Laptops and tablets work well together, but a device that combines both is the ultimate productivity machine for many people. 2-in-1 laptops combine the classic laptop form factor with a touch-screen tablet mode, letting you transform between both modes.

UPDATE: 10/24/2023

We've reviewed our recommendations and have updated multiple picks below. Check it out!

What to Look For in a 2-in-1 Laptop in 2023

2-in-1 laptops are often thin, light devices with a touchscreen and a hinge mechanism that lets them work in both a "laptop" and "tablet" mode. They may also come with a stylus or a detachable keyboard, but these are not always guaranteed. It's also important to note that due to the unique build of 2-in-1 laptops, they have a bit of a premium attached compared to normal laptops with similar specs.

But like any other laptop, you'll want to keep an eye on important hardware to make sure your 2-in-1 works the way you need it to. While processors and graphics cards are important, the laptop's touch screen is the most critical aspect, as you'll be using the screen more often than the keyboard or trackpad. You'll need to ensure you have at least a Full HD resolution screen with decent color saturation and brightness---anything below this will make it difficult to use the 2-in-1 in tablet mode.

You can also generally can pick between a Windows computer and a Chromebook for a 2-in-1. If you're looking for a Windows device, aim for an Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 CPU, at least 8GB of RAM, and at least 512GB of SSD storage so the OS can run smoothly.

You can get away with slightly lower specs for a Chromebook, as ChromeOS is less power-intensive than Windows. But, you may have trouble finding models with a lot of internal storage. You'll need to buy an external hard drive or rely on cloud storage for many Chromebooks.

If you're looking for a 2-in-1 laptop for creative work, you'll need to ensure certain specs are good enough to handle what you do. For example, if you're looking to draw on your 2-in-1, the touch screen and stylus functionality are very important; for photo editing, the screen's color accuracy is a key factor.

For a gaming 2-in-1 laptop, you must ensure the graphics card (GPU) is good enough for your games. Since these are thin laptops, top-of-the-line GPU options are rare. However, make sure you check the GPU's wattage before making a choice, especially if it's an NVIDIA GPU. The wattage for the same GPU model differs across laptops, as does performance.

Finally, most 2-in-1 laptops rely on a hinge mechanism for its laptop-to-tablet convertible action. Regarding reliability, the hinge on a 2-in-1 is one of the essential components, given how much you will fold the laptop over itself. As such, you should ensure the hinge mechanism is strong and sturdy---even the most powerful 2-in-1 laptop is useless if the hinge breaks easily.

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Best 2-in-1 Laptop Overall: Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 4K OLED

Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 4K OLED
Lenovo

Pros

Cons

Fantastic OLED display

More expensive than many competitors

Powerful hardware inside

Solid selection of ports

Stylus pen included in the box

There are plenty of things to look for in a 2-in-1, but some of the most important facets are that it's thin, light, and powerful. This combination lets the strengths of the 2-in-1 design truly shine though, as perfectly shown by the latest-generation Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 4K OLED.

We're looking at one of the more spec'd-out versions of the Yoga 9i, which means you get an Intel Core i7-1360P processor. This CPU is paired with 16GB DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD for plenty of storage. Since this is more of a productivity-focused computer, you don't get a dedicated GPU, but you don't really want the extra bulk and heat in a 2-in-1 anyway.

One of the best aspects of a 2-in-1 is the ability to act as a tablet, and this means a good touch screen is important. While all Yoga 9i models have solid screens, we're looking at the 4K OLED version, which is the nicest of the available options. Specifically, you get a 3840 x 2400 resolution and a relatively standard brightness of 400 nits, though the black levels that OLED gets you may make for better apparent contrast.

When it comes to ports, the Yoga 9i won't leave you wanting. You get a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-C 3.2 port, and a USB-A 3.2 port. While you don't get a HDMI port, both the Thunderbolt connections support DisplayPort. When it comes to wireless connectivity, you get both Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth connectivity.

Lenovo estimates a maximum battery life of up to 10.5 hours from the 4-cell battery, which is solid for a 2-in-1. With a maximum power supply voltage of 100 watts, you should be able to charge the Yoga 9i as well.

Finally, one nice extra here is that unlike many other 2-in-1 laptops, you get a stylus pen included in the box instead of having to buy one separately.

Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 4K OLED
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1
Best 2-in-1 Laptop Overall

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 combines powerful hardware, a great-looking OLED touchscreen, and a thin and light design to make this one of the best 2-in-1s you can buy.

