Club Benefits
You're wondering what the best 2-in-1 laptop is, and that means you're interested in a versatile machine that doubles as a tablet, and these days, even a dual-screen notebook! Smart choice, as these laptops are more capable than ever today.
From Windows tablets with detachable keyboards to laptops with complete 360-degree flexibility boasting OLED touchscreens, my team of laptop experts and I have gone hands-on and tested the latest 2-in-1s from all the major players. And yes, even machines with a whole extra display — which are excitingly becoming mainstream.
Darragh here, Buying Guide Editor at Tom's Guide, and I'm always amazed by how well a simple laptop can transform into a versatile tablet or a full-blown dual-screen machine these days. 2-in-1 laptops are more mainstream than ever, and this guide will help you pick the machine that suits your needs
The best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy right now
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
The best 2-in-1 laptop overall
Who is this for?
The Zenbook Duo is for those who love the multi-monitor setup they have at home and want something similar on the go. This is an eye-catching system that thinks outside the box for what a 2-in-1 laptop really is.
Why is it the best 2-in-1 laptop overall?
Now in the third generation of this new dual-screen construction, Asus has focused on the fundamentals and delivered a tasty redesign of the system that adds a new layer of premium feeling to it, while bringing those dual 3K OLED touch displays far closer together, too. On top of that, the jump to Intel Panther Lake has breathed new life into this machine for both performance and power efficiency.
What do we like?
👍 Intel Core Ultra Series 3 is a breakthrough: One of my ongoing gripes with past Zenbook Duos has always been the silicon not quite matching up to the task of running two high-res panels smoothly under pressure. Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a huge step forward with a mighty integrated GPU and souped-up CPU cores that eat any task in its way for lunch without missing a step.
👍 Impressive battery life: Not only does that Core Ultra chip perform much better, but it’s also super power efficient — giving us an extra two hours of stamina over last year’s Zenbook Duo on one charge (11:13 in dual-screen mode).
👍 Thoughtful redesign: That design overhaul isn’t just an aesthetic update. With a hinge that folds in on itself for a near-seamless dual-screen experience, a stronger hinge, better keyboard deck and improved speakers, you’re onto a winner here that really shows off those updated OLED panels.
What don’t we like?
👎 Expensive starting at $2,099: That is a sizable price increase from last year’s Duo, and that makes for a pretty expensive all-around system. It does absolutely earn that price tag in what it can do, which doesn’t take away from the sheer number.
👎 Underwhelming port array: You don't get a ton of ports on this machine, as you're limited to a pair of Thunderbolt ports, a USB-A port, an HDMI out and a headphone jack. That's enough to get by, but it would have been nice to see useful additions like an SD card reader and additional USB-A or USB-C ports.
Bottom line
The 2026 Asus Zenbook Duo is a real renaissance moment for the system — a huge design overhaul, big display upgrades and a significant chip bump on the inside make this a truly generational leap. It’s dual-screen multitasking in any orientation that works best for you, with great ergonomics, zippy speeds and mighty power efficiency.
- Read our full Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) review
The best value 2-in-1 laptop
Who is this for?
The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a Windows 11 tablet that's as fast and long-lasting as any of the best Windows laptops, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon chips that power it. It gives you all the versatility of a modern Windows laptop in a smaller, lighter tablet that's easy to carry, and you can either pair it with your own mouse and keyboard or pay Microsoft inflated prices for a matching Surface Flex Pro detachable keyboard and Surface Slim Pen.
Why is it the best value 2-in-1 laptop?
I recommend the Surface Pro 11 as the best 2-in-1 for most people because it's as powerful as a modern laptop while being more versatile and easy to carry. You can spend as much as a modern laptop on it if you want to get one with the detachable Surface Flex Pro keyboard and Surface Slim Pen, but if you just need a tablet for most things, you can get by with this slate.
While the Surface Pro line has historically been a bit lackluster, this is the first model to really amaze me thanks to the unbeatable combo of its Snapdragon-powered performance and its optional OLED display.
