The best 2-in-1 laptops are really smart buys in 2023 as they combine two products into one, both a laptop and a sort-of tablet. So, when money is tight and people are suffering the effects of a global financial downturn, combining two purchases into one makes perfect sense.
When deciding which hybrid laptop is best, it's important to consider what you’d like its primary use to be. If it’s for doing work such as sending emails and writing, then perhaps a sturdy keyboard is important. If you’re mostly using it for streaming TV and film, screen and battery life will be a bigger priority.
If none of these 2-in-1s are suited to your needs, you may also want to check out our guides to other devices such as the best laptops, the best gaming laptops, the best lightweight laptops and the best student laptops. Or if you’re only after Apple, go straight to our guide for the best MacBook. If it’s more the tablet side you’re after, our best tablets and best iPads guide will give you the very best options available right now. And if you're looking for a bargain check out T3's Best Black Friday Sales for mid-late November deals.
The best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy 2023: The top 3
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The best 2-in-1 for most people is the Asus ZenBook Flip 13. It's all about balance of features to price, which this Windows machine wins. Other options are more premium, but they'll cost more.
The best premium 2-in-1 is the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1. Dell is synonymous with quality and its 2-in-1 version of the classic XPS exudes build and high-spec that makes it a premium purchase.
The best budget 2-in-1 is the Microsoft Surface Go 2. Not the newest in Microsoft's series, but that's what helps this lightweight (and lighter powered) 2-in-1 to win this spot on our list.
With its full 360-degree ErgoLift hinge and minimal-bezel design, the Zenbook Flip 13 is one of the best laptops Asus has ever released. Befitting its namesake, the Flip 13 can be flipped between laptop, movie and tablet mode almost effortlessly, rated for at least 20,000 cycles. It feels solid and sturdy too, with a spun-metal finish available in three different colours. Our review model came in the Royal Blue variant, which looks fantastic with its rose-gold trim.
Tooled up with an 8th-gen Intel Core processor, this is average for a laptop, but powerful for a tablet. The tablet mode feels great to use, too, thanks to a responsive touchscreen and military-grade tested durable design. The only missing feature is a smart stylus, which would make using the tablet mode for artistic endeavours a bit easier, but there’s always the potential to buy a third-party pen.
We haven’t even delved into the brilliant audio quality courtesy of sound masters Harman Kardon, nor the well-designed keyboard that feels sturdy and comfortable to use. By far the coolest feature, however, is the integrated numpad. Hold down an invisible button on the corner of the trackpad, and concealed LED backlighting illuminates, transforming the trackpad into a full numpad, ready to tackle any and all calculations.
All of this, partnered with a really competitive mid-tier price point, makes the Asus ZenBook Flip 13 our top recommendation for the best 2-in-1 laptop.
Very appealing looks, superb specs... what's not to like about the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1? The standard XPS 13 is a fine laptop in its own right, but this 2-in-1 version folds right over as well – perhaps most useful in tent mode, when you want to prop it up to enjoy some video streaming content in the evening. You get a device that's sleek, light, and capable of managing everything you need it to do.
As usual with Dell devices, a variety of configurations are available for your Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 – it depends how much money you've got to spend and what you need your laptop to do as to which one is going to be the best one for your particular needs. What's true about all of them, however, is that they're all very capable, very versatile, and very well-designed.
This is very much an option to consider if you're more interested in the laptop rather than the tablet aspect of the 2-in-1 experience – the XPS 13 is absolutely one of the best laptops on the market at the moment, and the fact that you can fold it right over and use it as a tablet just adds to the appeal.
This is a very Surface-heavy list and for good reason: Microsoft's forays into the 2-in-1 market have been a huge success, revitalising the company's image as a serious hardware maker right when it needed it. For people who want to get in on this without paying handsomely, Microsoft has you covered with the Microsoft Surface Go 2.
It builds on what made the original Surface Go so good, adding a more premium-feeling design and a small specs bump to make sure you can get through all of the computing tasks that you need to get through. It also squeezes in a bigger-sized screen into a form factor the same size as the original Surface Go, but cutting down on the bezels.
You can eke out around five hours of use between charges with the Surface Go, and given its size and power, it's perfect for everyday on-the-go computing. In your calculations about whether or not to buy this, make sure that you factor in the extra cost of the Type Cover keyboard in as well, which you're going to need to make full use of this as a laptop as well as a tablet.
Get even more information and buying advice in T3's dedicated should I buy the Microsoft Surface Go 2 feature.
Best 2-in-1 laptops: The best of the rest
If you need a laptop for hybrid working, you'll need it to be light and convenient to carry with you, the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 weighs less than a kilogram and is about the size of an A4 notepad. Even its charger is small, only slightly bigger than the average smartphone adaptor.
You'll have no problems fitting it into your bag, but that doesn't mean it skimps on power. This laptop has serious performance packed into it, with 16GB RAM and the newest 11th Gen Intel Core processors to choose from, it's a workhorse that won't let you down.
There were a couple of small downsides, like the fact that it would have been good to have a more sophisticated webcam considering how much people have been relying on video calls recently. The battery life isn't amazing either, it's just fine.
Despite that, this is a seriously impressive laptop - it's faster, more premium and even nicer to use than the first generation of the PC, the HP Elite Dragonfly, and that's saying something! If you're looking for a versatile, transportable laptop then look no further.
Anyone who needs versatility and portability from a 2-in-1 laptop should consider the Microsoft Surface Pro 8. If you buy the optional Surface Type Cover it works just as well as a tablet as it does a laptop.
You’ll easily be able to carry it around in your bag because it’s both slim and light. To transform it into a laptop you simply snap on the Surface Type Cover, it's much nicer to use as a tablet than devices with the 360-degree swivelling design.
