Best 2-in-1 Chromebooks in 2023

Chromebooks come in many shapes and sizes, but only the best 2-in-1 Chromebooks — which include detachable and convertible models — can offer the versatility of a tablet

and

a notebook in one sleek package. These 2-in-1 and convertible marvels all come with a touch display, and some even include true inking support for those who enjoy jotting down notes and making sketches.

They’re particularly useful for users who are accustomed to using Android apps on a touchscreen, but they’ll also deliver the full touchpad and keyboard experience. I’ve been sure to include a bunch of different models ranging in price, size, and usage focus to help you find the best 2-in-1 Chromebook for your needs.

Keep in mind that Amazon’s Prime Day is quickly approaching, and we’re already seeing a bunch of early Prime Day Chromebook deals on some of the best hardware out there. Our top pick, the Flex 5i Chromebook, is currently enjoying a discount, as are a bunch of the other models in this collection.

The best 2-in-1 and convertible Chromebooks in 2023

Lenovo’s 13-inch Flex 5i is also our pick for the overall best Chromebook thanks to its convertible versatility, snappy performance, and its touch display with 1920×1080 (FHD) resolution. It’s the right choice for most people, and it just keeps getting cheaper. That’s partly due to Lenovo making room for a new 14-inch version expected to launch in 2023, but for the time being you can take advantage of a relatively low price. A model with an 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor (CPU), 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage is usually priced at about $430, but it has been enjoying some lasting discounts. At the time of writing, you can pick up this model for about $360.

In our Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook review, Prasham Parikh noted that the laptop can last for about eight or nine hours on a single charge, meaning you’ll be able to get through most of a workday without needing to plug in.

The convertible hinges don’t allow the laptop to come apart completely, but you can rotate the display around 360° to turn it into a tablet. Along the way, it can also be used in tent and stand modes which are perfect for watching TV and movies. You can even use an active USI pen for a quality inking experience, though it is sold separately. You can check out some of the best stylus pens for Chromebooks if you’re interested.

Top firing speakers flank the comfortable keyboard, and there’s a sizable touchpad for easy pointing when you aren’t using the touch display. It has two USB-C 3.2 (Gen 1) ports, one USB-A 3.2, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack for physical hookups, and it offers Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless connectivity. The aluminum lid is durable, the overall design is quite thin, and you should find that it makes a great laptop for home or office use.

When it comes to the best cheap Chromebooks, Acer is hard to beat. Its Chromebook Spin 311 is a convertible laptop priced at about $224, but there are frequent discounts that drop it below the $200 mark. With Prime Day approaching we’re expecting to see it drop even lower; Best Buy just dropped the price down to about $169 for a killer deal.

Yes, there are some compromises to make at this price. The 11.6-inch display has a lower 1366×768 (HD) resolution than our top pick, but at this size it won’t look nearly as grainy as you might think. The convertible hinges let the screen rotate around 360°, making it a great Chromebook for kids or users with smaller hands.

The MediaTek MT8183C CPU has eight cores to work with, and it’s accompanied by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. This is suitable for a lighter workload with lots of productivity tasks, and it will handle streaming media with ease. A big tradeoff with the lighter performance hardware is longer battery life. The Spin 311 can run for well more than 10 hours — Acer claims 15 hours in documentation — on a charge, making it a proper travel companion. Ports include USB-C, USB-A, and a 3.5mm audio jack, plus there’s a lock slot for use around a busy office.

Acer might make a lot of great budget Chromebooks, but it can also flex a bit with more expensive models. The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is a relatively recent release that comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 5625C CPU, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage. This trio provides plenty of power, and indeed you can use the Spin 514 for gaming thanks to Steam Beta compatibility for ChromeOS. It will power through any productivity work with ease, and you can expect between six and seven hours of real-world battery life when the screen is in use constantly.

In our Acer Chromebook Spin 514 review, Stephen Radochia noted that “the IPS panel can produce 100% of the sRGB spectrum, which results in a rich, colorful viewing experience. It’s sized at 14 inches for plenty of screen real estate, and the FHD resolution provides plenty of pixels. The 360° hinges allow the display to rotate around for tent, stand, and tablet modes, and USI compatibility means you can do some inking.

Top-firing speakers flank the comfy keyboard, and there’s a sizable touchpad below to help with productivity. As for ports, the laptop has two USB-C, USB-A 3.2, HDMI, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Acer has gone with a 1080p webcam for better video conferencing. At about $700 you aren’t getting away without dropping some dough, but keep in mind this Chromebook is a fresh release. It will come down in price over time, and we’re hoping to see it discounted for Prime Day. Be sure to check out some other great Acer Chromebooks if this one isn’t quite what you need.

A true 2-in-1 laptop means the keyboard and touchpad can detach from the tablet display portion. These Chromebooks are rarer than your standard non-detachable convertibles, but Lenovo has you covered if you’re in need of a 2-in-1. The Chromebook Duet 5 has a 13.3-inch touch display with 1920×1080 (FHD) resolution and up to 400 nits of brightness; without the keyboard, it’s a bona fide tablet with thin bezels. The screen hits 100% DCI-P3 color coverage and can handle inking with an active pen.

When you do need to get down to work, the keyboard and touchpad snap on to deliver a notebook experience. It even clasps magnetically to become a folio when the keyboard is closed. It’s one of the best keyboards around when it comes to 2-in-1 Chromebooks.

The Duet 5 has a full-size keyboard with decent key travel as well as an accurate touchpad that makes productivity a breeze. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c (Gen 2) CPU matched with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage. The CPU isn’t the most powerful around, but it will handle daily productivity work and streaming. The real highlight here is the battery life. We’ve been able to get a couple of days of casual use out of the Duet 5 without needing a recharge, making it an ideal travel companion.