What do we like?
👍 Thin and lightweight design: At just under 2 pounds and 0.37 inches thick, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is incredibly light (it's the lightest on this list) and easy to carry yet delivers laptop-grade performance.
👍 Excellent performance and battery life: Surface Pro tablets have been lackluster for years, but the Snapdragon X chips in the Pro 11 rocket it to new heights of performance and power efficiency. This slate outpaced many bigger laptops in our performance tests, including the MacBook Air M3.
👍 Vibrant OLED display: The Surface Pro 11 comes with a 13-inch 2.8K LED screen by default, but you can pay $500 more to upgrade to a 13-inch OLED display. This does raise its affordable price up to laptop territory, but in return you get a bright, lovely display that makes everything you do on the device look better.
What don’t we like?
👎 Peripherals are very expensive: Frustratingly, Microsoft knocks some of the shine off this killer Windows 11 tablet by making its detachable keyboard and stylus accessories awfully expensive. At least it can be paired with other, more affordable peripherals.
👎 Snapdragon = x86 app and game issues: One key detail about the new Snapdragon X chips, which drive the Surface Pro 11 and many other laptops: they're built on a different type of architecture than the typical Intel and AMD CPUs we usually see in laptops, and that means some apps (mostly games) won't run.
Bottom line
The Surface Pro 11 is the first Windows tablet that truly feels like a great 2-in-1 thanks to its Snapdragon-powered performance. While upgrading to OLED and outfitting it with the best accessories basically doubles the $999 starting price, what you get is a 2-in-1 that finally realizes the dream of a Windows 11 PC that's powerful, long-lasting and easy to carry, with a touch-friendly interface that makes you actually want to use Windows in tablet mode.
- Read our full Microsoft Surface Pro 11 review
The best premium 2-in-1 laptop
Who is this for?
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is for anyone after a premium, gorgeous-looking 2-in-1 laptop with an amazingly clear OLED touchscreen panel and a fantastic keyboard. Whether it's for work or even casual play (and streaming shows with that display), this laptop nails the landing.
Why is it the best premium 2-in-1 laptop?
When it comes to form and function, the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is the cream of the crop. Its 14-inch 2.8k OLED touchscreen with a 120Hz offers up superb visuals, and the 360-degree hinge means you can use this sleek laptop the way you want. Plus, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU is powerful enough to breeze through multitasking and even play the latest PC games (at low settings).
What do we like?
👍 Visual stunner: That CNC-milled aluminum body with chromed, rounded edges has a real fashionably utilitarian aesthetic to it. Plus, when you open it up, that uber-vivid, bright OLED panel is a true marvel to work on.
👍 Strong performance: The Intel Core Ultra 9 258V makes some solid gains in performance, thanks to some turbocharged single and multi-threaded performance across stuff like 20+ Chrome tabs. But the real winner here is keeping it all power efficient with a battery life lasting over 12 hours in our testing.
👍 Ergonomics matter: In a lot of 2-in-1 laptops, the keyboard gets compromised. Lenovo's board here is amongst the best I’ve typed on, with a nice tactile feel to every key press and mouse click. Plus, the latency-free multi-touch makes zipping across Windows a breeze on that 360-degree hinge.
What don’t we like?
👎 Prepare to pay: With the Yoga 9i Aura Edition, you can tell Lenovo's design team threw everything and the kitchen sink at it in terms of premium-ness and attention to detail. That comes with a higher price tag than a lot of 2-in-1 competition.
Bottom line
The Lenovo Yoga 9i Aura Edition is a straight shot at the laptop crowd who's looking for the sweet spot between form and function — an upmarket laptop that nails productivity and casual play. That comes with a slightly hefty price tag, but for what you get, you will not be disappointed. It's a premium 2-in-1 through and through, and it'll stick with you for years to come.
- Read our full Lenovo Yoga 9i Aura Edition review
The best 2-in-1 laptop for creators
Who is this for?
