When reviewing laptops, I often focus on performance and battery life as the major deciding factors on whether or not to buy one. But one other area, while crucial, remains underrated.
As my recent review of the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 reminded me, nothing makes me sadder than a laptop that can't deliver on one key spec.
You may not always think you need a bright, colorful display on a computer, particularly if you're looking at a business laptop. Who cares about color spaces when you spend your days in spreadsheets?
While the ThinkBook has excellent performance and stellar battery life, the dim panel — it couldn't even hit the 300-nit mark for maximum brightness — struggled to avoid screen glare, making any attempts at streaming video or playing games more frustrating than relaxing.
So, if you plan to use your laptop for business and pleasure, you'd likely be better served with one of these other 2-in-1 convertible laptops.
HP Spectre x360 14
The HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) is our top recommendation for a 2-in-1 convertible laptop, and for good reason.
The HP Spectre x360 14 is not just a pretty 2-in-1 laptop but a multipurpose beast.
Sure, it may be a bit pricey and lack some ports, but it packs a powerful Intel Core Ultra processor, over 11 hours of battery life, a gorgeous 14-inch OLED display, powerful top-firing speakers, a bouncy keyboard, and a 4K webcam.
The 14-inch OLED display covered 85.8% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and had an average max brightness of 366 nits. On the Geekbench 6 CPU performance benchmark, the Spectre x360 14 scored a multicore average of 12,358, which outpaced even the MacBook Pro 14 M3 (11,870).
The HP Spectre x360 14 is not just a pretty 2-in-1 laptop but a multipurpose beast.
It's available now at Best Buy for $1,899.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 is a pricier Lenovo business convertible than the ThinkBook, but that extra cost comes with a ton of benefits. From snappy Intel Core Ultra 7 155U performance to a fantastic typing experience, high-quality speakers, and an anti-reflective IPS display, there's a lot to enjoy about the ThinkPad X1 convertible.
The 14-inch display covers 71.2% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is a bit disappointing. However, with an anti-glare IPS panel that hits an average peak brightness of 326 nits, the ThinkPad can operate well even under harsh overhead office lighting systems. On the Geekbench 6 CPU performance benchmark, the ThinkPad scored a multicore average of 9,519, which outperformed the HP Envy x360 2-in-1.
You can pick up the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 for just $1,726 at Lenovo.
The ThinkPad can operate well even under harsh overhead office lighting systems.
From snappy Intel Core Ultra 7 155U performance to a fantastic typing experience, high-quality speakers, and an anti-reflective IPS display, there's a lot to enjoy about the ThinkPad X1 convertible.
The 14-inch display covers 71.2% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is a bit disappointing. However, with an anti-glare IPS panel that hits an average peak brightness of 326 nits, the ThinkPad can operate well even under harsh overhead office lighting systems. On the Geekbench 6 CPU performance benchmark, the ThinkPad scored a multicore average of 9,519, which outperformed the HP Envy x360 2-in-1.
You can pick up the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 for just $1,726 at Lenovo.
HP Envy x360 2-in-1
The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 offers a stunning OLED display panel option, a comfortable keyboard, and a spacious trackpad. The laptop's performance is a bit underwhelming, and the battery life is decent, but it will probably require you to keep your charger handy. But it is a sleek convertible with a standout display, which makes it worth considering.
The Envy's display is incredibly vibrant
The Envy's display is incredibly vibrant, covering an astounding 136% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and boasting an average peak brightness of 368 nits of SDR brightness and 572 nits of HDR brightness. If you need a 2-in-1 laptop that's going to provide the best quality display, the Envy is the way to go. The Envy's performance is a bit disappointing, netting a Geekbench 6 multicore average of just 8,697 which is well below the ThinkPad and Spectre x360 listed above.
You can pick up the HP Envy x360 for just $699 at Best Buy.
Outlook
2-in-1 Convertible laptops don't always have the brightest or most colorful display panels, but they should at least cross the 300-nit mark. This is especially true for a computer that will have to compete with overhead office fluorescent lights.
Of course, if you don't need a convertible laptop you have some much brighter options for laptops with the best displays like the MacBook Pro 14 M3, Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, or Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.
