The very best iPad equipment for 2024

Otterbox is an expert when it comes to protection, as seen with their phone cases, but its Symmetry Series 360 series shows that it has design chops, too. Symmetry cases look similar to the Apple’s Smart Cover, but the clear, scratch-resistant back is sturdy without adding a lot of weight to the iPad. Plus, the edge protection is substantial, so you won’t have to worry about damage from the inevitable, accidental bumps your tablet takes. I also like the extra flap Otterbox added that keeps the iPad screen cover closed and holds the second-generation Apple Pencil to the side of the iPad Pros. Symmetry Series 360 cases are available for most iPad models, and while they’re more expensive than some no-name iPad case you might find on Amazon, they’re worth it if you want a great balance of protection and style.

Speaking of cheaper iPad cases that fill up Amazon’s search result pages, some that are actually worthwhile are from Moko and ProCase. If you like the look and feel of Apple’s Smart Cover, but don’t want to drop $50-plus on one, both of these brands have dupes that give you that style at a fraction of the cost of the first-party option. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor

Of the plethora of iPad stands I’ve used, Twelve South’s HoverBar Duo is the one that has come closest to perfect. The “duo” within the title refers to the truth that the gadget can both prop your iPad up utilizing an arm hooked up to a weighted base, or the identical arm simply hooked up to a desk or desk utilizing its included clamp. The stand comes totally assembled on the weighted base, however it’s fairly simple to modify to the clamp because of the included directions and fundamental instruments within the field. For those who spring for the newest mannequin, it’ll be even simpler because of a brand new quick-switch tab that allows you to swap between the weighted base and the clamp attachment with any additional instruments.

It wasn’t exhausting to safe my 11-inch iPad Professional within the vice-grip that’s the HoverBar Duo’s pill clip, though it did take some pressure to maneuver the arm into the correct place. That’s most likely for the perfect as a result of it confirmed how sturdy the arm is; it stayed in place with out buckling, sliding down or in any other case breaking a sweat. I principally used the HoverBar Duo with the clamp attachment, which allowed me to make use of my iPad Professional as a secondary display screen whereas working. The included clamp ought to match most desks and tables too, as it may well accommodate floor thickness from 0.4 inch to 1.4 inches.

For those who’re keen to sacrifice flexibility for one thing extra elegant, Elago’s P2 stand for iPad could also be an excellent match. It’s made from a single piece of aluminum with a ledge on your iPad and some well-placed cutouts you can snake a charging cable by way of. The ledge can be vast sufficient to accommodate most iPad instances. It will not be foldable or adjustable, however its minimalist design will make it a pretty addition to your desk. — V.P.

Among the finest Bluetooth keyboards I’ve used just lately is the Logitech MX Keys Mini. It’s not designed particularly for the iPad, however it works fairly nicely with it. It combines a variety of the ergonomics and the overall feel and appear of the MX lineup right into a compact and moveable keyboard. The Keys Mini has a slim profile that’s barely raised attributable to its prime bar, plus comfy backlit keys which might be a dream to kind on. The backlight is considered one of my favourite options as a result of it mechanically comes on when it senses your palms getting near the keyboard. That means it solely stays illuminated if you’re typing, conserving battery life in the long term. Logitech estimates the Keys Mini will last as long as 10 days, relying on backlight use, or as much as 5 months with none backlight use.

Logitech’s $100 MX Keys Mini could also be on the costly aspect, however it’s one which may very well be each your iPad keyboard and your essential desk typing system. It could actually connect with as much as three units on the similar time, permitting you to swap between them rapidly with only a press of a key, and it has just a few different useful keys too like one which brings up the emoji picker and one other that mutes your microphone (fairly helpful on Zoom calls). However if you need an iPad keyboard that’s much more reasonably priced, and even thinner, we nonetheless just like the Logitech Keys to Go, which we’ve really helpful prior to now and you’ll often discover for between $50 and $70. — V.P.

