Best 2 in 1 Laptops Under 300 In 2020 | TechNewsToday

2 in 1 laptop can be costly, and not all of us have enough to splurge on high-end devices. But with time, budget-friendly convertible laptops became more accessible in the market.

Compromising some functionalities, these models made a student with a tight budget’s life a little easier.

In this article, we will discuss the best 2 in 1 laptop under 300 dollars! These laptops were tested and handpicked following their design, functionality, and benchmarks.

But, if you don’t want to break your bank and get a budget-friendly alternative, we still hear you! So, here is a round-up of some of the best 2 in 1 laptop under 300 dollars!

Best 2 in 1 Laptops under 300 Dollars For 2020

Best Overall 2 in 1 Laptop

Lenovo Flex 11

The Flex 11 is a powerful device for its price, and you can easily afford the luxury of having a 2 in 1 model without feeling cheap. It has 11.6 inches display with 4 GB DDR4 RAM and 64 eMMC storage. Weighing around 1.25 kgs making it very light and portable.

Lenovo Flex 11 has a relatively powerful Intel Pentium Silver processor, which does perform better than the Atom and Celeron processors. However, for a couple of bucks more, you can afford Lenovo Flex 15 with the i5 Intel Core processor.

Design & Build

Despite the fact that the body is made out of plastic, it does not feel cheap as one might expect for a 2 in 1 laptop under 300 dollars. It is quite sturdy, and the two-tone black plastic chassis does manage to woo the users.  The hinge is a little shiny and serves its purpose well — of allowing the device to rotate 360° to transform into a tablet. However, in tablet mode, the top and bottom chassis do not align together perfectly, causing inconvenience. And if you have OCD, you might just freak out. But, other modes like tent mode and presentation mode work well. 

Display

The weakest point of this 2 in 1 laptop is probably the display. The 11.6 inches HD display is relatively small and collects a lot of fingerprints as you use the screen touch feature. Further, the resolution is only 1366 x 768 pixels.

Viewing angles aren’t that great either, and it can look faded from certain angles. It also attracts lots of glare no matter how much you adjust the brightness on this device.

Battery

The company revealed the battery on this device would last 6 hours. However, in CNET’s test, they said it lasted for 8 hours and 45 minutes on a full battery. Further, the battery charges fully within an hour and a half.

Amazon Rating: 4.4/5 

Pros:

• M.2 2280 upgradeable storage
• Touchscreen
• Quad-Core
• Modern Inputs (USB type C, HDMI, USB 3.0, micro sd)
• 720p Camera

Cons:

• No backlit keyboard
• RAM soldered in (not upgradeable)
• Dull display
• Passive cooling
• Laggy at times

Best 2 in 1 Laptop For Students

Lenovo 300e Winbook

Lenovo specifically made a series of 2 in 1 devices for students — 100e Winbook, 300e Winbook, and 500e Winbook. And for our budget, 300e is easily the best 2 in 1 laptops under 300 for students! 

The 500e version comes with a dedicated stylus (Lenovo’s Active Pen), but there’s a gem of a feature in the 300e version that makes it even more worthwhile. We will get to that later in this article. Further, the Lithium-ion battery on this device lasts for about 10 hours on a single full charge.

Lenovo 300e Winbook packs plenty of features for such a low price. 4GB RAM and 64 GB SSD are enough to handle student’s basic word processing, browsing, and other tasks. Further, it has 11.6 inches HD touchscreen display and comes with Windows 10 Home in S Mode. The battery lasts for about 10 hours, which is more than enough to go by a full day at school. 

Design & Build 

Lenovo is clever, and it has used a plastic chassis on this device to reduce its cost. However, the build quality is not that strong — the screen is prone to breaking as there are two hollow spots on top of the screen. So you have to be very careful not to press onto it too hard while opening.

Further, one special thing about Lenovo 300e Winbook is that it is military-grade drop tested. It can withstand a fall from about 29 and a half inches height — ideally about the size of a student’s desk! So even if it accidentally falls from your desk, it will not bear much damage. 