As you might expect from being associated with GoPro (the world-famous action camera brand), the Asus ProArt GoPro Edition (PX13) is an incredibly impressive 2-in-1 that's fit for creatives in need of all the performance they can get for 4K video edits, advanced animation and zippy RAW Photoshop edits — all while on the move.
Why is it the best 2-in-1 for creators?
Video editors, 3D artists and all kinds of creatives need the right kind of power through 4K edits and animation, and the ProArt GoPro Edition (PX13) delivers this in spades despite its premium, compact design. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip with its integrated Radeon 8060S graphics is outstanding for portability, blazing through apps like Photoshop, Premiere Pro and more. Plus, its gorgeous OLED panel and creator-centric ergonomics all cater to the finer details creatives want.
What do we like?
👍 Mesmerizing OLED touchscreen: Yes, it may only be 60Hz, but that doesn’t stop this 3K OLED touchscreen from being an absolute stunner. It’s color-calibrated to ensure a perfect representation of your creative work, and with a 113.1% sRGB and 88.8% DCI-P3 color gamut, the vividness is truly mesmerizing.
👍 Power-packed for creativity: Fitting an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 CPU with its Radeon 8060S integrated graphics into this machine was a smart move on Asus' part. Expect to handle 4K video edits in Premiere Pro with After Effects graphics and more with ease, and that's also thanks to its bonkers 128GB of DDR5X RAM.
👍 Beautiful OLED: Boasting a 13-inch 3K OLED touchscreen, this PX13 offers up colors that pop, deep blacks and plenty of accuracy — exactly what creators need. Just a shame it has a 60Hz refresh rate, and it's overall brightness is a tad dim (usual with OLED displays).
What don’t we like?
👎 Only microSD: Despite being creator-focused, the ProArt GoPro Edition (PX13) has no full-sized SD card slot, just a microSD. That makes sense, considering many GoPro cameras use this, but other cameras (which pro creatives have) rely on a regular SD card slot for transferring files.
👎 Stay clear of its AI app: While this 2-in-1 comes with access to Asus' AI-focused apps like StoryCube and MuseTree, these are nothing to write home about. They can be unreliable and uninspiring, and are more like a gimmicky playroom to mess around with AI content ideas.
Bottom line
Just like its previous model, but this time with top-notch performance, the Asus ProArt GoPro Edition (PX13) is, again, the perfect companion for creative pros. With its speedy performance, ultra-portable form factor and incredible OLED touch display bursting with depth and colors, this 2-in-1 is a must for creators (if they have the funds).
- Read our full Asus ProArt GoPro Editon (PX13) review
The best 2-in-1 laptop for gaming
Who is this for?
This is the 2-in-1 for gamers. I know many of you will balk at the fact that this thing has an integrated GPU, but this is a breakthrough in raw performance — offering frame rates equivalent to what you may see in an RTX 4070 gaming laptop in something the size of a tablet. And for the ultimate version of this (and for Death Stranding fans), the gorgeous Asus ROG Flow Z13 Kojima Edition will suit you.
Why is it the best 2-in-1 for gamers?
The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 and AI Max+ 395 chips you can get in the compact 2-in-1 unlock something special here — this is the missing link between a Steam Deck and a massive gaming laptop. Giving you the best of both worlds in something seriously versatile, to however you want to play.
What do we like?
👍 Insane performance: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 (or AI Max+ 395) APU bridges the gap between integrated and dedicated graphics in a way I’ve never seen before. On the train down to London, I was simply stunned by the fact that I could play Cyberpunk 2077 on high graphics settings at well over 90 frames per second (FPS). Of course, this performance extends to crushing even advanced rendering or AI tasks with the greatest of ease, too.
👍 Seriously impressive battery life: Battery life is always the bane of gaming laptops. In our testing, it’s rare that we see a machine get over an hour. But to get two hours and 15 minutes on one charge in our gaming battery life test is, simply, bonkers.
