This excellent keyboard is my must-have iPad Pro accessory
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Brandt Ranj / Business InsiderWhen I decided to use my iPad more heavily, I knew I'd need some accessories. Since I write a lot, the most important one of those would be a keyboard.
After perordering and months of waiting, I finally got what I was looking for: Brydge's 12.9" iPad Pro keyboard.
It's my must-have iPad Pro accessory, and essential for anyone looking to get serious writing done on their iPad.
If the keyboard itself is giving you a sense of deja vu, it should. Brydge copied Apple's keyboard design down to the spacing and keycaps. It looks and feels like a MacBook Pro keyboard, with a few modifications.
A dedicated Siri button lives where the "fn" key is on a MacBook and the top function row is slightly different. Instead of Mac-centric keys, there are keys that act as shortcuts for the home button, or to lock your screen. Thankfully, screen brightness and media keys (play, pause, volume etc.) are unchanged. This keyboard also has backlit keys, with three different strengths which make typing in the dark far easier.
The keyboard even has a power button in the same location as a MacBook's; there are no small switches you have to flip.
In the era of keyboards being compromised for thinness, Brydge has gone the other way. The company's keys have a nice amount of travel, and each click feels substantial. This will be a matter of taste for people, but I like keyboards like this. By emulating a traditional MacBook keyboard so perfectly, going from typing on an Apple keyboard at work to typing on the Brydge at night is seamless.
I don't type more slowly, or have to look down any more frequently. It feels like I'm typing on a MacBook Pro.
That feeling extends from the keys to the actual keyboard itself, which is made out of the same aluminum as the iPad Pro. The keyboard is also available in colors that match the iPad Pro, so your keyboard and machine don't clash. I read that when Brydge was making this keyboard they wanted it to feel like the other half to the iPad. After spending time with it, I think they've succeeded.
That thought process is even present with how the iPad Pro and Brydge keyboard connect. You take the iPad, and slip it in between two, rubber insulated hinges. It creates a tight enough seal that you can grab the pair by the iPad and carry it around without fear of the two dislodging.
But, if you want to take the Pro out to use on its own it doesn't take a lot of force. Of all the iPad keyboards I've tried, this system is the most versatile and elegant.
Brandt Ranj / Business Insider
Keyboards aren't exactly known for being cool, but Brydge's works well, looks good, and is exceptionally well engineered. I spend a lot of my time with iOS devices typing on glass, but when I'm writing something more serious, this is the keyboard I use.
It's more elegant than my old system of carrying around a small stand and Bluetooth keyboard (although that system works well, too.)
The one concession is that with this keyboard attached the 12.9" iPad Pro is in the same weight range as a 13" MacBook Pro. Still, the benefit is that you get the same typing experience as a MacBook Pro when you need it, but can use the iPad as an iPad when you don't.
It might not be a necessity for everybody, but writers or people who love the iPad and traditional keyboards will struggle to find a better solution.
Brydge 12.9" iPad Pro Bluetooth Keyboard (Gold), $189.99, available at Amazon [Sold by Amazon]
Brydge 12.9" iPad Pro Bluetooth Keyboard (Silver), $189.99, available at Amazon [Sold by Brydge]