Gadgetory

well this is Ellis with the verge and today we're going to be looking at the best keyboards and keyboard cases for your iPad first up is the Logitech tablet keyboard which looks a lot like Apple's white keyboard but it's plastic which means it's lighter and it's black and it's blue accents it includes a pretty decent stand that doubles as a case and it has magnets to keep it closed so when you flip it open there are two modes upright and at more of an angle depending on what your preference is and it's portrait and landscape feels like a full keyboard and the key action is great but there's no function row like Apple's keyboard has this thing lasts 10 months on for triple-a batteries which is nice for traveling it's reasonable at 70 dollars which is the same as Apple's but this one also includes a stand the Adana tri Terp Loess keyboard folio looks nice on the outside with this red accents but once you try to get your iPad inside you realize it's not made out of that great quality so this thing does have a removable keyboard which is a nice touch and the keys are small but they work well they're nice and firm and there is a function row for iPad specific functions that you might want to use you can either use the keyboard in its default setting or you can remove it and use magnets to align the keyboard with the rest of the case but the magnets are finicky and don't work that well and it's expensive in $100 the Logitech solar keyboard folio is a new one and it's expensive at 120 $9.99 but I think it's one of our favorite options it's kind of everything the Adana writer plus wants to be but it's excellent build quality the back is actually fully embedded so it's not flopping around and it's actually solar-powered even though you can use ambient light in your room that can give you two years of use for charging it for six hours so the keyboard feels very solid since it's embedded into the body and we really like the design we like the most as medium mode when you flip it down so you can see the additional function keys when you're on the plane or when you're watching it on the table it's unique and stylish it's definitely a winner the touch fire keyboard was born on Kickstarter and it kind of looks like a fruit roll-up for your iPad it's made out of conductive silicone rubber and uses magnets to align its keys on your iPad screen and believe it or not it actually does help a lot because since each key has four contact points towards the center of the key on the touch fire when even if you touch the sides of a key it actually will make contact in the center of the key and it does work feels expensive at $49.99 but you'll also want a smart cover since it magnetically attaches to that and you probably don't want to be typing flat on your table clam case turns your iPad into a plastic netbook so it's pretty heavy and also gets oily like the original MacBook since it's plastic during my test I found the clam case nearly impossible to type on because if it's cramped keyboard with flat keys and no space between the keys but the spacebar is the biggest problem because you're hitting it pretty frequently and it just doesn't work so it only has seems like one contact a point with the sensor so some nice features are its great hinge for flipping it around and protects your iPad but it's very top-heavy and flops around a lot if you're moving at all lots of people swear by this thing but I pass it around the office and nobody liked it it's also a small fortune at $150 next is the Logitech ultrathin keyboard folio which is pretty ingenious it acts as a smart cover for your iPad and since it's also aluminum it kind of looks like you have two iPads sandwiched together its thinnest and lightest Hardware I tested besides the touch fire and it has a magnetic latch on the side but also magnetic slot for your iPad which keeps it very securely locked in it's good for portrait and landscape mode but it's only packed at one angle so it's going to be pretty upright the keyboard is fine but you're making compromise because it's so thin so the keys are kind of plasticy given what you're holding in your hand it seems expensive for $99 but it's the only smart cover replacement here and it works really well the Targa's versa vu keyboard folio looks nice on the outside with this leather case and moleskin desk strap and there's even a stylus holder once you start using it you realize it's not so great the keys are Square firm and responsive and there's some interesting function keys like select all but there's a real deal breaker here with the keyboard that I just can't recommend it there's no : key you have to activate : in its places an apostrophe which is slid over so it's very confusing when you're using it and not only that but the iPad doesn't feel too firmly in place when you want to touch the screen but besides that it feels like it's a good product quality for ninety dollars but because the missing keys I can't possibly recommend it next up is the Apple wireless keyboard apple is known for its great keyboards and this thing is terrific quality very good feedback from the keys replaceable double eight batteries so you're good for traveling it's on the heavy side for a keyboard but it's also the best built since it's white it's prone to get very dirty and there aren't any iPad specific function keys like all of its competitors $69.99 is a great deal for what you get you can also use it for your computer but you'll need to spend a bit more money propping up your iPad using Apple's own Smart Cover or even better in cases ultra-modern origami which is a case for your keyboard and a stand for your iPad the Belkin your type keyboard folio is a big pain in the ass to get your iPad in and out of it fits really snug but once you do get it in you realize that your iPad is very much upright you kind of have to Crane your neck down to be able to see what's going on on screen but you can step back a little bit because it does have a removable velcro keyboard which you might like or you might not like so the keyboard feels nice to use until you realize that it's not registering any key presses unless you press directly down onto the key the corners if you press down on them doesn't work there's a nice magnetized flap on the top too but there no magnets turn off your iPad when you close it not recommending Belkin your type at $99 the Zagg folio is the third generation of zags famous iPad keyboard folios and it is really good it holds the iPad firmly in place and it's also feels very strong can protect your iPad when it's all closed the carbon fiber backs a bit tacky but there's a clip that keeps it closed which is nice and the aluminum keyboard feels solid and durable lastly if you do want to use the iPad in portrait mode you can remove the keyboard and scrap the case that props the whole thing up which is a nice touch it's $99.99 and you will get months of battery life according to zag Kensington key stand unfolds from a unique felt foldable enclosure into a flat iPad keyboard with just one place to put your iPad so you can do portrait and landscape though you really just have one viewing angle to choose from Keys depress hard and fast though the keyboard itself does flex a little as you use it there are a lot of function buttons in the brightness button which is great not many of them have that and we like that it folds up for Portability and there's a magnetic enclosure to make sure it stays closed the Kensington key stand at $69.99 is a great buy skosh keypad p2 is a tank it's got nice leather it's very protective it has a kickstand but that flap you see on the top it's a is in the way the water resistant silicone keyboard is very mushy and hard to feel out it's also cramped you're gonna be making a lot of mistakes especially since this thing also only has one key between l and the enter keys once you're using it you realize too that when you're touching the iPad screen a little shove will quickly knock over the kickstand 75 hours of battery life on the skosh keypad it's $79.99 in the end if you're going to be doing a ton of typing on your iPad you can't do any better than Apple's wireless keyboard if portability is your top priority Logitech ultrathin keyboard cover is both practical and ingenious if money isn't an object Logitech's brand new solar keyboard folio never runs out of battery and its medium mode is perfect for watching movies while you're on the go lastly if you're going to be tossing your iPad in your backpack a lot or it's going to be banging around a lot in the car you can't beat the Zagg folio for durability