👍 Lovely display and ergonomics: That 13-inch 2.5K Mini-LED display is bright, smooth with a 180Hz refresh rate and full of color to make your games look their best. Plus, the keyboard cover on here has a nice tactile typing experience as well!
What don’t we like?
👎 Not many ports: PC gamers will need plenty of ports for any accessories and peripherals, but with just two USB-C sockets and no Type-A to be seen, you’re going to be pretty limited with what you can connect this to.
👎 Ray Tracing is AMD’s enemy: Look, I’ve always through Ray Tracing is a bit of a gimmick when it comes to graphics. But it is very much a way of the gaming world now, and much like a lot of AMD’s GPU tech, the Flow Z13 can struggle with it. I recommend keeping this option turned off in your titles.
Bottom line
I sat with my mind blown about the Asus ROG Flow Z13 — seeing what I believe to be the future of gaming laptops. A far better balance between raw performance to squeeze out every last frame, and better battery life, given it’s coming from an integrated chip. It’s the best of both worlds and easily one of the best 2-in-1s you can buy right now.
- Read our full Asus ROG Flow Z13 review
The best OLED 2-in-1 laptop
Who is this for?
The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Pro 360 is a 2-in-1 with a lovely 16-inch AMOLED touchscreen that comes with a stylus, making it a great choice for anyone who wants a Windows 11 laptop that can fold over for use as a tablet without having to worry about springing for accessories.
I really like this laptop because, in addition to its power and elegance, it's fairly light and easy to carry, too, with good battery life, making it a nice choice for students and professionals alike.
Why is it the best OLED 2-in-1?
If you prize OLED quality in your portable PCs, this is the 2-in-1 for you because it's the cheapest, most effective way to get one with a lovely AMOLED touchscreen at a good price.
I know because when I reviewed this machine, the 16-inch (2880 x 1800) AMOLED touchscreen was the first thing that grabbed my attention. When we ran it through our testing lab, our display testing revealed that the display on this laptop is nearly as bright and color-accurate as a Dell XPS 16 or MacBook Pro, yet the Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 generally costs less and offers more for your money (a packed-in stylus and AMOLED touchscreen) than these premium laptops.
What do we like?
👍 Lovely AMOLED touchscreen: The 16-inch (2880 x 1800) 120Hz AMOLED touchscreen on the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 is its best feature, as it ensures everything you do on it (from videos to web browsing to gaming) looks great.
👍Great performance and battery life: The Intel Core Ultra chips inside these laptops give them good performance and battery life, which has been a problem for Galaxy Books for some time. But the Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 easily outpaced its predecessors, and its 12-hour tested battery life will get you through a workday.
👍Thin and light design is easy to carry: At under 4 pounds and 0.5 inches thick this 2-in-1 is a bit heavier than the Surface Pro 11, but not by much. If you need a laptop to carry to work or school all day, this is a great choice that's easy on the back.
What don’t we like?
👎 Frustratingly short power cable: Samsung sells the Book4 Pro 360 with a power cable that's roughly 6 feet long, and it can only plug into the USB-C port on the left side of the laptop. So if you're in a meeting room or coffee shop and there's not a power outlet within a few feet, you're going to be annoyed.
👎 Poor gaming performance: This laptop can't be outfitted with a GPU, and unlike the Z13, the integrated graphics chipset onboard just can't run games well at all. You can enjoy some oldies and more basic games on this machine, but anything demanding will grind it to a halt.
Bottom line
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 is the best 2-in-1 for someone who wants a full laptop (not a tablet) and prizes display quality and comfort over gaming performance.
Admittedly, the performance and battery life of the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 were a little more impressive before Snapdragon-powered 2-in-1s like the Surface Pro 11 hit the scene, but it's still a great all-around laptop for working, browsing the web and watching movies.
And on that gorgeous 16-inch AMOLED touchscreen, everything looks great, plus it's quick to respond to input from your fingers or the packed-in Samsung stylus. It's a good laptop for lots of people, but it's especially great for students, writers, professionals, and anyone who thinks they might like a great 2-in-1 that you can doodle notes on when you want.
