Not long ago, touchscreen laptops were considered pretty out of place. But a lot has changed over the last few years, specifically because Microsoft has made vast improvements to Windows to improve the overall touchscreen experience. Before it was just using your finger to scroll through a long web page, which wasn’t a real benefit. Now, thanks to the combination of a touch-friendly interface and stylus support throughout Windows 11 and in apps, 2-in-1 laptops are becoming more common – and more attractive.
The 2-in-1 idea is simple; it’s a laptop with a touchscreen that either detaches or rotates 360-degrees, morphing the device into a faux-tablet. In theory this gives you the best of both worlds; a laptop and a tablet in a single slim(ish) package. Some convertible and detachable laptops even support Windows Ink, which allows you to use a stylus to jot down some notes or draw on the display. Of course, a poorly designed convertible laptop can also give you the worst of both worlds with an expensive, underpowered laptop and a bulky tablet. Luckily, we’ve got you covered, and we’ve done all the research and narrowed down the search for you with these models listed below.
TL;DR – These are the Best 2-in-1 Laptops:
1. Surface Pro 8
Best 2-in-1 Laptop
There’s no doubt that Microsoft’s Surface Pro lineup helped create the 2-in-1 market, and with the Surface Pro 8, Microsoft has once again set the bar for a device that pulls double-duty as a laptop and tablet. The detachable’s 13-inch PixelSense Flow display supports multi-touch and you can use a stylus, like the Microsoft Slim Pen 2, for drawing or writing.
It comes with Windows 11 Home, and is powered by Intel’s 11th Gen Core i5 processor, with 8GB of memory and a 128GB SSD. The base model, which we’ve highlighted here, is going to provide enough power for everyday tasks, and even some photo or light video editing. If you’re looking for more power, the Surface Pro 8 is upgradable to an Intel Core i7, 32GB of RAM, and an 1TB SSD.
Keep in mind, however, that if you want to use the Surface Pro 8 as a laptop and tablet, you’ll need to buy a keyboard separately, like the $160 Surface Pro Signature Keyboard or the $280 combo that comes with a Surface Slim Pen 2, adding to the overall cost.
2. Surface Laptop Studio
Best 2-in-1 Laptop for Creatives
Microsoft’s latest 2-in-1 offering takes the best of the Surface Book 3 and combines it with a unique design to give creatives a powerful and versatile laptop. Instead of a screen that detaches from the housing, the Surface Laptop Studio’s screen can be positioned a few different ways, including rotating it so that it lays flat on top of the keyboard, giving you a spot to draw or sketch with the Slim Pen 2. You can can also magnetically attach and charge the Slim Pen 2 just under the device’s front lip, keeping it nearby and ready to work at all times.
Inside this particular build is an Intel 11th Gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory, 512GB of storage and an RTX 3050 Ti, giving you all of the power you’d need to work in professional CAD apps or edit video and photos – and do some casual gaming between projects. The Surface Laptop Studio does a little bit of everything, and it looks good while doing it.
3. Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360
Thinnest 2-in-1 Laptop
Samsung’s latest 2-in-1 laptop is the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, an impressively thin and light laptop/tablet hybrid. The display folds back, nearly 360-degrees, converting from a standard laptop to a tablet. On top of that, you can use the stowable Samsung S Pen stylus to interact with the Windows 11 interface.
Samsung includes several of its own apps and services on the Book 2 Pro 360, such as the Samsung Notes app that syncs with Galaxy smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy S22.
This model has an impressively sharp AMOLED display that’s powered by a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage with enough battery life to get through a full day of work with some juice to spare.
4. HP Envy x360
Best Premium 2-in-1 Laptop
Everything you need to take full advantage of the HP Envy x360 is included in the box. That means you’ll not only get a 2-in-1 laptop fully loaded with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB of memory, and 1TB of storage, but you’ll also get a USB hub and an Active Pen that will work on the 15.6-inch display.
While the HP Envy x360 isn’t the most powerful 2-in-1 featured here, it has a premium design, complete with a fingerprint reader for unlocking your account or signing into supported apps, and several ports that make it easy to connect your accessories. It can be used as a laptop, in tent mode to watch movies or YouTube videos, or fold the screen all the way back and use it as a really big tablet.
5. Asus ZenBook Flip S13 OLED
Best 2-in-1 OLED Laptop
Want a 2-in-1 with a display you can’t stop staring at? Look no further than the ASUS ZenBook Flip S13 OLED. It has a bright and vivid 13.3-inch OLED 4K touchscreen panel that works with the included stylus. You can use it as a laptop, or fold the display back until it lays flat and convert the ZenBook Flip into an OLED tablet.
There are a number of ports on either side including two Thunderbolt 4 ports for charging the laptop or connecting high-speed accessories, and the HDMI port makes it easy to connect an external display. Also you get a single USB-A port so you won’t have to carry a USB hub.
Inside the ZenBook Flip is an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD for storage. In addition to that, it has Wi-Fi 802.11ax support for fast internet connections and an IR Camera for Windows Hello support.
What to look for in a 2-in-1 laptop
It’s most important to take into account what you’re going to be using a 2-in-1 laptop for, not only today, but in the future. Once you identify if you’re going to use it for everyday tasks like browsing, email, messaging, online shopping and videos you can narrow down your search to a build near the lower end of most laptop makers' configurations.
However, if you’re going to need to do heavy video and photo editing, or spend a lot of time in 3D animation software, then you’ll want to look at a device like the Microsoft Laptop Studio that has the power you’re certainly going to need.
If you’re not sure what you’ll use it for, the best advice, then, is to get a 2-in-1 laptop that has a fast processor and plenty of memory. Every option listed here, save for the Surface Pro 8, meets those requirements. And even then, you can pick a higher-end configuration of the Pro 8 to up the memory and storage.
A good starting point would be to look for a 2-in-1 laptop with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage. In an ideal situation, you’d double the memory and storage to future-proof your investment.
Jason Cipriani has covered technology full-time for the past 8 years. During that time he has freelanced for the likes of CNET, Fortune, Time, ZDNet, Macworld, Wired, and TechRadar.
