The Best Stylus Convertibles
Convertibles are very versatile devices and can be used as traditional notebooks with all the advantages like a conventional keyboard, and also as tablets thanks to the integrated touchscreen. All these device also support active input pens for graphics designers and artists. The following ranking lists all modern convertible PCs, which can be used with active input pens.
Note: We did not use the (subjective) quality of the stylus or the input pen, respectively, for the following ranking, but only criteria we can judge objectively by our authors and measurements. These are the following: Performance headroom for applications, display quality, and sound. The information about the input pens can also be found in each individual review.
Please feel free to comment below if you have made experiences with the listed devices and especially the input pens to give additional help for other users.
Additional interesting top lists:
The Best Stylus Convertibles
Position | weighted rating | total rating | Date | Image | Model | Weight | Size | Resolution | Application Perf. | Display | Noise |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 81.3 % | 86.9 % | 03/2023 | Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 Qualcomm Adreno 690 8 GB Memory | 883 g | 13.00" | 2880x1920 | 54.1 % | 89.7 % | 100 % | |
2 | 86 % | 89.4 % | 09/2023 | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G4 21F20017GE Intel Core i5-1335U Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.3 kg | 13.30" | 1920x1200 | 76.3 % | 86.8 % | 94.8 % | |
3 | 90.5 % | 86.7 % | 04/2023 | Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 16, i5-1340P Intel Core i5-1340P Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs 8 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 1.7 kg | 16.00" | 2880x1800 | 87.9 % | 91.6 % | 91.9 % | |
4 | 89.1 % | 88.4 % | 01/2023 | Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U Intel Core i7-1255U Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 877 g | 13.00" | 2880x1920 | 89.9 % | 89.7 % | 87.6 % | |
5 | 86.2 % | 88.2 % | 10/2023 | Asus ROG Flow X13 GV302XV AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.3 kg | 13.40" | 2560x1600 | 95.8 % | 85.1 % | 77.6 % | |
6 | 91.8 % | 86.3 % | 05/2023 New! | Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen Intel Core i7-1355U Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.6 kg | 13.30" | 2880x1800 | 93.7 % | 87 % | 94.6 % | |
7 | 88.5 % | 89.1 % | 06/2023 | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G3 21AW003UGE Intel Core i7-1265U Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 32 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.2 kg | 13.30" | 2560x1600 | 84.7 % | 90.5 % | 90.4 % | |
8 | 89.8 % | 85.8 % | 11/2023 New! | LG Gram 2in1 16 16T90R - G.AA78G Intel Core i7-1360P Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.5 kg | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | 92.1 % | 81.7 % | 95.6 % | |
9 | 88 % | 86.5 % | 03/2023 New! | Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip B5602FBN Intel Core i7-1260P Intel Arc A350M 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.8 kg | 16.00" | 3840x2400 | 90.3 % | 93.6 % | 80 % | |
10 | 87.8 % | 88.1 % | 10/2023 | HP Envy x360 15-fe0072ng Intel Core i7-1355U Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.8 kg | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | 86.5 % | 83.7 % | 93.3 % |
The table above contains an overview over the best convertibles with stylus input reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Editors' Comments
Our ranking includes laptop convertibles as well as notebooks with 360-degree hinges and Windows tablets with additional keyboard docks. It is your choice which device you prefer. We notice that some convertibles still uses Intel's Kaby Lake dual-core processors. Devices with the latest quad-core Kaby Lake Refresh chips (KBL-R) often suffer from a performance drop under sustained workloads or the performance is worse than expected even in short peak load scenarios. This should be taken into account, especially if you plan to perform more complex tasks like video editing. Most of the following device are pleasantly quiet. Please refer to the original reviews if the battery runtime is important for you.
The situation is tricky when it comes to the scope of delivery in terms of the pen. You should definitely ask the manufacturer whether it is included or not if there are any doubts. Then there is the issue with the features of the pen; some of the manufacturers could not answer our question about the support of "pen-tilt", for example. The same applies for the support of third-party pens.
1st – Microsoft Surface Pro 9 ARM
With its ARM processor, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 has some advantages over its sister device with an Intel processor. The built-in Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 requires very little power. As a result, the detachable has a long battery life and is always quiet in operation thanks to passive cooling. Microsoft only offers the Suface with an LTE or 5G modem for the ARM version. However, Windows is not yet well adapted to ARM processors. Unfortunately, the Surface Pro 9 with ARM proved to be very underpowered in the test. As the 64-bit emulation does not yet run perfectly here either, it often stutters in everyday use. In terms of price, the ARM version offers no advantage over the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 with Intel processor.
By giving the ARM and Intel versions of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 the same name, Microsoft suggests that they are equivalent products. We are of the opinion that this is not the case.
