Best 2-in-1 Laptops in 2025: Buyer’s Guide for IT Managers

More and more IT professionals are looking to invest in 2-in-1 laptops because of their portability and convenience. 2-in-1 laptop computers combine the core functions of a tablet and a traditional laptop into one device, which allows you to perform tasks you couldn’t do with a traditional laptop.

If you’re looking to invest in a 2-in-1 laptop, this article can help. Below, we have reviewed the best 2-in-1 laptops alongside their key features, specifications, pricing, and pros and cons. Before that, let’s look at the key considerations when buying a 2-in-1 laptop.

3 key considerations when buying a 2-in-1 laptop

Before buying a 2-in-1 laptop, you should have a general understanding of the following:

1. Your needs & budget

From the beginning, set your budget for the 2-in-1 laptop. Cost-effective 2-in-1 laptops start at $500, while high-end 2-in-1 laptops cost over $2500.

Specifications like RAM, internal storage space, display screen, and processor increase the price, so you should know how much performance you require from your laptop to avoid overspending.

2. Key features (Screen, memory, storage, etc.)

Depending on how resource-intensive your IT tasks are, you should prioritize key features like storage, RAM, screen quality, and battery life.

This is what we recommend:

1. Screen: More expensive 2-in-1 laptops have 4K displays, while cheaper ones usually have 1080p displays. While a 4K display is always nice, a 1080p display is enough for most budget-conscious IT pros.

2. Storage: The internal storage space varies from 128 GB up to 2TB. If you want to save money, choose one with less internal storage and invest in a portable SSD. For easier everyday use, a higher internal storage is better.

3. RAM: The amount of RAM varies generally between 8 – 64GB. For most IT professionals, we recommend 16GB and more for smoother multitasking and running multiple applications.

4. Operating system: The two most popular operating systems for 2-in-1 laptops are Windows and Chrome OS. Make sure the option you select is compatible with your company’s IT monitoring tools.

5. Battery life: Battery life for 2-in-1 laptops generally range between 5 to 15 hours. Obviously, if you are looking for a laptop with an all-day battery life, there is an increase in price. If you have access to a power outlet at all times, a 2-in-1 laptop with less battery life may be enough.

3. Warranty & return policy

All major laptop manufacturers, including HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, and Dell, offer warranties and return policies.

However, their policies differ, which is why you should double-check them before ordering.

HP, for instance, lays out their warranty on the product pages, such as shown here:

Laptop manufacturers, like HP, sell accidental damage warranties as add-ons:

Best 2-in-1 laptops for IT professionals in 2025

The best 2-in-1 laptop computers for IT professionals are:

1. HP Spectre x360 14 2024 – ​​Best overall 2-in-1 laptop for IT
2. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus – Best budget 2-in-1 laptop
3. Microsoft Surface Pro 11th edition – Best Windows 2-in-1 laptop
4. Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 – Best heavy-duty 2-in-1 laptop
5. Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 – Best mid-range 2-in-1 laptop
6. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 – Best 2-in-1 laptop for battery life

For a detailed review of each of these 2-in-1 laptops, keep on reading.

1. Best overall 2-in-1 laptop for IT (HP Spectre x360 14 2024)

Our choice for the best overall 2-in-1 laptop computer is the HP Spectre x360 14 2024, which combines all the latest technologies, including an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, an OLED screen, and a 120Hz refresh rate, into one laptop.

While the price of the HP Spectre x360 14 2024 has lowered drastically, it still isn’t cheap. As of April 2025, this model is available for $1,199.99 (at a discount) from HP’s website. While it’s not cheap, you get a lot for the price. For an extra $399.99, the base model can be upgraded to 2TB of storage, a 16-inch screen size, and a 3K display resolution. As for the battery life, a Reddit user states, “I get over 14.5 hours of YouTube videos at over 50% brightness…”

2. Best budget 2-in-1 laptop (Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus)

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is the best low cost 2-in-1 laptop for budget-conscious IT teams. This model is available for $290 on Amazon and features an Intel Core i3-1315U processor, 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and 128GB eMMC storage. Its 14-inch full HD touchscreen provides decent clarity and includes built-in apps, such as Adobe. 

The low price arguably comes with a decrease in performance. This 2-in-1 laptop is suitable for simple tasks, like web browsing, but falls short for anything more intensive, such as for demanding IT workloads or handling resource-intensive IT management tools.

3. Best Windows 2-in-1 laptop (Microsoft Surface Pro 11th edition)

Microsoft Surface Pro’s all-day battery life, attachable keyboard, and lightweight setup make it ideal for IT pros on the go. The Surface Pro 11th edition is equipped with Copilot+ AI chips, which Microsoft claims are the fastest Windows PCs ever made.

Microsoft’s AI innovations are also evident in the features of this laptop. This model includes an AI-enhanced camera for improved video calls and real-time performance optimization powered by AI. As a drawback, the Surface Pro keyboard and pen have to be purchased separately, which comes at an additional cost.

4. Best heavy-duty 2-in-1 laptop (Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1)

If you’re looking for a heavy-duty 2-in-1 laptop, the Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 is our recommendation. With a powerful Intel Core i7-1365U vPro processor, 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and up to 1TB of SSD storage, this laptop is designed to handle even the most demanding IT workloads. As for built-in security, this model includes a fingerprint reader, TPM 2.0, and Dell SafeBIOS protection.

This model’s lightweight design and high built-in quality make it comparable to MacBooks. One Reddit user said, “This is the first ever pc laptop that I feel is comparable to my 14” MacBook Pro, and I find myself using it more than my private MacBook.”

5. Best mid-range 2-in-1 laptop (Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1)

If you’re not ready to invest in high-end 2-in-1 laptops like Microsoft Surface Pro but still want solid performance, the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 is your best choice. As of April 2025, the base model is priced at $649.99 and includes 512 GB of storage, an Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 125U processor, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and Intel Iris Xe graphics.

This combination provides enough performance for most IT tasks, such as handling remote troubleshooting, system monitoring, and cloud-based apps. And, if the base model isn’t enough for your needs, the two upgraded versions have a better processor, more storage, and a better display.

6. Best 2-in-1 laptop for battery life (Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9)

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 is a 14-inch laptop that many users and review sites appreciate for its long battery life. In PCWorld’s battery life benchmark, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 lasted for an impressive seventeen and a half hours, beating out the other 2-in-1 laptops in this article. This means it truly offers an all-day battery life.

This laptop has three different modes for saving battery life. Related to this, a Reddit user mentioned, “I found that setting the laptop in prioritizing battery mode (you have 3 power modes with the F8 key) was performant enough.”

The ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 is a premium laptop for IT professionals, which is evident in its high price. However, it comes with powerful specs, including an Intel Core Ultra 5 125U processor, 32 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of internal storage.

How to keep your 2-in-1 laptops up-to-date and protect them from threats

As an IT manager, one of your core responsibilities is to protect your devices from security breaches, system failures, and performance slowdowns. To do this, making sure your devices are up-to-date with all the latest security patches is one of the most important things.

And one of the best ways to do this is to use an automated patch management tool like Atera.

With Atera, you can:

• Automate OS and software updates to ensure all laptops stay protected against newly discovered vulnerabilities.
• Monitor device health in real-time to address issues before they become critical.
• Deploy security patches on multiple devices and schedule them to be run when there is the least disruption to operations.
• Use Atera’s alerting to get automatically notified of critical issues.

With industry-leading Agentic AI powering Atera’s platform, you can handle IT management tasks quickly and efficiently. If this sounds interesting, an easy way to get started is by signing up for Atera’s 30-day free trial.

You can cancel at any time; no credit card is required!