There are lots of great gaming Chromebooks out there, but finding one with a convertible design isn’t always easy. Enter the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip, a laptop designed from the start to deliver a quality gaming experience. You can get it with up to an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU matched up with 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 512GB of SSD storage, giving you plenty of performance and space to handle your games. If you’re working with Steam games, stick with a Core i5 or Core i7 to land the integrated Iris Xe graphics.

The 15.6-inch display rests on 360° hinges for full convertible functionality. You can flip the screen around and turn the laptop into a tablet for casual web browsing, or you can set it up in stand mode to watch movies or TV. The screen has an FHD resolution with 16:9 aspect ratio and about 250 nits brightness, plus it has a sizzling 144Hz refresh rate to accommodate your favorite games.

WASD keys are highlighted and there’s a standard backlight to boot; it overall delivers a comfy typing experience thanks to 1.4mm of key travel and perfect spacing. WI-Fi 6 is on board to deliver a fast and reliable wireless connection, while HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, and 3.5mm audio handle wired connections. It’s all wrapped up in a premium package with black finish.

Lenovo’s IdeaPad Flex 3i (Gen 8) is a recent release that gets a lot right. It’s one of the best Lenovo Chromebooks out there, especially if you’re looking for a compact convertible. Its display measure 12.2 inches but has a 1920×1200 (FHD+) resolution for a crisp picture. The laptop overall isn’t any larger than the previous generation; Lenovo shrunk the bezels to fit a larger screen without adding any bulk. With a convertible design, you can use the laptop in notebook, tent, stand, and tablet modes without any difficulty.

This fresh Chromebook is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom N100 CPU that’s paired with 4GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. You can expect snappy performance while browsing the web, hitting productivity tasks, and streaming. Just don’t expect it to handle games or other intensive tasks. The slim build holds onto a generous selection of ports, including dual USB-A 3.2, USB-C 3.2, HDMI, 3.5mm audio, and a microSD card reader. You can always check out some great Chromebook docks if you need wider connectivity, but the native selection should suit most people.

Priced regularly at about $349, we’ve already seen some discounts at Best Buy ahead of Prime Day. That’s a good sign, as it means Lenovo isn’t afraid to offer some deals even on its latest hardware. Keep an eye out for deeper sales in the weeks to come to get the best deal possible.

The Flip CX5601 is the best Asus Chromebook you can buy today, and it just so happens to be a convertible. It has a 16-inch display with 16:10 aspect ratio and boosted 1920×1200 (FHD+) resolution to match, making it ideal for users who enjoy a larger screen without adding an external monitor. The convertible hinges let you rotate the screen all the way around for tent, stand, and tablet modes. This is best reserved for mature users who can handle a 16-inch tablet. Asus has included an FHD webcam with privacy shutter above the screen for quality video conferencing.

The laptop’s base is made from plastic, but it has an aluminum lid for better durability. This is especially important in a convertible laptop that will have its lid handled often while rotating to different modes. To prove its durability, Asus even put it through MIL-STD 810H testing. Dual USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) ports will handle most hookups, but there’s also USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2), HDMI 2.1, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. When you aren’t using a headset, four speakers can deliver quality sound.

Powering the laptop is a 12th Gen Intel Core i3-1215U CPU that can cut through just about any work or light gaming. It’s joined by 8GB of RAM and a 128GB M.2 PCIe SSD, plus the battery can last up to 10 hours on a charge. This should be a top choice if you’re in search of a larger convertible with strong performance and an FHD+ touch display.

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 represents one of the best Samsung Chromebooks on the market today. In terms of Samsung pricing it’s on the lower end, yet it delivers one of the best displays and an overall premium design. The 12.4-inch display has a gorgeous 2560×1600 (QHD+) resolution, with touch functionality to go along with the convertible design. You can prop it up in stand mode to watch some movies, and at 12.4 inches it’s a great size for a tablet.

It’s powered by an Intel Celeron N4500 CPU, 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and up to 128GB of eMMC storage. That’s enough for a lighter workload, and you should expect the battery to last up to 10 hours under ideal conditions. It’s an excellent Chromebook for students, but it will also come in handy around the house for light computing.

This is one of the more aesthetically pleasing Chromebooks in our roundup, with a thin design that’s black on the inside and silver on the outside. Despite its thin construction, it holds onto dual USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm audio, and a microSD card reader.

Getting the best 2-in-1 and convertible Chromebook for you

Buying a new Chromebook doesn’t have to be a complicated experience. You’ve likely already nailed down the form factor — in this case a convertible or a detachable 2-in-1 — and from there you can decide on screen size, level of performance, and features like webcam, speakers, ports, and keyboard. Any of the Chromebooks that we’ve collected here can deliver a quality 2-in-1 experience, and all should be as comfortable acting as a notebook as they are as a tablet.

If we’re picking one to recommend to most people, it has to be the 13.3-inch Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook. This is our favorite option in a number of categories (including best overall) thanks to its touch display with FHD resolution, its 11th Gen Intel Core i3 and 8GB RAM performance, comfortable keyboard, top-firing speakers, and solid battery life. While at one time it was maybe a bit too rich for casual users, we’re seeing frequent (if almost permanent) discounts on the model we’ve highlighted here.

You can regularly find it for about $360, and we’ve seen it drop even lower at times. With Prime Day approaching and with a new 14-inch version’s release on the horizon, this laptop should see more drastic discounts in the near future. Don’t sleep on the Flex 5i if you’d like a jack-of-all trades Chromebooks that works equally well as a tablet as it does a notebook.

While shopping, don’t forget to check out our picks for the best Chromebook accessories around. With everything from chargers to sleeves to external monitors, you should be able to find what you need for a perfect setup.