Moreover, the keyboard is spillproof, and Lenovo proudly boasts it can spill up to 1.39 cups (330 ml). Besides that, the keys are connected to each other in such a way that prevents them from popping out. 

One issue that I did have when using this model is the power button’s placement. The button sits on the right side, so every time I am moving my device, I accidentally cause it to sleep. So, again, you have to be very careful if you are moving your laptop around a lot while working on it.

Pencil Touch Feature 

And now comes the gem of the feature we were talking about earlier. 

Even though this version of Winbook does not come with a dedicated stylus, you can use a pencil to draw or write on it! Isn’t that amazing?

 

Since the Winbook 300e was built with students and academics in mind, this feature is definitely going to be very useful for students. An Ed Tech specialist said on YouTube that he would suggest 300e over 500e as students have a very high potential to lose their active pens.

And with the Pencil Touch Feature in 300e, they can just use their pencils to take notes quickly, without worrying about where to store their ‘stylus.’ This just makes it one of the best 2 in 1 laptops for students!

Display

At this price point, you know not to expect the finest screen. The 11.6 inches IPS display of 1366 x 768 resolution is grainy compared to most other laptops or even smartphones.

 

Moreover, the screen is prone to catching fingerprints and attracts glare when viewing from different angles. So, you will have to adjust to a poor display for the other features it packs in.

Amazon Rating: 4.3/5

Pros:

• Pencil Touch Feature
• Rugged build
• SD card support
• Pre-installed Microsoft Office
• Ships with Windows 10s
• Spillproof keyboard

Cons:

• No backlit keyboard
• Screen is a fingerprint magnet
• Grainy display

Best 2 in 1 Laptop with stylus

HP ProBook x360 Convertible Laptop

It’s hard to get the best 2 in 1 laptops with stylus. However, HP Probook x360 is an exception. It ticks off all the right boxes when it comes to price point vs features. With 4GB RAM and 64 GB SSD, and running Intel Celeron N3350 Dual-Core 1.1GHz processor, it gives a reliable performance for its price. 

 

The ProBook x360 has an 11.6” HD LED Touchscreen with 1366 x 768 resolution. Further, not only does it support stylus operation, but it also comes with an active pen! So, given the lesser screen resolution, the inclusion of an active pen in the box does make up for it.

Design & Build

HP Probook x360 is slim, sleek, and secure. It is designed for everyday work and targeted mostly for business users. The model has a rugged design, passing the military-grade drop test (MIL-STD 810G standard) that can withstand a drop from approximately 2.4 feet!

Further, the use of “industrial rubber” on the chassis was a particularly clever idea as it helps to reduce the impact when dropped.

Display

The 11.6 inches display with 1366 x 768 resolution is surrounded by thick bezels around it. So, having an immersive experience is out of the question. But one shouldn’t expect too much at this price tag, and the display is always a reminder of what you get when you don’t want to spend more.

 

Stylus Support

Like we discussed earlier, HP Probook x360 comes with HP’s standard stylus, the active pen. It does essential pen functions but lacks tilt recognition and “flip-to-erase” functions. Moreover, it runs on AAAA batteries — yes, quadruple A batteries do exist, and they are smaller than the normal AAA ones we use at home.

Amazon Rating: 4.1/5

Pros:

• Comes with HP Active Pen
• USB 3.0
• Runs Windows 10 Pro
• Expandable memory

Cons:

• No backlit keyboard
• Not so powerful processor
• Poor screen resolution
• A little heavier (1.7kg)

Best Choice For An Artist

XIDU Philbook Max

Even though the Chinese manufacturer XIDU is almost unheard of, the quality they have put into their Philbook Max is worth all the attention.

XIDU Philbook is undoubtedly the best 2 in 1 laptop for artists under $300 in the market, especially with the “premium” features that are generally found in high-end laptops. It has 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD along with the Intel x7-E3950 Quad-core Processor, making its performance smooth and fast.

Further, it has a backlit keyboard, which is not typical for this price range. Also, even though it’s a 14.1 inches display, it is still lightweight and compact, weighing only 1.39kg. The battery on this design lasts for about 10 hours, as seen on other laptops at this range.

