Is LG a Good Laptop Brand? [2024 Update]

Some OEMs, like Lenovo and ASUS, try to compete on as many different fronts as possible. Others, like Samsung, are a lot more laser-focused in their approach.

They don’t have nearly as many laptops on offer which means that they can much more easily channel their efforts (and investments). But regardless of their methods, they all adhere to a fairly similar formula — a pattern, if you will, which is easy to understand and discern.

There is one big outlier, though, and that’s LG; a legendary South Korean tech giant whose efforts still haven’t resulted in anything overly impressive or worthy of praise.

LG’s offerings are truly unique and they do stand out from the crowd (for reasons both good and bad), but their very uniqueness comes at too great a cost — and we mean that both figuratively and literally.

Image Credit: LG

The old adage “form over function” comes to mind, and one could rightfully argue that it really does permeate through the entirety of LG’s product stack. As far as laptops are concerned, LG is only in the business of making thin-and-light ultrabooks — that and absolutely nothing else.

Strangely enough, it hasn’t strayed off this path even for a moment, and even though it does have a few “creator-focused” laptops on offer, they don’t really cater to the needs of a true creative professional.

So, one cannot help but wonder: are LG’s ultrabooks any good? Are they worth the asking price and, perhaps equally as important, how do they compare to the Zenbooks and YOGAs and Spectres of the world?

Let’s take a closer look.

What Makes LG Laptops Unique?

LG’s very first Gram (released in 2015) had a wholly unique selling point: it weighed just a few grams shy of a kilo.

Image Credit: LG

And, at the time, that was fairly “revolutionary.” It was the quintessential ultrabook, a thin-and-light portable computer that could hardly be felt in one’s backpack.

That, however, was its only standout feature.

Despite having a magnesium alloy chassis, it felt way too flimsy and, at times, cheap. It felt like an affordable Chromebook but, sadly, it came with the price tag of a premium Windows laptop.

The lid had way too much flex, and much of the same held true for its palm rests and the entire keyboard area. Its display also wobbled like crazy which, given its weight, hardly came as a surprise.

It was an interesting experiment, but it sure did come with an exhaustive list of drawbacks and sacrifices.

And that, sadly, is still the case with LG’s latest and greatest offerings. Its laptops still weigh a kilo (more or less, depending on the model), and they still haven’t addressed any of the issues that plagued the LG Gram of yore.

Now, specs-wise, there’s not a whole lot to complain about. They’re relatively capable performers with fast CPUs, respectable port selections, and displays which are an absolute joy to look at and interface with. That, however, doesn’t make them worth the asking price.

There’s just nothing overly impressive to talk about and praise other than, say, their weight.

And sure, that’s not a negligible benefit — especially if you opt for a larger 16” or 17” model — but that alone is no longer as enticing a selling point as it might have been in the past, primarily because of the many compromises which come in tow.

LG Laptops — What About Quality Control?

This is where things get a bit more complicated.

We’ve seen a surprising number of user-reported QC issues and that, given the fact that LG’s offerings aren’t sold in exceedingly large volumes, is a bit concerning.

Some of those issues are small and relatively negligible. Others, however, are so egregious and damning that it’s impossible not to lambast LG and its quality control — or lack thereof.

A picture’s worth a thousand words, so make sure to watch the following video:

Such horrendous QC issues are simply unacceptable, especially given the asking price.

Now, the odds of getting such a “dud” aren’t all that high, but there is a risk nonetheless.

This, needless to say, stresses the importance of having a safeguard in place; no matter which model or OEM you end up choosing, make sure to buy your laptop from a reputable retailer like Amazon or Best Buy as they have the absolute best return policies.

LG Laptops — Too Expensive, Not At All Exciting

There’s very little to get excited about when it comes to any of LG’s laptops — beautiful though they might be. They are a sight for sore eyes, but stellar looks can only get you so far.

Most of them are horrendously overpriced. Others simply aren’t powerful enough to warrant the investment.

Others still offer a respectable balance of performance and portability but are nonetheless heavily outshined by the competition — mainly in regards to CPU/GPU performance and overall build quality.

It’s not that LG’s laptops are bad, but rather that they’re not good enough to justify the asking price. Their weight is a pretty unique selling point, but that’s no longer as redeeming a quality as it was in the past.

