The Best iPad Pro Keyboards of 2024 (2024)

Updated on March 4, 2024

• Our Picks

• What to Look For in an iPad Pro Keyboard

• FAQ

While finding the best iPad Pro keyboard case can be tricky, the ideal one should balance offering solid protection, ease of use, versatility, price, and a great typing experience. Logitech's Slim Folio Pro checks all of these boxes quite well, but that's not surprising, considering it has been doing this since the iPad 2.

Logitech's solid scissor-switch keyboard design offers responsive keys, letting you type comfortably for hours without fatigue. It pairs up with your iPad Pro as a standard Bluetooth keyboard and features a magnetic dock that holds it upright while doubling as a power switch. When not used, this automaticallypreserves battery life, so there's no need for a power button.

The Slim Folio Pro is also one of the most versatile keyboard cases we've used, allowing you to switch between typing, drawing, sketching, and reading with minimum hassle. The thoughtful space-saving design makes it an excellent pick for using on the go since the front cover folds back to form the stand, minimizing its footprint, so it sits comfortably in your lap while typing.

_{Type: Membrane | Connectivity: Bluetooth | RGB: No | Tenkeys: No | Palm Rest: No | Media Controls: Yes}

While Logitech's K380 isn't an iPad-specific keyboard, its wallet-friendly price and multi-device compatibility make it a great budget pick for anybody who wants an affordable yet versatile keyboard. With the ability to switch between up to three different devices, you'll be able to use it not only with your iPad Pro but also your Mac or Windows PC, an iPhone or Android smartphone, or a game console—anything that can handle a Bluetooth keyboard.

Logitech has had to cut a few corners to produce a keyboard at this price. For instance, it doesn't have a rechargeable battery on most pricier wireless keyboards. However, Logitech promises that the included pair of AAA alkaline batteries will last up to two years before needing replacement. The modern round keys lean more toward form than function, which can take some time, especially when combined with the relatively narrow pitch.

The multi-device compatibility also has a downside. Since Logitech doesn't want to make any assumptions about what you'll be using the K380 with, many of the keys have multiple labels to represent their different functions on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, making it look cluttered and potentially confusing.

It's also a standalone keyboard that doesn't attach directly to your iPad, so while it's OK if you plan to settle in and write in a coffee shop, it could be better for use on the go.

_{Type: Membrane | Connectivity: Bluetooth | RGB: No | Tenkeys: No | Palm Rest: No | Media Controls: Yes}

Apple's new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro is for those looking to turn their iPad Pro into a serious productivity tool. It's built from the ground up to provide a pro typing experience while taking advantage of the newest features iPadOS offers.

The Magic Keyboard's design differs from Apple's Smart Keyboard folio and most iPad Pro keyboards. Solid hinges and magnets hold the iPad Pro suspended above the typing area while letting users easily remove it when they want to pick it up as a tablet.

It also uses Apple's Smart Connector to connect with your iPad Pro rather than Bluetooth, so you'll never need to worry about pairing or charging it. Although the Magic Keyboard includes a USB-C connector, it's there only to charge your iPad Pro, so you can keep the main USB-C port free for other accessories.

Beyond the design, the Magic Keyboard offers something that few other iPad Pro keyboards provide right now: a trackpad. Apple has always made consistently great trackpads, and it's applied that expertise to the new iPad Pro keyboard, which is responsive and well-designed and supports the usual gamut of multi-touch gestures, from two- and three-finger swipes to pinch-to-zoom.

Apple has also finally done justice to a first-party iPad Pro keyboard with cleanly backlit keys that auto-adjust to ambient lighting, plus a great typing experience that's surprisingly close to using a MacBook.

_{Type: Membrane | Connectivity: Smart Connector | RGB: No | Tenkeys: No | Palm Rest: Yes | Media Controls: Yes}

Brydge is another veteran of iPad keyboards, and it's long been known for taking a completely different approach when it comes to the iPad, focusing on making a great keyboard with a more MacBook-like aesthetic. It's far from the most protective solution you'll find—we'd barely call it protective—but it's one of the classiest industrial designs.

With a solid aluminum construction, the Brydge Pro+ is a durable iPad keyboard available, and the similarity to the MacBook design doesn't end there. It feels almost like typing on a laptop, with responsive keys and just the right amount of tactile feedback. It includes a generously sized multi-touch trackpad to enhance the MacBook-like user experience.

The aluminum design also gives it a nice heft that keeps the iPad Pro and keyboard securely in place while you're typing without needing a rear stand to prop up the iPad. It's one of the best keyboards for typing on your lap since it minimizes the surface area required to make it stand up.

