The best iPad accessories for 2024

Otterbox is an skilled relating to safety, as seen with their cellphone instances, however its Symmetry Series 360 series reveals that it has design chops, too. Symmetry instances look much like the Apple’s Smart Cover, 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 gained’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 facet of the iPad Pros. Symmetry Series 360 instances can be found for most iPad fashions, and whereas they’re costlier than some no-name iPad case you would possibly discover on Amazon, they’re price it in order for you an excellent steadiness of safety and magnificence.

Speaking of cheaper iPad instances that replenish Amazon’s search end result pages, some which can be really worthwhile are from Moko and ProCase. If you want the feel and appear of Apple’s Smart Cover, however don’t need to drop $50-plus on one, each of those manufacturers have dupes that provide you with that model 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 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 absolutely 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. If 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 further instruments.

It wasn’t arduous to safe my 11-inch iPad Pro within the vice-grip that’s the HoverBar Duo’s pill clip, though it did take some pressure to maneuver the arm into the best place. That’s in all probability for the best 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 largely used the HoverBar Duo with the clamp attachment, which allowed me to make use of my iPad Pro as a secondary display screen whereas working. The included clamp ought to match most desks and tables too, as it will possibly accommodate floor thickness from 0.4 inch to 1.4 inches.

If you’re prepared to sacrifice flexibility for one thing extra elegant, Elago’s P2 stand for iPad could also be a superb match. It’s manufactured from a single piece of aluminum with a ledge for your iPad and some well-placed cutouts that you would be able to snake a charging cable by means of. The ledge can be extensive sufficient to accommodate most iPad instances. It is probably not foldable or adjustable, however its minimalist design will make it a beautiful addition to your desk. — V.P.

One of 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 nicely with it. It combines plenty of the ergonomics and the overall 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 resulting from its high bar, plus snug backlit keys which can be a dream to kind on. The backlight is one among my favourite options as a result of it routinely comes on when it senses your fingers getting near the keyboard. That manner 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, but it surely’s one which may very well be each your iPad keyboard and your predominant desk typing system. It can connect with as much as three gadgets on the similar 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). But in order for you 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 previously and you may often discover for between $50 and $70. — V.P.

If you actually need to indulge, Apple’s personal Magic Keyboard is the best way to go. This costly keyboard folio magnetically attaches to the most recent iPad Pros 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 accessible for the iPad and it’s one to contemplate if cash isn’t any object — or in order for you essentially the most trendy iPad keyboard cash should buy. — V.P.

This doubtless gained’t come as a shock, however the Apple Pencil Pro is the best 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 clean writing efficiency. The newest stylus has a double-tap characteristic that you would be able to customise to a sure diploma, and pressure-sensitivity lets you add as a lot or as little element as you need to digital paintings. Plus, it nonetheless helps wi-fi charging whenever you snap it magnetically to the facet of your pill. I extremely suggest shelling out the extra cash for an Apple Pencil in the event you’re an artist — you gained’t be dissatisfied. — V.P.

There are different choices which can be extra reasonably priced than the Apple Pencil, although, like Logitech’s Crayon. It’s simply pretty much 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 due to its oval-shaped design. But as somebody who primarily makes use of an Apple Pencil for digital artwork, I missed strain sensitivity when utilizing the Crayon.

Aside 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 Pros doesn’t magnetically connect to the pill for charging.) While I wouldn’t recommend the Crayon for severe artists, I might suggest it for anybody who’s on a strict price range, particularly digital journal-keepers, dedicated note-takers and the like. — V.P.

We known 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 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. Depending on the colour you choose, the MX Anywhere 3S is comprised of between 61 and 78 p.c post-consumer recycled plastic. And the rechargeable battery lasts round 70 days on a cost. This era 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 checks anyway. — Amy Skorheim, Reporter

Working at a pc could be a ache within the neck (actually), so I wished a technique to play with my iPad after work with out having to elevate my head off the sofa. Sure, I might use my arms, however that will get tiring. This Tablift iPad holder appears to be like somewhat 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 somewhat cumbersome, so I curl up the legs and retailer it underneath my sofa. The slots and securing clip carry out best in case your system is bare, although I’ve been ready to make use of it with a Smart Folio hooked up with little concern. — A.S.

If you intend on pushing your iPad Pro 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 offered little steering to which USB-C hubs and adapters work best with the iPad Pros — there’s no MFi certification for accessories like this but. Some hubs particularly promote that they work with the latest iPad Pros, and if you wish to be further protected, 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, 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 preferred 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 vital connectors in place. It’s additionally surprisingly mild at 10 ounces. Combine 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 their iPad. (If you’re utilizing it as a laptop computer alternative, it’s well worth the funding.) If you’d relatively 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 offers as much as 85W of pass-through charging, which implies 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 that does have that coveted Ethernet port, but it surely’s arduous 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’ packing containers, so it’s price selecting up a pair that may deal with charging a few items of tech as shortly as potential. Anker’s 45W Nano II GaN adapter is an effective one as a result of it will 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 bought a couple of 33 p.c increase in battery life on my 11-inch iPad Pro when utilizing this accent. Gallium nitride can be an enormous motive why the 45W adapter is smaller than plenty of competing adapters accessible 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 general was Mophie’s large Powerstation Pro, however that one is de facto overkill in the event you’re simply utilizing it for a pill. The Champ Pro, however, 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 p.c to full in underneath two hours — and it nonetheless had sufficient juice leftover to provide it one other 75 p.c bump. This is the pack I seize once 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 area, with matte display screen protectors for each mannequin of iPad. A set comes with two sheets and consists of information stickers that can assist you get the protector positioned correctly. The two-pack sometimes sells for $40 ro $45, relying on the scale of your iPad. For one thing somewhat cheaper, Bersem’s 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, but it surely additionally reduces display screen glare and doesn’t intervene 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 in 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. If you’d like somewhat extra assist with correct placement of your display screen protector, you would possibly respect Zagg’s GlassFusion+ Canvas which comes with a mounting tray for utility. It’s additionally comprised of 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 that you would be able to reposition make stable alternate options. They provide texture whenever you’re drawing or writing, however you’ll be able to take away them simply whenever 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 quilt whenever you’re not utilizing it. Application and removing is useless easy, and in addition, 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 trouble me however would possibly bug those that are delicate to sounds. — A.S.