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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 | 90.9 % | 91.4 % | 04/2021 |  | 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 % | 90.2 % | 93.3 % |
| 2 | 89.1 % | 91.1 % | 06/2021 |  | 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 | 85.7 % | 94.2 % | 96.8 % |
| 3 | 87.7 % | 90.8 % | 06/2021 |  | 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 | 90.6 % | 83.9 % | 97.8 % |
| 4 | 87.2 % | 89.5 % | 05/2021 |  | HP Spectre x360 14-ea0378ng Intel Core i7-1165G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.3 kg | 13.50" | 3000x2000 | 87.8 % | 90.5 % | 95 % |
| 5 | 87.2 % | 89.4 % | 02/2022 |  | Asus ExpertBook B7 Flip B7402FEA Intel Core i7-1195G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.4 kg | 14.00" | 1900x1200 | 86.9 % | 85.6 % | 86 % |
| 6 | 86.5 % | 89.1 % | 11/2021 |  | Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7 Intel Core i7-1185G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 891 g | 13.00" | 2880x1920 | 89.1 % | 89.5 % | 92.1 % |
| 7 | 88.9 % | 89 % | 07/2021 |  | Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 Intel Core i7-1185G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.5 kg | 14.00" | 2560x1600 | 91.9 % | 85.9 % | 95.7 % |
| 8 | 85.9 % | 88.5 % | 03/2022 new! |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga G1 20QB0016GE Intel Core i5-1140G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs 16 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 1.2 kg | 13.50" | 2256x1504 | 82.7 % | 89.9 % | 92.7 % |
| 9 | 84.9 % | 88.5 % | 04/2021 |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X12 20UVS03G00 Intel Core i7-1160G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.1 kg | 12.30" | 1920x1280 | 81 % | 91.4 % | 93.8 % |
| 10 | 87.9 % | 88.3 % | 11/2021 |  | Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip B5302FEA Intel Core i5-1135G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.3 kg | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | 87.6 % | 87.4 % | 90 % |
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.
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.
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2nd – 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.
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3rd – 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.
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4th - 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.
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5th – Asus ExpertBook B7 Flip
The Asus ExpertBook B7 Flip is a premium Asus business notebook. Its key benefits include modern connectivity and strong security features as well as good network connectivity, including 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and LAN (via the included adapter).
Asus’s ExpertBook B7 Flip is a well-rounded 2-in-1 premium business notebook.
It also features a great display, great performance, and great battery life. Unsurprisingly, it scored very well overall.
The Asus ExpertBook B7 Flip is not available in North America.
Asus Pencil (SA201H)
Asus’s stylus weighs in at just 20 g (0.7 oz) and features two programmable buttons and 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity for smooth input. It supports Microsoft’s Pen Protocol (MPP) 2.0. Its only downside is that it requires AAAA batteries that should, however, last for up to a year according to Asus.
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6th – Microsoft Surface Pro 8
Microsoft’s most powerful Surface Pro is the eight incarnation of this particular convertible. It features powerful hardware and a new 120 Hz display. However, this hardware is a major drain on its 51.5 Wh battery resulting in less than 5 hours of battery life in our Wi-Fi battery test.
Thunderbolt 4, 120 Hz display, and powerful CPUs are the Surface Pro 8’s key benefits over its own predecessor.
The case remained largely identical, and the device starts at $1,000 and can be purchased either directly through Microsoft or the usual retail outlets, such as Amazon.
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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7th – Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1
Dell’s new Latitude 9420 2-in-1 received a major upgrade and comes with a 16:10 display, fast Tiger Lake processors, plenty of RAM, and an intelligent design. Its QHD display offers 100 % of sRGB coverage and an impressive 460 nits of peak brightness.
The Latitude 9420 2-in-1 has plenty of pros and a few cons that should not be of any concern for most users.
In addition to its display its key strengths include its performance as well as its battery life. Its downsides include complicated maintenance and repairability.
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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8th - Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga G1
The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga features the typical Lenovo design with a particularly robust magnesium-alloy case reinforced with carbon fiber plastic. And while its Intel Core i5-1140G7 does not look very fast on paper it did perform above average and thus fairly well. The thin case is the limiting factor preventing more powerful CPUs. It is also chiefly responsible for the laptop’s limited choice in connectivity. Given that all you get are two USB Type-C ports with support for Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery, and DisplayPort you will need to get used to the dongle life.
As a convertible, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga does a great job. However, due to its thin case it cannot keep up with other convertibles in regard to connectivity and performance.
If you are looking for a particularly thin, robust, and lightweight convertible the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga might be a good choice. And while more powerful SKUs exist they cannot do much to alleviate the laptop’s other flaws.
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.
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9th – Lenovo ThinkPad X12
If you dislike convertibles for their overall pretty bulky and thick case, you might want to consider a detachable instead as it allows the use of the tablet part of the device detached from its keyboard dock (hence the name). The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 is Lenovo’s most recent contender in this class, and it feels a bit like a Microsoft Surface clone with ThinkPad genes.
Its main benefits are a compact high-quality case, a great keyboard cover including TrackPoint, and features such as WWAN or enhanced security. Temperatures remained inconspicuous, and Lenovo offers up to three years of default warranty in select markets.
With that said you need to keep in mind that device is not silent by any means, and that its speakers and webcam are mediocre at best.
Lenovo Active Pen 2
Officially, the Lenovo Active Pen 2 sells for $80 but it can be found for around $50-60 already. It weighs 20 g, has a circumference of 0.95 cm (0.37 inches) and a length of 15.3 cm (6 inches). It is powered by a single replaceable AAAA battery and connects via Bluetooth.
