iPad Pro Best keyboard options for 11" 2020 pro.

[ssledoux]

My daughter got her pro in a week ago, and is interested in a keyboard. She definitely doesn't want the Magic Keyboard due to the price. The keyboard folio is also a bit pricey, although she may go that route.

I was just wondering if there were any other really good options.

 

[DrSarah]

I also found the Magic keyboard to expensive, and i like to use my tablet as a tablet in a case. I am using the Smart Keyboard Folio And i really like it. Typing is fine, protection is fine, it keeps the iPad thin and portable.
This is on the 11” though. I am typing this right now with it.

I bought a 12.9” 2020 yesterday and it will arrive tomorrow + i ordered the Smart Keyboard folio again, i read because the footstep of the keyboard is a bit bigger, it is even more stable.

Hope this helps!

 

[1rottenapple]

I got the folio. It’s ok... just wish it was thinner. It’s a series of pros and cons because if you go to cheap, then it’ll be heavier, or the keyboard isn’t good. The smart one looks sleek at least and worth the expense. Magic keyboard would be awesome but it’s heavy by design (it’ll topple over if too light).

 

[ascender]

My daughter got her pro in a week ago, and is interested in a keyboard. She definitely doesn't want the Magic Keyboard due to the price. The keyboard folio is also a bit pricey, although she may go that route.

I was just wondering if there were any other really good options.

Will your daughter be using it mainly at a desk, or is she looking for a portable option?

If its a portable option, I’d go with the Keyboard Folio option - it doesn’t add much weight or bulk and is quite a nice typing experience IMO. Maybe check out eBay or other places to see if you can pick up a second hand one at a bit of a discount?

If she’s looking for something to use at a desk, I’d get a normal bluetooth keyboard that she likes the look & feel of.

 

[DSTOFEL]

My daughter got her pro in a week ago, and is interested in a keyboard. She definitely doesn't want the Magic Keyboard due to the price. The keyboard folio is also a bit pricey, although she may go that route.

I was just wondering if there were any other really good options.

I understand your dilemma...I just went through the agonizing process of choosing a keyboard case for my new 11 inch pro. IMO, there really aren’t that many good options.

I initially bought the Smart Keyboard Folio (open box...excellent condition) at Best Buy for $145. A very nice case IMO. On the plus side: It’s slim, doesn’t add much bulk, typing experience is good, folds back to use in tablet mode. On the con side of the ledger: Still a bit pricy for what you get, exterior material is not great. If you can get a deal on one “open box”, etc...maybe the best option for you.

The other Non-Apple options you hear mentioned often are: Logitech Slim Folio Pro and the Bridge Pro+ (keyboard and integrated trackpad). I haven’t used these...perhaps someone else could comment on them?

I ended up returning the Smart Keyboard Folio and opted for the Magic Keyboard. For me...there’s no other option. I love it....the integrated trackpad is a game changer and turns it into a mini-mac book pro experience for me. Is it worth it from a price perspective? Heck no...this is Apple we’re talking about

 

[spiderman0616]

I have ended up owning every generation of iPad Pro. That wasn’t originally the plan, but here we are. And I am VERY nit picky about what cases I use. I don’t like anything that I feel will damage the iPad on its way in and out if I want to remove the case. I don’t like anything that traps the Pencil so that I have to slide it over the metal on the side and scratch things up. You get the picture: it takes a very specific set of criteria for me to invest in a case.

All that being said, I used to feel that 3rd party manufacturers were getting better at making iPad Pro accessories while Apple was getting worse. With the original gen 9.7” iPad Pro and 10.5“ iPad Pro, I got VERY tired of that hump in the middle while the keyboard cover was folded up and ended up going with 3rd parties instead. It just didn’t feel very Apple-like to have a ledge down the middle of the cover.

These days though, I have changed my tune. The 3rd parties seem to be getting worse at making the accessories and Apple seems to leap frog them with every generation, Logitech especially. I have bought and returned several Logitech cases at this point—to me they just don’t function or feel like a premium accessory. It’s actually a joke with my wife—every time I have brought home a 3rd party keyboard case to try she says, “How long until you return this one and just go back to the Apple one?”

That’s my long winded way of saying I have tried a lot of cheaper options and they’re all just sub par. The new stuff that has come out for gen 4 doesn’t look any better. I’d stick with a Smart Keyboard Folio or a Magic Keyboard.

(PS: My favorite iPad case ever was the Zagg Rugged Messenger for the 10.5” iPad Pro. Zagg still makes it because it still fits the 10.5” iPad Air, but they never made anything nearly as good for the 3rd and 4th gen iPad Pros and what they have made for those models has been horrible.)