The Best iPad Keyboard Cases

Staff writer Roderick Scott has been reviewing consumer tech devices and accessories since 2010 and has been using iPad cases from 2017’s 9.7-inch iPad all the way through the present models. For the latest update to this guide, Roderick tested several keyboard cases from multiple companies, narrowing the group down to the current picks discussed here. Nick Guy contributed previous-generation iPad keyboard-case picks to this guide.

If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t like typing on this iPad screen—I wish I had a real keyboard,” odds are, you’ll benefit from a keyboard case. You can dramatically increase your iPad productivity with real, tactile keys that let you type (almost) as quickly and with (almost) as few errors as you can on your computer.

A keyboard case combines the advantages of a physical keyboard with a protective case—instead of having to carry a separate keyboard, you have a keyboard built right into a case that’s similar to the one you’re likely already using (though a keyboard case can be a bit bulkier since it has to accommodate the keyboard). And because most keyboard cases are specifically designed to let you type on your lap, as you would with a laptop, a keyboard case is better for portable use than an iPad with a separate keyboard and stand.

But before you rush out and buy a keyboard case, consider the drawbacks and temper your expectations. Adding a keyboard case to your iPad is all about making compromises. You get the superior productivity and typing experience of a physical keyboard, but you also add noticeable bulk and weight. And many keyboard cases are designed to stay on your iPad, so you can’t easily leave the keyboard behind when you don’t need it—which eliminates one of the big advantages of using a tablet over a laptop.

An iPad keyboard case is worth getting if you need to use a physical keyboard regularly and you want one with you most of the time. Even then, you should at least consider a standalone Bluetooth keyboard instead. If you’ll be doing much of your typing on a desk, a table, or another flat surface, a separate keyboard is larger and gives you better keys. In addition, you can create a much more ergonomic setup by elevating the iPad and putting the keyboard in the ideal typing position; when you don’t need the keyboard, you can leave it behind to travel light. You can also keep using your favorite iPad case, and if you ever upgrade your iPad, you won’t have to buy a new keyboard case to fit it. (The biggest downside to a separate keyboard is that you can’t easily type on your lap.)

If you prefer separate options, we have recommendations for compact standalone keyboards and iPad stands.

We’ve covered iPad keyboards since not long after the first iPad came out in 2010, and since then we’ve tried pretty much every offering from every major brand, as well as dozens from brands you’ve likely never heard of. Here are the things an iPad keyboard case should offer:

• A good typing experience: The most important part of any iPad keyboard case is the keyboard itself. After all, if typing on the keyboard isn’t dramatically better than typing on the iPad’s screen, there’s no point to the extra weight and expense.
• The right key layout: The keyboard should have a standard key layout with all the expected keys in all the correct locations.
• Good keys: The keys shouldn’t be so small or so cramped that you regularly press adjacent keys by accident. The keys should have a decent amount of travel (the distance you press the key to activate it) and should have a good tactile feel.
• Dedicated iPadOS keys: We like having iPadOS-specific keys for functions such as Spotlight (search), brightness adjustment, and home. We prefer (but don’t require) dedicated keys, as opposed to overlays that require you to press the Fn key to access these functions.
• Solid protection: A good keyboard case must protect your iPad well.
• Reasonable size and weight: A keyboard case makes an iPad bulkier and heavier, but it shouldn’t do so to an unreasonable extent. It also shouldn’t take up too deep a space on your desk.
• An easy on-off design: We appreciate keyboard cases that let you easily leave the keyboard behind when you don’t need it, so you aren’t forced to carry extra bulk and weight.
• Multiple angle options: Multiple angles for propping up your iPad give you more flexibility in terms of ergonomics, comfort, and avoiding screen glare—but at the very least, a case should offer an angle that lets you comfortably view the screen but isn’t easy to tip over.
• Long battery life: The less you have to worry about your keyboard’s battery dying, the better. Luckily, this is rarely an issue with current iPad keyboards.
• An Apple Pencil holder: All current iPads support the Apple Pencil, so having a way to carry one with you is a small but appreciated feature.
• A reputable brand: Keyboards have lots of moving parts, and cheaply made ones tend to have reliability problems. We primarily look at models from known brands that provide good customer support and offer a good warranty, but we don’t entirely exclude popular models from less-established companies.

