Overview
2-in-1 laptops give you a traditional laptop and a tablet in one device. The best ones don’t compromise on either. They have excellent keyboards for productivity and responsive touchscreens with pen support for note-taking and drawing. Here are our picks for 2026.
Our Picks
1. HP Spectre x360 14, $1,449 (Best Overall)
The HP Spectre x360 14 is the most complete 2-in-1 on the market. The 2.8K OLED display is gorgeous for both productivity and media consumption. The gem-cut aluminum chassis is the best-looking design in any laptop category. At 3.0 lbs, it’s light enough for tablet mode without feeling awkward.
Best for: Students who take handwritten notes, professionals who present and annotate, and anyone who wants the flexibility of tent/tablet modes.
2. Dell Latitude 9450 2-in-1, $1,899 (Best for Business)
The Dell Latitude 9450 is the enterprise 2-in-1 pick. The 12+ hour battery life outlasts every competitor, the 5 MP webcam is the best in any laptop, and Dell’s enterprise management tools (vPro, DASH) make IT departments happy. The pen experience is excellent for annotating documents and signing PDFs.
Best for: Business users, IT-managed environments, and frequent travelers who need all-day battery life with pen input.
What to Look For
When shopping for a 2-in-1, prioritize:
- Hinge quality: The hinge needs to hold firm in laptop mode and fold flat for tablet use. Cheap hinges wobble, creak, or loosen over time.
- Pen support: Active pen (MPP 2.0 or Apple Pencil) with 4,096+ pressure levels. Passive capacitive styluses are not real pen input.
- Weight: Under 3.5 lbs. You’ll be holding it in tablet mode. Over 3.5 lbs makes that uncomfortable quickly.
- Display: OLED or high-brightness IPS. Touch responsiveness matters for pen accuracy. Aim for at least 2K resolution.
- Battery life: 8+ hours. The use cases for 2-in-1s (presentations, note-taking, travel) demand long unplugged sessions.
What to Avoid
- Detachable keyboards: They sacrifice keyboard quality and structural rigidity. A 360-degree hinge is a better compromise unless you truly need a standalone tablet.
- Heavy convertibles: Anything over 4 lbs defeats the purpose of tablet mode.
- Low-pressure-level pens: 1,024 levels or fewer means poor handwriting and drawing accuracy.
- Dim displays: Under 300 nits makes outdoor and bright-room use painful. OLED panels typically hit 400-600 nits, which is ideal.
- ARM-based Windows laptops: App compatibility is still inconsistent. Unless you’re sure your workflow runs natively, stick with x86.