This one is my fault. Thanks to a confluence of work obligations, I took the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) I was reviewing with me on a trip to Los Angeles so I'd have some time to game on the laptop while away. Unfortunately, I forgot that this 16-inch gaming laptop is firmly in the desktop replacement camp, weighing 5.76 pounds and measuring over an inch thick.
To say this laptop didn't fit on my economy seat's tray table would be an understatement. But more than that, fitting this chunky beast of a gaming machine into my small travel suitcase was a hassle and a half. It was too thick to fit in the laptop pocket of my Solo New York backpack, and just barely squeezed into my half-size rollaboard.
This entire experience reminded me of one crucial fact: not all laptops are meant to be travel or lap-friendly.
Consider your travel needs while shopping for a laptop
I've learned this lesson before, courtesy of an older Alienware A51 laptop. While working in the hardware testing lab, I decided to clear through some old systems in our inventory while benchmarking a few laptops on the lab test bench. I didn't have as much space left on the test bench as I would have liked, so I decided to prop the A51 up on my lap.
To this day, I can still feel the creak my femurs made once I set that monster of a machine in my lap. And yet, I still thought I'd be able to get some work done on my 5-hour flight to LA with the Legion Pro 7i despite its meager 4:29 battery life. That dream died almost immediately, probably to the great joy of my fellow passengers as the fans may have sounded like a competing jet engine preparing for takeoff in our row.
Some laptops are not designed to be portable, and that's okay. Most of the best gaming laptops and best workstations fall firmly in that category. They're desktop replacement systems that can be moved, but ideally, they'll only be moving from one sturdy desk to another with an outlet nearby at all times.
Now, some desktop replacement laptops, like the Razer Blade 16, are a bit portable at 5.3 pounds and 0.87 inches thick. That may not sound that different from the Legion Pro 7i, but I assure you that it's noticeable when trying to squeeze them into a bag.
I'm not telling you that you have to invest in one of the best Ultrabooks. Thin and light laptops may not be able to meet your performance needs. But before you make that purchase, think long and hard about whether you need to take your laptop with you when traveling. Your future self will thank you for every ounce and tenth of an inch you can eliminate from your bag by selecting a slightly thinner and lighter laptop.
If you do need to live a high-performance and high-travel lifestyle, consider options like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 or Razer Blade 14. Both are roughly four pounds and offer over eight hours of battery life, while still outperforming the average gaming laptop.
