If you want to use a stylus or your fingers for hand-written notes or drawings, then your best bet is to buy a 2-in-1 laptop with a touch screen. We've listed the best 2-in-1s below, including bendback laptops (with lids that flip 360 degrees) and detachables (tablets that attach to a keyboard accessory). We've included only the cream of the crop on this list.
The Spectre x360 13 is the best 2-in-1 laptop ever. Updated with a 10th Gen CPU and a more modern design, the Spectre x360 13 is improved in almost every way over its (also excellent) predecessor. Highlights of this laptop include a stunning design, a bright 1080p display, epic 13+ hour battery life, and fast overall performance.
With the Yoga C940, Lenovo took a proven formula and refined it. Subtle design improvements, longer battery life and refreshed 10th Gen Intel processors make the Yoga C940 a worthy successor to last year's excellent Yoga C930.
As you'd expect from a Yoga-series laptop, the C940 has a premium, ultra-portable chassis and a unique hinge that doubles as a soundbar speaker. As a 2-in-1, that hinge can rotate 360 degrees to convert the Yoga C940 into a proper tablet. When it comes to viewing content, the Yoga C940's 1080p and 4K displays are crisp, vibrant and bright -- just beware, the UHD display drains the battery.
For all the basics it gets right, my favorite things about the Yoga C940 are its extra features. Those include a webcam cover (no more need to buy tape), a slot for the included stylus and a fingerprint sensor.
The new XPS 13 2-in-1 is one of the best 2-in-1 laptops around right now. It’s ridiculously sleek, and it boasts strong performance, thanks to its 10th Gen Intel Core processor. It also has a gorgeous 16:10 display.
On top of having a sequential hinge, it also features a variable torque that allows the lid to be lifted open without the machine wobbling or moving. Combine that with its 0.3~0.5-inch thin chassis, the XPS 13 2-in-1 is one of the best 2-in-1 laptops.
The Microsoft Surface Go has a fantastically vivid 1800 x 1200 screen that punches above its budget-friendly price. This is our favorite part of the Surface Go, but it's not the only thing this detachable 2-in-1 has going for it. At a lightweight 1.1 pounds, the Surface Go is easy to carry around your house or take on a trip. It also has a comfortable optional keyboard with a touchpad, and its Windows Hello support makes logging in a breeze. While we wished it lasted longer on a charge, the Surface Go is an enticing 2-in-1 with a top-notch display.
Asus regained its throne atop our Best Chromebook rankings with the new Chromebook Flip C434. New to this year's (somewhat pricey) model is a larger 14-inch display; slimmer display bezels; and improved performance thanks to a Core m3-8100Y CPU. This convertible doesn't just impress on paper, either. The 1080p display is plenty vivid, and its battery life is surprisingly long.
The Surface Pro 7 takes an excellent laptop in last year's Surface Pro 6 and gives it a power boost. While battery life takes a hit, the new 10th Gen CPUs provide outstanding performance. The design hasn't changed at all, but the Surface Pro 7 now has a USB-C port for charging and connecting peripherals. Microsoft still sells the comfortable Alcantara-clad Type Cover and the super-responsive Surface Pen, which makes it easy to draw or take notes on this tablet's vivid and bright 12.3-inch display.
One of our favorite 15-inch 2-in-1s, HP's Spectre x360 15 offers a powerful Core i7-8565U CPU and GeForce GTX 1050Ti graphics in a slim and sexy aluminum chassis. With gem-cut edges and chamfered corners, there is no mistaking the Spectre x360 15 for anything but a premium machine. But there's a lot more to the Spectre x360 15 than its looks, including an extremely comfortable keyboard, long battery life, and a vivid 4K panel.
The HP Spectre Folio distracts from its middling performance with a stunning genuine leather chassis and innovative mechanism for transforming from a laptop into a tablet. Despite its small size, the Folio has a comfortable keyboard, and its Y-series CPU ensures a long battery life.
There isn't any laptop on the market like the Spectre Folio, so we hope HP updates it soon with 10th Gen processors. Regardless, it remains a great option for artists and designers.
Lenovo took a chance with the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, the first metal ThinkPad, and it paid off. While we still love the signature matte-black carbon-fiber found on most ThinkPads, the aluminum and magnesium ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a gorgeous change of pace.
Not only does it have a slim design, but this convertible 2-in-1 flaunts a bright display and offers a best-in-class keyboard and long battery life. You also get loads of extra goodies, like a built-in stylus slot and webcam cover.
The ZBook Studio x360 G5 is armed with a powerful Intel Xeon processor and a Quadro P1000 GPU -- all packed into a slim 0.8-inch thick frame that can perform 360 degree flips.
It has a gorgeous aluminum hood, vivid 4K display, and impressive battery life. It also comes with an optional ZBook Pen, which features 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity as well as tilt controls and three customizable buttons.
The 15-inch version of Microsoft's Surface Book 2 is a stunning technical achievement that packs a powerful Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU into the base of a detachable 2-in-1. With that kind of graphics might, you can edit 4K videos or create professional 3D animations while you are connected to the keyboard, and then pop the screen off for some drawing or note-taking. The Surface Book 2 also features a brilliant PixelSense display, a powerful Intel 8th-Gen Core i7 CPU, and long battery life.
HP's Elite Dragonfly redefined what it means to be a business laptop. This stunning laptop has a breathtakingly gorgeous chassis that flaunts a unique dark-blue finish.
The design is as practical as it is attractive; the Elite Dragonfly has flexible hinges that convert the laptop into a tablet, and at 2.2 pounds, it's one of the most portable 13-inch laptops around.
You'll somehow need to take your eyes off the Elite Dragonfly's aluminum body to appreciate its bright and vivid 13.3-inch display. But the Elite Dragonfly's greatness doesn't stop there. The laptop also has a surprisingly comfortable keyboard, fast performance and a host of security features, including an IR camera, a fingerprint sensor and MIL-SPEC-810 rated durability.
