The creation of the Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) opened the door to better compatibility when it comes to using a stylus on a Chromebook. Now that USI has been around for a while, there are plenty of great Chromebooks available that support the standard. Some even come with a stylus in tow.
Getting the best Chromebook with a stylus included makes it so you don’t have to search for one after the fact, and you have everything you need out of the box. If you’re confused about choosing one, here are all the best ones based on factors like your budget, battery life, or simply the best one all around!
At a glance
1. Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022)
Best overall
The 14-inch Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) might be old, but don’t underestimate its power. It’s the best overall option with a garaged USI stylus.
2. Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3
Best budget
Lenovo’s famous Chromebook Duet 3 is a fabulous bargain, coming with a stylus for select memory models.
3. ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3
Best detachable
ASUS makes excellent laptops, so it’s no surprise that the Chromebook Detachable CM3 is one of the best 2-in-1 Chromebooks with a stylus.
4. HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook
Best budget
The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook prices that you cab indeed have a premium experience on a Chromebook. It has lovely features and specs all around.
Best overall
What do you get when you pair reliable hardware with excellent internals and an included stylus? The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is the answer, which was revamped in 2022, complete with Intel’s 12th Gen chipsets and Iris Xe graphics. With the Spin 714, Acer actually remedied a few of the complaints we’ve had with some of the best Chromebooks. Although the newer Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) is now out, the newer iteration does not come with a stylus anymore. Therefore, the 2022 variant continues to be the best Chromebook that comes with a stylus.
Not only is Intel’s Core i5 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM more than enough power to handle practically everything. But it also sports a wonderful display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, along with plenty of ports, including multiple Thunderbolt 4 ports. The star of the show with the Spin 714 is the garaged USI stylus that is found at the edge of the bottom casing. This makes it easy to grab the stylus when you want to flip over into tablet mode or if you need to sign a document quickly.
Perhaps even more importantly, having a garaged stylus removes the need to worry about losing your Chromebook stylus. While it’s not exactly the most comfortable USI stylus we’ve used, we’re big fans of the convenience provided by being housed right in the chassis. Now, you can just download your favorite note-taking apps, such as Google Cursive or Nebo, take the stylus out of the slot, and start hand-writing your notes from anywhere without trying to find exactly where you put your stylus.
Best budget
While a few companies have tried to release ChromeOS tablets, none really caught on in the same way that the original Lenovo Chromebook Duet did. This was really the ultimate tablet for media consumption, especially if you just wanted to unwind for the day on the couch. Considering its popularity, we assumed it was only a matter of time before Lenovo released a successor.
That’s exactly what Lenovo did with the IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 3. Despite changing the naming scheme to fall in line with the Chromebook Duet 5, the Duet 3 solved quite some of the issues we had with the original Duet, with a few caveats. Not only is this one of the first Chromebooks to be released with USI 2.0 compatibility, but it’s also the only current Chromebook to be limited to USI 2.0 stylus pens. This means that if owned one of the best stylus for Chromebooks, then you’ll need to adjust accordingly.
While Lenovo includes the detachable keyboard and kickstand case in the box, you might be disappointed if you grab the model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. That’s because Lenovo is only including its new USI 2.0 Stylus Pen with the model using 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
It’s definitely a bit frustrating, but you can also grab Lenovo’s USI 2.0 Stylus Pen separately if you just want to go with the base model. At the end of the day, the Chromebook Duet 3 remains one of our favorite Chromebooks, and its smaller form factor is a delight to carry around.
Best detachable
It’s getting a little old now, but the ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3 is still one of the best detachable Chromebooks that comes with a stylus in tow. Powered by the
MediaTek Kompanio 500 processor, the Detachable CM3 comes with a garaged USI stylus and detachable keyboard.
The Chromebook Detachable CM3 features a 10.5-inch LCD with a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio and is capable of reaching up to 320 nits of brightness. The base configuration comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, paired with Arm Mali-G72 MP3 graphics.
As the name suggests, the Chromebook Detachable CM3 is a 2-in-1 convertible, allowing you to flip back the screen to either take notes or just prop it up to watch a movie or just pop the keyboard off to use it as a tablet. The case itself has a stand built into the back, so you can prop up the Chromebook in laptop mode as well as tablet mode.
Sadly, there’s no microSD card slot, so you can’t add more storage if you need to. While we wish ASUS used a 16:10 QHD screen, the Chromebook Detachable CM3’s display still looks pretty darn great.
Best premium
ChromeOS has finally matured to the point where we can start enjoying truly high-end hardware that rivals some of the best Windows laptops. If you don’t believe me, all you need to do is take one look at the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook. You would be hard-pressed to find a Chromebook that can rival what the Dragonfly has to offer.
In addition to the 13.5-inch display with its 3:2 aspect ratio, you’ll enjoy 12th Gen Intel chips, configurable with up to 32GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. There are dual Thunderbolt 4 ports onboard, along with a full-size HDMI and even a microSD card slot. However, the real star of the show is the haptic trackpad, giving Chromebooks a taste of why there are so many fans of the trackpad found on the best MacBooks.
As for stylus support, you don’t have to worry about compatibility, as HP includes its USI Digital Pen in the box with the Dragonfly. This attaches magnetically to the side of the bottom frame, which helps you keep track of it, but it also recharges the stylus whenever it’s attached.
While this is arguably one of the best Chromebooks ever made, its excellence is only superseded by its exorbitant price tag. This is definitely not the cheapest Chromebook on the market, but in our opinion, it’s worth every penny as long as you have the money to spend.
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To be quite honest, whenever a new Chromebook comes across our desk, it’s definitely a bit odd to find the ones that don’t include stylus support. However, not every Chromebook includes a stylus in the box.
Because there aren’t very many options if you want a Chromebook that includes a stylus, it makes the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) even more appealing. Not only does it offer incredible performance, but the stylus is also always with you, removing the need to empty your bag just to find it. Plus, you’re getting one of the best processors that Intel has to offer at a fraction of the price compared to premium options.
If you want a true ChromeOS tablet that includes a stylus, just make sure you grab the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Lenovo includes its USI 2.0 stylus pen in the box, along with the detachable keyboard and magnetic kickstand. The Duet 3 is lightweight, portable, and a fantastic choice for taking notes in class or just playing some solitaire.