The best two-in-one laptops offer versatility like no other. Take Microsoft’s Surface Pro 8, for example: It gives you a super-flexible work environment where you can type on the go and detach the display when needed. The segment is growing lately because people value flexibility in getting work done. The best two-in-one laptops help you do more than a traditional laptop without a significant increase in size, weight or price.
Most of the best two-in-ones are convertible laptops, with 360-degree hinges where the keyboard and trackpad rotate around to the back of the display. They likely come with a Windows or Chrome operating system. There are some excellent two-in-one laptops that are essentially Windows 10 or Chrome OS tablets with a detachable keyboard. They work better as tablets, but are still good in laptop mode, and we’ve included models like the Surface Pro 8 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook. Both styles of two-in-one feature touchscreens and typically support pen input. Most also include a headphone jack and backlit keyboard.
And if you’re only thinking of a hybrid device as a detachable tablet and a laptop, here are five other uses for a two-in-one that you might not have considered. These are the best two-in-one laptops you can buy now in 2022.
Read more: Best Laptop for 2022
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Lenovo launched the Yoga line 10 years ago with Windows 8 and now, with Windows 11, the flexibility of the design has only gotten better. The company’s flagship 14-inch Yoga 9i Gen 7 has an updated look with comfortable, rounded edges and 12th-gen Intel processors that give it a big multicore performance jump. A beautiful OLED display and improved audio make it excellent for work, video conferences and entertainment. Lenovo includes an active pen and a laptop sleeve to complete the premium package.
The powerful speakers do add some vibration to the palm rests when turned up and Lenovo has cluttered the laptop with pitches for optional services and software. But, overall, the latest Yoga 9i is the two-in-one convertible laptop to beat. Unfortunately, its availability is limited at the moment so you might have to wait to buy one.
Samsung’s latest big-screen two-in-one doesn’t look all too different from its predecessor, but inside is a new 12th-gen Intel processor that gives it a sizable multicore performance bump. However, the other, smaller updates Samsung made to the Pro 360 improves the overall experience, making it one of the best two-in-ones available right now. And if you have other Galaxy devices, this is absolutely the two-in-one to get.
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The HP Spectre x360 16 doesn’t have “pro” in its name, but it deserves to. It’s not a business laptop, so you won’t find an Intel vPro processor or IT management features. However, its premium features, beautiful OLED display, good looks and speedy performance are just about perfect for anyone looking for a versatile laptop with an awesome work-play-and-create design.
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Although it’s not the Surface Laptop, the Surface Pro continues to hit all the right notes if you’re looking for a do-it-all Windows tablet that doubles as a Windows laptop. Microsoft recently overhauled it for the Surface Pro 8, which has a larger 13-inch display, 11th-gen Intel Core processors and two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports. The Surface Pro 7 is still around for the time being at a discount, and an updated version called the Surface Pro 7 Plus will stay in the lineup, so you’ll still be able to get the classic Pro design but with new processors.
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This is essentially a Chromebook version of the first Microsoft Surface Go. Like the Go, the Chromebook Duet is a 10-inch tablet with a detachable keyboard and touchscreen. Unlike Microsoft, though, Lenovo includes the keyboard. It also costs much less than the Go (including the new Go 2), starting at $279 for a 64GB version or $299 for one with 128GB of storage. This device is essentially a smaller, albeit less powerful, Pixel Slate that makes more sense for more people with a price that’s more in line with what people expect a Chromebook to cost.
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Tired of trying to work on documents or spreadsheets on a small widescreen display? The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 uses one of Acer’s bright VertiView displays, a 13.5-inch 2,256×1,504-pixel touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio. As the name implies, it gives you more vertical room to work, but it still has the width of a typical 13.3-inch laptop with a 16:9 ratio. Between that and its battery life that lasted nearly 13 hours in our tests, you’ll be able to get more work done in a day and it’s still thin and light enough for an everyday carry.
The latest version of this Chromebook is the first to receive Intel’s Evo verification, which means you’ll be getting the best possible mobile experience with this model. It’s also the first with Thunderbolt 4 support letting you connect to multiple external displays as well as giving you fast data speeds and networking.
The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computer-like devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device’s aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both those objective and subjective judgments.
The list of benchmarking software we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. The most important core tests we’re currently running on every compatible computer include: Primate Labs Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra.
A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found in our How We Test Computers page.