The ARM Surface is probably the right choice for anyone looking for a detachable for writing and drawing with a stylus and who is looking for long-lasting battery operation. If you expect a lot of performance from your device, you should probably go for the Intel version.
Slim Pen 2
Despite the fact that this stylus offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, inductive charging, and programmable buttons we found its shape slightly unwieldly. At just 6.3 mm (0.25 inches) it is very slim, which negatively affects its ergonomic qualities.
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2nd – Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G4
The history of Lenovo's convertibles is quite extensive. Immediately after taking over laptop production from IBM, Lenovo presented the first ThinkPad X41 tablet. So Lenovo probably has the longest experience in the convertible market. The ThinkPad X13 Yoga G4 is a typical representative of the ThinkPad brand in terms of stability and endurance. The stable 13-inch convertible weighs just 1.3 kg.
The ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 4 is based on a good battery life, a strong casing and a decent screen, but once again you are fobbed off with a somewhat weak 13th generation Intel processor.
In terms of performance, this is a good office device with strong battery life and an acceptable screen. However, you shouldn't expect too much from it. Only the sRGB color space is displayed halfway completely at an average of 431 cd/m². However, thanks to the matte display surface, writing with the integrated stylus is almost like using a pencil on paper.
Interested users can find the device on Lenovo's official store where prices start at $1,293.
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Integrated ThinkBook Yoga Smart Pen
The integrated Smart Pen of Lenovo's ThinkPads offers 4,096 pressure levels and two integrated buttons. It is charged in the convertible's pen silo. This means that the stylus does not need batteries.
3rd - Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 in 16-inch format weighs just over 1.6 kg. The convertible runs under the Intel Evo program and should therefore deliver high performance with superior quality. The 2-in-1 laptop is already impressive from the outside. Its gray metal casing has smooth, matte surfaces. The S-Pen is included with the notebook as a stylus. You can write, draw and doodle on a high-resolution OLED display. This offers good brightness and covers almost 100% of AdobeRGB, DisplayP3 and sRGB. The notebook's color deviations are minimal even in the delivery state.
With the Galaxy Book3 Pro 360, Samsung delivers a quiet, mobile working device that impresses with its 360-degree display.
With its Intel Core i5-1340P and 8 GB of RAM, the notebook can handle many tasks without any problems, but is not necessarily suitable for gaming. But the creative laptop doesn't have to be. With its 76 Wh battery, the laptop should manage over ten hours without a power supply in many applications.
The Samsung S-Pen weighs just under 8 grams and fits comfortably in the hand. The pen holds magnetically in various places on the device. With 4,096 pressure levels and position recognition, the pen offers the most accurate input. It is powered by induction from the laptop.
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4th – Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Microsoft has revised its Surface series, the ARM and x86 tablets are now called Surface Pro 9. Thus, there are now two models of the Surface Pro 9, one with an Intel processor starting at 1,299 Euros and one with an ARM chip starting at 1,549 Euros. The Intel variant is in our top list.
The updated Alder Lake U processor offers significantly more CPU power and the convertible now supports Wi-Fi 6E. In return, the jack port has been dropped.
The device from Redmond convinces with a stable aluminum case and excellent build quality. Nothing creaks here. However, the integrated kickstand remains a weak point.
The new Microsoft Surface Pro 9 now offers more CPU power. However, the optional WWAN model has been dropped, and you also have to do without a jack now. The battery life is still a problem for the convertible.
The competition usually offers more in terms of color space coverage and contrast ratio. This could be the tablet's biggest problem for creatives of all kinds. Only the sRGB color space is completely reproduced by the display of the latest Microsoft Surface.
In the USA, users can order Surface Pro 9 via Microsoft's official online store, prices starting at $800. As well, our review configuration is available on Amazon US for $1,400.
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Slim Pen 2
Despite the fact that this stylus offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, inductive charging, and programmable buttons we found its shape slightly unwieldly. At just 6.3 mm (0.25 inches) it is very slim, which negatively affects its ergonomic qualities.
5th - Asus ROG Flow X13
Gaming laptop, creative station and compact convertible - the Asus ROG Flow X13 is an all-in-one solution. Convertibles with a dGPU are rare, making the gaming convertible from Asus an oddity in our list of the best. Only the ExpertBook B6 Flip stands out here as a similarly powerful representative.
The Asus ROG Flow X13 is a powerful convertible with an AMD processor and Nvidia graphics and is one of the few representatives in its class.
The ROG Flow X13 has a powerful screen with DisplayP3 coverage and an excellent keyboard. With its powerful Ryzen 9 7940HS and the RTX 4060, the convertible leaves little to be desired in terms of computing power. The convertible's battery runtimes are also reasonable.
At the time of writing, the Asus ROG Flow X13 is available on Asus's official online store. Alternatively, it is also available on Amazon US or Best buy.
