The only iPad I've had before was the iPad mini 4. And I sold it within a few months, as I noticed that I never really used it. Just didn't feel the need for it at the time. With the introduction of iOS 11 however, Apple got me hyped again. So I decided to give the 10.5-inch model a try. Or well, a try isn't the right word maybe. 😛
Anyway. My dad does have an iPad Air 2. I did a quick comparison, just for the sake of it. And to be honest, I think 10.5-inch is perfect! 9.7-inch is fine, no problem with that one. And it's not like it's a massive difference. However, the reduction of the bezels while at the same time making the screen bigger makes up for a good size in my opinion. You get a bit more screen estate, without the iPad feeling as big as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. And I did try that one out in the store. Boy, that thing is yuge! Maybe it's because I don't have big hands, but still... They should at least reduce the bezels on that one too. Not only would it make that model slightly more portable, it also looks nicer!
The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is as portable as the 9.7-inch models in my opinion. Add to that of course the incredible performance and that ProMotion display. It was almost like the iPad Air 2 stutters, even though I never noticed that. 😛