The 5 Best 2-In-1 Laptops - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best 2-in-1 laptop we've tested is the ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023). This sleek ultraportable feels incredibly well-built and is easy to carry around. It has a gorgeous 90Hz OLED display, a comfortable keyboard, and a large touchpad with a built-in virtual Numpad. It supports pen input and comes with an MPP (Microsoft Pen Protocol) 2.0 stylus, although there's nowhere to dock or attach the pen for transport. You get plenty of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4s, as well as a facial recognition IR camera for quick logins. Performance-wise, its Intel 13th Gen CPU has no problem handling general productivity and more demanding workloads like photo editing and programming. Battery life sits around eight hours of light use, so depending on your usage, you may need to plug it in for a quick charge to get through the day.

If you prefer a tablet PC with a detachable keyboard, get the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021). It has a sharp 120Hz IPS display, and above it sits an excellent 1080p webcam for video calls and a facial recognition IR camera. It also supports pen input, but unlike the ASUS, you have to buy it separately, and the same goes for the keyboard. The keyboard is worth getting, as it's comfortable to type on and protects the screen against scratches. Port selection is limited; you only get two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, a proprietary charging port, and a headphone jack. As you may already know, Microsoft has released the Surface Pro 9. It's essentially the same device but with faster Intel 12th Gen processors. The Surface Pro 9 is more widely available, but if you don't need the performance increase, you can save a good chunk of cash with the Surface Pro 8 since it's an older device and often on sale.

If you want something a little cheaper than the ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023), the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 (2023) is a great choice. It's relatively thin and light for a 16-inch device, so it's still very portable. Plus, you get tons of screen real estate for split-screen multitasking. You can configure it with an FHD+ or QHD+ panel; the latter looks sharper and more colorful, and it gets brighter to combat glare. It has Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, a fingerprint sensor and facial recognition camera, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Its Intel 13th Gen CPUs perform well and can easily handle general productivity tasks like web browsing, text processing, spreadsheets, and video playback. The webcam's video quality is decent; the image looks reasonably detailed but has an unnatural tint, and the microphone picks up background noise.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is a good mid-range option if you want something more compact. It's also a 2-in-1 convertible, but it has a smaller 14-inch screen and runs Chrome OS. Performance is excellent, as its Intel 12th Gen U-series CPU is powerful enough for anything you'd need to do on a Chromebook. This laptop supports pen input and comes with a stylus that you can dock into the side of the laptop. The pen isn't particularly comfortable to hold for an extended period and doesn't support tilt, so it's more for quick notes than actual drawing. Unfortunately, it's getting hard to find because there's a newer 2023 version. While we haven't tested this model, it looks largely the same as its predecessor design-wise. Upgrades include faster Intel 13th Gen CPUs and a higher-resolution 1440p webcam, but it no longer comes with a stylus. You can see the 2023 model on Amazon and Best Buy.

The best budget 2-in-1 laptop we've tested is the Microsoft Surface Go 3 (2021). It's essentially a miniaturized version of the Surface Pro designed for lighter tasks like emails, web browsing, and media consumption. It's incredibly compact at only 10.5 inches, so it's very easy to carry around. Its IPS display looks sharp, gets bright enough for use in most settings, and supports pen input. The 1080p webcam above the display is excellent, and there's also a facial recognition IR camera for quick logins. Like all Microsoft 2-in-1 tablets, the keyboard and stylus are accessories you purchase separately. The keyboard is worth getting because Windows isn't very touch-friendly, and the keyboard helps protect the screen from scratches.

You can get the Surface Go 3 with an Intel Pentium Gold or Core i3 CPU. Both are fine for simple tasks like web browsing, emails, and video playback, but don't expect to do anything remotely intensive. If your budget allows, we recommend getting a model with 8GB of memory, as you'll get a much smoother experience when multitasking. The 8GB model costs around $550 USD, so you can expect to spend a little over $600 factoring in the keyboard. The battery lasts about seven hours of light use, which is short compared to clamshell laptops but not bad for a 10-inch tablet. Port selection is limited; you only get one USB-C, a headphone jack, and a proprietary Surface Connect charging port.

Our best cheap pick is the Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020), a 15.6-inch Chromebook with a 360-degree hinge. It's available with an Intel Pentium Gold or a Core i3 CPU, both fast enough to provide a smooth desktop experience on Chrome OS. Battery life is excellent at around 12 hours of light use or eight hours of video playback. The display gives you plenty of room for split-screen multitasking and looks relatively sharp; it just doesn't get very bright, meaning you might have visibility issues in very well-lit rooms. You get a comfortable keyboard with a Numpad, a small but responsive touchpad, and an okay webcam. Unfortunately, you can only get a maximum of 4GB of memory, so you might experience stutters or slowdowns if you have too many things running simultaneously.

For media consumption, get the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 (2021), a 13-inch Chrome OS 2-in-1 tablet. What makes this device great for media consumption is its gorgeous OLED display. It's sharp, bright, and colorful, and like all OLEDs, it displays deep, inky blacks. The battery lasts around eight hours of video playback or 10 hours of light use, and it charges over USB-C, so you don't have to deal with a proprietary charger.

Unfortunately, while the speakers get reasonably loud, they don't have much bass and sound unnatural, so you're better off using headphones if you want the best audio experience. Wireless headphones, to be exact, because this device doesn't have a 3.5mm headphone jack and doesn't come with a USB-C audio adapter. The keyboard is included in the box, although it feels pretty cramped, meaning it isn't the best for typing long essays.