The iPad Pro slips into two hinges on the keyboard, effectively creating a laptop-style clamshell design that you can adjust to any angle, including a tablet mode where the keyboard stays tucked behind the iPad, and it's easy to remove when you want to use your iPad Pro without the encumbrance of a case.

While prior Brydge keyboards left the rear of the iPad exposed, the new iPad Pro versions include a magnetic snap-on cover to protect the back of your iPad from scratches.

_{Type: Membrane | Connectivity: Bluetooth | RGB: No | Tenkeys: No | Palm Rest: Yes | Media Controls: Yes}

Apple's Smart Keyboard Folio uses the Smart Connector on the back of the iPad Pro. And while most Bluetooth iPad keyboards provide excellent battery life, there's still something to be said for a keyboard that doesn't need to be charged or paired with the iPad—Apple's Smart Keyboard Folio is literally "plug and play."

It draws its power from the iPad Pro itself, and there's no need to do anything other than plug it in. It's a reasonably minimalist keyboard design that doesn't offer much protection beyond scratches. Still, since Apple doesn't need to worry about batteries or Bluetooth radios, it can make the keyboard thinner than most. It's slim enough to be used as a protective case without the bulk of most other iPad keyboards.

_{Type: Membrane | Connectivity: Smart Connector | RGB: No | Tenkeys: No | Palm Rest: No | Media Controls: No}

While many iPad Pro keyboard cases offer a place to keep your Apple Pencil, not all of them do it with as much versatility as Zagg’s Slim Book Go, which provides three different slots to store your Apple Pencil: the usual spot on the top of the iPad Pro for charging, a storage slot at the base of the cover, and even a holder at the top of the keyboard for setting it down when you’re switching between typing and sketching.

While the storage slot makes the case a little wider than most, the Apple Pencil is an expensive accessory, and we think this is the safest way to carry it on the go.

The case and keyboard also feature a lightweight, portable design, although, despite the name, it’s not the slimmest case we’ve seen—merely the slimmest one Zagg offers. However, it provides nice laptop-style keys for a comfortable typing experience, even for long writing sessions.

It also includes the same seven-color backlight and multi-device pairing as Zagg’s other keyboards. Plus, it’s detachable, so you can use the keyboard with your iPhone or use your iPad unencumbered by the keyboard.

_{Type: Membrane | Connectivity: Bluetooth | RGB: No | Tenkeys: No | Palm Rest: Yes | Media Controls: Yes}

If having a great keyboard for your iPad is more important than portability, Apple's Magic Keyboard 2 is as powerful for iPad users as Mac users. After all, even though keyboards designed for the iPad have gotten pretty good, most still make compromises that keep them a notch below standalone keyboards.

Since the iPad supports any Bluetooth keyboard, you don't have to limit yourself to those specifically made for the iPad.

Theoretically, you can use any Bluetooth keyboard with your iPad Pro. Still, Apple's Magic Keyboard has the advantage of mapping all the special function keys directly to iPad features like brightness, media playback, and volume control.

It's also worth adding that a real keyboard gives you an ESC key—valuable in many iOS apps but omitted from many iPad keyboards due to the need to fit more specialized function keys into a smaller space.

The downside to the Magic Keyboard 2 is that it's not meant to travel with your iPad, but several iPad cases are also available designed to work with the Magic Keyboard 2.

However, these generally provide room to store the keyboard and work as iPad stands rather than iPad cases, so while they're an excellent solution for use around the home or office, you'll probably still want to spring for an iPad keyboard case if you plan to use your tablet on the go.

_{Type: Membrane | Connectivity: Bluetooth | RGB: No | Tenkeys: No | Palm Rest: No | Media Controls: Yes}

FAQ

• What is keyboard pitch and travel?

  Keyboard pitch and travel indicate the spacing between the centers of the keys and the distance you press them. These are entirely subjective conditions. Some people like keyboards that are condensed, others prefer a more spaced-out layout. Some prefer short travel, others prefer a long press. It'd be a good idea to find a keyboard that you really like and measure the distance between the centers of the keys (pitch) and the travel, then find something similar.

• Do you need a keyboard?

  The iPad Pro has a built-in software keyboard that is quite functional, but lacks the kind of tactile feedback that's usually needed for efficient typing. Furthermore, you need to keep the screen relatively flat to type on it, which isn't ideal if you want to see what you're creating. A separate keyboard alleviates all of these problems.

• Can an iPad Pro with a keyboard replace your computer?

  To a certain extent, yes. An iPad Pro with a keyboard is a very similar experience to a "computer" or laptop. iPadOS (the operating system) is definitely different than Windows or macOS, but in terms of functionality and content creation, yes, an iPad Pro and a keyboard is a great combination.

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