Laptop not slim enough for your zoom-zoom lifestyle? Look at a Windows 11 tablet. Windows tablets can work with a keyboard cover or Bluetooth keyboard to serve as a laptop, functionally speaking, but are detachables (able to jettison their keyboards) rather than 360-degree-rotating convertibles. We treat these tablets much the same as laptops, though, when applying our collective decades of expertise to testing and reviewing them. Since the founding of PC Labs more than 40 years ago, we've tested thousands of mobile PCs. We use repeatable, industry-standard benchmarks to measure all aspects of CPU and graphics performance, and assess tablets on the basis of design, usability, connectivity, and battery life. Our current best Windows tablet for most people is Microsoft's Intel-based Surface Pro 9, continuing the Surface Pro's lengthy win streak as the class of the category. Read on for the rest of our picks.

Like the Apple iPads that sparked them, Windows tablets come in a range of sizes, computing power, and prices, with no single slate that best serves every user's needs. All current models now run Windows 11. As you begin shopping, you'll find that they fall into a few different categories, and that they don't parallel the same concerns you have when shopping for the best laptop.

First are inexpensive models with 10-inch screens, designed to let you browse the web and enjoy streaming a movie from Netflix or Amazon Prime. Because these budget devices usually rely on low-power processors and minimal storage, they're better used as a second or third device to serve alongside your laptop or smartphone. In other words, these aren't full-powered devices that can replace a conventional laptop PC.

Then, you have larger 12- and 13-inch tablets designed to work with an included or optional stylus pen and docking keyboard. These give you a better way to take notes in class or type up an email or a term paper, and they generally provide a well-rounded Windows experience. The leading example is the popular Microsoft Surface Pro. Microsoft remains the dominant company in this market.

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Finally, you'll find premium and business systems designed as productivity tools rather than media consumption devices. Two other major PC companies, Dell and Lenovo, have dabbled in these with their Latitude and ThinkPad lines, respectively. The Microsoft Surface Pros also qualify for this category.

What's the Right Processor to Get in a Windows Tablet?

With Windows tablets ranging from low-power entertainment devices to potent productivity tools, how do you know which to buy if you plan to use your device for both tasks? As with conventional laptops, a lot comes down to the processor.

(Credit: Molly Flores)

Intel's Celeron and Pentium processor lines include several chips built for low-power usage and passive cooling. These are two necessary attributes for tablets, since they house all of their components behind the screen, which itself generates heat. These CPUs can work without built-in cooling fans and provide several hours or even a day or two of light use without having to plug in and recharge. Low-power processors like these lack the processing oomph you want for applications like Adobe Photoshop, but they are ideal for checking email or Facebook and then kicking back with some streaming videos, and the draw on the battery may be less, leading to better battery life.

At the other end of the tablet CPU spectrum are Intel's Core and Core Ultra processors, also seen in full-fledged laptops. While these CPUs draw more power and require more cooling hardware, they're much more capable, letting you run demanding applications. Slates with these chips are priced more like laptops (usually above $1,000), but you get performance to match their increased cost.

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Some of the best Windows tablets have ditched Intel processors in favor of Arm-based alternatives from companies like Qualcomm and MediaTek. They include the earlier Microsoft Surface Pro X and later Surface Pro 9 (SQ3), which use Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. (We haven't seen any recent tablets with CPUs from Intel rival AMD.) These models have tended to be battery-life champs but underperformers.

In 2024, you can expect a smattering of Windows tablets featuring Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X processors and (later) even perhaps Intel's next-gen "Lunar Lake" chips. These silicon solutions have AI-ready hardware, designed with elite-level efficiency in mind. Their neural processing units (NPUs) are core clusters designed to handle AI-specific tasks such as managing chatbots and automatic system optimizations.

We reviewed one, the Snapdragon X-based Microsoft Surface Pro, and were impressed by the hardware. But we are adopting a wait-and-see attitude on its Windows on Arm OS, which is not fully compatible with all Windows software. An impressive amount of native Arm-optimized software runs well, and an additional swath of apps will operate fine through a new Microsoft emulation scheme called "Prism." But full x86 compatibility isn't there quite yet.

Windows Tablet Security and Connectivity

Once you've decided which processor will fit your usage pattern, it's time to move on to the features that make handheld PCs far more flexible than conventional laptops. Sensors previously seen in smartphones bring new ways to interact with your PC, with accelerometers, gyroscopes, and e-compasses providing positional awareness for both automatic screen rotation and new immersive applications.

Microsoft even has a Windows tablet version of FaceID, which lets you unlock your Apple iPhone or iPad Pro simply by looking at it. Called Windows Hello, it's also available on laptops and desktops, but it is most useful on tablets that don't have a keyboard handy to enter a secure password.

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Let's not forget tablets' touch screens. With capacitive screens that track five or ten fingertips at a time, you can pinch, swipe, and tap your way through any task, even those that would have required a keyboard and mouse years ago. Many tablets also come with optional digital pens or styli. Some are housed in "garages" or holes in the tablet chassis that secure the stylus and charge its battery. Others must be carried separately or cling magnetically to one of the slate's edges.

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There's also the question of connectivity. With eminently portable designs, it's only natural that some users want tablets with not only Wi-Fi internet access but the same no-hotspot-required mobile broadband they enjoy on their smartphones. A few of the best Windows tablets on the market have 5G and LTE connectivity options that work with a mobile phone plan.

Don't Overlook the Convertible Hybrid

Finally, what if you simply can't live without a real keyboard but don't want the hassle of carrying a separate one? As we mentioned, convertible laptops offer keyboards that fold around the back so that you can use them in laptop, tablet, or propped up in presentation or kiosk mode. We've focused on detachable Windows tablets here, but to learn more about convertibles see our roundup of the best 2-in-1 laptops.

The switch from a laptop to a tablet doesn't come without issues. The thin confines of a tablet make worries about heat buildup all the more critical—especially when that heat is literally in hand. Touch screens add a new opportunity for frustration when taps and touches won't register properly, and the opportunities provided by docks and accessories also open up the chance to lose a valuable part of your PC while out and about. (Say what you will about tablets, you'll never misplace your keyboard while using a conventional laptop.)

Ready to Buy the Right Windows Tablet for You?

As noted up top, our choice as the best Windows tablet overall for most buyers is the Microsoft Surface Pro 9. That said, we've waded through the current tablets available and tested and compared dozens to discover what works and what doesn't, so check out our other recommendations above if that model is out of your price range, battery-life comfort zone, or usage profile. If you're set on a Surface model but not sure which way to go, a good additional resource is our guide to which Microsoft Surface you should buy.

And if you're not married to Windows, read our roundup of the best tablets overall and our look at the best Android-based models. (Our overall best laptops roundup is worth a look, too, if you're on the fence between a Windows tablet and a classic clamshell laptop.)