Home > 2-in-1 Laptops > Best Convertible Laptops
The best convertibles laptops are becoming more and more popular these days. The laptops manufacturers have developed newer models that have both a better quality and better design to easily switch from a laptop to a tablet.
Today I feature some of the best convertible laptops on the market, thanks to their design, performance, portability, and longevity.
I included both budget and premium laptops. Of course high-end laptops will be lighter and have better quality, but even budget notebooks are surprising these days. So, stick until the end to find which of them suits your needs the most.
Our Top 3
#1 – Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 |
#2 – Asus ZenBook UX461UA |
#3 – Asus Q304UA |
Great Entertainment Machine |
Sleek 14-inch Convertible |
Best Budget Convertible |
13.3″ HD | 14″ HD | 13.3″ HD |
Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i5 with 6 GB of RAM |
256 GB SSD | 256 GB SSD | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
Up to 15 hours | Up to 13 hours | Up to 10 hours |
Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review |
What to expect from the Best Convertible Laptops
When we hear convertible laptops, we immediately think about having a versatile notebook.
First and foremost, from the best convertible laptop, you should expect a good laptop experience. That includes a good screen, decent sound system, good performance, and finally a great sturdy design that will stand the test of time and that easy to convert into the different modes (it’s definitely not the case with all).
Design & Quality
Since your convertible laptop will be used is several positions – laptop, tent, stand & tablet – it must have a good built quality. If the body is not well-built, especially the hinges, shifting from one mode to another will be difficult and, in some cases, will lower the notebook’s longevity.
Performance
Nowadays, convertible laptops will deliver as much performance as any other laptop. It wasn’t always the case, but now, you can find a laptop with the same performance as a traditional one.
For most people, an i5 processor will be more than enough to watch movies, read in tablet mode and browse the web. If your budget is tighter, go for an i3. And for performance junkies, the i7 processor won’t let you down.
Screen & Graphics
Most of the convertible laptops are equipped with a decent screen with ample brightness and good colors. Viewing angles are especially important here since, unlike a regular laptop, you won’t always be sitting right in front.
Screen Size
As for the screen size, you’ll find anything between a 10-inch & a 15-inch notebook. The choice depends on your usage.
If you want to use it as a tablet, don’t go for a big one as it will quickly get uncomfortable. In this case, go for a laptop that has a 10-inch to 12-inch display.
If a bigger screen is important, go for a 15-inch. But know that manipulating these laptops is harder. For any other usage, a 13-inch or a 14-inch is usually what most people need.
Audio
Audio quality can be tricky on an hybrid design.
Most laptops will have downward facing speakers that will make the sound rebound on the table, giving a deeper sound quality. They can’t really do that with convertibles laptops since the speakers would be blocked in some modes. Therefore they have to either put better speakers, or sacrifice a little on the sound quality.
Premium notebooks will have a great sound quality, no problem here. But on cheap convertible laptops, you should expect a decent, but not high-quality audio output.
Other Aspects
One of the other major factors that you should consider is its battery life. You’ll definitely want a notebook that’ll give you 8-10 hours of battery life, which can be expected from the best convertible laptops.
Specs for the Top 12 Best Convertible Laptops
Graphics 11, 13, 14, 15-inch Processor Intel Celeron, Intel i5, Intel i7 RAM 4 to 16 GB Storage 32 to 1000 GB Battery life 6 to 15 hours OS Windows 10, Windows 10 Pro, ChromeOS Thickness / Weight 0.43 to 0.92″ / 2.3 to 4.96 lbs Price Range $, $$$, $$$$, $$$$$
Top 12 Best Convertible Laptops
1 – Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 – 13″ HD Convertible
“Great Entertainment Machine”
When someone ask me about Dell XPS 13, I say that it’s a great entertainment notebook. Why? It has an amazing audio setup, a bright screen, and good viewing angles – everything you need to enjoy a movie. It’s also lightweight and, with the narrow bezels, it’s smaller than most other 13-inch laptops. All this makes it one of the best 13-inch convertible laptops for movies, videos, and presentations.
It also has a ridiculously long battery life that lets you enjoy a movie marathon night. The build quality is solid, and the design is premium.
But that small form-factor brings a disadvantage. Remember I said it has a narrow bezel? When you use it in tablet mode, it sometimes registers phantom touches because you hardly have any space to hold it. Also, the camera placement is a problem if you often video-chat. Since it placed at the bottom of the screen, it shows a weird view of your face. Both flaws are not a deal-breaker for most people, but it’s something to consider if you need those two functions.
