Best 2-in-1 laptop 2024: The finest detachable and convertible hybrid notebooks

The best 2-in-1 laptops take everything that’s great about laptops and tablets and combine them into one neat package.

Advancements to low-powered mobile processors have helped lightweight, über-portable 2-in-1 designs flourish into a fantastic sub-category of laptops, with plenty of excellent offerings to choose from.

Indeed, there are so many great systems to sift through that you might find it daunting to try and pick one. Fear not: we’ve reviewed a wide range of 2-in-1 laptops and compiled a list documenting the very best of them.

Every 2-in-1 laptop on the list has undergone rigorous testing by one of our reviewers. These tests cover everything from battery life to CPU performance and the colour accuracy of a display. If you’re interested in a specific device’s test results, they can be found in our full review of the product, links to which are provided in each of the entries below.

Before scrolling to the entries, you can also jump down to our handy buying guide that will arm you with all the information you require to decide whether a 2-in-1 laptop is right for you and help you select the best model for your needs.

How we test 2-in-1 laptops

Testing 2-in-1 laptops isn’t much different from testing a regular laptop. The main consideration here is whether the stylus and keyboard is supplied as standard with the machine, and how well those accessories work. We always request a stylus and official keyboard with 2-in-1 laptops so we can use these machines as intended.

Aside from this, the testing procedure for 2-in-1 laptops is the same as it is with all the laptops we review.

We assess speed using a variety of software applications and games. We monitor thermal performance, test storage speed (recording sequential transfer speeds in MB/sec), and we use an X-Rite colorimeter to measure a laptop’s display for peak brightness, contrast ratio, backlight uniformity and colour capabilities.

Because battery life is crucial, we also test this for every machine that crosses our work bench, setting the screen brightness to a predetermined level and putting the laptop in flight mode to ensure a level playing field.

And, finally, we make sure we use every laptop for at least a part of our day-to-day work, where possible, so we can assess ergonomics and usability in real-world use.

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The best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy in 2024

1. Dell XPS 13 2-in-1: Best 2-in-1 laptop

Price when reviewed: From £1,441 | Check price at Dell

If you want a very light and slim machine that works well in both laptop and tablet mode, the 2-in-1 version of Dell’s XPS 13 is the one to go for. The tablet on its own weighs just 736g and is a piffling 7.4mm thick. Performance is brisk thanks to a choice of Intel Core i5-1230U or Core i7-1250U processors, while the 13in 2,880 x 1,920 touchscreen is impressively bright, maxing out at 462cd/m², and colourful with 99.5% of the sRGB gamut covered and a Delta E colour variance of just 0.72, which is outstanding. A Gorilla Glass Victus covering should keep it scratch-free.

For a 3K Windows tablet, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is very good value. At the time of writing, prices start from £1,279 thanks to a £320 discount on one of the i7 models and that includes an excellent folio keyboard, which has Dell’s “zero lattice” layout and a blacklight. Battery life isn’t bad for such a thin Windows device, with the 49.3Wh pack lasting almost eight hours.

A superb 1080p webcam, a surprisingly competent 2160p primary camera, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and 6GHz Wi-Fi round out this impressive little package. The only downside is the lack of a 3.5mm audio jack but since most of us own Bluetooth earphones these days, that’s arguably not a massive issue.

Read our full Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 review for more details

Key specs –  Processor: Intel Core i7-1250U; GPU: Intel Iris Xe; RAM: 16GB RAM; Display size: 13in; Display resolution: 2,880 x 1,920; Display type: IPS touchscreen 60Hz; Storage: 512GB; Dimensions: 293 x 201 x 7.4mm (WDH); Weight: 736g (1.3kg with folio keyboard)

2. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Best dual-screen 2-in-1

Price when reviewed: £2,240 | Check price at Lenovo

What’s better than a 2-in-1 with a high-quality OLED screen? Why, a 2-in-1 with two good-quality OLED screens. Over the years, many attempts have been made by manufacturers to include an extra display but the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is the first one we can recommend as something more than a pointless gimmick. Once you’ve used the Yoga Book 9i, you won’t want to return to a conventional compact laptop.

The Yoga Book 9i comprises two 13.3in OLED touchscreens joined together with a 360-degree hinge, which also houses a 6W speaker system. The screens are both 13.3in 2,880 x 1,800 affairs, and each is bright and colourful and supports touch. The speaker system in the hinge that joins them is every bit as good, loud, punchy and with plenty of bass. Despite having two displays, the Yoga Book 9i only weighs 1.2kg and delivers a decent battery run time of more than 8hrs 30mins.

Performance is solid thanks to an Intel Core i7-1355U CPU with 16GB of RAM and the origami stand that comes in the box is a work of genius, allowing you to prop up the Yoga Book 9i in the most unlikely positions without it toppling over. Also in the box are a high-quality magnetic physical keyboard and a stylus. At over £2,000, it’s not cheap, but read our full review and you will truly understand what a game-changer it is.

