When you’ve determined which Apple iPad you need, the subsequent step is discovering the appropriate equipment. For getting work performed, you’ll possible need a mouse and keyboard. For drawing and note-taking, a stylus is the plain alternative, however we additionally advocate a paper-like display screen protector for added texture. Energy banks allow you to recharge your slate each time it is advisable to and a hub helps you get probably the most out of your iPad’s processing energy with connections for wired peripherals. After testing (and proudly owning) iPads over time, we’ve singled out a dozen-plus equipment that assist increase what Apple’s tablets can do.
Which iPad technology do you personal?
Earlier than you splurge on a bunch of equipment, you must double verify which iPad technology you personal. There are a few methods to do that: first, you possibly can verify the again of your pill for its mannequin quantity, which can begin with an “A” and finish with a sequence of numbers. You may as well go into Settings in your iPad, then Normal and search for the mannequin quantity within the prime part. In case you see a sequence of letters and numbers with a slash (“/“) in it, simply faucet that to disclose the iPad’s true mannequin quantity.
An important iPad particulars to contemplate earlier than shopping for equipment are the charging port, display screen dimension and Apple Pencil compatibility. Most iPads now have USB-C charging, save for the Ninth-gen iPad that also makes use of a Lightning connector (and is on the best way out anyway). Make certain to double verify your iPad’s display screen dimension earlier than shopping for a case or a display screen protector. As for the Apple Pencil, take a look at this information to how to decide on the appropriate Apple Pencil to be sure to’re getting the appropriate one for the pill you might have.
Finest iPad equipment for 2024
Otterbox is an skilled in the case of safety, as seen with their telephone circumstances, however its Symmetry Sequence 360 sequence exhibits that it has design chops, too. Symmetry circumstances look much like the Apple’s Sensible Cowl, however the clear, scratch-resistant again is sturdy with out including a whole lot of weight to the iPad. Plus, the sting safety is substantial, so that you received’t have to fret about injury from the inevitable, unintentional bumps your pill takes. I additionally like the additional flap Otterbox added that retains the iPad display screen cowl closed and holds the second-generation Apple Pencil to the facet of the iPad Professionals. Symmetry Sequence 360 circumstances can be found for many iPad fashions, and whereas they’re dearer than some no-name iPad case you would possibly discover on Amazon, they’re value it in order for you an excellent steadiness of safety and magnificence.
Talking of cheaper iPad circumstances that replenish Amazon’s search end result pages, some which are really worthwhile are from Moko and ProCase. In case you like the feel and appear of Apple’s Sensible Cowl, however don’t wish to drop $50-plus on one, each of those manufacturers have dupes that provide you with that fashion at a fraction of the price of the first-party choice. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor
Of the plethora of iPad stands I’ve used, Twelve South’s HoverBar Duo is the one which has come closest to excellent. The “duo” within the title 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 absolutely assembled on the weighted base, nevertheless it’s fairly straightforward to modify to the clamp due to the included directions and fundamental instruments within the field. In case you spring for the newest mannequin, it’ll be even simpler due to 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 power to maneuver the arm into the appropriate place. That’s most likely 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 screen whereas working. The included clamp ought to match most desks and tables too, as it may possibly accommodate floor thickness from 0.4 inch to 1.4 inches.
In case you’re prepared to sacrifice flexibility for one thing extra elegant, Elago’s P2 stand for iPad could also be a great match. It’s product of a single piece of aluminum with a ledge in your iPad and some well-placed cutouts you can snake a charging cable via. The ledge can be vast sufficient to accommodate most iPad circumstances. It is probably not foldable or adjustable, however its minimalist design will make it a horny 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, nevertheless it works fairly nicely with it. It combines a whole lot of the ergonomics and the overall feel and look of the MX lineup right into a compact and transportable keyboard. The Keys Mini has a slim profile that’s barely raised as a consequence of its prime bar, plus comfy backlit keys which are a dream to sort on. The backlight is one in all my favourite options as a result of it mechanically comes on when it senses your fingers getting near the keyboard. That means it solely stays illuminated whenever 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 facet, nevertheless it’s one which might be each your iPad keyboard and your major desk typing machine. It could possibly connect with as much as three gadgets on the identical time, permitting you to swap between them shortly with only a press of a key, and it has a couple of 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 in order for you an iPad keyboard that’s much more inexpensive, and even thinner, we nonetheless just like the Logitech Keys to Go, which we’ve really useful prior to now and you’ll often discover for between $50 and $70. — V.P.
In case you 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 contemplate if cash is not any object — or in order for you probably the most trendy iPad keyboard cash should purchase. — V.P.