Testing keyboards involves extended use because switching to a new keyboard requires a period of adjustment—we need to be sure that a keyboard that doesn’t feel good at first truly is a bad keyboard and not just different from what we’re used to. Of the models that met our criteria, we tested each for a minimum of two weeks of regular use, and we used each of the top contenders for much longer. We tested the keyboard cases both for longer sessions (which were important for getting a feel for how good the overall experience was) and for quick hits (to see how convenient a keyboard case was for “pull out your iPad, do something, and put it away” tasks). Sometimes a great overall design is ruined by a bad typing experience; sometimes a fantastic keyboard is hampered by a poorly designed case or stand.

After testing the currently small number of keyboard cases available for Apple’s newest 10.9-inch iPad, we found that the Logitech Slim Folio is the best non-trackpad keyboard case for most people. It gives you a great keyboard, two stand positions for typing and viewing, and a holder for your stylus.

Logitech’s case provides some protection for your iPad without making it thicker. The Slim Folio has thick TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane, a mix of plastic and rubber) along the edge where the volume buttons are housed, above the FaceTime camera lens. It offers thinner coverage along the sides housing the power and Touch ID button, the speakers, the mics, and the USB-C port. It has no coverage where your iPad magnetically connects to the stand. The Slim Folio case almost matches the thickness of the iPad itself. The Slim Folio itself weighs just shy of 1 pound; inserting the iPad adds another pound.

This case gives you two fixed viewing angles to choose from. In Type mode, the case sits at a 58-degree angle, and in View mode, it sits at a 10-degree angle. Since Logitech uses a built-in stand on this case, it doesn’t take up any additional space on the rear when you switch between the two viewing angles. The Slim Folio uses water-repellent plastic on the keyboard side; the stand is a thin TPU flap, while the case itself is made of solid TPU. The holder for your stylus is a rubber loop that sits above the iPad’s FaceTime camera.

The rounded keys are a dream to type on. The most important part of a keyboard case is the keyboard, and the Slim Folio nails it with excellent key spacing, responsiveness, and versatility. The keys have rounded corners and use a scissor-key mechanism, where two pieces close together like scissors when you press a key; it feels great, even if the keys don’t have a lot of travel.

At the top of the Slim Folio’s keyboard is a row designated for iPadOS shortcuts, similar to the layout on a MacBook. This row gives you a home button, brightness controls, an on-screen keyboard hotkey, search, media controls, volume controls, a lock button, Bluetooth controls, and keyboard battery check buttons. Together, these shortcuts make the typing experience on the Slim Folio similar to that of Apple’s MacBook keyboards and provide good tactile feedback for working on your iPad.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Slim Folio doesn’t offer the same level of protection along all four corners of an iPad. The top area near the FaceTime camera consists of thicker TPU than the sides, but at the bottom, where your iPad connects to the stand, there’s zero protection. Of course, that area is covered when you’re using your iPad on the stand or when it’s closed. But when you have the Slim Folio at its lower, 10-degree angle for drawing, try not to eat or drink anything messy near your iPad.

The battery lasts for years, but it could last even longer if it had the iPad’s Smart Connector. Logitech claims the small, coin-style battery will last for up to three years, which is in the ballpark of what we’ve gotten from previous Logitech iPad keyboard cases. Since the Slim Folio doesn’t support the iPad’s Smart Connector, you have to connect it to your iPad via Bluetooth for initial setup.

The Zagg Pro Keys is the best iPad keyboard for people who type a lot on a 7th-, 8th-, or 9th-generation iPad. In a relatively small field of trustworthy competitors, the Pro Keys is one of the best keyboard cases to type on thanks to great keyboard hardware and a proper key layout. What sets it apart are the extra features on top of the great typing experience: backlit keys, a removable inner case, two viewing angles, and the ability to pair with two devices. It does everything that the next-best option for 2021 and earlier iPads, the Logitech Slim Folio, does just as well, and it does many things better—but it’s not available for 10th-gen iPads.

The keyboard layout is the same as what you get on a Mac laptop. The keyboard has all the keys you’d find on a laptop, and they’re all in the correct location, something that many other iPad keyboards get wrong. The entire keyboard is smaller compared with a laptop’s, but the difference is more noticeable on the miniature modifier keys than on the letters. Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, and Command, for example, are still wider than the letter keys, but not by as much as they are on a full-size keyboard. The Pro Keys doesn’t have an Esc key—we often miss having it. But that particular trade-off is very common, as few iPad keyboards include an Esc key. Even so, getting used to slightly smaller keys and their rounded-square shape is easier than having to relearn where a bunch of keys are every time you switch from your computer to your iPad. The Pro Keys also offers a nice array of iPadOS-specific special-function keys in a half-height row across the top. And each key is backlit, with seven available colors and four brightness levels.

