When you're looking for a laptop on a budget, you'll have to sacrifice a feature or two, but there's one thing you shouldn't compromise on: battery life.
I was reminded of this while reviewing the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, a budget-friendly laptop that surpassed my expectations in a few areas, but fell far behind on battery life, lasting a mere 7 hours and 37 minutes.
While the Dell may have won me over otherwise, I can't overlook battery life that's less than 8 hours, and neither should you. Even if you're on a budget and need a 2-in-1 for $1,200 or less, there are better options that will get you the same features and all-day battery life.
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Don't overlook this critical flaw in the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1
The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 gets a few things right. For starters, it has a great display for the price, a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, mini-LED panel that delivers 446 nits of brightness and reproduces 87% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. For $1,199, that's not bad at all.
Additionally, the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 performed better than expected on our graphics tests, considering it's running on Intel's integrated graphics. It averaged just under 60 fps in Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm. That's plenty of performance for running casual games or lightweight indie titles.
Unfortunately, those strengths simply can't outshine the one major flaw with the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1: its battery life. With less than 8 hours of battery, this laptop is not going to get through a full day of work or school (besides that, it's pretty heavy, so it's not the best to commute with).
I understand considering some compromises when you're searching for a laptop on a budget, but this is one area you don't want to ignore. After all, what good is Dell's snazzy display if the battery is going to die on you before the end of the day? This is especially important to consider if you're a power user or frequently use resource-intensive apps, like photo or video editing software, which will drain the battery even faster.
As much as I wanted to like the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, you can do better for the same price or less.
3 budget-friendly 2-in-1 laptops with great battery life
The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 may not have lived up to my hopes, but luckily, there are some better budget-friendly 2-in-1 laptops with great battery life. A few in particular are great options for the same price as the Dell or less, but with significantly longer battery life.
1. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip (TP3607)
The first, and arguably best, alternative to the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip. This is currently ranked as Laptop Mag's best 2-in-1 laptop and boasts great battery life with a time of 13 hours and 47 minutes.
It's at the upper end of the budget range, but starts at just $1,199, the same price as our review configuration for the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1.
For that price, the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip delivers all-day battery life, a stunning OLED display, solid integrated graphics performance, and, of course, the versatility of a 2-in-1 design.
2. Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 (2025)
Next up is the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16-inch. This one comes in at the same price of $1,199 but offers twice as much storage as the base configuration of the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip, making it a great choice for anyone who has a lot of files and photos to store on their laptop.
The 2025 version of the Yoga 7i 2-in-1 fell behind the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 in our overall performance tests and our display tests, but scored nearly twice as high on our battery life test with a time of 13 hours and 19 minutes. So, it could be the right fit if battery life is your top priority and you don't mind compromising display quality.
3. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus
Lastly, it's worth mentioning the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. While its battery life of 9 hours and 43 minutes could be better, it's still a couple hours longer than the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, and the IdeaPad is hundreds of dollars less expensive. It's also currently ranked as Laptop Mag's best budget 2-in-1 laptop.
This laptop could be a great pick if you're on a tight budget and want something for less than $600 that will still last all day. It's a good choice for students and casual users who mainly need a laptop for web browsing, replying to emails, and other lightweight tasks.
The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is a similar alternative with a stronger processor in case you want something in the same price range with a bit more performance. However, it only gets an honorable mention since the IdeaPad has longer battery life.
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