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MagyarThe 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 | 91 % | 91 % | 04/2021 New! |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6-20Y0S00200 Intel Core i7-1165G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.4 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | 93 % | 90 % | 93 % |
| 2 | 89 % | 89 % | 12/2020 |  | HP Spectre x360 14t-ea000 Intel Core i7-1165G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 1.3 kg | 13.50" | 1920x1280 | 91 % | 85 % | 93 % |
| 3 | 89 % | 87 % | 03/2021 |  | Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel CC314-72G-7513 Intel Core i7-10750H NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.8 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | 91 % | 91 % | 87 % |
| 4 | 89 % | 91 % | 03/2021 |  | HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U Intel UHD Graphics 620 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 1.4 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | 90 % | 84 % | 97 % |
| 5 | 89 % | 91 % | 06/2021 New! |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 Intel Core i7-1165G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.2 kg | 13.30" | 2560x1600 | 86 % | 94 % | 97 % |
| 6 | 88 % | 89 % | 08/2020 |  | Dell Latitude 14 9410 2-in-1 P110G Intel Core i7-10610U Intel UHD Graphics 620 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.5 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | 86 % | 85 % | 89 % |
| 7 | 88 % | 88 % | 09/2020 |  | Acer Spin 5 SP513-54N-79EY Intel Core i7-1065G7 Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU) 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.2 kg | 13.50" | 2256x1504 | 85 % | 90 % | 96 % |
| 8 | 88 % | 88 % | 06/2021 New! |  | Dell Latitude 13 7320 Detachable, i7-1180G7 Intel Core i7-1180G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 782 g | 13.00" | 1920x1280 | 90 % | 85 % | 91 % |
| 9 | 88 % | 91 % | 06/2021 New! |  | HP Elite Dragonfly Max Intel Core i7-1185G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.2 kg | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | 91 % | 84 % | 98 % |
| 10 | 87 % | 87 % | 12/2020 |  | Lenovo Yoga 9i 14ITL5 Intel Core i5-1135G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs 8 GB Memory, 256 GB NVMe | 1.4 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | 91 % | 83 % | 92 % |
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 – Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6 received a major update and now comes with a highly anticipated and welcomed 16:10 display. On the inside we find Intel’s Tiger Lake SoC, a powerful and modern CPU paired with a powerful Intel Iris Xe iGPU. The 14-inch display supports stylus input for optimal creativity.
The stylus is included by default and can be stored inside the device. According to Lenovo’s website the device is also compatible with the Lenovo Active Pen 2 which unfortunately cannot be stored inside the device itself.
All things considered the ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6 is a great productivity convertible that offers modern connectivity and long battery life. One minor downside is its otherwise excellent keyboard.
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6 is an extremely high-quality convertible with a great 16:10 display.
Prices start at around $1,500, and the device is available among others directly through Lenovo’s own webstore.
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Lenovo ThinkPad Pro Stylus
Lenovo’s ThinkPad Pro stylus is significantly thinner than other pencils and therefore more strenuous to hold in hand. In return it is easier to store inside a device such as the ThinkPad X1 Yoga.
It supports a solid 2,048 pressure points which are decent but nothing to write home about and features two buttons, one on each side. Its battery should last up to 130 minutes according to Lenovo, and the stylus is charged when inserted into the case.
Pricecompare
2nd - HP Spectre x360 14
Technically speaking the HP Spectre x360 14 is nothing but a slightly bigger HP Spectre x360 13. It is a 13.5-inch tablet with optional OLED or very bright IPS touchscreen display. It comes with an HP Tilt Pen MPP 2.0 by default.
A great keyboard, a well-made case, long battery life, decent connectivity including Thunderbolt 4, plenty of performance, and a large clickpad render the HP Spectre x360 14 one of the best currently available convertibles.
In return, HP removed the WWAN option. The device is quite expensive and not particulaly well upgradable. Nevertheless, it offers a lot for its money.
HP MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen
This new version of HP’s tilt pen supports Microsoft’s Pen Protocol 2.0 for improved response times and smoother workflows. Its price was raised slightly to $80 at the time of writing. According to HP, it weighs 10 g. It is charged via USB-C and features two buttons that can be individually assigned via software.
Pricecompare
3rd – Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel
The Acer ConceptD 3 with its Ezel hinge is a brand-new convertible concept. We found it to be very useful during our review as it offers a huge and immensely comfortable versatility in everyday use. We also liked its case, its input devices, and its connectivity.