Best Budget 2-in-1 Laptop: ASUS Vivobook Flip 14

ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 on pink background
ASUS

Pros

Cons

✓ Great battery life

✗ Cheaper variants have only 4GB RAM

✓ Sturdy hinge

✗ Sharp edges and deck flex

✓ Good looks

With budget laptops, there are always compromises, but the ASUS Vivobook Flip 14 has the perfect balance of compromises and affordability. The ASUS Vivobook Flip 14 has several versions, differentiated mainly by CPU options. We recommend the model powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i3 CPU.

The i3 CPU version is available for under $500, with sales bringing the laptop below $400, making it a stellar value. You'll only get 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage at that price but some compromises need to be made at this price point. You get a lightweight chassis and a reliable hinge, as expected from ASUS. The weight distribution is stellar, and you get a solid feel in laptop or tablet mode.

There are a few design issues, like sharp corners and deck flex, but these won't hinder your user experience. When I tested the ASUS Vivobook Flip 14, I tried the more expensive Ryzen 5000 version, which didn't impress at the $600 price point. However, the i3 version is a better value than its direct competitors, including the Surface Go 3.

The ASUS Vivobook Flip 14 has stellar battery life, too. ASUS promise a battery that lasts all day, and unless you're doing CPU-heavy tasks, it should hold up to that figure. The screen isn't the brightest or most color-accurate, but it will get the job done.

assus vivobook flip 14
ASUS VivoBook Flip 14
Best Budget 2-in-1 Laptop
$399 $480 Save $81

ASUS' Vivobook Flip 14 has great battery life, good looks, and a study hinge that makes for a great 2-in-1 laptop experience.

Best 2-in-1 Laptop for Students: Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 2-in-1 14”

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 2-in-1 14”

Pros

Cons

Thin, light, and easily portable

Screen isn't as nice as some of the other models we looked at

Decent hardware for the price

Good battery life

A 2-in-1 for students needs a few things, with easy portability being the first concern. A student needs to be able to stuff a laptop into a bag quickly, then retrieve it and start taking notes or working on coursework just as fast. This is precisely the type of scenario that suits the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 2-in-1 14-inch perfectly.

Students don't typically have a ton of money to toss around, and parents have plenty of other financial concerns, so the fact the 14-inch Flex 5 is half the price of our overall pick is a factor worth considering. Don't worry about Lenovo skimping on the specs, though: this model still sports an Intel i5-1335U, 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage. The Intel Iris Xe graphics aren't great for gaming, but they're perfect for image editing and other school tasks.

In order to meet a price point, companies typically need to skimp somewhere, but in the case of the Flex 5, it wasn't the screen. The resolution is 1920 x 1200, which is quite sharp for a 14-inch model, and as is the case for any 2-in-1, it's a touchscreen. The only area that Lenovo seems to have tried to save money on is the keyboard, which isn't backlit.

Looking at ports, you're not getting the most possible, but you should have enough to plug in any accessories you need. You get a single USB-C port, a pair of USB-A ports, an HDMI connector, and a headphone jack. There's also an SD card slot, handy for adding some extra storage or for transferring footage from cameras.

For more graphics-intensive work, students may want a larger screen at the expense of some portability. If that's the case, the 16-inch Flex 5 has the aforementioned bigger screen, as well as more storage.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 2-in-1 14”
Lenovo Flex 5 2-in-1
Best 2-in-1 Laptop for Students

The Lenovo Flex 5 2-in-1 is a 14-inch model that is light, portable, and powerful enough to make it perfect for students on the go.

Best 2-in-1 Laptop for Gaming: ASUS ROG Flow X16

ASUS ROG Flow X16 on pink and yellow background
ASUS

Pros

Cons

✓ Brilliant Mini-LED screen

✗ A bit pricey

✓ Great hardware

✓ Large trackpad

The 2-in-1 form factor is tricky since these are essentially thin-and-light laptops, so most don't have the space to put in gaming hardware. As such, there are very few 2-in-1 gaming laptops, but the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is the best one available.

The ASUS ROG Flow X16 comes packed with some great hardware. You will get a powerful Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU, and for a graphics card, you can pick between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 3060, or 3070 Ti. This is backed by up to 64GB DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage. You can also add an external RTX 3080 GPU using ASUS' proprietary XG Mobile external GPU box.

Given the specifications and ASUS's history, there is no doubt that this is an impressive gaming laptop. That being said, it's a great 2-in-1 laptop as well, and the display is primarily responsible for that.

The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a brilliant Mini-LED display, running at QHD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 165Hz. You get 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and 1,100 nits of brightness. That means a fantastic gaming viewing experience when folded into a tablet.

Despite this laptop's hardware, it still weighs in at 4.59 pounds, which is light for a gaming laptop, especially considering the 16-inch size. The build quality is top-notch, but the battery life is not the best, though adequate for a gaming laptop.

asus rog flow x16
ASUS ROG Flow X16
Best 2-in-1 Laptop for Gaming

The ASUS ROG Flow X16 offers great hardware and one of the best displays you can get on any laptop, let alone a 2-in-1.