Design & Build

These stylish touch screen laptops are a top pick among artists in 2020. It has an all-metal build that sets it apart from other competitors. Since the entire laptop’s body is made out of metal, it feels more expensive than it actually is. Further, the gold brushed edges give it a premium feel.

 

The 360° hinge is smooth, and there is no awkwardly placed top and bottom halves when flipping it to the tablet mode. Further, the hinge allows for the device to rest in tent mode, perfect for Netflix and chill.

Display

Finally, there’s a 2 in 1 laptop under 300 dollars that has a better display than the rest!

The 14.1 inches FHD screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution is hard to come by at this price range. However, the Philbook Max will exceed your expectations with its bright and vivid display. Moreover, the screen is fully-laminated, so glares are reduced on this device.

Also, the bezels are really thin at just 4.9mm, so that is definitely a plus!

XIDU Philbook stylus

Artists might be sad that this amazing 2 in 1 laptop doesn’t come with a pen. However, you can get XIDU Philbook Stylus, and there are three options to choose from! Our favorite is General Active Stylus. The 2mm tip does a fair job at writing, taking notes, and drawing. Further, the battery on this stylus lasts for 12 hours on a single charge.

Amazon Rating: 4.2/5

Pros:

• Full HD display
• Thin bezels
• Stylish, timeless design
• Stylus support
• Backlit keyboard
• Higher RAM and storage

Cons:

• Stylus not included

Best Affordable 2 in 1 Laptop

ASUS Vivobook Flip Touch Screen Laptop

The VivoBook Flip envelopes in itself all essential compactness and lightweight design for mobility and portability, making it the affordable ones on our list. With 11.6 inches display and weighing only 990g, and you can easily carry it around effortlessly. This configuration is designed for you to be productive all day, or so the brand says.

This convertible model houses the Intel Pentium N4200, which is common in laptops at this price tag. And pairing it with the included 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD, it does its job well for what it’s worth. Lastly, the lithium polymer battery on this one gives a 10-hour usage on a single charge.

Design & Build

Asus Vivobook Flip surely turns eyes around with its cool slate-colored aluminum body. The 360° hinge is smooth and lets you flip into the tablet and other modes easily.

Further, the aluminum body is a cool cross of blue and grey color, making it appealing to the eyes, and giving off a more premium feel.

Display

The Vivobook is excellent for general day-to-day activities like using word processors and watching videos on YouTube. Further, it has an 11.6 inches display with 1366 x 768 resolution so that you will be missing out on high-resolution display found at a higher price point. Also, the thick bezels around the display stop you from having an immersive experience.

If you want to watch HD movies with a crisp display or use it for graphic designing and photo editing, you might as well say goodbye. The display can look faded out when viewing from certain angles.

Amazon Rating: 4.2/5

Pros:

• Very inexpensive
• Nice-looking
• Portable design
• USB-C port
• 360° hinge
• Sturdy build
• Not so powerful processor

Cons:

• Narrow viewing angles
• VGA webcam
• Low-resolution screen
• No backlit keyboard

Best Windows Convertable Laptop

Dell Inspiron 11 3000

Dell Inspiron 11 3000 is the company’s flagship 2 in 1 model and is surprisingly budget-friendly as well. It’s an 11-inch notebook with the best battery life at this price range, lasting up to 13 hours on a single charge! With the good old Intel Pentium processor, 4GB RAM, and 128GB SSD, it is enough for all basic tasks and some light gaming.

At almost 1.8kgs, it is a tad bit heavier than other laptops we have mentioned in this list. However, the long-lasting battery and the sturdy build takes the piece of cake. Further, it comes with pre-installed Microsoft Windows 10 Home S, so that makes it one of the best 2 in 1 laptop for gamers under 300 dollars.

Design & Build

Inspiron 11 has a glossy lid that catches lots of fingerprints. And by lot, we really mean A LOT. The off-tone Dell logo sits neatly in the center of the lid, only giving the hardware a rather flimsy look. The color options for this 2 in 1 model are black, red, and white.

Further, the plastic frame on the device is strongly built. However, the glossiness of the laptop does take the sophisticated feel away. But for the price it comes in, I got no complaints!

