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A good touchscreen laptop used to be a luxury, but now there are plenty of options. You don’t have to stick to one laptop brand or model, and you can find a touchscreen laptop at almost any price, though it can sometimes require paying a premium over non-touch-sensitive displays. The HP Spectre X360 14 is our top pick because of its beautiful design and 2-in-1 feature that allows you to convert it to a tablet.
Whether you’re a student or a professional looking for a new touchscreen laptop, here are some of the best ones. You can also check out our list of the overall best laptops of 2022.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7
The best touchscreen laptop
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Beautiful OLED display
- Gorgeous design
- Useful security and privacy features
- 1080p webcam
Cons
- Keyboard is only okay
- Average battery life
Why you should buy this: You want a flexible laptop that performs great in all categories.
Who it’s for: Professionals, perfectionists, and people who want a really good laptop.
Why we picked the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7:
The Yoga 9i Gen 7 has a beautiful rounded chrome design, amazing battery life, a keyboard that feels great to use, and 2-in-1 features if you want to convert it to tablet form to sketch, take notes, or add a signature to a document. It has a little bit of everything and manages to do it all well.
The productivity-friendly 16:10 touchscreen itself is a bright, colorful, and inky black OLED display that is awesome for creators and media consumption. As can be expected with Lenovo laptops, there are plenty of security features onboard, including a facial recognition camera and a fingerprint scanner.
The 2-in-1 also sports the newest 12th-generation Intel Core processors, including the Core i7-1260P. The base model also starts with 16GB of RAM and a 512Gb PCIe NVMe solid-state drive. Ports include two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, USB-A Gen 2 3.2 with fast charging, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The design is top-notch, too, with a bezel-less screen, a full-sized keyboard, and an upgraded fast-charge battery, while the weight clocks in at a very manageable 3.09 pounds.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7
The best touchscreen laptop
Riley Young / Digital Trends
Google Pixelbook Go
The best touchscreen Chromebook
Pros
- Portable design
- Bright, colorful display
- Speakers are impressive
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Chunky bezels
- No fingerprint scanner
Why you should buy this: It’s a versatile and powerful Chromebook that can do almost anything.
Who it’s for: Students who want a Chromebook that will last and professionals who like Chrome OS.
Why we picked the Google Pixelbook Go:
Do even the best Chromebooks seem lacking in storage to you? Google has a compromise with its own 2-in-1 Pixelbook Go. It offers more power and space so it can function as a more versatile laptop than other, more streamlined Chromebooks (albeit at a higher cost, too).
The Pixelbook Go is equipped with a 13.3-inch display, which can be upgraded from full HD to 4K if you prefer. You also get a broad choice in processors, from an Intel Core m3 to a Core i7, depending on what you need. RAM ranges from 8GB to 15GB and storage from 64GB to a 256GB SSD drive.
The battery for the Pixelbook Go is rated at around 12 hours of standard activity, making it a long-lasting device. You’ll need a couple of dongles or adapters, though, as its port selection is limited to just one USB-C and a headphone jack.
Google Pixelbook Go
The best touchscreen Chromebook
Microsoft Surface Pro 8
The best detachable tablet touchscreen laptop
Pros
- Gorgeous, 120Hz screen
- Impressive performance
- Has two powerful Thunderbolt 4 ports
- SSD is easily accessible
- The Surface Slim Pen 2 is exceptional
Cons
- More expensive
- Still lacks mobile apps
Why you should buy this: It’s the best detachable tablet you can buy, hands down.
Who it’s for: Mobile professionals and those who want a Windows 11 tablet.
Why we picked the Microsoft Surface Pro 8:
The Surface Pro line has always been a high-end option for excellent 2-in-1 models, and the Surface Pro 8 adds some long-awaited features to the line that make it even more ready for today’s business world. If you want the best Windows 11 tablet, this is your top option and our current favorite detachable tablet.
It comes with a larger 13-inch 2880 x 1920 IPS touchscreen running at 120Hz and several choices of processors, up to an 11th-gen Intel Core i7 chip for the latest performance. You can also choose up to 32GB of RAM (an increase from the Surface Pro 7) and up to 1TB of SSD storage — which means this slim tablet can become as powerful as you need.