In return, you have to live with a not particularly efficient processor and a maximum of just 16 GB of RAM, which might not be enough for some professionals. In addition, the device is comparatively heavy and bulky.
Overall, it is a decent multimedia convertible with a few minor weaknesses.
Prices start at around $1,500, and the device can be purchased through the usual retail channels, such as for example Amazon.
Wacom Digitizer
The active stylus included with the Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel is made by Wacom. It supports 4,096 levels of sensitivity, two buttons, and a built-in battery that is charged when inserted into the tablet. Given that the pencil is relatively small it is not very comfortable for drawing and much better suited for taking notes rather than graphics applications.
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4th – HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7
The HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 performed very well in our review and scored a very high rating as a result. Accordingly, the 14-inch convertible can be found at the top of our top 10 list. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-10810U, 16 GB of RAM, and a 512 GB SSD.
The convertible is not made with business users in mind but also home users interested in Ultrabooks. Even the most affordable SKU offers everything you may need and ask for of a convertible, and if you are fine with the performance of a Core i5 you can save several hundred dollars. As before the device is incapable of fully utilizing a Core i7’s potential due to its limited cooling capabilities.
The HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 also offers a very long battery life and is thus high versatile. It can easily last a full workday without needing to be recharged halfway through the day.
The device is available through the usual retail channels, such as for example Amazon.
HP Rechargable Active Pen
The HP Rechargeable Active Pen is not included and will set you back another $80. At just 15 g it is fairly light and supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity as well as tilt detection. It is charged via USB-C, comes with a total of 3 buttons, and can even be used as remote for presentations. On some devices it can be attached to the case magnetically.
Pricecompare
5th – Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 features fast Tiger Lake-generation SoCs and is priced around the upper mid-range accordingly. Its input devices remain excellent and aimed at satisfying avid typists. In our review, this 13.3-inch convertible offered a decent system performance, high-quality materials, fast Wi-Fi, and a place to store Lenovo’s ActivePen Pro.
Overall, the ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 performed as expected. It features excellent build quality, great choice of material, and high-quality input devices.
Prices start at around $1,300, and the device is available among others directly through Lenovo’s own webstore.
Lenovo ThinkPad Pro Stylus
Lenovo’s ThinkPad Pro stylus is significantly thinner than other pencils and therefore more strenuous to hold in hand. In return it is easier to store inside a device such as the ThinkPad X1 Yoga.
It supports a solid 2,048 pressure points which are decent but nothing to write home about and features two buttons, one on each side. Its battery should last up to 130 minutes according to Lenovo, and the stylus is charged when inserted into the case.
Pricecompare
6th – Dell Latitude 14 9410 2-in-1
The Dell Latitude 14 9410 2-in-1 is successor to the Latitude 7400 2-in-1. Both convertibles are fairly similar, especially in regard to case. The new device continues its predecessor’s design language with its great build quality and its very long battery life.
However, the display could have been brighter, and a dedicated GPU option is not available. The stylus pen is sold separately. All things considered Dell’s convertible is worth a closer look despite the fact that the predecessor is still available at a lower price and the differences between the two are rather minor.
Dell Premium Active Pen
The Dell Premium Active Pen has a magnetic side that attaches to compatible convertibles. It connects via Bluetooth 4.2 and supports various protocols, such as MPP 1.51 (Microsoft Pen Protocol), Wacom AES 1.0, and even the latest Wacom AES 2.0 technology. Thanks to Windows Ink Workspace you can configure its three buttons to your liking. It offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and a sampling rate of 240 Hz. According to Dell, the battery is supposed to last for up to 12 months and it is even replaceable. As are of course the tips.
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7th – Acer Spin 5 SP513
Acer’s convertible with stylus support managed to score first place on our list. While the previous generation suffered from various weaknesses (some of which might have qualified as nit-picking) Acer went back to the drawing board over and over again and continued to improve its 13-inch Acer Spin 5 continuously, for example by equipping it with a great display.
Its lightweight aluminum case is well built and offers two Thunderbolt 3 ports as well as a decent keyboard. The convertible is fairly powerful yet quiet and cool at the same time. Granted, it does thermal throttle under full load and its microSD card reader is pretty slow but overall the Acer Spin 5 is a great convertible with stylus support.