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6th – Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen
With the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, you can see twice. The convertible comes with two very good OLED displays that provide plenty of usable screen area. Both fully cover all important color spaces. However, the Yoga Book with its unusual concept is not quite fully developed. In the test, we found too many software bugs, while the hardware runs well and delivers a strong performance.
The Yoga 9i 2-in-1 is the most elegant and high-quality dual-screen subnotebook we have had the pleasure of testing to date. Unfortunately, the device's software is still in need of significant optimization.
Disappointingly, the subnotebook also has many points of criticism, especially when it comes to the input devices. The wireless keyboard feels very clunky and the supplied software for the keyboard for the second display is cumbersome. An external mouse is almost mandatory.
In the US, interested users can order the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 through common retailers, Amazon for example.
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7th – Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G3
Lenovo's small convertible from the ThinkPad X series is now a cheaper alternative to the significantly more expensive ThinkPad X1 series. Lenovo introduced a new design here in 2022. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G3 is gray and its shape is a classic representative of the new ThinkPads with a tapered base and slanted sides. All those looking for the typical red trackpoint will still find it here. Our test device with the 2,560 × 1,600 WQXGA screen only fully displays the sRGB color space. The Intel Core i7-1265U impresses here with its high performance class. But:
Alder-Lake brings higher performance, but reduced battery life and a louder fan on the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 3.
The convertible's fans are comparatively loud, while it only has below-average speakers. The ThinkPad stylus is also small and offers little convenience. You also have to do without an SD card reader on these ThinkPads.
Currently, the ThinkPad X13 Yoga G3 is out of stock on Lenovo's webstore. However, interested buyers can keep tabs on stores like Amazon, newegg, and Best Buy and wait for the device to appear here.
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8th – LG Gram 2 in 1 16-inch
For some years now, LG has not only been producing ultra-light laptops, but also convertibles. However, it must be clearly stated that the devices with a 360° hinge are significantly heavier than their siblings in the classic clamshell design. LG's convertible with a 16-inch screen is only around 200 grams lighter than the Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 with a 16-inch screen.
The LG Gram 2 in 1 is more of a mediocre convertible than a real game changer. Nevertheless, the laptop with 360 hinge is competitive in terms of screen, endurance and performance.
The current LG Gram 2in1 16 has hardly changed in terms of casing and features since 2021. Only a new Raptor Lake processor can be found in our current test report. However, this makes the convertible one of the more powerful devices on the market. Unfortunately, the LG device doesn't really have a unique selling point as long as you don't have to look at every gram.
At the time of writing, the LG Gram 2 in 1 16-inch can be ordered through LG's online store.
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LG Active Stylus
The Active Stylus from LG offers the typical 4,096 pressure levels and position detection. This means that the input point is always under the tip of the digital pen. The stylus is powered by a mini battery (AAAA or LR61).
9th – Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip
Like Lenovo's ThinkPads, the ExpertBook B5 Flip is designed for professional use. In addition to the standard connections, it also offers an RJ45 port for wired LAN and a Kensington lock slot. If desired, the device can also be configured with a card reader for smart cards, health insurance cards or credit cards. Our test device was equipped with an Intel Arc 350M, which gives the laptop significantly more graphics performance than some convertibles with an iGPU. However, it cannot match the performance of the ROG Flow X13.
The Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip is a business convertible with a slight focus on creative applications.
In addition to the wide range of connections, the convertible also has a very good OLED screen with a matt display surface. This means that the colors on the screen are not quite as brilliant as you would expect from smooth OLEDs, but reflections are significantly reduced. As with the ThinkPad X13, the digital stylus of the ExpertBook B5 Flip can also be stored and charged in a silo.
At the time of writing, the Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip is listed at Amazon US for around $2,105.
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10th – HP Envy x360 15
The latest Envy redesign offers many features of the Spectre series, but is significantly cheaper. Our test device comes with the Core i7 1355U processor and a Full HD OLED touchscreen. If you prefer an AMD processor, you can also find the HP Envy x360 with an AMD Ryzen 7 7730U. This means that sRGB and DisplayP3 colors can be displayed almost completely. The HP Envy x360 15 offers a simple case with good connectivity.
The HP Envy x360 15 can be configured with an OLED display. This is probably the better choice for creative use.
When it comes to input devices, HP clearly relies on the touchscreen and stylus, as the keyboard and touchpad of the small device can only be described as spongy. Nevertheless, the notebook feels more like a high-end ultrabook. Even if all of the performance features can be classified as mid-range.
On HP's online store, users can customize the Envy x360 15 with prices starting at $750. Alternatively, Amazon US also has the laptop on its list.