- Read our full Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 review
Also tested
We review lots of laptops every year, and only a handful can be the best of the best. But that doesn't mean everything else is garbage — I often have a hard time deciding which great laptop is worth putting on this list, so I wanted to include a list of machines that are also quite good and worth buying.
So if you can't find what you're looking for in the list above, consider these machines as well. They didn't quite make the list, but they're still good laptops.
Performance test results compared
We run every laptop we test and review through the Geekbench CPU benchmarking utility to get a sense of how capable it is in terms of raw CPU power.
Geekbench assigns the laptop a score for its performance in single-core workloads and multi-core workloads, which we then report to you against similar laptops to help you decide.
Simply put, the higher the score, the better the laptop is when it comes to raw CPU performance. The single-core workload score is typically a little more meaningful because not all apps are optimized for multi-core performance, but many are, so it is important to know.
Laptop | Single-core | Multi-core |
Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) | 3031 | 17283 |
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 | 2813 | 14432 |
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition | 2751 | 11059 |
Asus ProArt GoPro Edition (PX13) | 2932 | 18407 |
Asus ROG Flow Z13 | 2896 | 17876 |
Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Pro 360 | 2308 | 11979 |
Battery life test results compared
Battery life is one of the key things you should look at when deciding which 2-in-1 laptop to buy, which is why we run every laptop we review through a series of battery tests to see how long it lasts on a full charge.
These tests do not reflect real-world use patterns since we have to set every laptop to the same settings in order to do fair comparisons. Thus, while the times listed here are accurate and useful as a comparison point, your own experience with a laptop's battery life will likely vary.
This is because when we run our battery test, we set the laptop's display to 150 nits of brightness and have it endlessly browse the web via Wi-Fi until it dies. However, when you use your laptop, you're likely adjusting brightness on the fly, doing all sorts of different tasks while perhaps listening to music or watching a video at the same time, and generally putting the machine through more of a workout than it gets in our test.
So while I stand by our testing and the battery life results we compare in the chart below, I want to be clear that your own experience will vary!
Laptop | Battery life (tested) |
Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) | 14:23 (single-screen, web) | 11:13 (dual-screen, web) | 2:12 (gaming) |
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 | 12:10 |
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition | 12:47 |
Asus ProArt GoPro Edition (PX13) | 11:12 |
Asus ROG Flow Z13 | 7:30 (web) | 2:15 (gaming) |
Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Pro 360 | 12:04 |
Frequently asked questions
How much RAM do I need?
The answer really depends on what kind of 2-in-1 laptop you buy. If you end up with a Chromebook or Chrome tablet (neither of which is on this list right now), you really only need 4GB of RAM since you do very little computing on the machine itself. But if you buy a 2-in-1 laptop running Windows 11, you're going to want more memory.
These days, I generally recommend that anyone buying a new Windows laptop get at least 16GB of RAM if you can afford it. While you can get away with just 8GB, anything lower will almost certainly cause a seriously frustrating slowdown when multitasking or trying to run demanding apps, and you'll quickly feel behind the curve.
But while 16GB of RAM is more than enough for multitasking in Windows 11 and running basic apps, modern PC games demand more. So if you're buying a gaming laptop (or just a laptop you plan to play modern games on), I recommend you review the system requirements of the game(s) you want to play and make sure you have at least the minimum (ideally the recommended) RAM. In general, 16GB of RAM is enough to scrape by, while 32GB of RAM is more ideal, especially for serious gaming.
What accessories deliver the most bang for my buck?
First and foremost, if you want to use your 2-in-1 like a giant tablet, it's a good idea to invest in a stylus you like. Check the specs of your laptop to see what kinds of styluses it works with (active vs passive stylus, for example), and then check local retailers for some you can try out before you buy. If you want some ideas for what to shop for, check out our guide to the best Apple Pencil alternatives.
