Best iPad Keyboards of 2025 | Which One Should You Buy? | Last Minute Gift! — Transcript

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1. 0:00iPads these days pack some serious
2. 0:02power, especially for pro and air
3. 0:04models. But no matter how great the
4. 0:06specs are, one thing is always holding
5. 0:08iPads back from being a true
6. 0:09productivity machine. A solid keyboard.
7. 0:12With iPad OS 26, bringing better
8. 0:14multitasking and productivity features,
9. 0:16pairing your iPad with the right
10. 0:18wireless keyboard unlocks its full
11. 0:20potential and makes it way closer to a
12. 0:22laptop replacement. So, here are the
13. 0:24best keyboards that I've tested that
14. 0:25covers the bases from premium to budget.
15. 0:28some with integrated cases, a few with
16. 0:30standalone keyboards, and a couple with
17. 0:32surprisingly useful features. And as
18. 0:34always, I have everything featured in
19. 0:35this video linked below if you want to
20. 0:37check them out. We're kicking things off
21. 0:39with the most recognized iPad keyboard
22. 0:41you can buy today, the Apple Magic
23. 0:43Keyboard. And yes, before you head to
24. 0:45the comments, I know it's crazy
25. 0:46expensive, starting at $250, depending
26. 0:48on which iPad model you need. But if
27. 0:51you're more serious about turning your
28. 0:53iPad, iPad Air, or iPad Pro into a true
29. 0:56MacBook alternative with zero
30. 0:58compromise, this is the one to beat.
31. 1:01Other keyboards offer solid
32. 1:02alternatives, but Apple's Magic Keyboard
33. 1:05nails the buy once, cry once mentality
34. 1:07about investing in a good quality
35. 1:09keyboard. You get a full function row,
36. 1:12aluminum palm rest, and a large haptic
37. 1:14trackpad that feels super premium. The
38. 1:16typing experience is excellent. The
39. 1:18floating canal lever design makes it
40. 1:20easy to adjust your iPad angle and it
41. 1:22connects instantly with a smart
42. 1:24connector. No pairing and no charging
43. 1:26required. There are a few trade-offs,
44. 1:28like offering no protection when the
45. 1:30keyboard is detached. Not to mention,
46. 1:32this thing is heavy. For example, if
47. 1:33you've got the larger 13-in iPad Pro
48. 1:36with the Magic Keyboard, that combo
49. 1:38almost weighs as much as a MacBook Air,
50. 1:40which is just wild.
51. 1:42At first glance, this might look like
52. 1:44another Apple Magic Keyboard, but the
53. 1:46ESR Rebound Magnetic Keyboard Case 360
54. 1:49adds a few clever twists at less than
55. 1:51half the price. This iPad keyboard
56. 1:54supports rotating your tablet and typing
57. 1:56in both landscape and portrait mode,
58. 1:58which comes in handy depending on what
59. 1:59you're doing. The keyboard connects over
60. 2:02Bluetooth and has its own battery that
61. 2:04charges via USBC, so you can use it
62. 2:06wirelessly or even pair it with other
63. 2:07devices. You do lose that pass through
64. 2:10charging and there's no function row at
65. 2:12the top which is a minor inconvenience
66. 2:13that I really haven't missed though.
67. 2:15What I really like is that the keyboard
68. 2:17and case are separate. So when you pop
69. 2:19the iPad off, it's still well protected.
70. 2:21But notice that the standalone case
71. 2:23doesn't have its own kickstand. So
72. 2:25you'll need the keyboard attached for
73. 2:26adjustable angles. Otherwise, you get a
74. 2:29magnetic strap to secure your Apple
75. 2:31Pencil, some nice color options, and way
76. 2:34more flexibility. Again, the keys and
77. 2:36trackpad aren't as quality as Apple's,
78. 2:38but for the price, it's still a strong
79. 2:40pick. The Logitech Combo Touch goes for
80. 2:43a different approach with an iPad
81. 2:45keyboard that detaches from the case
82. 2:47when you don't need it. You still get a
83. 2:49solid backlit keyboard, a much larger
84. 2:51trackpad, and smart connector support,
85. 2:54so no charging or Bluetooth pairing
86. 2:55required, which is a big plus. This
87. 2:58one's great if you still want that
88. 3:00classic iPad experience. You can flip
89. 3:02the keyboard around to the back or pop
90. 3:04it off completely. And the case itself
91. 3:06has a built-in adjustable kickstand. The
92. 3:09downside, the keyboard only works when
93. 3:11attached. So, no wireless or
94. 3:13multi-device connectivity here. While
95. 3:15you get similar keys to the Magic
96. 3:16Keyboard, relying on a kickstand means
97. 3:18that it's less stable on your lap or on
98. 3:20less than perfectly flat surfaces where
99. 3:22the keyboard can come loose a bit too
100. 3:24easily. But for something lightweight,
101. 3:26flexible, and easy to switch between
102. 3:27typing and tablet mode, the Combo Touch
103. 3:29is one of the better hybrid picks out
104. 3:31there. And for just $160, it's a great
105. 3:33deal, but you can also find on sale for
106. 3:34less. For the simplest, most budget
107. 3:37friendly iPad keyboard pick, the Omaton
108. 3:39Bluetooth keyboard is a solid little
109. 3:41companion. It's usually priced at under
110. 3:44$20 on Amazon and pairs easily with any
111. 3:46iPad or Bluetooth device. You get a full
112. 3:49function row and arguably the most
113. 3:51ergonomic typing experience on this list
114. 3:53thanks to the raised back feet and
115. 3:55full-size keys. I'm sure a lot of
116. 3:57people, including the over 20,000 people
117. 3:59who reviewed this on Amazon, like this
118. 4:01because it looked really similar to the
119. 4:03Bluetooth Magic Keyboard Apple sells for
120. 4:05Mac. You could keep it simple and on
121. 4:08brand with the silver, but there are a
122. 4:10bunch of other fun colors that you can
123. 4:12pick from. It's definitely not premium
124. 4:14with its plastic build and body flex,
125. 4:16especially with more aggressive typing,
126. 4:18but it gets the job done on a budget. is
127. 4:21our most affordable option on the list,
128. 4:23but still might be the best choice if
129. 4:25you type for longer periods of time on
130. 4:27the go. I have another more traditional
131. 4:30wireless iPad keyboard pick if you're
132. 4:32willing to spend a little bit more, $80
133. 4:34to be exact, and it's the Logitech K780.
