Detachable laptops – or tablets with removable keyboards – are a popular alternative to traditional laptops. These devices are ultra-portable and versatile, allowing you to stow them in even the most cramped backpack. They also serve as both tablet and laptop, letting you make use of their touchscreen for notetaking or drawing before reattaching their keyboard to type up a lab report or presentation.
There are hundreds of detachable laptops to choose from in 2024, including powerful models from Microsoft, Apple, Dell, and ASUS. However, it can be hard to narrow down all the options, as many of them offer similar specs or identical designs.
Need help sifting through all your choices? Here are the six best detachable laptops of 2024. Our picks include products for all budgets, as well as models that use Windows, ChromeOS, and iPadOS – so you should have no problem finding something that fits your needs.
Once you’re done checking out these six detachable laptops, be sure to peruse our list of the best tablets of 2024 to get a look at 11 other great products.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Dell Latitude 7000 7320 Detachable 2-in-1 Laptop
Best overall detachable laptop
Pros
- Solid build quality
- Very good display
- Competent productivity performance
- Thin and light
- Good selection of business features
Cons
- Expensive
- Keyboard and pen are costly add-ons
- Battery life is less than average
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Display | 13 inches |
| Processor | Intel Core i7 |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
The Dell Latitude 7000 7320 is a great all-around detachable laptop. Along with solid specs and a great price, the laptop is perfect to use as both a laptop and tablet – making it a great first choice for anyone seeking a versatile rig.
Equipped with an impressive 16GB RAM and Intel Core i7, the Latitude has plenty of power to handle all your daily tasks. You might need more firepower for any serious projects (such as video editing or gaming on max settings), but for a busy professional or student, it’ll cut through all your tasks with ease. You’ll also love its 13-inch display, which offers a 1920 x 1080 resolution and is incredibly responsive to touch.
Other notable features include a durable chassis, built-in kickstand for easy use in both tablet and laptop form, and a keyboard that can quickly detach or reattach as the need arises. Its storage isn’t the most impressive at just 256GB, but since everything is saved to the cloud nowadays, that shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
Despite all these great features, the entire laptop clocks in around just two pounds. That means it shouldn’t weigh down your backpack or suitcase, and its slim design make sit easy to pack without having to get rid of other items to make room. Toss in Windows 11 Pro, and you’ve got a detachable laptop that’s great for just about everyone.
Dell Latitude 7000 7320 Detachable 2-in-1 Laptop
Best overall detachable laptop
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Best premium detachable laptop
Pros
- New colors look great
- Design and build quality are top notch
- SQ3 is a solid alternative
- Type Cover keyboard is excellent
- High resolution webcam
Cons
- No headphone jack
- Upgrades still too expensive
- Limited performance improvements
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Display | 13 inches |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-1255U |
| Storage | 1TB SSD |
Call it a tablet, call it a 2-in-1, call it whatever you want – the Surface Pro 9 remains one of the best laptop alternatives on the market. And since you can purchase a removable keyboard for the device, it makes a great premium detachable laptop.
It all starts with the top-of-the-line internal specs. Options are avaialble that’ll get you a 1TB SSD, powerful Intel Core i7, and 16GB RAM. That’s a ton of power for a 13-inch tablet, making it great for small businesses, young professionals, and students. The GPU is really the only component that’s lacking here, as it’s not quite built for gaming (though you can probably get away with some older titles or running on low settings).
Microsoft built the Surface Pro 9 with a built-in webcam for video chats and kickstand for enhanced ergonomics. Its display is one of the best on this list, as it gets you a shocking 2880 x 1920 resolution, which looks stunning on its portable 13-inch display. It also benefits from a design that lets its display run nearly all the way to the edge of the device, maximizing its screen space and providing the laptop with a premium look. The icing on the cake? A 120Hz refresh rate, which makes every action buttery smooth.