Best 2-in-1 Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Spin 713

Chromebook Spin 713 on green and blue background
Acer

Pros

Cons

✓ Brilliant display

✗ Limited internal storage

✓ Solid performance

✓ Thunderbolt 4

Acer makes some of the best value-for-money laptops, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is one of their best. This 2-in-1 has consistently been one of the best Chromebooks you can buy ever since it first launched.

With Chromebooks, you don't get the latest and greatest hardware, but the Spin 713 checks all the right boxes. You get an 11th Gen Intel Core CPU, with options between i3, i5, and i7 chips. You get either 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB SSD storage. It may not seem like much, but it will handle ChromeOS like a champ. You also have Thunderbolt 4 to make up for the limited internal storage.

The star of the show is the 3:2 aspect ratio display, which runs at a resolution of 2,256x1,504 pixels. It's not just one of the best displays you can get on a Chromebook---it's also fantastic for Windows laptops at a similar price point. It has excellent colors and ample brightness, and the 3:2 ratio is a solid choice for this device, making for a superb experience, especially in tablet mode.

You get solid build quality, making this one feel like a premium machine The battery life is pretty decent as well and can last you a day. This is impressive because it drives a high-resolution screen and an x86 Intel chip, which would eat up some of the Chromebook's battery life.

acer chrombook spin 713
acer chromebook spin 713
Best 2-in-1 Chromebook

One of the best Chromebooks you can buy, the Chromebook Spin 713 has decent hardware and one of the best screens you can get at the price.

Best 2-in-1 Laptop for Drawing: Microsoft Surface Pro 9

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

Pros

Cons

Fantastic touchscreen and display

Stylus pen and keyboard are sold separately

Form factor is great for tablet use

Great battery life

Microsoft's Surface Pro line has always taken a slightly different approach than most 2-in-1 laptops, starting with the focus on the tablet half rather than the laptop half. That said, the two approaches work together in a way that truly make the Pro feel like Microsoft's flagship Surface hardware. The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is the best iteration of this hardware to date.

As Microsoft has yet to release the Surface Pro 10 (not to be confused with the mobile Surface Pro X), the hardware in the Pro 9 is a generation behind some of our other picks. That said, the Intel Evo i7 in the Surface Pro 9 has plenty of speed on tap. Combined with the 16GB RAM and 256GB of storage in the model we've chosen, you aren't lacking for computing power.

The screen is always a highlight of the Surface Pro models, and in this case, the 13-inch screen uses a resolution of 2880x1920 to keep things looking sharp. This is also a touchscreen, but unlike many 2-in-1s, the ability to completely remove the keyboard makes using the Surface Pro 9 in tablet mode feel like you're combining the ease of use of the iPad with the computing power of a proper laptop.

There are always benefits to the company that creates an operating system building the hardware that it runs on, and in the case of the Surface Pro line, it's battery life. Microsoft estimates an average (not maximum) battery life up 15.5 hours, and while this time varies based on how you're using the laptop, it's certainly achieveable.

One thing to keep in mind, especially since the Surface Pro 9 is our pick for drawing, is the Surface Slim Pen 2 and keyboard are sold separately. While it's possible to use the Surface Pro 9 without either, you'll likely want both to get the most you can out of the hardware.

surface pro 9
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Best 2-in-1 Laptop for Drawing
$1139 $1600 Save $461

The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 combines powerful hardware, one of the best form factors in the business, and a fantastic touchscreen into a near-perfect package, but don't forget to pick up the stylus and keyboard too.

FAQ

What does a 2-in-1 laptop mean?

A 2-in-1 laptop is a touchscreen laptop with a hinge that lets you fold the screen all the way back and use it as a tablet. They're also called convertible laptops or 360-degree laptops.

How do I protect the keyboard on a 2-in-1 laptop?

2-in-1 laptop keyboards automatically disable when folded into tablet mode, along with the trackpad. However, if you want to get some extra protection for your keyboard, you can use a keyboard cover.

Are 2-in-1 laptops good for drawing?

Not all 2-in-1 laptops have screens (or stylus experience) that are great for drawing. However, there are 2-in-1 laptops that are great for drawing, but they're generally the higher-priced models.

How do I clean my laptop screen?

The best way to clean a laptop screen is to dust it and then use a mildly damp microfiber cloth to wipe it clean. Glass cleaners and rubbing alcohol can cause damage to your screen, so it's best to use a bit of water to dampen the cloth instead.

How do I factory reset my laptop?

You can factory reset your laptop using the Reset this PC option in the Settings app on Windows. On a Chromebook, you can do it using the Powerwash option.