For those who actually wish to indulge, Apple’s personal Magic Keyboard is the best way to go. This costly keyboard case magnetically attaches to the newest iPad Professionals and retains them “floating” above the keyboard and trackpad. We praised the Magic Keyboard for its typing consolation and exact trackpad, however dinged it for its restricted vary of movement. It’s simply the fanciest keyboard case out there for the iPad and it’s one to think about if cash isn’t any object — or if you need essentially the most fashionable iPad keyboard cash should purchase. — V.P.

This probably gained’t come as a shock, however the Apple Pencil Professional is the perfect stylus you will get for the iPad. All fashions of the Apple Pencil are designed to work particularly with iPads and it exhibits of their clean writing efficiency. The most recent stylus has a double-tap characteristic you can customise to a sure diploma, and pressure-sensitivity means that you can add as a lot or as little element as you wish to digital art work. Plus, it nonetheless helps wi-fi charging if you snap it magnetically to the aspect of your pill. I extremely advocate shelling out the extra cash for an Apple Pencil if you happen to’re an artist — you gained’t be upset. — V.P.

There are different choices which might be extra reasonably priced than the Apple Pencil, although, like Logitech’s Crayon. It’s simply nearly as good when it comes to latency and accuracy — drawing in Procreate was a lag-free expertise and my strokes all the time ended up precisely the place I wished them to be – and it’s much more grippy by default because of its oval-shaped design. However as somebody who primarily makes use of an Apple Pencil for digital artwork, I missed strain sensitivity when utilizing the Crayon.

Apart from that, the opposite largest annoyance is that it’s important to use a Lightning or USB-C cable to cost it. (Even the latest mannequin for the iPad Professionals doesn’t magnetically connect to the pill for charging.) Whereas I wouldn’t counsel the Crayon for severe artists, I’d advocate it for anybody who’s on a strict finances, particularly digital journal-keepers, dedicated note-takers and the like. — V.P.

We known as Logitech’s MX Wherever 3S a “nearly ideal travel mouse.” It’s mild at simply 95 grams and the buttons are almost silent so that you gained’t bug anybody within the room along with your livid clicking. The improved 8K DPI optical sensor works on nearly any floor — together with, for instance, the upholstered arm of your sofa. Relying on the colour you choose, the MX Wherever 3S is produced from between 61 and 78 % post-consumer recycled plastic. And the rechargeable battery lasts round 70 days on a cost. This technology doesn’t embrace a USB dongle (which wouldn’t work along with your iPad anyway) however we by no means seen any lag in Bluetooth efficiency in our exams anyway. — Amy Skorheim, Reporter

Working at a pc generally is a ache within the neck (actually), so I wished a solution to play with my iPad after work with out having to raise my head off the sofa. Positive, I might use my arms, however that will get tiring. This Tablift iPad holder appears to be like just a little humorous, like some mech-spider attacking your chest, however it works precisely as I’d hoped. The adjustable legs are repositionable however fairly sturdy as soon as they’re in place, and three slots maintain your pill at totally different angles, together with a forward-leaning one which’s notably good for mendacity down. It’s just a little cumbersome, so I curl up the legs and retailer it beneath my sofa. The slots and securing clip carry out finest in case your system is bare, although I’ve been in a position to make use of it with a Good Folio hooked up with little challenge. — A.S.

For those who plan on pushing your iPad Professional to its limits as a every day driver, you’ll most likely want greater than the pill’s single USB-C port. Apple has offered little steerage to which USB-C hubs and adapters work finest with the iPad Professionals — there’s no MFi certification for equipment like this but. Some hubs particularly promote that they work with the latest iPad Professionals, and if you wish to be additional secure, I like to recommend shopping for a kind of that comes from a good model.

Satechi’s $100 Aluminum Stand and Hub is a favourite for its foldable design and the way it packs ports and charging capabilities right into a compact iPad accent. The holder itself rotates outward, revealing a hidden, hooked up USB-C cable and a rubber bumper that retains the stand in place in your desk. On the again edge are a 4K HDMI socket, one USB-A port, a headphone jack, each SD and microSD card slots and a 60W USB-C connection for charging.

I appreciated the flexibility of Satechi’s hub. I might simply use it once I wanted to prop my iPad as much as watch a YouTube video, and by simply plugging within the hooked up cable, I might change to utilizing my iPad as extra of a piece system with the entire mandatory connectors in place. It’s additionally surprisingly mild at 10 ounces. Mix that with its foldable design and you’ve got a full-featured hub that may simply be stuffed in a bag. — V.P.