Acer Active Stylus
The Acer Active Stylus is charged and stored inside the Acer Spin 5 itself. IT supports Wacom AES 1.0 with 4,096 different levels of pressure. According to acer 15 seconds of charging should last for 90 minutes of active use. The pen is slim and includes two buttons.
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8th – Dell Latitude 13 7320
Dell’s new Latitude 13 7320 offers solid performance paired with a good display. Its Tiger Lake SoC comes with an iGPU that is much faster than previous generations. All things considered Dell’s Latitude 13 7320 is Dell’s fastest Windows tablet to date. Its 16 GB of RAM are a great match for this tablet, as is its fast NVMe SSD.
Its minimalistic design and great connectivity make for a great device.
The device is available through Dell’s own webshop as well as retailers such as Amazon.
Dell Premium Active Pen
The Dell Premium Active Pen has a magnetic side that attaches to compatible convertibles. It connects via Bluetooth 4.2 and supports various protocols, such as MPP 1.51 (Microsoft Pen Protocol), Wacom AES 1.0, and even the latest Wacom AES 2.0 technology. Thanks to Windows Ink Workspace you can configure its three buttons to your liking. It offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and a sampling rate of 240 Hz. According to Dell, the battery is supposed to last for up to 12 months and it is even replaceable. As are of course the tips.
9th – HP Elite Dragonfly Max
The HP EliteBook Dragonfly Max is a light-weight business convertible based around Intel’s Core i7-1175G7, 16 GB of RAM, and a 512 GB large SSD. Its 13.3-inch touch display supports stylus input as well and offers a good contrast ratio as well as decent color gamut.
Its main strengths are its long battery life, Wi-Fi 6, LTE connectivity, and a variety of security features.
Our review unit did not include a stylus pencil. However, the retail version is supposed to include one.
The HP EliteBook Dragonfly Max is a very good business convertible with a few minor flaws that are easy to glance over.
Prices start at $2,300, and the device is currently only available through HP’s own website.
HP Rechargable Active Pen
The HP Rechargeable Active Pen is not included and will set you back another $80. At just 15 g it is fairly light and supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity as well as tilt detection. It is charged via USB-C, comes with a total of 3 buttons, and can even be used as remote for presentations. On some devices it can be attached to the case magnetically.
Pricecompare
10th - Lenovo Yoga 9i
Lenovo may have updated its Yoga-series naming scheme but at the end of the day, the Lenovo Yoga 9i is nothing but an improved and updated Yoga C940. We would have wished for improved input devices and a brighter display but are very impressed by its performance improvements, particularly when taking its small footprint and low weight into consideration.
It supports modern Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, offers decent battery life, acceptable sound performance, and is practically silent under low and medium load.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i comes with a stylus pen that can be stored inside its case.
Lenovo Yoga Active Pen
Lenovo does not really provide us with a lot of information about the included Lenovo Yoga Active Pen. Unlike on Yoga C940 it is not an Active Pen 2 but a much thinner stylus specifically made for this device, and much more reminiscent of the ThinkPad X1 Yoga's included stylus.
We were not particularly fond of its grip and handling given that it is very thin. Lenovo does not specify the number of levels of sensitivity or its battery life. The stylus is charged by inserting it into the case.