There are also two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, a first for the Surface Pro line, ports for Surface Connect and the Surface Type Cover, and a microSDXC card reader. While the battery is rated for 16 hours, our tests showed that the Surface Pro 8 couldn’t quite meet that promise. The Surface Slim Pen 2 works incredibly well with the 120Hz display and offers haptic feedback to feel more like it’s writing on a real sheet of paper.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8
The best detachable tablet touchscreen laptop
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1
The best budget touchscreen laptop
Pros
- Affordable price
- Solid build quality
- Good productivity performance
Cons
- Display is only Full HD
- No Thunderbolt support
Why you should buy this: A solid laptop that’s more affordable than ever.
Who it’s for: Those who need a touchscreen on a budget but don’t want to sacrifice quality.
Why we picked the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1:
The Inspiron 14 series is reliable for those seeking affordable computers (sometimes, this can also be a downside). The latest Inspiron 14 2-in-1 is a compromise between a budget laptop and updated tech that will last you years into the future, a good buy for those who want a focus on affordability while making sure they get their money’s worth.
While the 14-inch display — larger than many of our picks — is certainly a point in favor, the tech inside has all been fully updated for the latest options. You get an 11th-gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD for storage on the base model. The laptop is ready for Wi-Fi 6 and has the latest Bluetooth standards as well, so wireless connections should not pose a problem.
Ports include USB-A 3.0, HDMI 1.4b, and thankfully, the addition of USB-C for newer and faster connections. All are well positioned, highlighting the strong, durable design of this Dell laptop. There’s not a ton of storage on this affordable 2-in-1, but the price is very hard to beat when you factor in the latest upgrades.
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1
The best budget touchscreen laptop
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Microsoft Surface Go 3
The best affordable 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Superior display for a budget machine
- Great Active Pen support
- Small and light
- Surprisingly good real-world performance
Cons
- Can get expensive
- Mediocre battery life
- Keyboard and touchpad are cramped
Why you should buy this: This 2-in-1 is an easy, durable choice when you’re always on the move.
Who it’s for: Students and professionals who don’t need to get a Surface Pro.
Why we picked the Microsoft Surface Go 3:
The Surface Go 3 improves on the affordable 2-in-1 in several ways, notably with a faster 10th-gen Core i3-10100Y CPU option that’s a real upgrade from the 8th-gen CPU in the previous model. It sports the same larger 10.5-inch touchscreen that improved its screen resolution to HD and enhanced the battery life to 10 hours. At only 1.2 pounds, it’s the lightest option on our list, too, ideal for carrying around with you throughout the day — and one of the best laptops for college students.
You can choose up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage, but we like the lower specs that keep the price down. At the base level, it’s the most affordable Surface device Microsoft offers, and well within a wider range of budgets. Perfect for those who don’t need or can’t justify buying a Surface Pro. You will need to buy the optional Type Cover to give this 2-in-1 full laptop functionality, however.
We love that the Surface Go 3 comes equipped with a USB-C connection for the latest data connections, although there’s also a Surface Connect port and a microSDX card reader.
Microsoft Surface Go 3
The best affordable 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Dell XPS 13 OLED
The best 13-inch touchscreen laptop
Pros
- Streamlined design
- Tiny bezels all around
- 16:10 display adds to productivity
- Keyboard and touchpad are larger and excellent
- Solid productivity performance
Cons
- Connectivity is limited
- Battery life has been downgraded
Why you should buy this: It’s one of the best laptops around but with added touch capabilities.
Who it’s for: Those who want the complete package.
Why we picked the Dell XPS 13 9310:
The XPS 13 is already one of our favorite laptops — a compact but powerful option that’s useful in just about any situation — but not all configurations come with a touchscreen. This particular model does have touch capabilities on its UHD (3840 x 2400) resolution) display, adding a handy feature to a laptop already filled with them, and there’s a 3.5K OLED display option that offers spectacular colors and contrast. A new XPS 13 is coming available soon that offers a complete redesign and 12th-gen Intel CPUs.
This XPS 13 has also been updated with an 11th-gen Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. The model includes all the latest connection options, like Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, including Thunderbolt 4 ports that support DisplayPort connections. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1, so you’re well-covered for wireless connections as well. And while the ultra-slim laptop may be able to fit anywhere, there’s still enough room to include security features like a fingerprint reader and infrared camera for Windows Hello.
