[4] The first laptops in the series were described by Lenovo as being the environmentally friendliest products in the ThinkPad range.

[4] The ThinkPad R series introduced Lenovo's new product naming system, as indicated in the published tech specs.

The L412 and L512 laptops met eight military specifications, including parameters for high and low temperature, vibration, altitude and dust.

[6] Lenovo indicated that they were 40% more power efficient than other laptops, and were made from recycled plastic from office water jugs and miscellaneous used equipment.

[7] L-series laptops were reputed to increase performance over the R series by 150% and improve boot and shutdown times on Windows by 57%.

[7] Upon release, the ThinkPad L412 was praised by reviewers, with Laptop Magazine calling it a "value-priced business notebook".

PCWorld listed the pros of the ThinkPad L412 laptop as being eco-friendly and affordable, while stating that the cons were the loud keyboard and low battery life.

NotebookReview.com noted that the L512 was almost identical to comparable SL-series laptops in appearance, with "a consumer take on the rugged, business-oriented T-series ThinkPad".

[10] The L512 was praised for its screen protection with no distortion on the LCD despite heavy pressure applied to the cover, and the easy access to internal components.

[11] The 2011 line of L-series laptops included up to second generation Intel i7 processors, Intel HD Graphics or options for AMD Radeon discrete graphics, Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0 for Windows 7, and solid-state storage drives.

Lenovo also indicated that the L-series laptops are lighter than similar, competing products.

The L series offered savings on operating costs of 40% annually, as compared to previous generation ThinkPads.

[12] According to Lenovo, office jugs and used IT equipment had been recycled into different L-series parts including the screen cover, the palm rest, and the top and bottom case.

[12] As with most ThinkPad laptops, the L-series models featured certifications from Energy Star and EPEAT Gold.

[12] The Laptop Magazine review of the ThinkPad L420 indicated the pros as being the "great keyboard, affordable price, good battery life, and quick boot time".

Laptop Magazine indicated that the cons were weak audio, multitouch gestures, and bland design.

[15] Points raised about the display were that the backlight was suitably bright and even, and while colors were clear, they were not as vibrant as those found on a glossy screen.

[15] This was suggested by the reviewer to be due to the matte finish on the screen, meant to reduce glare from overhead lighting.

[15] The keyboard was lauded, with the reviewers praising the large, molded keys that gave 'great feedback'.

1920×1080 IPS Touch (on-cell) Introduced between the last of quarter 2019 and the beginning of 2020, these feature Celeron, Pentium Gold, the new 10th-gen Intel Core CPUs, or 3rd-gen Ryzen Mobile.