Head-to-head · Best Thin and Light Laptops

Apple MacBook Air M4 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

Apple MacBook Air M4 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 score essentially the same (4.8 vs 4.8). Pick the one whose trade-offs match your priorities — the strengths and watch-outs below are where they actually differ.

Ranked #2 in Best Thin and Light Laptops

Apple MacBook Air M4

4.8

$1,099

The MacBook Air M4 is the macOS pick. M4 chip plus 18-hour battery plus fanless design — the spec sheet that no Windows laptop has matched yet. Best for Apple-ecosystem users, students, and anyone who values battery and silence above raw multicore numbers.

Strengths

— M4 chip delivers desktop-class single-core performance in a fanless 2.7-lb chassis
— 18-hour rated battery / 11-13 hours real-world
— Liquid Retina 13" or 15" 2560×1664 panel — excellent color and contrast

Watch-outs

— macOS-only — Windows software requires Parallels or other workarounds
— 8GB base RAM is real — bump to 16GB+ for serious workloads
— Limited port selection — just 2× Thunderbolt + MagSafe

$1,099 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #1 in Best Thin and Light Laptops

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14

4.8

$1,899

The X1 Carbon Gen 14 is the best-overall thin-and-light pick. Lenovo's flagship business ultrabook at 2.17 lb. Class-leading keyboard, repairable internals, and a 5-year support cycle make it the long-term durable pick.

Strengths

— 2.17 lb — lightest 14" laptop in this lineup, period
— Carbon-fiber lid and magnesium-alloy chassis
— Industry-best keyboard for typing, with TrackPoint nub

Watch-outs

— $1899 is the most expensive pick — ThinkPad pricing has always been a premium
— Display is matte 1080p IPS standard — pay extra for 2.8K OLED upgrade
— Speakers are functional, not impressive

$1,899 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

Apple MacBook Air M4

Only macOS pick. Best battery + silence combo. Heavier than ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Fewer ports than every Windows pick.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14

Lightest pick. Best keyboard. Most repairable. More expensive than MacBook Air M4 or XPS 14.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Apple MacBook Air M4	Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
CPU	Apple M4	Intel Core Ultra 7
Weight	2.7 lb	2.17 lb
Display	13" / 15" Liquid Retina	14" 1080p IPS (OLED upgrade)
Battery	18 hours rated	—
Build	100% recycled aluminum	—
RAM	—	16GB
Storage	—	512GB

← See the full ranking of best thin and light laptops