Display

The 11. 6-inch HD display with LCD resolution of 1366 x 768 is not the best but gets the job done. However, the display is too dim to view in outdoor environments. Sure, it performs well inside when you are typing away at Google Docs, or reading tech news on TechNewsToday. But, watching videos might not be as pleasing as the LCD screen does not really show true colors.

 

Amazon Rating: 4/5

Pros:

• Upgradable RAM
• Long-lasting battery
• Sturdy build
• Micro SD card reader
• Windows 10 in S mode

Cons:

• A dull and dim display
• Cheap plasticky feel
• Not so powerful processor
• No backlit keyboard

Best 2 in 1 Laptop for Gamers

Acer Spin 1

A gaming laptop under 300 dollars that too 2 in 1 can come off like a joke. And to be honest, for 300 dollars, it is hard to come by a powerful laptop that can handle all the games you wish to play.

Even though we don’t have budget laptop suggestions for intense gaming, Acer Spin 1 can pretty much handle browser games as well as other light games.

Acer Spin 1 can be regarded as one of the best 2 in 1 laptops for gamers under 300 dollars. The battery life on this device is below-average, lasting only about 6 hours on a single charge. So, be sure to pack your charger if you want to play games all day long. Housing an Intel Celeron N3350 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 64GB eMMC storage drive, it is enough for all basic tasks and some light gaming.

Weighing 1.9kgs, it is comparatively heavier than other laptops in this list.

Design & Build

This convertible laptop is strongly built. The 360° hinge is well made and does a good job while flipping the device into tablet mode.

Further, the body is framed in a strong metal body and has significant weight to it.

Display

The 11.6 inches IPS multi-touch display with 1366 x 768 resolution is bright and colorful, even though it does look faded from certain angles. The IPS display gives off bright, vibrant colors even though the screen is still prone to catching glares.

Pros:

• Windows 10 S Home pre-loaded
• 1-year Microsoft Office365
• Sturdy build

Cons:

• Relatively heavier

Best 2 in 1 Laptop with Detachable Keyboard

ALLDOCUBE iWork 10 Pro

To start with, this device is a competition for many existing 2 in 1 laptops even with it’s affordable nature. The system is powered by the Intel Atom processor, along with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM.

Further, the keyboard can be taken apart from the main tablet, making it the best 2 in 1 laptops with a detachable keyboard under 300 dollars.

Also, iWork 10 Pro gives 6 hours of battery life on a single charge and charges fully in 4 hours or so. It is wise to pack your charger along as the battery life is relatively lower, and it takes up quite some time to charge.

Additionally, what’s interesting about this convertible is that it comes with Windows 10 and Android 5.1 dual OS. This allows users to switch from work mode to entertainment mode as Windows is ideal for work, and Android is ideal for media consumption.

Design & Build

ALLDOCUBE iWork 10 Pro is sleek, stylish, and very appealing to the eyes. The metal chassis looks and feels smooth, and it gives off the impression of being a high-end device.

 

However, the keyboard dock is made entirely out of plastic. The magnetic ports to hold the tablet does its job reasonably well. Attaching the tablet back is easy as the magnetic port is quite strong. It doesn’t allow the tablet to fall off easily, and you have to put in some force to pull it out.

 

Display

The 10.1 inches display screen with 1920 x 1200 resolution is undoubtedly an upgrade with respect to most other 2 in 1 laptops in the market. As the display is glossy, it catches a lot of glares as you move it around. Other than that, the colors are crisp, and there’s a good contrast.

Amazon Rating: 3.3/5

Pros:

• Affordable
• Basic connectivity features
• Dual OS makes work easy
• High internal storage capacity
• Amazing modern design

Cons:

• Poor camera quality
• Below-average battery life

Best Business Laptop

RCA Cambio 10.1

Walmart’s RCA Cambio is an inexpensive tablet/laptop hybrid that is capable of basic productivity tasks. It’s a 10.1-inch model with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. Further, it weighs about 900g and is easy to carry around without dragging your shoulders down.

However, the battery lasts for 6 hours, which is just enough to go by a day. The battery life is far less as compared to its counterparts. And, you might want to carry the charger just in case.

