, but the 250-nit brightness raises questions about outdoor usability. After testing the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 for about a month across various workloads and environments, I’ve measured where the trade-offs land and whether the numbers add up at this price point.

The hinge feels solid enough for daily use. It opens past 180 degrees, which is useful for sharing the screen, but you’ll need two hands to lift the lid. The opening angle is sufficient for lap use, which I tested extensively on trains and sofas.

At 1.6kg, this is genuinely light for a 15.6-inch laptop. Fits comfortably in a standard backpack with room for notebooks. The charger is a traditional barrel plug (not USB-C), but it’s compact enough that I didn’t mind carrying it daily.

The anti-glare coating helps slightly, but it can’t compensate for the low brightness. If you’re planning to use this for photo editing or video work, the colour accuracy simply isn’t there. For documents, spreadsheets, and web browsing? It’s functional, but you’ll notice the limitations compared to IPS panels.

I ran Cinebench R23 multiple times and consistently got around 4820 points in multi-core, which is solid for budget territory. Single-core performance measured 1450 points. For comparison, Intel N-series chips in similarly priced laptops score around 3100 multi-core, so you’re getting noticeably better performance here.

The 16GB of RAM is genuinely unusual at this price. Most budget laptops ship with 8GB, which feels cramped in 2026. With 16GB, I could keep everything open without Windows aggressively swapping to disk. The RAM is soldered, so you can’t upgrade it later, but at least you’re starting with a decent amount.

Storage performance is adequate. I measured sequential reads at 1800MB/s and writes at 950MB/s using CrystalDiskMark. That’s PCIe 3.0 territory, not the faster Gen 4 you’ll find in premium machines, but it’s perfectly fine for everyday use. Boot time from cold was 12 seconds to the login screen.

Thermal performance is surprisingly competent. The CPU stayed below 80°C even during extended stress tests, and I never observed thermal throttling. Surface temperatures remained comfortable – the keyboard centre gets slightly warm under sustained load, but the palm rest stays cool. Lap use is perfectly fine for typical workloads.

Fan behaviour is well-tuned. During typical office work, the fan either stays off or runs at barely audible levels. Under full load, it ramps up to around 38dB, which is noticeable but not annoying. Crucially, there’s no high-pitched whine – just a steady airflow sound. Perfectly acceptable for library or office use.

Video playback was even better. Playing a locally stored 1080p MP4 at 40% brightness, I got 10 hours 14 minutes. The TN panel’s poor quality has one silver lining: it’s power-efficient.

Charging takes about 2 hours from empty to full with the included 65W barrel charger. You’ll get roughly 50% charge in 45 minutes, which is adequate but not spectacular. No USB-C charging support, which is a minor inconvenience if you’re trying to travel light with universal chargers.

Key feel is slightly mushy – there’s not much tactile feedback when you bottom out. But the layout is sensible, with a full number pad that doesn’t cramp the main typing area. The arrow keys are full-size, which I appreciate.

No keyboard backlight, which is typical for this price point but annoying if you work in dim environments. I found myself squinting at the keys during an evening train journey.

The trackpad is a plastic surface measuring roughly 102 x 65mm. It’s not glass, so there’s more friction than premium laptops. Two-finger scrolling works fine, and three-finger gestures for window management are supported. But the click mechanism is slightly loud and feels hollow. Tracking precision is adequate – I didn’t have issues with cursor jumping or missed inputs.

The port layout is slightly awkward – both the power jack and HDMI are on the left side, which means cables trailing across your workspace if you’re right-handed. I would’ve preferred the power on the right.

No SD card reader, which photographers will miss. And no Ethernet port, though that’s increasingly common on thin laptops.

The 720p webcam is typical budget fare. Image quality is acceptable in good lighting – colleagues on Teams calls said they could see me clearly. But in dim lighting, the image gets grainy quickly. There’s a physical privacy shutter, which slides across to cover the lens. I appreciate this feature.

Microphones are adequate. My voice came through clearly on calls, though the mics do pick up keyboard typing noise. No fancy AI noise cancellation here.

Speakers are the weakest audio component. They’re bottom-firing, so sound gets muffled when the laptop is on soft surfaces. Maximum volume measured around 75dB, which is just about loud enough for a small room. Audio quality is tinny with no bass response. Fine for system sounds and occasional YouTube, but you’ll want headphones for music or films.

If you can stretch your budget, the HP 15.6-inch Budget Laptop with Ryzen 5 offers similar performance with slightly better build quality. At the other end of the spectrum, the MacBook Air M3 demolishes this in every metric but costs more than double.