The best 2-in-1 laptops, aka hybrid laptops, are specially designed to take different forms – a traditional laptop, a tablet, and often a 'tent' display too (as shown in the image above).
That means you'll get the benefits of different devices in just one device. You'll be also seamlessly switch from work mode to play mode, whenever you want. And you'll save money on buying a laptop and a tablet separately.
To help you find the right model, we've put our experts to work. They've drawn on their years of experience reviewing laptops to carefully curate this list of the best hybrid laptops available today. Read on to discover our top picks.
The best 2-in-1 laptops in 2024
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Best 2-in-1 laptop overall
In our view, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the best hybrid laptop on the market today. Its innovative design seamlessly transitions between laptop, presentation, and tablet modes, making it ideal for working on the go.
Powered by Intel’s 13th Gen processors and Nvidia’s RTX 40 series GPUs, it handles creative tasks, entry-level gaming, and AI-assisted functions quickly and responsive. You also get an AI chip for enhanced productivity with Microsoft Copilot, and great sound from the Dolby Atmos speakers. The 14.4-inch, 2400x1600 resolution display with a 120Hz refresh rate delivers excellent colour accuracy and image quality, while the touchscreen and Surface Pen support provide intuitive editing options.
On the downside, it's expensive and optional stylus add to its cost, making it less appealing for those on a budget or those who don’t need touchscreen capabilities. Plus while the battery life is reasonable for a Windows device, lasting around 6 to 7 hours, it falls short compared to other premium laptops.
Best 2-in-1 laptop for portability
Seeking something affordable and/or portable than our number one choice? The Surface Pro is the original 2-in-1 that started the whole new wave of devices we have today, and the Surface Pro 9 is a very beautifully built and captivating device, with a superb kickstand. Just to be clear, the basic model is just the tablet, but if you choose to buy the Surface Type Cover and Surface Slim Pen (which you really should) then this makes for a very capable 2-in-1 laptop.
While it is not as powerful as the Surface Laptop Studio 2, it still a great choice editing while on the move, or for setting up quickly on shoots. If you choose the Intel i7 version then it can easily handle Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, and even do a decent job of Premiere Pro, and it truly flies in day-to-day productivity. With a beautiful screen with touch input and pen support, there are a lot of ways to edit on the Surface Pro 9. To learn more, read our full Surface Pro 9 revew.
Best 2-in-1 laptop for value
If both our number one and two picks are too rich for your blood, this is an excellent option. As a hybrid device, the Robo & Kala shines with its detachable backlit keyboard and pressure-sensitive pen, both of which attach magnetically. Additionally, its “separation mode” allows the keyboard to function remotely via Bluetooth, offering extra versatility.
Its slim and lightweight design, at just 7.3mm thick and 690g for the tablet alone, makes it highly portable. The display is a 12.6-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels, delivering vivid colors and 600-nit brightness for excellent clarity.
Performance-wise, our reviewer found it handles everyday tasks, photo editing, and even demanding software like Photoshop with ease, though some Adobe apps remain less optimised for ARM. Battery life is another highlight, offering up to 10 hours of real-world usage. Shortcomings include average speaker performance, and occasional connectivity delays with the Bluetooth keyboard. But overall, this device offers a premium experience at a competitive price. To learn more, read our full Robo & Kala 2-in-1 laptop review.
Best cheap 2-in-1 laptop
If you want a 2-in-1 laptop for less, go for a Chromebook. You won't be able to run Windows or macOS, so there's a payoff there. But if you're happy to just use Android apps or to work in a web browser, you can save a ton of cash.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is a top-tier 2-in-1 Chromebook offering premium features like an OLED display at an affordable price. With its Snapdragon 7c Gen2 processor and 8GB RAM, it delivers solid performance for most Chromebook tasks, though not quite as powerful as Intel-based rivals. The 13.3-inch OLED display is the real star, providing exceptional brightness and clarity, making it ideal for media consumption. Battery life is another highlight, with over 16 hours of use, setting a benchmark in the Chromebook category.
On the downisde, its keyboard and kickstand leave something to be desired, particularly for users looking for a seamless tablet experience. Despite these drawbacks, the Duet 5 stands out as a versatile and value-packed option.
Best 2-in-1 laptop for gamers
After reviewing the Asus ROG Flow 13, we came away extremely impressed by the incredible all-round versatility this laptop has to offer. From the incredible processing performance delivered by the rapid 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, to the healthy gaming ability you get from the nVidia RTX 4060 GPU.
Naturally, being a 2-in-1, there are those useful tablet and tent modes, too, while modern connectivity like USB4 is great for fast data transfer from the best memory cards and portable SSDs. The 13.4-inch screen can feel a bit restrictive, but it is good for portability, while its 2,560x1,600 resolution is very high for a display this size.
The only disappointment is that the tiny, thin chassis doesn't have much room for a big battery, and consequently battery life is poor. Reckon on around 7 hours of light use, but that will nosedive if you explore what that powerful processor can really do. To learn more, read our full Asus ROG Flow X13 review.
How to choose the best 2-in-1 laptop
For creative professionals, the best 2-in-1 laptops will allow you to transition between editing with a stylus pen to sending out emails and typing up proposals to clients without ever having to switch devices or interrupting your workflow.
Not all 2-in-1 laptops work the same way, however. Apart from the differences in size and specs, the hybrid functionality differs from one device to another. Many 2-in-1s rely on their hinges to go from laptop mode to tablet mode while some come with a detachable keyboard and trackpad that allows them to feel much more like a traditional tablet. A handful, like the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, boast an easel-inspired design, which might be more conducive to design work.
Besides the design, it’s also important to consider the availability of ports and card slots, screen resolution and color support, and naturally, the innards. Bear in mind that most 2-in-1 laptops need to stay as thin as possible, sacrificing space that could have been used to put in a discrete graphics card, let alone a powerful one. So, if you’re looking to use your laptop to stitch together 10-minute 4K videos or edit 50 or more high-resolution images at once daily, save yourself a lot of time and hair-pulling frustration and get a laptop with heftier internals instead.
Otherwise, the best 2-in-1 laptops offer more than enough power and versatility for all your computing needs. Here are our top picks...
How we test laptops
When reviewing a laptop, we assess its internal hardware features, build quality, ergonomics, performance in a variety of usage scenarios, value for money, and its overall suitability for its target buyer. Although we'll evaluate a laptop with a typical user in mind, we will also pay particular attention to the perspective of photo and video enthusiasts, with special focus given to screen quality and colour space coverage.
Where possible, a monitor calibrator will be used to measure a laptop's display performance to assess whether it matches a manufacturer's claims, and software benchmarks like GeekBench are used to measure a laptop's processor and graphics card capabilities. To learn more, read how we test and review on Digital Camera World.