134. 4:38This is the desktop style champion meant
135. 4:40for typing across all your devices. It's
136. 4:42less about creating a laptop-like iPad
137. 4:45experience and more about simplifying
138. 4:47your workflow across tablet, phone, and
139. 4:49even computer. It's a full-size keyboard
140. 4:51with a cradle that keeps your iPad or
141. 4:54phone upright in either orientation. And
142. 4:56it connects via Bluetooth to up to three
143. 4:58devices. You just tap the easy switch
144. 5:00button to jump between them. It's
145. 5:02powered by two AAA batteries, and it's
146. 5:04rated for up to 2 years of use. Now,
147. 5:07this is our heaviest and largest
148. 5:08keyboard on the list, so it's meant to
149. 5:10stay as part of your desk setup. But if
150. 5:12you regularly switch between your
151. 5:14devices during the day and frequently
152. 5:16work from the same spot, the K780 helps
153. 5:18streamline your workflow. Because it
154. 5:20doesn't directly attach to your iPad
155. 5:22like some of our other picks here, you
156. 5:24never have to replace it if you upgrade
157. 5:26your tablet or switch devices. The
158. 5:28Logitech Folio Touch is a $160 iPad
159. 5:31keyboard that takes a fully wireless
160. 5:33approach, connecting via Bluetooth to up
161. 5:36to three devices and running on a coin
162. 5:38cell battery, so no charging required.
163. 5:41It's slim, lightweight, and magnetically
164. 5:43attaches to the back of its case when
165. 5:45you're not using it. One limitation,
166. 5:47though, is that the case offers no side
167. 5:49protection for your iPad, and the
168. 5:51magnetic keyboard attachment, while
169. 5:52cool, can get knocked loose if it's
170. 5:54upside down. I've even had it fall off
171. 5:56just when pulling it out of my bag,
172. 5:58which is why you see the P key missing.
173. 6:00While there's no trackpad, it might not
174. 6:02be a dealbreaker if you use your
175. 6:04touchcreen a lot like me or you prefer
176. 6:06using a wireless mouse. Just don't
177. 6:08expect to use this comfortably on your
178. 6:10lap since the keyboard doesn't
179. 6:11physically attach to the case. So, it's
180. 6:13pretty much desk only use. This is our
181. 6:15most unique keyboard pick. But if you're
182. 6:17like me and want a super portable
183. 6:19wireless iPad keyboard for touch first
184. 6:22workflows, this one covers the basics.
185. 6:25So, if you've made it this far and are
186. 6:27thinking that none of these look
187. 6:29protective enough for how you treat your
188. 6:31iPad, the Zag Rugged Book is built like
189. 6:33a tank. With this magnetic hinge that
190. 6:35opens like a laptop, it reminds me of
191. 6:37those mini netbooks from 2008. Chunky,
192. 6:40utilitarian, but incredibly reliable. It
193. 6:42features a detachable case for your iPad
194. 6:44that you can also use backwards for
195. 6:46better stylus support. This iPad
196. 6:48keyboard still connects via Bluetooth
197. 6:50and charges via USBC. It also supports
198. 6:52seven colors of backlight, but it loses
199. 6:55that built-in mouse. This also is drop
200. 6:57resistant up to 6.6 ft, but this one
201. 7:00offers even more protection. While it's
202. 7:02one of the heaviest iPad keyboards you
203. 7:03can buy, it'll help keep your tablet
204. 7:05safe no matter where you take it. All
205. 7:07for $150 or less depending on the iPad
206. 7:10model. Speaking of iPad models, the most
207. 7:13important thing when shopping for a lot
208. 7:14of these iPad keyboards with cases
209. 7:16attached is to make sure you're getting
210. 7:18the right one for your specific iPad. If
211. 7:21you're not sure what kind of iPad you
212. 7:23have, you can quickly check by opening
213. 7:25settings, general, about, then look for
214. 7:28model name and model number. If you
215. 7:30really want to unlock the full
216. 7:31productivity of your iPad, there's a
217. 7:33keyboard on this list that'll make the
218. 7:35experience smoother, faster, and way
219. 7:37more enjoyable. Let me know which one
220. 7:39you're considering or if there are any
221. 7:41others that I should try next time. If
222. 7:43you found this video helpful, consider
223. 7:44subscribing. For more cool tech, you can
224. 7:46find us everywhere at Tom's Guide and
225. 7:48you can follow me to see what other cool
226. 7:49tech I'm testing. Until the next one,
227. 7:51I'll catch you later.