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Best Convertibles with Stylus Input
Test Results
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, ARM | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G4 21F20017GE | Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 16, i5-1340P | Microsoft Surface Pro 9, i7-1255U | Asus ROG Flow X13 GV302XV | Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G3 21AW003UGE | LG Gram 2in1 16 16T90R - G.AA78G | Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip B5602FBN | HP Envy x360 15-fe0072ng | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | ||||||||||
Display P3 Coverage | 72.4 | 99.9 | 65.6 | 95.1 | 99.8 | 68 | 96.5 | 71.7 | 96.43 | |
sRGB Coverage | 96 | 100 | 97.7 | 99.7 | 100 | 98.6 | 99.9 | 100 | 98.82 | |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 74.4 | 96.5 | 67.7 | 84.4 | 95.4 | 69.5 | 84.6 | 97.1 | 93.76 | |
Response Times | ||||||||||
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 29.7 ? | 0.5 | 13 ? | 4.79 ? | 1.83 ? | 45.9 ? | 38.4 ? | 2 ? | 3 ? | |
Response Time Black / White * | 16 ? | 0.5 | 19.4 ? | 6.42 ? | 2.03 ? | 27.6 ? | 21.4 ? | 2 ? | 3 ? | |
PWM Frequency | 240 | 29896 ? | 60 ? | 240 ? | 50 ? | |||||
Screen | ||||||||||
Brightness middle | 429 | 408 | 455 | 473 | 359.7 | 438 | 329 | 379 | 380.2 | |
Black Level * | 0.31 | 0.002 | 0.38 | 0.39 | 0.29 | 0.39 | 0.01 | 0.05 | ||
Brightness | 431 | 412 | 453 | 445 | 363 | 399 | 310 | 382 | 381 | |
Brightness Distribution | 95 | 98 | 94 | 89 | 98 | 84 | 88 | 98 | 98 | |
Contrast | 1384 | 204000 | 1197 | 1213 | 1510 | 844 | 37900 | 7604 | ||
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.3 | 2.27 | 1.7 | 3.3 | 4.51 | 1.8 | 3.52 | 2.79 | 4.68 | |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 10 | 3.53 | 3.8 | 8.93 | 7.05 | 4 | 6.96 | 5.29 | 7.06 | |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 2 | 2.42 | 1.5 | 1.09 | 0.8 | 1.15 | 2.5 | 3.79 | ||
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 7.3 | 2.69 | 1.5 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 5.75 | 1.92 | 6.62 | |
Gamma | 1.97 112% | 2.45 90% | 2.17 101% | 2.11 104% | 2.18 101% | 2.24 98% | 2.137 103% | 2.38 92% | 2.18 101% | |
CCT | 6479 100% | 6942 94% | 6761 96% | 7540 86% | 6112 106% | 6785 96% | 7584 86% | 6270 104% | 7651 85% | |
Heat | ||||||||||
Maximum Upper Side * | 40.8 | 53.1 | 43.1 | 44.6 | 45.6 | 37 | 52.2 | 55 | 37.9 | 37.8 |
Maximum Bottom * | 43.4 | 51.1 | 44.4 | 45.9 | 44.2 | 37.2 | 50.2 | 55.4 | 39.4 | 43.1 |
Idle Upper Side * | 23.2 | 29.3 | 27.6 | 24.8 | 33.8 | 31.4 | 32 | 34.9 | 28.8 | 34 |
Idle Bottom * | 22.6 | 28.9 | 27.1 | 25.3 | 32.8 | 31.6 | 33.6 | 30 | 29.1 | 35.1 |
Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
WiFi v1.3 | 603 | 698 | 579 | 451 | 712 | 586 | 487 | 716 | 488 | 576 |
Load | 134 | 105 | 82 | 219 | 115 | 121 | 173 | |||
Reader / Idle | 1433 | 680 | ||||||||
H.264 | 562 | 685 | ||||||||
Witcher 3 ultra | 90 | |||||||||
Noise | ||||||||||
off / environment * | 23.5 | 26 | 24.3 | 21.42 | 22.6 | 23.22 | 25.1 | 27.5 | 25.8 | |
Idle Minimum * | 23.5 | 26 | 24.3 | 29.07 | 23.1 | 23.2 | 25.1 | 27.5 | 25.8 | |
Idle Average * | 23.5 | 26 | 24.3 | 29.07 | 23.1 | 23.2 | 25.1 | 27.5 | 25.8 | |
Idle Maximum * | 26.2 | 27 | 24.3 | 29.07 | 23.1 | 28.6 | 26.1 | 28.3 | 25.8 | |
Load Average * | 34.3 | 39.7 | 37.9 | 44.54 | 38.6 | 39.8 | 31.4 | 40.7 | 27.2 | |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 38.1 | 39.6 | 45.1 | 34.2 | 41.8 | 41.1 | ||||
Load Maximum * | 37.8 | 39.5 | 41.8 | 47.08 | 38.3 | 40.6 | 36.6 | 53.6 | 40.2 |
* ... smaller is better