Other than that, this laptop is a great lightweight notebook for the price.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 15 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.54″ / 2.7 lbs |
Price Range | $$$$$ |
2 – Asus ZenBook UX461UA – 14″ HD Convertible
“Sleek 14-inch Convertible”
The Asus ZenBook UX461UA is one sleek 14-inch 2-in-1 laptop. As with most ZenBooks, it has a premium look that feels sturdy. And like other high-end convertible laptops, it has a bright display, good audio system, and great viewing angles. Know that it has similar slim bezels as the Dell XPS 13. Looks great, but not ideal in tablet mode.
Apart from enjoying movies and giving fantastic presentations, this laptop is a good choice if you’re looking for a programming laptop and a work notebook. Performance is more than suitable for most people, and the battery life is impressive at ‘up to’ 13 hours. Really a great laptop from Asus.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 13 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.55″ / 3.09 lbs |
Price Range | $$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Powerful version with GPU Asus ZenBook UX461UN
3 – Asus Q304UA – 13″ HD Convertible
“Best Budget Convertible”
The Asus Q304UA is one of the best convertible laptops for students. It is equipped with a pair of beautiful silver hinges that gives it a solid, premium feel. Also, the touchpad is very responsive and the fan doesn’t make much noise.
You can easily do your day to day task with this budget notebook without spending a lot. It has similar power to more expensive notebooks, has a pretty decent HD screen and is ultra-portable. Apart from the weak-to-decent audio system, it’s a great cheap convertible laptop. Read our full review.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i5 with 6 GB of RAM |
Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.78″ / 3.31 lbs |
Price Range | $$ |
4 – Acer Spin 1 – 11″ HD Convertible
“Affordable 11-inch with Bright Display”
You don’t buy the Acer Spin 1 for its performance, but if you’re looking for a cheap convertible notebook, it’s a good choice. Its low-price tag comes with laggy performance and very little storage space, but it is still enough to meet academic needs for students.
Besides, this unit has a bright HD display with wide viewing angles and a decent number of connectors. The stylus comes with it so you don’t have to purchase it separately. Overall, this 11-inch notebook delivers a lot of value and is definitely one of the best convertible laptops under 500 dollars.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 11.6″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Celeron with 4 GB of RAM |
Storage | 32+ GB eMMC |
Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.8″ / 2.65 lbs |
Price Range | $ |
5 – Acer Spin 7 – 14″ HD Convertible
“Lightweight 14-inch”
The Acer Spin 7 is the high-end hybrid laptop of the manufacturer. Acer did a good job competing with the others with this one. The build is premium and so is the design. Even though the display is not matte, it’s bright enough to be used outdoors. I’d have preferred a backlit keyboard but the keys are very comfortable and the touchpad is responsive.
For a high-end product, it’s a more affordable option than some others for your day-to-day use, office works or as your college laptop. However, they compromised on battery life. It’s still acceptable, but not on par with the other top convertible laptops on this list. In any case, the Acer Spin 7 is a good choice if you’re looking for a good-looking, lightweight convertible laptop.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.43″ / 2.6 lbs |
Price Range | $$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
6 – Dell Inspiron i5378 – 13″ HD Convertible
“Affordable Convertible Laptop”
The Dell Inspiron i5378 is a cheap convertible laptop with an aluminium body that gives it a sleek design and a professional look. No one’s going to raise an eyebrow when they see it on the conference table. However, the display portion has some flex in it.
The keyboard is comfortable and the battery life is average in today’s standard. The sound system could have been better, but it’s acceptable for an affordable 13-inch 2-in-1 laptop.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i3 with 4 GB of RAM |
Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
Battery life | Expect 6 to 7 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.77″ / 3.56 lbs |
Price Range | $$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
# 7 to 12 Best Convertible Laptops
7 – Lenovo Yoga Book – 10″ HD
“Great for Artists and Designers”
This is a rather interesting mini notebook and it’s definitely of its kind.
Instead of having a ‘normal’ keyboard, its equipped with a halo keyboard. This type of keyboard has some advantages and disadvantages. For disadvantages, typing on it feels a weird and not as easy as a ‘real’ keyboard since you get less feedback. You do get used to it, but I wouldn’t recommend it for writing essays. And as for the advantage, holding it in tablet mode doesn’t feel weird at all because your fingers don’t press against any keys, and it’s a great product for designers & artists since you can use it as a drawing pad (pen included)a.
