Best 2 In 1 Laptops

With technological advances in making the computer components smaller, and the screens thinner and more durable, the possibilities for laptops have also grown.  Convertible laptops, otherwise known as “2-in-1 laptops”, are laptop computers that integrate the features of a tablet. They all have a touchscreen, where you can select items on the desktop by touching them. And they all have a keyboard--in some cases, the keyboard can be detached from the screen. They will give the option of bending the screen back, way past the amount you’d usually open a clamshell-design laptop. And, if it’s detachable, you can take off the screen entirely, and carry it around like a tablet!

Nonetheless, there is still a range of designs and features, all lumped under the rubric “2-in-1 laptop”. It appeals to people who like having a versatile tool, that can combine the advantages of computer and tablet, all in one device.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a 2-in-1 laptop. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of 2-in-1 laptop,

• See useful tips about that particular type of 2-in-1 laptop,

• Read reviews of different 2-in-1 laptops, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of 2-in-1 laptop, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

• Convertible laptops: A convertible laptop has the features of a laptop and a tablet. You’ll have a laptop with a touchscreen, just like a tablet. On the other hand, you’ll have a tablet with a keyboard (instead of just touching the screen with your index finger). An example is the HP Pavilion x360 14” 2-in-1 laptop. The screen can be pushed back into a “tent” form, or laid perfectly flat.

HP Pavilion x360 14” 2-in-1 Laptop in "Tent Mode"

• Detachable laptops: These will have a magnetic hinge between the screen and the keyboard. You can easily detach the screen and use it as a tablet. They will adjust automatically to tablet mode when you detach the screen, and the display will orient itself whether you hold it vertically or horizontally. An example is the HP Pavilion x2 Detachable. It really allows for 4 modes:

  • Notebook mode, like a regular clamshell laptop;

  • Stand mode, for watching videos;

  • Tent mode, for playing games and clicking on apps;

  • Tablet mode, that you can use as a Kindle device for reading books, or for sketching and drawing.

HP Pavilion x2 2-in-1 Laptop, illustrating the detachable feature

• Using Windows Ink: Windows Ink is a program with Windows 10 that allows you to use a special stylus. Many of these 2-in-1 laptops have Windows 10 with Windows Ink. That way, you can jot down ideas in a fraction of the time that it would take to type them out! You can cross out text and put comments on documents, much as if you would be proofreading a printed copy! And you can use the Ink to Text feature, which converts your handwriting to a particular computer font!

• Thin and lightweight: Since these laptops are made with thinner glass than in the past, they are amazingly lightweight and thin. Some users say that it’s not much different than carrying another notebook or paperback in your bag!

• Bending back the screen: You’ll see that the screen in a 2-in-1 laptop can be bent in all sorts of geometries. The classic laptop screen, with the clamshell design, can only be opened to between 90 - 130 degrees. Bending it more would risk breaking the hinges. But now, there are 2-in-1s that allow you to open the laptop a full 360 degrees--until the screen lays flat!

• Stylus: The touchscreen feature is a favorite for drawing--you can either draw pictures with your finger or with a dedicated stylus, as in the Asus Pen. It’s a stylus with a pressure-sensitive tip. It detects whether you press gently, or with a lot of force--that way, you can draw as if with a regular pencil! It also can make perfectly curved lines, without giving them a jagged appearance. With the appropriate app, you can write or draw to your heart’s content. The battery in the stylus can last up to 10 months on a single charge!

Illustration of the Asus Stylus at work

• Touchscreen with multi-touch: The touchscreen on some of these 2-in-1 laptops will not just let you select items by touching them. They'll have "multi-touch technology", which also allows you to zoom in and zoom out by pinching or spreading your fingers on the screen. You can find screens touting "10-point touch", meaning that the screen can take several touch points at once. That allows for two people to work (or play a computer game!) at once, by just touching the screen!

• Check that it has the ports you need: With so much of an emphasis on being thin and lightweight, some manufacturers had to sacrifice on the number of ports on their laptops. The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 has only 1 USB port, as well as an HDMI port and a slot for an SD card. Only 1 USB port means that you might need a USB hub to have enough place for a keyboard, mouse, disk-on-key, external DVD, and more USB devices. The Asus 15.6" 2-in-1, on the other hand, has 1 USB Type-C 3.1 port, 2 USB 3.0 ports, and 1 USB 2.0, for older USB devices.

• Operating system: Many 2-in-1 laptops will have Windows 10 installed. That gives the maximum of touchscreen capability since the Windows 10 display is very conducive to tablet mode, with each app on the desktop being a separate square. Alternatively, you’ll see 2-in-1s that are Chromebooks, with just Google Chrome’s operating system, intended to be used mostly with the Internet.

Acer was founded in 1976, manufacturing electronic components such as microprocessors and the like. They then moved on to making computers, tablets, smartphones, monitors, projectors, and more. Acer offers both convertible and detachable 2-in-1 laptops.

Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell when he was a student at the University of Texas at Austin. He started making PCs, but then the business expanded to laptops, workstations, monitors, and computer peripheral equipment and accessories. Dell’s 2-in-1 laptops have immersive graphics and displays while being in a thin and lightweight construction. 

Lenovo is a manufacturer of smartphones, smart TVs, laptop computers, tower and all-in-one desktops,  tablets, virtual reality devices, and workstations. They were founded in 1984 in Beijing, China as “Legend Computers”, and acquired IBM’s line of PCs in 2005.

HP, founded by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard in 1939, consists of two divisions: HP Inc., for computers, printers, and information technology products, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, for software and financial services. They make regular laptops, as well as workstations, detachable laptops, and convertible hybrid laptops.

ASUS, whose full name is “AsusTek Computer Inc.”, is an electronics and computer hardware company.  They were founded in 1989 in Taipei, Taiwan. Their VivoBook and ZenBook Flip, Transformer Book Series, and Asus NovaGo are all 2-in-1 models.