
Laptops are very convenient because they go wherever you go. This lets you get to work or surf the net—as Shakira puts it—whenever, wherever.
But you may find yourself wishing for the touchscreen features your phone has. If only you could have a device like your smartphone, except with a bigger screen...such as a touch screen laptop!
Now that it’s on your radar, how should you go about purchasing one? To help you out, we at Choosist have done the research to save you some time. Below are a few things to consider when buying a touch screen laptop.
In 2013, out of the 46 million laptops purchased, 4.57 million had touchscreen capabilities. 6 years later, that number’s sure to be much higher.
Ever since smartphones came out in the late 2000s, their utility’s been a source of obsession. It was only natural for that obsession to transfer from smartphones to laptops since they’re also a commonly used portable device.
Here’s the number one reason why you should get a touchscreen laptop:
Imagine lying in bed or on the couch, snuggled up and ready to watch a movie on your laptop. But the trackpad might not be very responsive, and a USB mouse can end up tangled with other cables.
If you had a touch screen laptop, all you have to do is reach across and set up everything with no hassle. Thanks to the great screen responsiveness, and wire-free design.
If you love the feel of hand drawing art but need a simpler way to digitize your work, a touchscreen laptop is excellent for this purpose. You can open up your program of choice and draw with either your fingertips or a stylus.
This type of digital artwork gives you more control than a mouse does, which can help you keep your style as close as possible to drawing with pen and paper.
Are you a university student? Then using a touchscreen laptop can be highly advantageous when compared to traditional note-taking. Typing out your notes lets you keep up with your professors’ lectures easily, plus it lessens the strain on your hands. You can also use the stylus option to handwrite notes on PDF handouts. Or doodle when you’re bored.
Here are a few things the experts at Choosist think you should watch out for when you’re browsing for a touchscreen laptop.
You should expect to pay more for a touch screen laptop than you would for a regular one. Companies like Dell and Lenovo can charge up to C$300 more.
But the plus side of paying more for a touch screen laptop is you usually get better resolution. So before you balk at the price tags, you’ll want to keep this in mind.
Cheaper touchscreen laptops will only have single-touch capabilities. It’s quite basic but works for people who just want to use their laptops for leisure.
However, if you’re looking for precision, you’ll want to keep an eye out for the multi-touch feature. This lets you use two fingers, gestures, and pinches to navigate through your programs.
Because there’s the added touchscreen feature, this type of laptop will have shorter battery lives than usual. If you want to bring just your laptop around, no accessories, you might run into problems with it dying.
But if you plan on either bringing your power cord or only using your laptop for short periods, the battery life won’t matter much at all.
These two factors go hand-in-hand. Touchscreen laptops usually have thicker screens, which means they can be slightly heavier than regular laptops. It’s probably not enough to make a significant difference. However, it may still be enough to require a carrying case instead of your small purse or bag.
Now that you know what to look out for when shopping for a touch screen laptop, it’ll be easier to sift through all the available options. Want to leave your power cord at home at all times? Then better go for ones with longer battery lives.
If you want some inspiration or want to cut down on your research time, we’ve put together a list of some laptops that may interest you. Check out our picks for the best touchscreen laptops of 2026!
Our scores reflect the needs in this guide, rated across 40+ dimensions by the Choosist engine.
Choosist may earn a commission if you buy through retailer links. Recommendations are based on product fit, not retailer commission. Prices and availability can change. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
As a student or researcher, the Surface Laptop provides a good balance of portability and performance. With b/g/n/ac WiFi support, you can easily roam between networks in libraries, offices and labs. This laptop gives you the tools you need to research and write outstanding papers.
The Chromebook 11 G5 EE makes surfing the web easy thanks to a reasonable hardware specification and fast, reliable b/g/n/ac WiFi connectivity. Sending and receiving email is a relatively lightweight activity that the Chromebook 11 G5 EE can comfortably handle. It also comes with of total storage...
Surf comfortably as all components of your Asus will easily handle the web Email demands very littl e from a laptop. We've taken this into account . Social networking is relatively lightweight, so the low power 1.1 GHz processor is ideal. With 12 hours battery life, you can stay connected between...
Spreadsheets, presentations and documents, don't need much , but your RockChip RK3288C processor and 4 GB RAM ensures even image laden files won't leave you watching the 'spinning wheel'! The Chromebook Flip makes surfing the web easy thanks to a reasonable hardware specification and fast,...
Surf the web at speed thanks to the DH01T ’s speedy b/g/n/ac WiFi interface. Sending and receiving email is a relatively lightweight activity that the DH01T can comfortably handle. It also comes with of total storage so you never have to delete a message or attachment again. Facebook, twitter etc...
As a student or researcher in the social or physical sciences, this device provides a good balance of portability (with it's 15.6 inches screen size) and performance so that you're free to roam the labs or libraries with a machine that can competently multi-task your data crunching,...
Spreadsheets, presentations and documents, are relatively undemanding, but the Intel Celeron N3450 processor and 4 GB RAM ensures even image laden files won't leave you watching the 'spinning wheel' on the ThinkPad Yoga 11e The ThinkPad Yoga 11e makes surfing the web easy thanks to a reasonable...
The Acer powerful Intel Core i5 processor makes image manipulation a breeze. And the high resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels display ensures your pictures really ‘pop’ when you’re done.
Achieve great photo editing results with the VivoBook Flip 14 from Asus . It comes with a large storage capacity for any pictures you keep on locally on the laptop. It also boasts a handy Memory Card Reader, making it incredibly easy to transfer pictures from your camera while on the move.
As a student or researcher, the VivoBook Flip 14 provides a good balance of portability and performance. With b/g/n/ac WiFi support, you can easily roam between networks in libraries, offices and labs. This laptop gives you the tools you need to research and write outstanding papers.
The Lenovo powerful Intel Core i5-6xxx processor makes image manipulation a breeze. And the high resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels display ensures your pictures really ‘pop’ when you’re done.
The Lenovo powerful Intel Core i7 processor makes image manipulation a breeze. And the high resolution 2560 x 1440 pixels display ensures your pictures really ‘pop’ when you’re done.
As a student or researcher, the EliteBook x360 1030 G2 provides a good balance of portability and performance. With b/g/n/ac WiFi support, you can easily roam between networks in libraries, offices and labs. This laptop gives you the tools you need to research and write outstanding papers.
A multi-core Intel Core i7-8750H sits at the heart of the XPS 15 9570, providing plenty of raw processing power for editing 4K high definition video. With a total storage capacity of 1024 GB, the XPS 15 9570 ensures you have plenty of space to store your footage.
A resolution of 3000 x 2000 pixels, means rich graphics to shoot Zombies or cross the galaxy in detail Your 's Intel Core i7-8650U processor means whilst your thumbs may struggle with Call of Duty or Doom your will not. The 16 GB RAM combines nicely with the GPU on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050...
See our full list of touchscreen laptops
These picks are ordered around fit, not retailer commission. If your needs are more specific, Choosist can narrow the choice for your budget, use case, and region.