Not everybody wants, or desires, to spend $100 on a dock for his or her iPad. (For those who’re utilizing it as a laptop computer alternative, it’s definitely worth the funding.) For those who’d fairly spend much less, or simply need one thing a bit extra light-weight, Anker’s 7-in-1 USB-C hub is an effective selection. It has most ports that you would ever need, with the one exception being an Ethernet jack. The slim dongle homes two USB-A ports, two USB-C connections, SD and microSD card slots and a 4K/30Hz HDMI port. We additionally like that it gives as much as 85W of pass-through charging, which suggests you’ll be able to energy up your iPad whereas utilizing Anker’s hub as the principle connector between the pill and its charging cable. Anker makes a few variations of this hub, together with one which does have that coveted Ethernet port, however it’s exhausting to beat $35 for the usual 7-in-1 mannequin. — V.P.

Apple and different tech firms are more and more leaving wall adapters out of their units’ containers, so it’s price choosing up a pair that may deal with charging a few items of tech as rapidly as potential. Anker’s 45W Nano II GaN adapter is an effective one as a result of it may well fast-charge iPhones and iPads, plus the gallium nitride know-how constructed into it helps stop overheating. In only a half hour of charging, I obtained a few 33 % enhance in battery life on my 11-inch iPad Professional when utilizing this accent. Gallium nitride can be a giant cause why the 45W adapter is smaller than a variety of competing adapters out there now, together with Apple’s. We additionally like its foldable design, which can permit it to suit higher in cramped areas and in journey baggage. — V.P.

Of all the facility banks we examined, the Nimble Champ Professional was the second quickest to refill an iPad. The quickest total was Mophie’s huge Powerstation Professional, however that one is admittedly overkill if you happen to’re simply utilizing it for a pill. The Champ Professional, then again, has a slim profile, a useful carrying strap and two USB-C ports. On a fifth-generation iPad Air, it moved the battery gauge from 5 % to full in beneath two hours — and it nonetheless had sufficient juice leftover to present it one other 75 % bump. That is the pack I seize once I’m having fun with my iPad on the sofa and don’t wish to rise up to revive its dying battery. — A.S.

Paperlike is the preferred model on this house, with matte display screen protectors for each mannequin of iPad. A set comes with two sheets and contains information stickers that will help you get the protector positioned correctly. The 2-pack sometimes sells for $40 ro $45, relying on the dimensions of your iPad. For one thing just a little cheaper, Bersem’s display screen protectors are an incredible worth at $11 for a pack of two. Not solely does the matte end assist if you’re drawing or taking digital notes, however it additionally reduces display screen glare and doesn’t intrude with FaceID on the latest iPads. — A.S.

Bellemond’s “Kent Paper” overlay has essentially the most satisfying texture of the paper-feel display screen protectors I’ve tried. The blur is minimal and the friction between the stylus and the display screen is good for drawing. I miraculously managed to get the Bellemond affixed with minimal bubbles after watching the video linked with the QR code on the field. Two sheets are available a pack, so you’ll be able to revert to a unadorned display screen for some time then return to the paper-feel down the street. For those who’d like just a little extra assist with correct placement of your display screen protector, you would possibly recognize Zagg’s GlassFusion+ Canvas which comes with a mounting tray for utility. It’s additionally produced from a polymer designed to soak up and shield your display screen from impression. — A.S.

All paper-feel protectors impart a slight blur, which is why magnetic covers you can reposition make strong alternate options. They provide texture if you’re drawing or writing, however you’ll be able to take away them simply if you wish to watch Star Trek with full readability. The PenMat from PenTips makes use of skinny magnets alongside the sides to affix the movie to your display screen and comes with a plastic sleeve to retailer the duvet if you’re not utilizing it. Utility and elimination is lifeless easy, and in addition, there are not any bubbles! The maintain is surprisingly safe and the mat has a satisfying, velvety texture. I did discover just a few faint squeaks when drawing with the Pencil, which didn’t trouble me however would possibly bug those that are delicate to sounds. — A.S.