RCA Cambio 10.1 is powered by a low-end Intel Atom processor, so the performance is compromised. It can get slow and laggy sometimes. Moreover, it is can only run a 32-bit Windows 10. Most Windows apps these days run on 64-bit systems, so that could be a compromise you should be willing to make if you are planning to buy it.

But for a 2 in 1 laptop that is just above 100 dollars, it is a steal. I mean, what powerful specs are you even expecting when you get a device for barely 100 bucks? This is probably the cheapest product on our list.

Design & Build

The smooth plastic finish feels quite flimsy, and it is surprisingly sturdy. All the ports are built on the tablet part, as opposed to the keyboard part.

What’s better is that this convertible laptop is also detachable! When you want to use the tablet, you can simply detach the keyboard. The tablet is quite heavy for a tablet but still isn’t a dealbreaker. The docking mechanism of the keyboard and tablet is reliable, even without any sort of magnetic latch.

 

Display

The 10.1-inch display is smaller than most of its 11.6-inch counterparts. The multi-touch capable, 1280×800 resolution screen is exactly what you get for a laptop at the price tag it comes in.

Amazon Rating: 3.7/5

Pros:

• Inexpensive 2 in 1 laptop
• Detachable keyboard
• Compact and lightweight
• Sturdy build

 

Cons:

• Comparatively shorter battery life
• Not so powerful processor
• Plastic build feels somewhat cheap

Things to look out for when buying 2 in 1 laptops

Before you get your hands on a 2 in 1 laptop, you should be mindful of various features to make your purchase worth it. Being convertible isn’t enough, and you should consider the following factors before spending on it.

Weight

How much a 2 in 1 laptop weighs plays a crucial role in deciding whether it is suitable for you or not. 2 in 1 laptops are supposed to increase the functionality, and a heavy device is not going to cut it. An ideal 2 in 1 laptop should be lightweight and compact.

Screen Size

The screen size is the diagonal length of the screen. If you are looking for a 2 in 1 laptop to make art or consume media, the screen size should be at least 14 inches to provide good real estate. Otherwise, smaller sizes from 10.1 inches to 12 inches are fair for other tasks, like browsing webs or writing.

Battery life

With a 2 in 1 model, you are able to switch from laptop to tablet in a moment. However, if you have to keep plugging in every 3 hours, it’s not going to be worth it. Battery life greatly depends on how you use the laptop, and we advise you to go for 2 in 1 laptops that have at least 8-10 hours of battery life on a single full charge.

Why Should You Buy 2 in 1 Laptop?

These hybrid laptops can be used as a traditional laptop, and can be converted into a lightweight tablet — so you don’t have to carry two devices. Since 2-in-1 laptops provide this versatility, you can work on them as traditional laptops in the daytime.

 

Then, you can flip it over, and ditch the keypad to watch movies, play games, or unwind after work or college. What’s more — these laptop-tablet hybrids can be used in various modes like tent-mode for a marathon of your favorite shows or tablet mode to play games. It’s like the perfect balance between work and play.

If you want to know more about 2 in 1 laptops, jump to the FAQ section first!

FAQ

What is a Chromebook?

A laptop or tablet running the Linux-based ChromeOS for its operating system is called a Chromebook. Such laptops are heavily reliant on cloud services and store all data in the cloud rather than in its physical storage. Chromebooks are designed for light productivity tasks that do not involve processor-hungry applications.

Is 2 in 1 Chromebook better than Windows?

It all depends on your computing needs. If you need specific apps that aren’t available in Chrome OS, then obviously, a Chromebook isn’t going to cut it. If your major tasks include word processing, browsing the internet, or even some light browser games, then getting a Chromebook over Windows is a wise decision.

Conclusion

For the best convertible laptops under $300, the display is always a reminder for “you get what you pay for” as they are always compromised to pack in other useful features. If you want a much better laptop with more powerful specs, we advise you to up your budget a couple of hundred bucks more.

And if crisp and super impressive displays are what you’re interested in, check out our list of the best 4k laptops!

Which of the best 2 in 1 laptops under 300 dollars are you planning to get? Let us know in the comments below!

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