The best iPad accessories for 2024

Otterbox is an skilled in relation to safety, as seen with their telephone instances, however its Symmetry Series 360 series exhibits that it has design chops, too. Symmetry instances look just like the Apple’s Good Cowl, however the clear, scratch-resistant again is sturdy with out including plenty of weight to the iPad. Plus, the sting safety is substantial, so that you received’t have to fret about harm from the inevitable, unintended 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 aspect of the iPad Professionals. Symmetry Collection 360 instances 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 awesome stability of safety and elegance.

Talking of cheaper iPad instances that refill Amazon’s search consequence pages, some which might be truly worthwhile are from Moko and ProCase. In case you like the feel and appear of Apple’s Good Cowl, however don’t need to drop $50-plus on one, each of those manufacturers have dupes that offer you that model at a fraction of the price of the first-party possibility. — 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 good. 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 simple to modify to the clamp due to the included directions and fundamental instruments within the field. In case you spring for the latest model, 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 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 proper place. That’s most likely for the very best 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 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 could 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 very good match. It’s fabricated from a single piece of aluminum with a ledge on your iPad and some well-placed cutouts which you could snake a charging cable by means of. The ledge can be broad sufficient to accommodate most iPad instances. It might not be foldable or adjustable, however its minimalist design will make it a horny addition to your desk. — V.P.

Among the best 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 plenty of the ergonomics and the overall feel and look of the MX lineup right into a compact and moveable keyboard. The Keys Mini has a slim profile that’s barely raised on account of its prime bar, plus comfy backlit keys which might be a dream to sort on. The backlight is one among my favourite options as a result of it routinely comes on when it senses your arms getting near the keyboard. That means it solely stays illuminated once 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 could possibly be each your iPad keyboard and your principal desk typing gadget. It could possibly connect with as much as three gadgets on the identical time, permitting you to swap between them rapidly with only a press of a key, and it has just a few 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 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 up to now and you may normally discover for between $50 and $70. — V.P.

In case you actually need to indulge, Apple’s personal Magic Keyboard is the best way to go. This costly keyboard case 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 out there for the iPad and it’s one to think about if cash isn’t any object — or in order for you probably the most trendy iPad keyboard cash can purchase. — V.P.

This possible received’t come as a shock, however the Apple Pencil Pro is the very best 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 newest stylus has a double-tap function which 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 once you snap it magnetically to the aspect of your pill. I extremely advocate shelling out the more money for an Apple Pencil in the event you’re an artist — you received’t be dissatisfied. — V.P.

There are different choices which might be extra inexpensive than the Apple Pencil, although, like Logitech’s Crayon. It’s simply nearly as good by way of 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 stress sensitivity when utilizing the Crayon.

Except for that, the opposite greatest annoyance is that it’s important to use a Lightning or USB-C cable to cost it. (Even the most recent 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 funds, particularly digital journal-keepers, dedicated note-takers and the like. — V.P.

We referred to as Logitech’s MX Anywhere 3S a “nearly ideal travel mouse.” It’s mild 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 choose, the MX Wherever 3S is constituted of between 61 and 78 p.c 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 checks anyway. — Amy Skorheim, Reporter

Working at a pc is usually a ache within the neck (actually), so I needed a method to play with my iPad after work with out having to elevate my head off the sofa. Positive, I might use my arms, however that will get tiring. This Tablift iPad holder seems to be just a little 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 notably good for mendacity down. It’s just a little cumbersome, so I curl up the legs and retailer it underneath my sofa. The slots and securing clip carry out finest in case your gadget is bare, although I’ve been in a position to make use of it with a Smart Folio connected with little subject. — 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 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 most recent 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 appreciated the flexibility of Satechi’s hub. I might 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 might change to utilizing my iPad as extra of a piece gadget with all the essential 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 needs, to spend $100 on a dock for his or her iPad. (In case you’re utilizing it as a laptop computer substitute, it’s well 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 selection. It has most ports that you might 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 implies you may 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 that 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 corporations are more and more leaving wall adapters out of their gadgets’ bins, so it’s value selecting 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 could possibly fast-charge iPhones and iPads, plus the gallium nitride technology constructed into it helps stop overheating. In only a half hour of charging, I acquired a few 33 p.c enhance 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 plenty of competing adapters out there 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 baggage. — V.P.

Of all the ability banks we tested, the Nimble Champ Pro was the second quickest to refill an iPad. The quickest total was Mophie’s large Powerstation Professional, however that one is actually overkill in the event you’re simply utilizing it for a pill. The Champ Professional, then again, 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 p.c to full in underneath two hours — and it nonetheless had sufficient juice leftover to provide it one other 75 p.c 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 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 usually sells for $40 ro $45, relying on the dimensions of your iPad. For one thing just a little cheaper, Bersem’s screen protectors are an awesome worth at $11 for a pack of two. Not solely does the matte end assist once you’re drawing or taking digital notes, but it surely additionally reduces display screen glare and doesn’t intrude with FaceID on the most recent 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 a pack, so you may revert to a unadorned display screen for some time then return to the paper-feel down the highway. In case you’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 constituted of a polymer designed to soak up and defend your display screen from influence. — A.S.

All paper-feel protectors impart a slight blur, which is why magnetic covers which you could reposition make stable alternate options. They provide texture once you’re drawing or writing, however you may take away them simply once you need 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 once you’re not utilizing it. Utility and elimination is lifeless easy, and likewise, there aren’t any bubbles! The maintain is surprisingly safe and the mat has a lovely, 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.