5 Gadgets You Need If You Want To Use Your Tablet As A Laptop Replacement

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When working with portable technology, something catastrophic has the potential to happen. Whether you're using a laptop for work or entertainment or taking a tablet on a business trip, a bit of jostling or an unexpected glitch could leave it damaged and unrecoverable. Some of these devices are designed with flexibility in mind — such as the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy — but it's more likely that you have a tablet separate from your computer. Even so, you won't be quite as comfortable using your tablet as a laptop replacement without a few gadgets and accessories.

There are many ways you can turn your tablet into a laptop thanks to configuration settings and specialized applications. But making sure everything works and feels the same will require a few extra pieces of tech. Some will let you get around touchscreen-only interfaces, while others will help make the tablet share a laptop's physical form. Either way, these devices should make you feel more comfortable when migrating to a tablet as a laptop.

Thanks to Bluetooth technology, it's not difficult to connect wireless peripherals to your tablet. For example, the Logitech Pebble 2 keyboard and mouse are designed to be used with practically any device you can imagine, including phones and tablets. Even though they primarily use touchscreens, mouse cursors will still appear on the display, preventing any major restrictions in functionality. This will work with Android, Apple, and Google Pixel devices, so you aren't going to be limited by anything unless something is wrong with your Bluetooth functionality.

You can use a keyboard and mouse on your tablet alongside plenty of other gadgets, wireless headphones or one of the best Bluetooth speakers worth buying. Wired peripherals will also work by directly connecting into an available port. Unfortunately, many modern tablets will only include one of these ports, restricting how many things you're able to connect. The only way to solve this is by going all-in on Bluetooth or using another type of gadget for some extra port help.

Hubs are already one of the best ways you can add more USB ports to your PC. As you might expect, this applies to tablets as well, allowing you to connect multiple different peripherals to it at once. Even something simple and cheap like Acer's 5-in-1 hub will have no problem letting you expand your connectivity. You'll have to be careful, though, as not every tablet will support each type of connection. HDMI connections are only supported by certain tablet models, for example, so any hub with that port will likely have it go to waste.

Older devices will also struggle to use these hubs if they lack their own USB-C port. Older iPads will require a Lightning cable to work, and although hubs exist with that sort of cable, you aren't likely to find many from the best-known and reputable brands. These hubs can also be physically unstable since they only connect to your tablet through a cable. They're great for a mixture of portability and usefulness, but those who don't often move around with their laptop will get more use out of certain other tablet gadgets.

If you really want to keep the physical feel of a laptop, investing in a charging stand might not be a bad choice. The Plugable 8-in-1 stand might not be as easy to transport as a standard USB hub, but it will keep your tablet upright and secure while you perform your work. It also comes with its own charging cable and connectors, allowing you to use your device without worrying about its battery. If you don't find yourself missing your laptop's portability as much as the rest of it, this is one of the best accessories you can buy.

There are low-tech solutions to keeping your tablet upright, and they've been around for a while. Around a decade ago, we declared Tstand as a reimagining of tablet holding, and it wasn't much more than an admittedly-impressive piece of plastic. You can still get your hands on one of these stands today, but their lack of built-in tech doesn't leave them quite as capable as charging stands. The Plugable stand also functions as a USB hub, so you don't have to rely entirely on wireless peripherals to make your tablet more like a laptop.

Although your tablet likely won't ever have the same library of games as your laptop, there are still many titles that support inputs beyond the usual touchscreen interface. As such, gaming controllers like the Amazon Luna controller are among the biggest must-have tablet gadgets in 2025. Even outside of making your device feel more like a laptop, these peripherals will allow most games to feel much more satisfying to play. Of course, not all tablet games will support controllers in the first place, so this option won't be relevant for everyone.

You don't need to use a specialized controller for your tablet, either. Both USB and Bluetooth peripherals will work here, as well as peripherals designed for other consoles like PlayStation or Xbox. As long as your tablet is able to accept their connection — either natively or through the help of adapters or hubs — it won't have much of an issue. The only thing you need to worry about from there is whether your game will detect and support controllers in the first place.

When you buy any sort of brand-new tablet, you'll have to preemptively deal with how much internal storage you're okay with. The only way to increase storage from there is with the help of microSD cards or external drives. While microSD cards might seem like the best bet, officially-supported sizes might be limited up to a certain point. Users don't see much of a problem with going above that limit, though, so it should be fine as long as you keep larger files to that card.

Connecting external drives can be a big help, as well. Even a simple USB-C stick like the Seagate Ultra Compact SSD will provide you with an extra 2 terabytes for your tablet. Unfortunately, users have noted that not everything can be moved to external storage without problems, especially on Android devices. Not everything about a laptop can be reflected in your tablet without some heavy tinkering, but these gadgets will at least help you come close.