Now, to be fair: their size-to-weight ratio makes them wholly unique, and for some users, they might just be the perfect option. The vast majority, however, should really look elsewhere.

The rigidity of their chassis leaves way too much to be desired, and the amount of flex which they exhibit also warrants some worry.

They’re not going to fall apart or break easily, but the overall experience of using them isn’t going to be nearly as premium or enjoyable as their price tag would suggest.

If you’re after a Windows-based ultrabook that’s large and yet incredibly light, then LG’s offerings are definitely worth exploring. They’re performant enough for everyday tasks, they have respectable I/O, and fairly solid battery life.

They also tend to go on sale pretty regularly so you might just be able to snag your model of choice at a discount.

If you come across a good deal, then going with an LG Gram will most likely result in a very enjoyable experience — assuming you’re okay with its overall build quality and limited CPU performance.

To learn more about the 16” LG Gram (from 2022), make sure to watch the following video:

Conclusion

LG has successfully carved out a niche for itself, and the fact that it has done so amidst such tremendous competition is a feat worthy of praise and commendation.

It makes some of the lightest ultrabooks on the market, and these devices do have an audience.

They’re not particularly well-built, though, and their performance, too, leaves a bit to be desired.

They don’t feel anywhere near as premium as their MSRPs would imply, and should primarily be used for regular-type work like browsing the web, consuming content, typing out emails and such like; at best, you could manage a bit of light design work, or software development.

They do come with solid CPUs (mainly Intel ones), but they can never fully stretch their legs and perform as expected due to them having frugal and anemic cooling assemblies.

They’re not bad laptops by any stretch of the imagination, but LG does cut a few too many corners to keep their weight down. And so, overall, they’re pretty hard to recommend.

The fact that most other OEMs have similarly spec’d laptops that weigh about the same and yet cost less only further complicates things for LG.

To be fair, there’s no actual competition weight-wise in the 15”—17” range, so that’s at least one area where LG has the upper hand.

All in all, it feels like LG still doesn’t have a clear, cohesive vision and a direction towards which it could build. Its offerings are quite solid, but there’s no shortage of viable alternatives in the thin-and-light segment of the market.

Also, do not give any credence to user-written reviews on LG’s website as the vast majority of them happen to be incentivized.

FAQ

Let’s go over a few potential questions you might have regarding this particular topic:

Are LG Laptops Worth It?

That’s a hard question to answer. Are they worth the initial asking price? Absolutely not.

Most of LG’s offerings tend to be horrendously overpriced upon release. Eventually, though, you might be able to snag your model of choice at a tremendous discount, in which case buying one of LG’s laptops might be a good idea.

You just need to be aware that their thinness and overall lightweight nature bring a few compromises in tow, like decreased chassis rigidity, ample flex on both the lid and the keyboard area, and a level of CPU performance which, while sufficient, isn’t going to blow you away.

To learn more about one of LG’s latest laptops — the Gram Style — make sure to watch the following video:

Are LG Laptops Good for Content Creation?

If the laptop you’re looking at happens to be sporting a P-series processor from Intel, then it will suffice for a bit of lightweight content creation — Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and similar programs will run quite well.

4K video editing is probably out of the question, but you could still make due if you use proxies or if your projects don’t happen to be all that complex.

You’ll have a pleasant experience with any software suite that happens to be CPU-reliant. Programs and workloads that need ample graphics performance, however, are a no-go.

Is LG a Good Laptop Brand?

It is, generally speaking.

LG isn’t particularly competitive in regards to performance and pricing, but it has carved out a small niche for itself and has been making small but respectable strides with each new generation of laptops.

Its offerings are still pretty darn niche, though, and they cater to a very specific — and, most likely, very small — target demographic.

For most people, they’re just not a good investment. They’re way too expensive for the level of performance and build quality which they bring to the table.

Are LG Laptops Too Fragile?

They might feel flimsy and subpar, but they’re actually built from a magnesium alloy and have gone through numerous military-grade tests to ensure respectable durability.

They’re not built like a tank, but you shouldn’t worry too much about them falling apart a few years down the road.

Over to You

Have you ever used any of LG’s laptops and, if so, what was that experience like? Let us know in the comment section down below and, in case you need any help, head over to our forum and ask away!