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With comfortable and responsive backlit keys, a removable inner case, two viewing angles, and the ability to pair with two devices, this Zagg model is the best keyboard case for older iPad Pros.
Also available for these iPads:
The Zagg Pro Keys for the 11-inch iPad Pro, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and the iPad Air (5th generation) is the best iPad Pro keyboard for anyone who doesn’t plan on upgrading to an M4 iPad Pro or M2 iPad Air model. On top of a great typing experience, it offers backlit keys, a removable inner case, two viewing angles, and the ability to pair with two devices.
The keys are a joy to type on. We found that the physical keys were large enough to be comfortable and easy to press, with good tactile feedback. Key travel was shallow compared with that of a high-quality laptop keyboard, but using the Pro Keys felt more like typing on a “real” keyboard than on an afterthought accessory.
The keyboard has a familiar layout for iPadOS and macOS users. Unlike many cheaper iPad keyboards, this keyboard has all the keys you’d find on a laptop, in the correct location. The 11-inch iPad Pro (4th gen) and iPad Air (5th gen) versions are smaller than most laptop keyboards, while the 12.9-inch version is about the same size as Apple’s desktop keyboard. The keys are rounded instead of square, but we found the adjustment easy. Unlike Apple’s older keyboards, the Pro Keys offers a nice array of iPadOS-specific special-function keys, including those for screen lock, volume, and brightness control, in a half-height row across the top. Each key is backlit, with seven color options and four brightness levels.
It can separate into a case and a keyboard. In addition to its great typing experience, the Pro Keys offers a removable-case-and-keyboard design that is executed just as well as on our top pick. The case isn’t the slimmest or the most attractive, but it does offer full button protection, the appropriate cutouts for the ports, speaker redirection, and a stylus holder on the right side.
It pairs easily and connects automatically. The initial Bluetooth pairing process takes seconds. But this Zagg keyboard also uses a clever system to reconnect whenever you’re ready to type: The iPad’s left edge—the bottom edge, when you have it in typing orientation—magnetically connects to one of the two strips above the top row of keys. When that happens, the keyboard wakes up and is ready for you to type after just a moment. (In contrast, other models may require you to press a button to wake up the keyboard.) And when you lift the iPad off the base, the keyboard automatically disconnects. This setup also makes the Pro Keys stable on your lap.
It offers great protection. The Pro Keys provides full protective coverage around the iPad’s right edge, where the rubber is molded to fit the Apple Pencil, but it’s still thin enough for the stylus to magnetically connect and charge. A magnetic flap snaps into place over that section, helping to hold the Pencil in place and keep the keyboard case’s front cover shut. Zagg claims that the battery in the Pro Keys will last for a year on a charge, but you can easily recharge the battery via a USB-C connector. That’s longer than the battery life of other battery-powered keyboard cases we tested, but models that draw power from the Smart Connector, including the Logitech Combo Touch and the Apple Magic Keyboard, never need to be charged.
It’s heavy and a little bulky. Keyboard cases are generally heavy, and most add noticeable thickness. The Zagg Pro Keys is no exception: The 11-inch and iPad Air versions each weigh 1.4 pounds—or about 40% more than the respective iPads weigh—and the 12.9-inch size weighs 1.9 pounds. All three versions are about 0.9 inch thick, in contrast to the iPad’s roughly 0.25-inch body.