Similar to Microsoft’s Surface Pen it supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity as well as tilt detection, palm detection, and a total of 3 buttons, two on the side close to your thumb and one at the top. The stylus can be stored inside the convertible and is charged while inserted.
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10th – Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip
With its convertible nature and matte display the Asus ExpertBook B5 benefits from its great versatility. Its battery life of up to 11 hours and its small fan make this the ideal companion for university libraries. It comes with a generous 16 GB of RAM, which can be expanded to a total of 48 GB and thus more than enough to handle large data sets. It also comes with a numpad.
Of particular note are the ExpertBook B5’s two Thunderbolt 4 ports as well as its HDMI port, which allow you to connect multiple external displays.
A stylus is included in the box. It offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and supports Microsoft’s Pen Protocol (MPP) 2.0. Overall, this 2-in-1 notebook offers a low weight, a well-made case, a good battery life, and a good overall display.
The Asus ExpertBook B5 starts at around $1,200 and is available through the usual retail channels, such as for example Amazon.
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Best Convertibles with Stylus Input
Test Results
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6-20Y0S00200 | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 | HP Elite Dragonfly Max | HP Spectre x360 14-ea0378ng | Asus ExpertBook B7 Flip B7402FEA | Microsoft Surface Pro 8, i7-1185G7 | Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga G1 20QB0016GE | Lenovo ThinkPad X12 20UVS03G00 | Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip B5302FEA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 69.8 | 68.3 | 99.9 | 68 | 78.2 | 80.7 | 66.8 | 67 | 66.3 | |
| sRGB Coverage | 97.1 | 99.1 | 100 | 98.9 | 100 | 100 | 98 | 99.2 | 98.9 | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 72.2 | 70.3 | 96.1 | 69.3 | 77.6 | 79.7 | 68.6 | 68.8 | 68.5 | |
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 49.2 ? | 52 ? | 44.8 ? | 2 ? | 50 ? | 46.4 ? | 54 ? | 64 ? | 63.2 ? | 36 ? |
| Response Time Black / White * | 22 ? | 32 ? | 32 ? | 2 ? | 28 ? | 23.2 ? | 32.8 ? | 44 ? | 36 ? | 23.6 ? |
| PWM Frequency | 250 ? | 29760 ? | 26600 ? | |||||||
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 417 | 460 | 777.5 | 370 | 548 | 444 | 483.6 | 465 | 419 | 299 |
| Brightness | 404 | 423 | 727 | 374 | 515 | 451 | 465 | 451 | 406 | 286 |
| Brightness Distribution | 93 | 85 | 75 | 90 | 87 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 94 | 92 |
| Black Level * | 0.22 | 0.33 | 0.44 | 0.01 | 0.17 | 0.43 | 0.32 | 0.28 | 0.23 | 0.18 |
| Contrast | 1895 | 1394 | 1767 | 37000 | 3224 | 1033 | 1511 | 1661 | 1822 | 1661 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.8 | 1 | 1.62 | 2.57 | 3.67 | 2 | 3.69 | 2 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.7 | 1.5 | 5.26 | 4.52 | 7.15 | 3.2 | 5.97 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 4.5 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.32 | 2.31 | 1.7 | 2.05 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 5.13 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 3 |
| Gamma | 2.08 106% | 2.26 97% | 2.2 100% | 2.36 93% | 2.46 89% | 2.11 104% | 2.04 108% | 2.09 105% | 2.06 107% | 2.16 102% |
| CCT | 6545 99% | 6652 98% | 6538 99% | 6154 106% | 7703 84% | 6417 101% | 6158 106% | 6181 105% | 6524 100% | 6944 94% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 65.9 | 64.4 | 72.3 | 85.8 | 62.8 | |||||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 96.6 | 99.12 | 94.8 | 100 | 99.2 | |||||
| Noise | ||||||||||
| off / environment * | 24.2 | 24 | 24.9 | 26 | 25 | 24.7 | 25.4 | 25.61 | 25.1 | 23.8 |
| Idle Minimum * | 24.2 | 24 | 24.9 | 26 | 25 | 24.7 | 25.4 | 25.61 | 25.1 | 23.8 |
| Idle Average * | 24.2 | 24 | 24.9 | 26 | 25 | 24.7 | 25.4 | 25.61 | 25.1 | 23.8 |
| Idle Maximum * | 29.9 | 24 | 24.9 | 26 | 29 | 24.7 | 25.4 | 25.61 | 26 | 26 |
| Load Average * | 33.7 | 32.72 | 29.7 | 37.5 | 39.6 | 36.8 | 25.4 | 40.14 | 34.6 | 37.6 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 33.7 | 31.3 | 36.8 | 41.3 | 34.6 | 39.8 | ||||
| Load Maximum * | 36.7 | 33.88 | 31.3 | 36.3 | 46.9 | 43.8 | 41.3 | 40.14 | 37 | 44.9 |
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 44.1 | 47.2 | 39.4 | 37.1 | 38.7 | 45 | 43.4 | 46.3 | 39 | 42.6 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 47.3 | 51.5 | 50 | 43.1 | 45.3 | 47.2 | 48 | 43.3 | 41.7 | 45.1 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 25.5 | 30 | 31.6 | 29 | 25.9 | 24.1 | 29.8 | 26.8 | 25.6 | 24.6 |
| Idle Bottom * | 26.6 | 30.5 | 33.4 | 28.6 | 28 | 23.4 | 28 | 28.3 | 25.6 | 24.8 |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 1723 | 803 | 1721 | |||||||
| H.264 | 924 | 686 | 666 | 604 | 597 | 669 | ||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 717 | 555 | 659 | 466 | 705 | 456 | 699 | 492 | 707 | |
| Load | 119 | 118 | 174 | 157 | 70 | 146 | 119 | 153 |
* ... smaller is better