You don’t have to choose between a laptop and a tablet if you have one of the finest 2-in-1 laptops. These laptops give users the best of both worlds: they can run full desktop applications and are suitable for general work, but they can also be used in tablet mode with a stylus, which makes them perfect for digital drawing and illustration. They are a great option for both students and digital creatives. We’ve gathered four of the best 2-in-1 laptops for drawing, in order to help you find the best laptop for your needs. Each of these laptops is a great option that will last you years and make it easy to get your sketching done.
Why 2-in-1 Laptops for Drawing?
2-in-1 laptops are great for drawing because they are portable and convenient. The best 2-in-1 laptops for drawing have a keyboard and touchscreen, which allow you to easily draw in any position or location. They also come with a stylus, so you can create your own digital art without having to buy separate accessories.
Here’s how these features work together to make the best experience:
- A keyboard allows you to edit your drawings more easily by allowing you control over the colors and tools that are available. The screen is also much larger than a tablet, which means it will be easier to see what exactly needs correcting when making edits on top of an image.
- Touchscreens give artists more freedom when creating digital art because they don’t have to stand around with their hands on paper all day long; instead, they can use both hands at once while working with their laptops. This makes it much easier for artists who want some variety in their workflow but still like using traditional methods too (like sketching first).
- READ MORE: 5 of the Best Tablets for Drawing, Sketching, and Everything Else In Between
- RELATED: 7 Best 2-in-1 Laptops for 2022
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1
PROS
- Great specs
- Excellent performance
- Amazing bright OLED screen
- Touchscreen capabilities
CONS
- Lack of ports
Specs:
- CPU: Intel Core i5/i7
- RAM: 8 GB – 16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB SSD
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Display: 13.3/13.4″
- OS: Windows 11
The brand-new Dell XPS 13 impresses the more you look into its features. This Ultrabook is much more capable than it initially appears, despite being small, thin, and gorgeous enough for those who need something robust and powerful to be easily overlooked. In fact, it’s capable enough—or at least its higher-end configurations are—to get you through some of your 4K video editing and photo editing tasks while you’re on the go.
It’s portable, elegant, and most importantly, powerful enough to tackle creative jobs. In fact, we think highly enough of the Dell XPS 13 to include it in our list of the greatest 2-in-1 laptops for drawing, sketching, and other creative work. It only lacks in ports, but it makes up for everything else
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1
Lenovo Yoga 9i
PROS
- Outstanding specs
- Cutting-edge performance
- Includes Lenovo Active Pen
- Full HD 16:9 display
CONS
- Expensive
Specs:
- CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 1 TB
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
- Display: 15.6″
- OS: Windows 10
The new Lenovo Yoga 9i—which has earned Evo certification—has proven to be an excellent laptop for creatives. It has a fresh, cutting-edge Intel Core CPU because of the Evo certification. One of the most powerful laptops on this list, it has a battery life of almost nine hours and wakes up quickly.
As a 2-in-1, it may be used as a conventional laptop or as a tablet-like device by flipping the keyboard back. Drawing on a 16:9 full HD display using this is excellent. The Lenovo Active Pen pen, which can be kept secure and charged in the laptop’s body, is the best part of the package.
This is a great additional feature as many 2-in-1 laptops need you to purchase a proprietary pen separately, making the great Lenovo Active Pen stylus included with the laptop a money-saving bonus. Still, though, the Lenovo 9i is quite expensive.
Lenovo Yoga 9i
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
PROS
- Convenient hinge design
- Great specs
- Excellent performance
CONS
- Few ports
- Plain design
Specs:
- CPU: Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5/i7 or AMD Ryzen 7
- RAM: 8GB – 32 GB
- Storage: 512 GB – 1 TB SSD
- GPU: Iris™ Plus graphics 950
- Display: 13.5″ or 15″
- OS: Windows 10 Home
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is perhaps the company’s greatest laptop to date. It offers a magnificent screen with a really clever mechanism for changing its form, as well as a lovely, high-end design.
The Surface Laptop Studio differs from other 2-in-1s in that it has a split hinge design that enables the screen to be used as a tablet by sliding it over the keyboard, as well as being propped up in an easel-like position, which is great for drawing on and eliminates the need to purchase a stand or use the screen flat if you want to use it hands-free.
Drawing on the 3:2 screen is easy thanks to the quick 120Hz refresh rate and compatibility for the Surface Slim Pen 2 pen (sold separately). The overall functionality, the amount of power available, and the battery life—which consistently provides around 12 hours of use—is quite impressive considering its power. This is a gorgeous laptop for drawing and other creative work, though it could use more ports.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
HP Spectre x360
PROS
- Great specs
- Good speaker sound
- Outstanding performance
- FHD OLED screen
- 120Hz Refresh Rate
- Long battery life
CONS
- No stylus included
- Few ports
- Runs hot
Specs:
- CPU: Intel i7-1165G7
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB – 1 TB SSD
- GPU: Integrated Intel® UHD Graphics 620
- Display: 13.5″
- OS: Windows 10 Pro
The HP Spectre x360 is a portable and versatile laptop with a lot of power. It’s one of the best 2-in-1 laptops for drawing because of its specs: an Intel i7-1165G7, 16 GB DDR4 RAM, up to 1 TB SSD, 13.5″ FHD IPS Touchscreen display, and Integrated Intel® UHD Graphics 620 Graphics Card that can handle most apps for drawing.
It also comes in different configurations; you’d want a 13″ one for portability or a 15″ inch for power. It doesn’t come with a stylus, so you’ll have to purchase that separately.
HP Spectre x360
It takes “2-in-1” to make a thing go write (or sketch, in this case)
When you are looking for the best 2-in-1 laptops for drawing, there are some things to keep in mind.
- You want a laptop that has a good amount of battery life because you don’t want your drawings to be interrupted by low-battery alerts.
- It is important that the screen be large enough for you to see what you’re drawing without straining your eyes too much.
- A stylus will make using the drawing software easier and more accurate, so look for one with that feature if possible.
So, which one should you buy? It depends on your needs and budget. All of these laptops have a lot of great features that make them worth considering. The choice is yours!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I need a 2-in-1 laptop for drawing?
Having a 2-in-1 laptop is not necessary but it can certainly help your craft due to its multiple features and access to creative apps.