Read our full Lenovo Yoga Book 9i review for more details

Key specs –  Processor: Intel Core i7-1355U; GPU: Intel Iris Xe; RAM: 16GB RAM; Display size: 13.3in x 2; Display resolution: 2,880x 1,800: Display type: OLED touchscreen 60Hz; Storage: 1TB; Dimensions: 299 x 204 x 16mm (WDH) folded; Weight: 1.2kg (1.6kg with keyboard & stand)

3. Best big-screen 2-in-1: Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1

Price when reviewed: £1,049 | Check price at Dell

If what you are after is a large-screen conventional laptop that you can transform by flipping the screen around, then Dell’s Inspiron 16 is the best place to start looking. To start with, it’s cheap, the entry-level model costing just £799 and, for that, you get a 12-core Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, which is enough power and space to do real work without everything bogging down to a glacial pace.

The screen is a basic 1,920 x 1,200 IPS affair running at 60Hz, although there is an OLED version if are you happy to splash out another £300 (that also nets you an Nvidia MX550 discrete GPU). The basic screen is bright enough for everyday use at 313cd/m² and covers close to 100% of the sRGB gamut while the 8W speaker system is outstandingly good for a workaday laptop.

Where the Dell really earns its spurs though is with its high-quality keyboard, huge glass touchpad and abundance of I/O ports with two Thunderbolt 4 and two USB-A ports and an HDMI video output. At 2.2kg, the Inspiron is very heavy for a “tablet” but that’s the price you pay for genuine laptop functionality. The Inspiron 16 2-in-1 may not be very sexy, but it is affordable, versatile and competent.

Read our original Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 review for full details 

Key specs –  Processor: Intel Core i7-1360P; GPU: Intel Iris Xe; RAM: 16GB RAM; Display size: 16in; Display resolution: 1,920 x 1,200; Display type: IPS touchscreen 60Hz; Storage: 1TB; Dimensions: 357 x 252 x 19mm (WDH); Weight: 2.2kg

4. Apple iPad 9th generation: The best budget 2-in-1

Price when reviewed: From £488 (incl. Smart Keyboard) | Check price at John Lewis

Apple likes to push its Pro range of iPads as the best laptop replacements but team an iPad 9th generation with Apple’s Smart Keyboard and you have yourself a remarkably flexible, lightweight machine you can use for most productivity tasks that can be turned into an even lighter, slimmer device for watching Netflix on the go and playing games.

It is getting on a bit now and this generation of iPad doesn’t work with Apple’s new multi-window management tool – Stage Manager – but battery life is exceptional – it achieved 13hrs 11mins in our video playback test – and its 10.2in retina-class IPS display is superb, reaching nearly 500cd/m2 in our tests. Colour accuracy was on point as well.

Combined with the official keyboard case (or one of Logitech’s iPad keyboards to save some cash) and you have yourself a super-compact, lightweight and productive travelling companion that’s able to do most things a laptop can do – apart from connect up to external monitors.

Read our Microsoft Surface Pro 9 review for more details

Key specs – Processor: Apple A13 Bionic; RAM: 3GB; Storage: 64GB or 256GB; Screen resolution: 2,160 x 1,620; Weight: 487g (tablet only)

5. Acer Chromebook Spin 714: Best Chromebook 2-in-1

Price when reviewed: From £699 | Check price at Amazon

With Chromebooks now coming with modern and powerful CPUs, decent amounts of local storage and the capacity to run Linux as well as Android apps, they are much more attractive than they once were. Among all the latest Chromebook Plus and Gaming Chromebook models, though, the Acer Spin 714 stands out as one of the most versatile, stylish and competent.

Built around a top quality 14in 1,920 x 1,200 IPS 16:10 touchscreen, a 13th Gen Intel Core i3-1315U with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the Spin 714 is fantastically well kitted out. You also get a good backlit keyboard, decent loudspeakers and a convertible form factor that lets you fold it into a tablet or tent it on your desk as an A-frame. There’s even a stylus thrown in.

The Core i3 processor lacks the stump-pulling performance of its Core i5 and i7 brethren, but thanks to two of its six cores being “performance” cores, it has enough grunt to run Linux apps like Gimp and Handbrake at a reasonable pace. Being a Chromebook, battery life is impressive, too with the Spin 714 running for 13hrs 20mins in our standard video rundown test. For the money, it’s an impressively versatile and high-quality 2-in-1 laptop.

Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 714 review for more details

Key specs – Processor: Intel Core i3-1315U; GPU: Intel UHD; RAM: 16GB; Display size: 14in; Display type: IPS 60Hz; Display resolution: 1,920 x 1,200; Storage: 256GB eMMC; Dimensions: 322 x 224 x 18mm (WDH); Weight: 1.37kg

6. Best OLED 2-in-1: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

Price when reviewed: From £1,338 (including keyboard) | Check price at Samsung

If you want a 2-in-1 with the biggest, most impressive OLED screen, then the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the only way to go. It has a big and beautiful 14.6in Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, the sort of display that requires words like “stunning”, “glorious” and “awe-inspiring” to describe it. It excels at HDR content and makes all your streaming video content look gorgeous. Is it better than the M2 iPad Pro 12.9’s display? Yes. There, we’ve said it.

It’s also a potent device, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and this is backed up by 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. In other words, you can run all the apps your heart desires and store all the documents or files you want without needing to resort to cloud storage or the microSD card slot. Samsung’s  “Book Cover Keyboard with Trackpad for Tab S9 Ultra” isn’t cheap at £339 but it does sell a cheaper model without the trackpad and for £139 if you don’t mind relying on the touchscreen or the bundled stylus.

Is Android a match for iOS or Windows regarding productivity and tablet-optimised apps? The answer is still no but the foundation-level integration with Google’s cloud services is not to be sneezed at and Samsung’s DeX desktop mode delivers a proper PC–like experience if that’s what you want. Battery life can’t quite match the iPad Pro at just shy of 13 hours but considering the larger display that’s still not a bad effort. At £1,200 (£1,338 including the keyboard) it isn’t cheap, but it is massively desirable.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review for more details

Key specs – Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; RAM: 12GB; Display size: 14.6in; Display type: AMOLED touchscreen 120Hz; Storage: 256GB; Size: 326 x 209 x 5.5mm; Weight: 732g; Operating system: Android 13

7. Best 2-in-1 for tablet pros: 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro (M2, 2022)

Price when reviewed: From £1,573 (incl. Magic Keyboard) | Check price at John Lewis 

With each passing year, Apple’s iPad Pro becomes more of a laptop alternative than a tablet and the latest upgrade sees its biggest step forward yet thanks to the M2 chip. Apple’s new silicon helps the new iPad Pro blow previous models out of the water in terms of processing and graphical performance. It even outgunned the M1 MacBook Air in a number of our benchmark tests.

The 12.9in version also gets a new 120Hz Liquid Retina XDR display that uses Mini-LED technology, and the results are astounding. It’s the brightest display of any portable computer we’ve tested, and its colour accuracy across both SDR and HDR is highly impressive. We recorded a peak brightness of 1,123cd/m², which is Trinity-test bright. In our tests, the iPad’s battery lasted 17 hours, which dwarves everything else in this roundup.

The iPad Pro has one major drawback: the price. Once you’ve factored in the admittedly superb Apple Magic keyboard you are looking at well over £1,500. That’s a lot to pay for any tablet. But in our opinion the iPad Pro is just about worth it: it’s the best tablet money can buy and an excellent 2-in-1 laptop when paired with a keyboard.

Read our Apple M2 iPad Pro review for more details

Key specs – Processor: 8-core Apple M2; GPU: 10-core Apple M2; RAM: 8GB; Storage: 128GB SSD; Display size: 12.9in; Display resolution: 2,732 x 2048; Display type: Mini LED touchscreen 120Hz; Size: 215 x 281 x 6.4mm (WHD); Weight: 682g

8. Microsoft Surface Pro 9: Best value Windows 2-in-1

Price when reviewed: From £995 | Check price at Microsoft

It may not be a giant technological leap forward from the Surface Pro 8, but an upgrade to the CPU – either to a 12th Gen U-series Intel Core i5, Core i7 a Microsoft SQ3 chip – ensures even faster performance and helps make the Surface Pro 9 the most impressive Microsoft 2-in-1 to date. You can pick one up for just £995 which also makes it excellent value.

You’d have to be blind to not think that the Surface Pro 9 is a beautiful piece of design. At 9.3mm and 879g, it’s not as thin or light as the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, but the clean, matte aluminium rear panel and slim black borders make it an absolute looker. The beautifully engineered rear stand, which negates the need for a folio keyboard to keep the screen up and the hatch to access the SSD are two strong feathers in the Surface Pro 9’s cap.

The bright, colour-accurate 13in screen is rather good, with a 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2,880 x 1,920. The optional Surface Pro Signature Keyboard is pleasant to use thanks to smartly designed keys and a responsive touchpad. And users who expect to rely on their device for regular video conferencing will be delighted with the top-notch webcam and microphones, which produce very high-quality images and audio. The XPS 13 may have knocked the crown from the Surface Pro 9’s head but, at the price, it still demands serious attention.