The shallow keys offer an excellent typing experience. We enjoyed typing on the Pro Keys, and we found that the physical keys were large enough to be comfortable and easy to press; they provided good tactile feedback, too. Key travel was shallow compared with that of a high-quality laptop keyboard, though it was better than on an older 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Pro with the butterfly-style keyboard. And using the Pro Keys felt more like typing on a “real” keyboard than on an afterthought accessory. The whole thing is sturdier than its competition: Whereas other iPad keyboards we tested flexed under the pressure of our fingers pushing the keys, the Pro Keys did not.

Unlike the Slim Folio, this offers more iPad protection. Although other keyboard cases offer a great typing experience, none combine that with a removable design like the Pro Keys does. The segment that holds and protects the iPad magnetically attaches to the rear panel of the Pro Keys, and the keyboard is easy to pull off when you don’t need it. The case isn’t the slimmest or most attractive one around, but it does offer full button protection, the appropriate cutouts for the ports, speaker redirection, and a stylus holder on the right side. At 1.5 pounds, it is, however, noticeably heavier than Logitech’s Slim Folio. The Pro Keys is also not available for Apple’s latest, 10th-gen iPad.

The Pro Keys’s automatic connection is one of its best features. The initial Bluetooth pairing process is identical to that of any other wireless keyboard and takes seconds. But this Zagg keyboard uses a clever system to reconnect whenever you’re ready to type: The iPad’s left edge—the bottom edge, when you have it in typing orientation—magnetically connects to one of the two strips above the top row of keys (at 30-degree and 37-degree angles, respectively). When that happens, the keyboard wakes up and is ready for you to type after a moment. Other models may require you to press a button to wake up the keyboard, whereas this one is ready when you are. And when you lift the iPad off the base, the keyboard automatically disconnects.

The battery won’t last as long as the Slim Folio, but can charge via USB-C. This keyboard’s battery life is rated to last for a year, and you can easily recharge it via a USB-C connector. In contrast, Logitech’s Slim Folio offers a three-year battery, but that’s with a user-replaceable coin-cell battery. Either way, you don’t have to worry about charging often.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The smaller, cramped keys may not be ideal for everyone. As we noted, all iPad keyboard cases require you to make some compromises, and that holds true for the Zagg Pro Keys, as well. Its keys are smaller than standard keys, and they don’t feel as nice to type on as good laptop keys, so this keyboard isn’t as pleasant to use as the best standalone Bluetooth keyboards, especially for extended typing sessions. And though the Pro Keys has one of the best key layouts we’ve seen on an iPad keyboard case, the sizing is just a bit different from that of a regular keyboard, so you may end up making some errors. To be fair, this will happen with pretty much any iPad keyboard case due to universally cramped keys, and we’ve found ourselves making far fewer mistakes with this keyboard than with models that put commonly used keys in unfamiliar locations.

If you're willing to spend a little more money to type on your 10th-generation iPad, you can get a trackpad, a detachable keyboard, and more protection with the Logitech Combo Touch keyboard case. Although Apple’s new Magic Keyboard Folio is excellent, you get more for less money with the Combo Touch.

It provides actual protection for your tablet against drops and dings. It provides good coverage along the bezel—save for the cutout for the power and Touch ID button—protecting the corners while providing clear access to the microphones, speakers, and USB-C port. The case draws power from the iPad's Smart Connector, so it doesn’t need a battery and doesn’t need to be charged.

You can store your stylus in the case. Logitech also includes a rubber loop above the FaceTime camera to for you to place a 1st-generation Apple Pencil, a Logitech Crayon stylus, or another option, something that even Apple neglected to do on its Magic Keyboard Folio. The Combo Touch’s kickstand, which supports up to 50 degrees of travel, can go as low as 20 degrees for Write/Sketch mode, though many people are likely to keep it in the 60-degree Type/View position. The keyboard can also detach from the case, and you can carry your iPad around in what Logitech calls Read mode, as well.

