The most effective 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 identify refers to the truth that the gadget can both prop your iPad up utilizing an arm connected to a weighted base, or the identical arm simply connected to a desk or desk utilizing its included clamp. The stand comes totally assembled on the weighted base, but it surely’s fairly straightforward 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 laborious to safe my 11-inch iPad Professional within the vice-grip that’s the HoverBar Duo’s pill clip, though it did take some drive to maneuver the arm into the fitting place. That’s in all probability for the perfect as a result of it confirmed how robust the arm is; it stayed in place with out buckling, sliding down or in any other case breaking a sweat. I largely used the HoverBar Duo with the clamp attachment, which allowed me to make use of my iPad Professional as a secondary display whereas working. The included clamp ought to match most desks and tables too, as it might accommodate floor thickness from 0.4 inch to 1.4 inches.

For those who’re prepared to sacrifice flexibility for one thing extra elegant, Elago’s P2 stand for iPad could also be a very good match. It’s manufactured from a single piece of aluminum with a ledge in your iPad and some well-placed cutouts you could snake a charging cable via. The ledge can be vast sufficient to accommodate most iPad circumstances. It will not be foldable or adjustable, however its minimalist design will make it a horny addition to your desk. — V.P.

Probably the greatest Bluetooth keyboards I’ve used lately is the Logitech MX Keys Mini. It’s not designed particularly for the iPad, but it surely works fairly effectively with it. It combines a number of the ergonomics and the final appear and feel of the MX lineup right into a compact and moveable keyboard. The Keys Mini has a slim profile that’s barely raised as a consequence of its high bar, plus comfy backlit keys which might be a dream to kind on. The backlight is one in all 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 while 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, but it surely’s one which may very well be each your iPad keyboard and your fundamental desk typing system. It might probably 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 a number of different helpful 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 would like an iPad keyboard that’s much more reasonably priced, and even thinner, we nonetheless just like the Logitech Keys to Go, which we’ve beneficial prior to now and you’ll normally discover for between $50 and $70. — V.P.

For those who actually need to indulge, Apple’s personal Magic Keyboard is the way in which to go. This costly keyboard folio magnetically attaches to the most recent 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 obtainable for the iPad and it’s one to contemplate if cash is not any object — or if you would like essentially the most fashionable iPad keyboard cash should purchase. — V.P.

This probably received’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 reveals of their easy writing efficiency. The most recent stylus has a double-tap function you could customise to a sure diploma, and pressure-sensitivity means that you can add as a lot or as little element as you need to digital art work. Plus, it nonetheless helps wi-fi charging while you snap it magnetically to the aspect of your pill. I extremely advocate shelling out the more money for an Apple Pencil should you’re an artist — you received’t be disenchanted. — V.P.

There are different choices which might be extra reasonably priced than the Apple Pencil, although, like Logitech’s Crayon. It’s simply pretty much as good by way of latency and accuracy — drawing in Procreate was a lag-free expertise and my strokes at all times ended up precisely the place I needed 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 stress sensitivity when utilizing the Crayon.

Apart from that, the opposite largest annoyance is that you need 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 critical artists, I’d advocate it for anybody who’s on a strict funds, 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 gentle at simply 95 grams and the buttons are almost silent so that you received’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 decide, the MX Wherever 3S is made out of between 61 and 78 % post-consumer recycled plastic. And the rechargeable battery lasts round 70 days on a cost. This technology doesn’t embody a USB dongle (which wouldn’t work along with your iPad anyway) however we by no means observed 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 needed a solution to play with my iPad after work with out having to carry my head off the sofa. Certain, I may use my arms, however that will get tiring. This Tablift iPad holder seems to be a little bit humorous, like some mech-spider attacking your chest, but it surely 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 completely different angles, together with a forward-leaning one which’s significantly good for mendacity down. It’s a little bit cumbersome, so I curl up the legs and retailer it underneath 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 Sensible Folio connected with little challenge. — A.S.

For those who plan on pushing your iPad Professional to its limits as a every day driver, you’ll in all probability want greater than the pill’s single USB-C port. Apple has supplied 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 type 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, connected 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 preferred the flexibility of Satechi’s hub. I may simply use it after I wanted to prop my iPad as much as watch a YouTube video, and by simply plugging within the connected cable, I may change to utilizing my iPad as extra of a piece system with all the mandatory connectors in place. It’s additionally surprisingly gentle 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 needs, 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 supplies as much as 85W of pass-through charging, which implies you possibly can energy up your iPad whereas utilizing Anker’s hub as the primary 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, but it surely’s laborious 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’ packing containers, so it’s price choosing up a pair that may deal with charging a few items of tech as rapidly as doable. Anker’s 45W Nano II GaN adapter is an effective one as a result of it might 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 received a couple of 33 % increase in battery life on my 11-inch iPad Professional when utilizing this accent. Gallium nitride can be a giant motive why the 45W adapter is smaller than a number of competing adapters obtainable now, together with Apple’s. We additionally like its foldable design, which is able to enable it to suit higher in cramped areas and in journey luggage. — V.P.

Of all the ability banks we examined, the Nimble Champ Professional was the second quickest to refill an iPad. The quickest general was Mophie’s huge Powerstation Professional, however that one is absolutely overkill should you’re simply utilizing it for a pill. The Champ Professional, alternatively, has a slim profile, a helpful carrying strap and two USB-C ports. On a fifth-generation iPad Air, it moved the battery gauge from 5 % to full in underneath two hours — and it nonetheless had sufficient juice leftover to provide it one other 75 % bump. That is the pack I seize after I’m having fun with my iPad on the sofa and don’t need to stand up to revive its dying battery. — A.S.

Paperlike is the most well-liked model on this house, with matte display protectors for each mannequin of iPad. A set comes with two sheets and contains information stickers that can assist you get the protector positioned correctly. The 2-pack usually sells for $40 ro $45, relying on the scale of your iPad. For one thing a little bit cheaper, Bersem’s display protectors are an incredible worth at $11 for a pack of two. Not solely does the matte end assist while you’re drawing or taking digital notes, but it surely additionally reduces display 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 protectors I’ve tried. The blur is minimal and the friction between the stylus and the display is excellent 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 possibly can revert to a unadorned display for some time then return to the paper-feel down the highway. For those who’d like a little bit extra assist with correct placement of your display protector, you may respect Zagg’s GlassFusion+ Canvas which comes with a mounting tray for software. It’s additionally made out of a polymer designed to soak up and defend your display from affect. — A.S.

All paper-feel protectors impart a slight blur, which is why magnetic covers you could reposition make strong alternate options. They provide texture while you’re drawing or writing, however you possibly can take away them simply while you need 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 and comes with a plastic sleeve to retailer the duvet while you’re not utilizing it. Utility and elimination is useless easy, and likewise, there aren’t any bubbles! The maintain is surprisingly safe and the mat has a delightful, velvety texture. I did discover a number of faint squeaks when drawing with the Pencil, which didn’t trouble me however may bug those that are delicate to sounds. — A.S.