Also, consider investing in a versatile, stable laptop stand that can accommodate your 2-in-1 laptop in the configuration(s) you like to use it in. We maintain our own detailed guide to choosing the best laptop stand for your needs, and you don't have to spend a lot to see real results!
Plus, consider investing in a good mouse you like, because relying on the trackpad is less than ergonomic and can lead to real pain and hand issues over time. Check out our guide to the best mouse for all sorts of use cases and budgets for some ideas and advice on how to choose the perfect mouse for your needs.
Last but not least, if your laptop doesn't have many ports, you might consider getting a good USB hub so you can plug in more accessories when you need them. This is really key to getting the most out of slim ultraportables like the MacBook Air and Dell XPS 14, since they typically have a pair of USB-C ports and that's it.
How to choose the best 2-in-1 laptop for you
Performance: If you only need something basic for surfing the web and checking email, consider a cheap machine like the Surface Pro 11. If you need more power to multitask, run demanding applications, or edit photos/videos, look for a 2-in-1 packing plenty of RAM and newer CPUs, like the Asus ProArt GoPro Editon (PX13) or Asus Zenbook Duo.
Graphics and gaming: To function as both tablets and laptops, 2-in-1s are typically designed to be as thin and power-efficient as possible, so they don't pack discrete GPUs. These days, though, that doesn't mean they aren't great for gaming.
The game-focused Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a great example, packing an AMD chip with mighty integrated graphics power. But the same can be said with the Intel Panther Lake-powered Asus Zenbook Duo. But any Windows laptop with a decent x86 CPU and enough RAM can probably play older or basic games well, and the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition.
Size: Consider how portable you need your new 2-in-1 to be: is this a laptop you occasionally want to use as a tablet, or vice versa?
If you prefer the lighter weight and smaller size (typically) of a tablet, and can live with having a flimsy/detachable keyboard, then something like the Surface Pro 11. If you'd rather have the larger screen and extra power/versatility of a laptop that doubles as a tablet, and don't mind the extra size and weight, consider something like the Asus ProArt GoPro Edition PX13 or the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360.
Operating system: Just about every 2-in-1 laptop on the market comes with one of two operating systems: Windows and ChromeOS. Right now, every laptop we have on this list is a Windows machine, and that's because they offer far more versatility when it comes to workflows and entertainment.
Still, Windows 11 is by far the most common operating system among 2-in-1 laptops, but now it's available in two flavors: Arm and x86. Most laptops run on x86, but the Snapdragon chips that power the Surface Pro 11 are Arm-based, so keep in mind that you can't run games on it. If you'd prefer that, go with the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (for pure gaming) or the Asus Zenbook Duo (for a Windows laptop that can also run games).
How to get a great laptop for cheap
A good deal is always appreciated, but it feels like now more than ever our readers are hunting for opportunities to save money on a new laptop.
Obviously, the first thing to do is check out our regularly updated list of the best cheap laptop deals to see if any of the laptops you have your eye on are currently on sale.
Next, we scour Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and other retailers to see if they have the model you're after on a deep discount. If you're having a hard time finding the model you want, think about creating an account with each major retailer and setting up email alerts so you get notified as soon as the cheap laptop you want is back in stock.
Finally, make sure to use a good price-tracking tool like CamelCamelCamel to track prices on the laptop you want across multiple retailers, so you know when you've found the best deal!
How we tested these laptops
To find the best 2-in-1 laptops, we run every machine through a rigorous suite of benchmarks and real-world tests to gauge how it will perform during everyday use.
We measure the average brightness and color quality of each laptop's display using our in-house light meter and colorimeter. For general performance, we run our machines through tests that include Geekbench 6 (CPU performance), as well as various 3DMark tests to measure graphics capabilities. We also run a file transfer test to measure how fast a machine's hard drive is, and a custom battery test that has the machine browse the internet over Wi-Fi until it runs out of juice.
For more information on our testing process, check out our guide to how we test.