Read our Microsoft Surface Pro 9 review for more details

Key specs – Processor: Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel core i7-1255U or Microsoft SQ3; RAM: 8GB, 16GB or 32GB; Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD; Screen resolution: 2,880 x 1,920; Weight: 879g (tablet), 1.14kg (with Signature Keyboard)

How to choose the best 2-in-1 laptop for you

What is a 2-in-1 laptop?

There are two main types of 2-in-1 laptop. A detachable or hybrid 2-in-1 such as the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 looks like a typical clamshell laptop on the outside but you can detach the keyboard and use it as tablet.

Convertibles such as the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 don’t allow you to detach the keyboard from the display but, instead, have a 360-degree hinge that allows you to fold the screen all the way around so it lays flat against the rear of the laptop. They’re sometimes referred to as reversible laptops due to their design, which enables them to be positioned in a few different ways.

You can rotate the keyboard and place it face down to view the screen vertically, prop up the device on its edges to use it in what is often referred to as “tent” or “A-frame” mode, or simply use it as you would a standard laptop.

Both styles often support the use of a pressure-sensitive stylus, enabling you to sketch or jot notes down on-screen. Some even come with a stylus included.

What can I do with a 2-in-1 laptop?

All sorts of things! If you’re unsure whether to spend your hard-earned money on a tablet or a conventional laptop, a 2-in-1 laptop is a perfect choice. You can doodle with a stylus, work or watch movies on the go and curl up in bed with it to watch the latest episode of your favourite Netflix show. They do have their limitations, however, which we’ll discuss in the disadvantages section below.

What are the advantages of 2-in-1 laptops?

Buying a 2-in-1 laptop rather than a laptop and tablet separately is generally going to save you a bit of cash, which is always nice.

Aside from that obvious economic benefit, the big selling point of 2-in-1 laptops is their flexibility. Being able to switch from laptop mode to tablet mode in seconds is useful in all manner of situations. Once you’ve finished working on an important document in laptop mode you can quickly detach or flip the keyboard and enjoy your favourite Disney Plus show in tablet mode. That’s just one example of how handy their transformative properties can be.

What are the disadvantages of 2-in-1 laptops?

2-in-1 laptops typically can’t match the processing power of standard laptops due to compromises made to ensure they remain slim and portable and don’t overheat. They also tend to have integrated graphics rather than discrete graphics chips.

These factors mean a 2-in-1 laptop isn’t the best choice if you’re planning on running lots of demanding applications, such as video-editing software, or harbour hopes of playing the latest AAA gaming titles on your portable device.

What features do I need to look for when buying a 2-in-1 laptop?

There are a few key things to consider when making your 2-in-1 laptop purchase, both in terms of the device’s internal components and external appearance.

Processor: Some 2-in-1 laptops are so slim that they require fanless, low-powered mobile processors, which means they aren’t as speedy as their regular laptop counterparts. That said, you’ll still find plenty of 2-in-1 laptops housing shiny new processors. Intel processors are the most widely used CPUs in the industry and you’ll find newer 2-in-1 laptops housing Intel’s latest 13th Gen chips silicon. AMD is Intel’s main rival in the CPU space and 2-in-1 machines incorporating its Ryzen processors typically cost less than their Intel counterparts.

RAM: As with any laptop, the amount of RAM (random access memory) a 2-in-1 laptop has will affect its performance. More RAM is always better but will raise the price of your device. We’d say 8GB is the sweet spot in terms of cost and performance for budget models around £500 or lower but you should be looking for 16GB for higher-priced devices.

Storage: When it comes to storage, it’s important to note both the type and amount on offer. A 2-in-1 laptop with SSD (solid state drive) storage is preferable to one with eMMC storage, as these are generally slower than SSDs.

With people relying more and more on cloud storage, the need for lots of storage space built into your 2-in-1 laptop isn’t quite as important as it used to be. However, if you plan on downloading lots of large applications and saving large files to your device you’ll want at least 256GB of SSD storage to avoid having to regularly delete stuff.

Display: Display quality is crucial. After all, you’ll be gawking at the screen the entire time you’re using it. A Full HD display with a decent contrast ratio and solid brightness is a must. Manufacturers often quote this in “nits” and you should be looking for 200 nits as a bare minimum. Some 2-in-1 laptops now incorporate 4K UHD displays, which provide the sharpest picture but these tend to raise the price of a device significantly. An OLED display is worth looking for if you want to look at HDR content.

Size and weight: 2-in-1 laptops are generally designed to be carried around all day, so it’s best to get something light but sturdy. The size of the display obviously goes a long way to deciding how portable your 2-in-1 laptop is – if you want a big screen, be prepared to carry around a heavier device.

Keyboard and touchpad: A good keyboard and touchpad will separate a middling device from an excellent one. It’s also important to check whether the price includes a keyboard or stylus. Microsoft’s Surface devices, for instance, are typically sold without the Type Cover or pen accessories and the extra cost can run to hundreds of pounds.