This possible 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 exhibits of their easy writing efficiency. The newest stylus has a double-tap characteristic you can customise to a sure diploma, and pressure-sensitivity lets you add as a lot or as little element as you wish to digital paintings. Plus, it nonetheless helps wi-fi charging whenever you snap it magnetically to the facet of your pill. I extremely advocate shelling out the extra cash for an Apple Pencil for those who’re an artist — you received’t be dissatisfied. — V.P.
There are different choices which are extra inexpensive 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 needed them to be – and it’s much more grippy by default due to 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.
Except for 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 Anyplace 3S a “almost superb journey mouse.” It’s gentle at simply 95 grams and the buttons are almost silent so that you received’t bug anybody within the room together 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 Anyplace 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 embody a USB dongle (which wouldn’t work together with your iPad anyway) however we by no means seen any lag in Bluetooth efficiency in our assessments anyway. — Amy Skorheim, Reporter
Working at a pc could be a ache within the neck (actually), so I needed a approach to play with my iPad after work with out having to raise my head off the sofa. Positive, I may use my arms, however that will get tiring. This Tablift iPad holder seems just a little humorous, like some mech-spider attacking your chest, nevertheless 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 significantly good for mendacity down. It’s just a little cumbersome, so I curl up the legs and retailer it below my sofa. The slots and securing clip carry out finest in case your machine is bare, although I’ve been ready to make use of it with a Sensible Folio connected with little challenge. — A.S.
In case you plan on pushing your iPad Professional to its limits as a day by day driver, you’ll most likely want greater than the pill’s single USB-C port. Apple has supplied little steering 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 protected, 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, 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 appreciated the flexibility of Satechi’s hub. I may simply use it once I wanted to prop my iPad as much as watch a YouTube video, and by simply plugging within the connected cable, I may swap to utilizing my iPad as extra of a piece machine with the entire obligatory 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. (In case you’re utilizing it as a laptop computer alternative, it’s definitely worth the funding.) In case you’d somewhat spend much less, or simply need one thing a bit extra light-weight, Anker’s 7-in-1 USB-C hub is an effective alternative. 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 possibly can 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, nevertheless 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 gadgets’ containers, so it’s value choosing up a pair that may deal with charging a few items of tech as shortly as attainable. Anker’s 45W Nano II GaN adapter is an effective one as a result of it may possibly fast-charge iPhones and iPads, plus the gallium nitride expertise constructed into it helps forestall overheating. In only a half hour of charging, I bought a couple of 33 % increase in battery life on my 11-inch iPad Professional when utilizing this accent. Gallium nitride can be a giant purpose why the 45W adapter is smaller than a whole lot 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 basically overkill for those who’re simply utilizing it for a pill. The Champ Professional, alternatively, 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 below 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 stand up to revive its dying battery. — A.S.
Paper-feel display screen protectors
In case you’re a heavy consumer of the Apple Pencil or another stylus, you must contemplate getting a display screen protector in your new iPad. They pull double-duty: Not solely do they act as a primary line of protection in case your iPad goes careening onto concrete, however they will additionally improve the digital drawing and writing expertise. Utilizing a stylus on an iPad is unusual at first as a result of gliding the stylus nib over a glass floor feels nothing like “regular” writing. Matte display screen protectors can get nearer to replicating the pen-on-paper expertise, and so they additionally forestall the stylus nib from sporting down as shortly.
Paperlike is the most well-liked 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 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 just a little cheaper, Bersem’s display screen protectors are an excellent worth at $11 for a pack of two. Not solely does the matte end assist whenever you’re drawing or taking digital notes, nevertheless it additionally reduces display screen glare and doesn’t intervene with FaceID on the latest iPads. — A.S.
Bellemond’s “Kent Paper” overlay has probably 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 in a pack, so you possibly can revert to a unadorned display screen for some time then return to the paper-feel down the street. In case you’d like just a little extra assist with correct placement of your display screen protector, you would possibly admire Zagg’s GlassFusion+ Canvas which comes with a mounting tray for software. It’s additionally produced from a polymer designed to soak up and defend 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 options. They provide texture whenever you’re drawing or writing, however you possibly can take away them simply whenever you wish to watch Star Trek with full readability. The PenMat from PenTips makes use of skinny magnets alongside the perimeters to affix the movie to your display screen and comes with a plastic sleeve to retailer the duvet whenever you’re not utilizing it. Software and removing is lifeless easy, and likewise, there are not any bubbles! The maintain is surprisingly safe and the mat has a lovely, velvety texture. I did discover a couple of faint squeaks when drawing with the Pencil, which didn’t hassle me however would possibly bug those that are delicate to sounds. — A.S.