It made of a magnesium aluminium alloy that makes it both light and sturdy. Also, the display is sharp and the performance is acceptable despite having a low-end CPU. In short, it is one of the best convertible laptops under 500.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 10.1″ HD screen (1920 x 1200) |
Performance | Intel Atom with 4 GB of RAM |
Storage | 64 GB eMMC |
Battery life | Up to 15 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.38″ / 1.52 lbs |
Price Range | $$$ |
8 – HP Spectre X360 15t – 15″ QHD Convertible
“Awesome 15-inch but Expensive”
If you don’t mind spending a good amount of money on a convertible, I’d definitely suggest you pick up this sleek looking HP Spectre X360 15t.
It’s not only a good-looking 15-inch laptop, it’s powerful as well. From entry-level games to photo editing, it’s capable of handling the load. Among other awesome high-end features, its quick charging capabilities are interesting. So again, if you’re willing to spend that much, it’s definitely an awesome choice and one of the greatest 15-inch convertible laptops.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 15.6″ QHD touchscreen (3200 x 1800) with NVIDIA MX150 |
Performance | Intel i7 with 16 GB of RAM |
Storage | 512 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 11 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.7″ / 4.42 lbs |
Price Range | $$$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
9 – Acer Aspire R15 – 15″ HD Convertible
“Great Display at Low-Price”
Another convertible that earned its place on this list thanks to its good design and built quality, with a marvelous sound system. And because it’s an affordable 15-inch 2-in-1 laptop.
The battery life of the Acer Aspire R15 is surprisingly better than most convertible laptops, especially at this price range. Its display is also something that Acer can take pride in. The keyboard and touchpad are also worth mentioning.
Overall, this is one of the best convertible laptops for multimedia needs and day to day tasks of a student.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 15.6″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.79″ / 5.29 lbs |
Price Range | $$$ |
10 – Lenovo Yoga 920 – 14″ HD Convertible
“Portable 14-inch Convertible”
Lenovo made a few changes in this latest Yoga. It’s now cooler and also quieter. The display is bright & colorful and the speakers are louder too. And, thankfully, the laptop has evolved from its chin camera to the traditional camera set up.
This lightweight convertible notebook won’t let you down thanks to its powerful CPU, it’s certainly enough for light video editing and graphics design. All-in-all, it’s a decent choice if you’re willing to pay the price and it’s deserves its spot as one of the best 14-inch convertible laptops.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 13.9″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 15.5 hours |
OS | Windows 10 |
Thickness / Weight | 0.5″ / 3 lbs |
Price Range | $$$ |
11 – Acer Chromebook R11 – 11″ Convertible
“Affordable Convertible Laptop Under 300”
It’s tough to find a convertible laptop under 300 dollars. The Acer R11 is one of the only in this category. For students, this is the most affordable laptop that will get them through their college life. However, don’t expect it to run like a premium laptop. It’ll get your day-to-day work done but won’t run 4K video editing tools. All-in-all, it’s definitely one of the best convertible laptops under 300 dollars!
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 11.6″ touchscreen (1366 x 768) |
Performance | Pentium N3150 with 4 GB of RAM |
Storage | 32 GB eMMC |
Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
OS | ChromeOS |
Thickness / Weight | 0.76″ / 2.75 lbs |
Price Range | $ |
12 – Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga X1 – 14″ HD Convertible
“Business Convertible”
Lenovo ThinkPads are some of the most used business laptops out there, and this sturdy high-end convertible deserves the ThinkPad brand.
It is very similar to the Lenovo X1 Carbon that we liked. Even after pushing it to the edge, it doesn’t heat up as others would. Aesthetically, it is sleek, small & subtle. This makes it a perfect companion to be carried in business tours or tag along in a conference room.
Pros
|
Cons
|
Graphics | 14″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
Storage | 180 to 256 GB SSD |
Battery life | Up to 11 hours |
OS | Windows 10 Pro |
Thickness / Weight | 0.66″ / 2.8 lbs |
Price Range | $$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Erik is the owner and main editor of lptps.com. He has been working in computers and information technology for more than 20 years. He’s a business analyst, developer, and avid traveler.