It has a satisfying keyboard in a small package. The Combo Touch’s keyboard is great to type on, with adequate spacing between the scissor-mechanism keys. These keys offer up to 16 levels of backlight brightness to type in daytime or under dim lighting with ease. You’ll also find a top row of iPadOS shortcut keys; on this model, Logitech has added two new buttons for the 10th-gen iPad—a dedicated Dictation button for taking voice notes, and a dedicated Screenshot button for, well, capturing screenshots. These functions replace the Search and Screen Lock buttons of previous generations.

Logitech’s trackpad is Apple-level good. The glass trackpad on the Combo Touch is smooth, responsive, and comparable to that of the Apple Magic Keyboard. Evaluating the two side by side, we found no differences between them in extended use; the Combo Touch matched the Magic Keyboard in travel speed, multi-finger gestures, right-clicks, and pinch-to-zoom. This Logitech model is just as versatile as the Apple option as a keyboard case for a 10th-gen iPad.

We have a dedicated guide to the best keyboard cases for the iPad Pro if you’d like to learn more.

We’ve tested other iPad keyboard cases for the 10th-generation iPad, and some of those models are worth mentioning.

The Zagg Messenger Folio 2 is a great case, with a compelling $70 price tag. But it isn’t the best keyboard to type on, and it makes the power and Touch ID button hard to access for a proper fingerprint scan. It’s a step down from the amazing Zagg Pro Keys, which doesn’t support the 10th-generation iPad.

Offering a flat, spillproof keyboard, the Logitech Rugged Folio also provides what Logitech says is military-grade protection for drops as long as 6 feet. We would have made this keyboard case one of our picks if it had offered a trackpad beneath the keys instead of just a Logitech logo.

The Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for the new iPad is your only keyboard option available directly from Apple. It’s great to type on, and its trackpad is excellent. But for its $250 price, it doesn’t offer any meaningful protection from falls, and it doesn’t have a designated holder for the (1st-generation) Apple Pencil. And did we mention that it comes only in white? Good luck keeping that clean.

We’ve tested more than 100 iPad keyboard cases over the years, so we can’t mention every option we’ve dismissed, but we’ve included some of the more notable models below.

iPad (7th, 8th, and 9th generation)

Apple’s Smart Keyboard is available for the iPad (7th, 8th, and 9th generation), the iPad Air (3rd generation), and the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and it provides a solid, comfortable typing surface. It’s much more expensive than other cases but offers enough to justify its price. Thanks to Apple’s Smart Connector, it automatically connects to the iPad without any pairing process, and it doesn’t need its own battery (so you have nothing to charge). But these factors are merely inconveniences on other keyboard cases. The Smart Keyboard’s folding options allow for only one typing angle, and this model doesn’t protect the back of the iPad. We recommend this keyboard case only if you’re concerned about thinness over everything else and you don’t mind paying a premium for it.

The Brydge 10.2 Max+ was our previous upgrade pick for 7th, 8th, and 9th-gen iPads. In May, Brydge confirmed it was shutting down and its products are no longer available to buy in stores.

Logitech’s Combo Touch for the 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-generation iPad is our former favorite trackpad case. It takes up more space on a desk than the Brydge 10.2 Max+, and its detachable case isn’t as nice, but we found the larger keys a bit more comfortable to type on. If you prefer the Combo Touch’s design, or if it’s on sale, it’s still a good choice.

The Logitech Rugged Folio for the 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-generation iPad is the only keyboard case other than Apple’s that uses the iPad’s Smart Connector, so no pairing process is necessary and it doesn’t need its own battery. But we found the keys to be rather soft and mushy feeling, and the Rugged Folio requires 10 to 16 inches of desk space to unfurl, compared with only about 8 inches for the Logitech Slim Folio. However, the Rugged Folio is spillproof and rated to survive drops, according to Logitech, so it’s a good choice if you use your iPad in a rough environment (or around kids).

If you need a keyboard case that can position the iPad in a variety of angles and directions, go with the Yekbee 360 Rotatable. For about the same price as you’d pay for the Logitech Slim Folio, you get a case that you can arrange in many more ways, in a similarly sized package. It has two major downsides, though: The keys don’t feel quite as nice, and the maker isn’t as established, so you may be out of luck if you require customer service.

The keys on the Yekbee Folio feel as cheap and hollow as those on the 360 Rotatable. And its keyboard presses right up against the iPad’s screen, which might damage the screen over time. Plus, it doesn’t automatically lock the tablet’s screen when closed, so you might come back to a dead battery if you don’t manually turn off the iPad.

This article was edited by Arthur Gies and Caitlin McGarry.