Dell XPS 13 OLED
The best 13-inch touchscreen laptop
Razer Book 13 (2021)
The best Razer touchscreen laptop
Pros
- Perfect port selection
- Fantastic design and build quality
- Performance is impressive
- Lovely 16:10 display
Cons
- Limited configurations
- Battery life isn’t great
Why you should buy this: It’s a compact powerhouse that can handle anything.
Who it’s for: Razer fans looking for a touchscreen laptop and anyone interested in more powerful specs.
Why we picked the Razer Book 13 (2021):
In our review of the latest Razer Book 13, we wondered if it was “nearly the perfect laptop.” Sure, the battery life could be better, but with an outlet at hand, that isn’t much to worry about, and the rest of this full-featured laptop more than makes up for it.
While the name Razer is often synonymous with gaming, this laptop belongs to its more business side, with an 11th-gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor and Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics under the hood — it’s also a bit small to play games on. However, buyers still get the familiar Razer benefits like the Chroma keyboard and vapor chamber cooling system. The model starts with a 256GB SSD, but you can upgrade it for more storage if you prefer, and it comes with 16GB of RAM.
The Razer Book 13 is also ready for connections with the latest ports, including two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, microSD, and HDMI 2.0.
Razer Book 13 (2021)
The best Razer touchscreen laptop
Frequently Asked Questions
Do touchscreen laptops use more battery?
They can, but this question is trickier than it seems. All sorts of laptop display settings can drain your battery, especially screen brightness.
Touchscreens use a simple capacitive layer on the display to detect your fingers, which uses hardly any electricity at all. However, as touchscreen laptops have grown more complex, there are more features “watching” for touch inputs, which can drain battery life over time. For a variety of reasons, touchscreen laptops tend to use their batteries faster than models without a touchscreen. Oh, and disabling the touchscreen won’t make a difference. Most laptops simply set the screen to ignore all touches, accidental or otherwise, but the battery-draining features are still there.
The real reason touchscreen laptops tend to get worse battery life is because sometimes they are limited to higher resolution configurations, such as with the Dell XPS 13. A 4K screen is the primary battery-sucker here, not the touchscreen addition.
Are touchscreen laptops good for drawing?
This is a very model-specific question! Some touchscreen laptops are horrible for drawing, while others are actually very good at it. Look for a 2-in-1 model that’s stylus compatible with something like the Surface Pen (Microsoft’s Surface models, Lenovo Yoga models, etc.). Then look carefully at reviews and see if people find that the laptop model is good for sketching and drawing. If the display isn’t able to lay completely flat, it’s probably not a good choice as a drawing surface.
Does Apple have a touchscreen laptop?
Apple does have a touchscreen laptop, as long as you count the iPad Pro as one. Sure, it’s technically a tablet, but there have been major developments to make it laptop-like, especially with the features of iPadOS.
We don’t foresee Apple creating and developing touchscreen MacBooks any time in the near future. You might be wondering the reason for this, and this is because Apple’s designers just don’t like the idea. Nevertheless, Apple did launch a feature called Sidecar on MacOS Catalina. Sidecar works as a connective tool for your MacBook and iPad to enable screen-sharing. This efficiently supplies your MacBook with a convenient touch screen mode, with seamless usage using the Apple Pencil or simply your fingers. You can benefit from using Sidecar, especially when you’re drawing. Overall, it’s always helpful to have a touchscreen to complete other tasks too.
Are all 2-in-1 laptops touchscreen laptops?
When manufacturers refer to laptops as “2-in-1,” they mean that these laptops can transform into a tablet if needed. Because these laptops can work as a tablet, their displays are touchscreens. This classifies them as touchscreen laptops automatically. You often convert a 2-in-1 by folding the screen backward or removing the keyboard. A few examples of these types of laptops are the Lenovo Yoga, HP Spectre 360x, and Microsoft Surface Book.
They’re hard to find, but a few of the traditional clam-shell laptops possess touchscreens. Samples of conventional clam-shell laptops with touchscreens are the Surface Laptop 4 and some Dell XPS 13 versions.
Editors’ Recommendations