Once attached, you can angle the keyboard upwards for a better typing position or lay it flat on a table. It’s worth bearing in mind that the slender design isn’t as firm as a traditional keyboard. While that won’t be a problem for most people, if you spend literally all day every day typing then it may not be right for you.
When it comes to performance, this doesn’t quite match up to some of the most powerful devices on this list but it’s really not that far off either. You’ll easily be able to get your work done on it, as well as edit photos and play some video games here and there.
The only area that the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 really falls down in is battery life. You’ll still get a good few hours of video playback from it but you will need to have the charger within reach if you take it to work with you.
To sum things up, this is the best Surface Pro device yet. Read about it in more detail in the full Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review.
We were hugely impressed by what the Surface Book 2 had to offer, and the Surface Book 3 is an even better proposition: while the design stays mostly the same, the internals have been given a welcome boost, and at the top end of the configuration options you can get a discrete Nvidia graphics card installed.
This is both a heavy duty laptop and a heavy duty tablet rolled into one (and running the full version of Windows 10 of course) – unlike a lot of 2-in-1s, it has a proper laptop style keyboard, but also has a screen that completely detaches as well. While we've listed the specs for the 13.3-inch display above, a 15-inch model is also available if you want a larger display (just remember that the removable screen is going to be that bit bigger).
Anyone interested in the best 2-in-1 laptop at the moment has to check out the Surface Book 3 really, but it comes at a high price: this is only for those with relatively deep pockets to consider. Even at this price though, we don't think you're going to be disappointed.
To discover even more about this system check out T3's should I buy the Microsoft Surface Book 3 guide. To see how it stacks up against another premium 2-in-1 also scope out T3's Microsoft Surface Book 3 vs New Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 comparison feature.
If you need a 2-in-1 laptop to stream TV shows and movies, the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 combines an ultra-high-definition display with its own rotating soundbar to produce 360-degree audio. TV shows and movies are delivered how they were meant to be seen and heard.
The laptop itself oozes class with a leather design on the outside and a glass touchpad integrated into the palm rest on the inside. You'll also find a stylus garaged into the back of the computer.
It's not just stylish though, there's plenty of substance too. This is a speedy piece of kit which is sure to cope with pretty much everything you could throw at it. The only real downside is that the battery life is average but that won't be a deal-breaker for most. All-in-all this laptop will be well suited to productivity be that in business or academia.
Check our Lenovo discount codes for the latest savings.
If you're after a laptop to work on during the day and kick back to watch a movie on in the evening, then this could be it. In the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 review, we said: "you’ll get all the accuracy you need for precise photo editing and all the vibrancy you could want for immersive movie streaming."
Unlike other 2-in-1 laptops, it doesn't feel awkward to use, largely thanks to how slim and lightweight it is. The screen itself is super responsive and feels lovely to use with a stylus included for quick sketches or note-taking.
If you are a Samsung Galaxy user (be that smartphone or tablet) you can seamlessly transfer files between Galaxy devices, or use your tablet as a second screen. And you can control your smart home using SmartThings on the laptop.
HP’s Spectres are very impressive hybrid laptops, and the 2021 versions are the best yet. This year’s X360 has 11th generation Intel Core processors, and the available graphics now go up to Intel Iris Xe.
The Spectre X360 is a very good-looking laptop and it’s built to a standard you don’t often see in Windows laptops: visually its closest rival may well be Apple’s M1 MacBook Pro. It’s beautifully made with a vivid, bright screen and a great keyboard, and as ever with HP it comes with a good selection of security options to keep your data safe. Battery life is around 13 hours and there’s a good range of configurations options for processors and storage.
It can get a little bit noisy when you push it hard but that’s a minor niggle in an otherwise extremely impressive package.
To see how this system stacks up against another premium competitor, be sure to check out our Dell Latitude 9410 2-in-1 vs HP Spectre x360 comparison feature.
Chromebooks lend themselves rather well to the 2-in-1 format: you can use them as a laptop when you need to do some serious work, but then you can also prop them up or fold them over when it's time for some sitting back and relaxing in front of Netflix instead. In either scenario, the Asus Chromebook has you covered.
Specs don't particularly matter when it comes to Chromebooks, but the Intel Core m3 processor and 4GB of RAM should handle as many browser tabs as you're able to load up. Remember that Chromebooks can also run Android apps as well now, which gives you another way of using the tablet.
We really like the design of this 2-in-1 Chromebook as well, all subtle greys and thin bezels, and it's lightweight enough to sling in a rucksack very easily. There are plenty of other models in the Asus Flip line, so be sure to check them all out in your search for the best 2-in-1 laptop around.
How to choose the best 2-in-1 laptop for you
Convertibles, hybrids, 2-in-1s, call them what you like – these are essentially tablets that convert into laptops using keyboard attachments, and they occupy the middle ground between the two.
Fully fledged laptops with detachable screens are less common, but we've included them too. You also get laptops that don't have detachable screens but which fold right over to become sort of makeshift tablets.
We're continuing to see some really decent quality hybrids hit the market in 2021, and whether you're looking for a lithe and luxurious 2-in-1 to take on the move, or are hunting down a convertible laptop to double up as a compact TV set, we've picked out the best options out there.
So how do you pick? It's a good idea to think about how you're going to be using your new computer, and thus how powerful it needs to be: that has a knock-on effect on price and portability. If you're going to be spending a lot of time typing, look for a 2-in-1 with a substantial keyboard attachment. If you're not, it doesn't matter so much.
Remember that one of the best webcams will be a perfect partner to a 2-in-1 laptop.