Pricecompare
Best Convertibles with Stylus Input
Test Results
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6-20Y0S00200 | HP Spectre x360 14t-ea000 | Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel CC314-72G-7513 | HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 | Dell Latitude 14 9410 2-in-1 P110G | Acer Spin 5 SP513-54N-79EY | Dell Latitude 13 7320 Detachable, i7-1180G7 | HP Elite Dragonfly Max | Lenovo Yoga 9i 14ITL5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 69.79 | 65.85 | 67.22 | 66.13 | 68.26 | 68.07 | 69.38 | 79.5 | 64.2 | |
| sRGB Coverage | 97.12 | 98.17 | 98.15 | 95.52 | 99.05 | 99.17 | 99.56 | 100 | 94.18 | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 72.19 | 67.86 | 68.68 | 68.08 | 70.33 | 69.44 | 71.03 | 78.4 | 65.03 | |
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 49.2 (22.8, 26.4) | 62 (32, 30) | 43 (13, 30) | 52.4 (26.8, 25.6) | 52 (22, 30) | 58.4 (26, 32.4) | 49 (22, 27) | 53.2 (26.4, 26.8) | 44.8 (20.4, 24.4) | 55.2 (26.8, 28.4) |
| Response Time Black / White * | 22 (7.6, 14.4) | 39.6 (21.6, 18) | 20 (7, 13) | 32 (17.2, 14.8) | 32 (20, 12) | 37.2 (18.4, 18.8) | 28 (16, 12) | 32.8 (16.4, 16.4) | 32 (18.8, 13.2) | 34.4 (18.8, 15.6) |
| PWM Frequency | 1667 (44) | 208 (90) | 2451 (42) | |||||||
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 417 | 443.5 | 367 | 406.7 | 460 | 293.4 | 454 | 521.8 | 777.5 | 365 |
| Brightness | 404 | 394 | 354 | 382 | 423 | 290 | 426 | 504 | 727 | 346 |
| Brightness Distribution | 93 | 78 | 83 | 88 | 85 | 92 | 91 | 93 | 75 | 82 |
| Black Level * | 0.22 | 0.17 | 0.19 | 0.28 | 0.33 | 0.19 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.44 | 0.23 |
| Contrast | 1895 | 2609 | 1932 | 1453 | 1394 | 1544 | 1376 | 1491 | 1767 | 1587 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 2.8 | 2.7 | 1.09 | 3.74 | 1 | 1.29 | 1.27 | 3.83 | 1.62 | 3.65 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 4.7 | 4.36 | 2.61 | 5.92 | 1.5 | 3.61 | 2.42 | 5.51 | 5.26 | 6.69 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated * | 1.6 | 2.61 | 0.99 | 2.18 | 0.8 | 0.88 | 0.78 | 1.97 | 1.32 | 1.61 |
| Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 3.7 | 3.4 | 1.2 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.07 | 4.4 | 1.6 | 4 |
| Gamma | 2.08 106% | 2.09 105% | 2.4 92% | 2.19 100% | 2.26 97% | 2.18 101% | 2.39 92% | 2.02 109% | 2.2 100% | 2.33 94% |
| CCT | 6545 99% | 6144 106% | 6563 99% | 6781 96% | 6652 98% | 6394 102% | 6530 100% | 6494 100% | 6538 99% | 6873 95% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 65.9 | 62.1 | 63 | 61.6 | 64.4 | 63.8 | 65 | 72.3 | 60.1 | |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 96.6 | 98.5 | 98 | 95.1 | 99.12 | 99.1 | 100 | 94.8 | 93.9 | |
| Noise | ||||||||||
| off / environment * | 24.2 | 25.8 | 25 | 25.2 | 24 | 26.1 | 26.9 | 25.3 | 24.9 | 26.3 |
| Idle Minimum * | 24.2 | 25.9 | 25 | 25.2 | 24 | 26.1 | 26.9 | 25.4 | 24.9 | 26.3 |
| Idle Average * | 24.2 | 25.9 | 25 | 25.2 | 24 | 26.1 | 26.9 | 25.4 | 24.9 | 26.3 |
| Idle Maximum * | 29.9 | 25.9 | 31.5 | 25.2 | 24 | 26.1 | 27.8 | 25.4 | 24.9 | 26.3 |
| Load Average * | 33.7 | 26.4 | 36.7 | 30 | 32.72 | 39.9 | 30.5 | 37.7 | 29.7 | 34.1 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 33.7 | 36.9 | 43.2 | 42 | 31.3 | 43.4 | ||||
| Load Maximum * | 36.7 | 41.5 | 36.7 | 38.1 | 33.88 | 44.7 | 32.4 | 42.1 | 31.3 | 43.3 |
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 44.1 | 40.4 | 46 | 36.6 | 47.2 | 48.4 | 38.7 | 38.8 | 39.4 | 43.4 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 47.3 | 52.8 | 46 | 46.2 | 51.5 | 55.2 | 40.2 | 40 | 50 | 49.6 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 25.5 | 27.2 | 24.4 | 25.8 | 30 | 25.4 | 27.8 | 31 | 31.6 | 26.4 |
| Idle Bottom * | 26.6 | 29.2 | 24.8 | 29.8 | 30.5 | 28.6 | 27.3 | 31.6 | 33.4 | 29.4 |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 2185 | 3768 | 2892 | 1301 | 1062 | 1723 | 2260 | |||
| H.264 | 924 | 645 | 686 | 627 | ||||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 717 | 707 | 506 | 1128 | 555 | 1141 | 645 | 661 | 659 | 591 |
| Load | 119 | 145 | 87 | 334 | 118 | 202 | 148 | 126 | 174 | 103 |
* ... smaller is better