The Surface Pro 9 runs on Windows 11, so all your favorite programs and apps should be supported whther you decide to use the rig as a traditional laptop or as a touchscreen tablet.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Best premium detachable laptop
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends / Digital Trends
Microsoft Surface Go 3
Best budget detachable laptop
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Superior display for a budget machine
- Great Active Pen support
- Small and light
- Surprisingly good real-world performance
Cons
- Can get expensive
- Mediocre battery life
- Keyboard and touchpad are cramped
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Display | 10.5 inches |
| Processor | Intel Pentium Gold |
| Storage | 128GB |
Not only is the Microsoft Surface Go 3 affordable at less than $500, but it’s also compact and portable. With a screen that’s just 10.5 inches, it’s a great alternative for folks who both want to save money and need something that’ll take up practically no space in their bag.
Even though the screen is small, it still gets you a nice 1920 x 1280 resolution, which will look fantastic on such a small display. It’s also highly responsive to touch input and (like the larger Surface Pro 9) comes with a built-in kickstand and webcam.
The keyboard isn’t included with your purchase, so be sure to factor in that additional purchase when shopping.
Inside the detachable laptop you’ll find a battery that runs for up to 11 hours, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, and Intel Pentium Gold processor. Those aren’t going to compete with pricey laptops on this list, but for under $500, they’re a great value.
Microsoft Surface Go 3
Best budget detachable laptop
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
Apple iPad Pro
Best detachable iPad
Pros
- Sleek and modern design
- Bright, vivid, gorgeous display
- Wild performance from the M2 chip
- Apple Pencil hover feature
- iPadOS 16 is super robust
Cons
- Stage Manager needs more work
- Lackluster, awkward front camera
- Prohibitively expensive
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Display | 12.9 inches |
| Processor | M2 Chip |
| Storage | 256GB |
Apple makes tons of great laptops and tablets, but if you want a truly powerful detachable laptop, you’ll want to pick up the iPad Pro. With great hardware, a gorgeous screen, and impressive longevity, the iPad Pro is built to handle all tasks without breaking a sweat.
The star of the show is the M2 chip, which includes an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. In other words, it’s great for all sorts of applications and should have no problem handling intense tasks like photo editing and even some gaming. You’ll want to sync your files to the cloud, however, as the device only includes 256GB of storage.
Other standout features include a stunning 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, a 12MP camera, support for Wi-Fi 6E, and support for Apple Pencil if you decide you want to draw or take notes while the keyboard is detached.
All told, there’s not much to dislike about the iPad Pro. Like many products, you’ll have to buy a detachable keyboard separately, but Apple offers a few different versions for you to choose from. The iPad Pro makes a great alternative to both the Surface Pro 9 and Dell Latitude, and if you’re a fan of iPadOS or own other Apple products, you’ll feel right at home with this detachable laptop.
Apple iPad Pro
Best detachable iPad
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5
Best detachable Chromebook
Pros
- Acceptable productivity performance
- Very long battery life
- Excellent display
- Solid build quality
- Affordable
Cons
- Display is in the old-school 16:9 aspect ratio
- Limited to Wi-Fi 5
- Kickstand add-on is inconvenient
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Display | 13.3 inches |
| Processor | Snapdragon |
| Storage | 64GB |
Chromebooks are known for being simple to use and carrying affordable price tags, and that holds true for the IdeaPad Duet 5. This is a great option for anyone seeking a lightweight and streamlined detachable laptop experience, as the Duet 5 is a no-frills device that does the basics incredibly well.
The specs on this laptop won’t blow you away, but they’re enough to keep things chugging along smoothly. This includes 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and a Snapdragon processor. That’s not going to get you very far for gaming or heavy processing tasks, but it’s perfect for streaming the web, replying to emails, or writing up reports for work.
Unlike many products, this one comes with an included detachable keyboard. This allows you to use it as a laptop or tablet right out of the box. You’ll also find the display to be shockingly vibrant for this price point, as it’s an OLED display that supports a 1920 x 1080 resolution.
Fans of the Google ecosystem should find much to love about ChromeOS, as it’s built around programs like Gmail, Chrome, Google Drive, and Google Play. You’ll still be able to access many of the same apps as you can on Windows, and since the IdeaPad Duet 5 is affordable, portable, and includes a detachable keyboard, it’s certainly worth a closer look.
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5
Best detachable Chromebook
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ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2022)
Pros
- Bright, beautiful screen
- Amazing portability
- Ingenious design
- Surprisingly good performance
- Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
Cons
- Poor battery life
- Dorky aesthetic
- Mediocre webcam, no Windows Hello
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Display | 13.4 inches |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-12700H |
| Storage | 512GB |
Detachable laptops aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of gaming rigs – and the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 certainly isn’t as powerful as a dedicated gaming desktop or laptop. It is, however, a nice combination of portability and performance, allowing you to dabble with gaming while still serving as a detachable laptop.
With an Intel Core i7-12700H and GeForce RTX 3050, you’ve got enough firepower for this laptop to serve as an entry-level gaming rig. The action will look great on its display too, as it supports a 120Hz refresh rate and 1920 x 1200 resolution.
ASUS includes the backlit keyboard with the laptop, so while the price tag is a bit hefty, you’re getting tons of great hardware and a keyboard for your investment.
Rounding out the Flow Z13 is support for Dolby Vision HDR, Adaptive Sync for tear-free gaming, and support for most wireless gamepads. This laptop isn’t quite the same thing as an Alienware, but there’s a lot of great gaming tech packed inside the Flow Z13 that makes it a great choice for gamers who demand flexibility with their workstation.
How we chose the best detachable laptops
Detachable laptops – also known as tablets with detachable keyboards – are being produced by just about every electronics company under the sun. However, only a select few are worth your hard-earned cash. From design and performance to screen quality and more, here’s how we narrowed down all the options to the six best detachable laptops of 2024.
Easily detachable
If you’re looking for a detachable laptop, you want something that can easily go from a tablet to a laptop in the blink of an eye. Products on this list aren’t 2-in-1s that fold their keyboard out of the way or clunky tablets that come with cheap keyboards. All six are great tablets that offer premium keyboards for a genuine laptop-inspired typing experience. Some might require you to purchase the keyboard separately, but you can rest assured they’re of high quality and easy to use.
Comfortable as a tablet and laptop
Since you’ll be using a detachable laptop as both a tablet and laptop, the user experience should be great regardless of which format you’re working with. That means each gadget needs to have a responsive touchscreen, comfortable design for work whether its placed on your lap or a table, and a keyboard that’s responsive and reliable.
Good hardware and display
Like any laptop, a detachable laptop is only as good as its hardware. We looked for products with recent processors and heaps of RAM, as well as models with storage space for all types of users. Even if you don’t plan to play games or tackle demanding tasks, you won’t want your laptop slowing down regardless of what you’re working on. We also checked the display quality to ensure you’re getting a screen that looks great and is responsive to touch.
Durable
There’s a good chance you’ll be tossing this detachable laptop into a backpack or suitcase, as a big selling point of these products is their portability. That makes durability a big concern. For this list, we stuck to trusted brands like Microsoft, Apple, ASUS, and Dell, as these companies are churning out some of the most popular and reliable laptops on the market. Built with premium materials and with designs well-suited for travel, these detachable laptops are capable of withstanding even the most demanding travel schedules and don’t’ require much maintenance to keep running at full capacity.
Pricing
Detachable laptops aren’t cheap, so you’ll want to make sure you’re making a wise investment. Many of the laptops on this list climb over $1,000, though we also found a few that are relatively affordable. Regardless of which you pick, known that you’re getting plenty of value for your money. Products that are expensive are built to last several years before becoming outdated, while budget products are reliable but may not be able to handle intense tasks like photo editing or running games on max settings. Whatever your needs, there’s a detachable laptop that fits the bill.
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