The perfect iPad equipment for 2026

Otterbox is an knowledgeable relating to safety, as seen with their telephone circumstances, however its Symmetry Series 360 series exhibits that it has design chops, too. Symmetry circumstances look much like the Apple’s Good Cowl, however the clear, scratch-resistant again is sturdy with out including quite a lot of weight to the iPad. Plus, the sting safety is substantial, so that you gained’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 cowl closed and holds the second-generation Apple Pencil to the aspect of the iPad Execs. Symmetry Collection 360 circumstances can be found for many iPad fashions, and whereas they’re dearer than some no-name iPad case you may discover on Amazon, they’re value it if you need an incredible stability of safety and magnificence.

Talking of cheaper iPad circumstances that refill Amazon’s search end result pages, some which might be truly worthwhile are from Moko and ProCase. If you happen to like the appear and feel of Apple’s Good Cowl, however don’t wish 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

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

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 identify 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 totally assembled on the weighted base, nevertheless it’s fairly straightforward to change to the clamp due to the included directions and primary instruments within the field. If you happen to 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 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 precise place. That’s most likely for the very 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 Professional as a secondary display whereas working. The included clamp ought to match most desks and tables too, as it might accommodate floor thickness from 0.4 inch to 1.4 inches.

If you happen to’re keen to sacrifice flexibility for one thing extra elegant, Elago’s P2 stand for iPad could also be match. It’s product of a single piece of aluminum with a ledge on your iPad and some well-placed cutouts that you may snake a charging cable via. The ledge can be broad sufficient to accommodate most iPad circumstances. It might not be foldable or adjustable, however its minimalist design will make it a horny addition to your desk. — V.P.

Working at a pc could be a ache within the neck (actually), so I wished a method to play with my iPad after work with out having to raise my head off the sofa. Positive, I might use my arms, however that will get tiring. This Tablift iPad holder seems to be a bit of 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 a bit of 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 ready to make use of it with a Smart Folio hooked up with little problem. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter

If you happen to plan on pushing your iPad Professional to its limits as a each day driver, you’ll most likely want greater than the pill’s single USB-C port. Apple has offered little steerage to which USB-C hubs and adapters work finest with the iPad Execs — there’s no MFi certification for equipment like this but. Some hubs particularly promote that they work with the latest iPad Execs, and if you wish to be further 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, 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 after I wanted to prop my iPad as much as watch a YouTube video, and by simply plugging within the hooked up cable, I might swap to utilizing my iPad as extra of a piece gadget with all the essential 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 desires, to spend $100 on a dock for his or her iPad. (If you happen to’re utilizing it as a laptop computer substitute, it’s well worth the funding.) If you happen to’d moderately spend much less, or simply need one thing a bit extra light-weight, Anker’s 7-in-1 USB-C hub is an efficient selection. It has most ports that you may 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 supplies as much as 85W of pass-through charging, which suggests 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, nevertheless it’s arduous to beat $35 for the usual 7-in-1 mannequin. — V.P.

Among the finest Bluetooth keyboards I’ve used lately is the Logitech MX Keys Mini. It’s not designed particularly for the iPad, nevertheless it works fairly properly with it. It combines quite a lot of the ergonomics and the overall feel and appear of the MX lineup right into a compact and moveable keyboard. The Keys Mini has a slim profile that’s barely raised as a result of its prime bar, plus snug backlit keys which might be a dream to sort on. The backlight is considered one of my favourite options as a result of it robotically comes on when it senses your arms getting near the keyboard. That manner 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, nevertheless it’s one which may very well be each your iPad keyboard and your essential desk typing gadget. It will probably connect with as much as three units on the identical time, permitting you to swap between them shortly 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 if you need an iPad keyboard that’s much more reasonably priced, and even thinner, we nonetheless just like the Logitech Keys to Go, which we’ve advisable up to now and you may normally discover for between $50 and $70. — V.P.

We known as Logitech’s MX Anywhere 3S a “nearly ideal travel mouse.” It’s gentle at simply 95 grams and the buttons are practically silent so that you gained’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 created from between 61 and 78 % post-consumer recycled plastic. And the rechargeable battery lasts round 70 days on a cost. This era doesn’t embrace a USB dongle (which wouldn’t work together with your iPad anyway) however we by no means observed any lag in Bluetooth efficiency in our checks anyway. — A.S.

This possible gained’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 that you may customise to a sure diploma, and pressure-sensitivity permits you to add as a lot or as little element as you wish 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 extra cash for an Apple Pencil should you’re an artist — you gained’t be disillusioned. — V.P.

There are different choices which might be extra reasonably priced 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 at all times ended up precisely the place I wished 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 must use a Lightning or USB-C cable to cost it. (Even the latest mannequin for the iPad Execs doesn’t magnetically connect to the pill for charging.) Whereas I wouldn’t recommend the Crayon for critical artists, I might advocate it for anybody who’s on a strict finances, particularly digital journal-keepers, dedicated note-takers and the like. — V.P.

If I had been making an attempt to pack gentle and will solely select one quick charger to carry with me, it will be Anker’s 67W three-port wall charger. Not solely is it much more compact than the earlier mannequin, it has three ports (together with one USB-A) and a max output of 67 watts. That’s sufficient to assist most tablets and ultraportable laptops. And because of Anker’s PowerIQ 4.0 tech, the brick can detect which gadget plugged into its USB-C ports has the bottom battery earlier than allocating further juice to that gadget. For anybody who likes this design however desires one thing with a better energy output, Anker has a 100W model that is additionally actually compact. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

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 Professional, however that one is de facto overkill should you’re simply utilizing it for a pill. The Champ Professional, alternatively, 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 % to full in underneath two hours — and it nonetheless had sufficient juice leftover to offer it one other 75 % bump. That is the pack I seize after I’m having fun with my iPad on the sofa and don’t wish to stand up to revive its dying battery. — A.S.

Paperlike is the preferred model on this area, with matte display protectors for each mannequin of iPad. A set comes with two sheets and consists of 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 a bit of cheaper, Bersem’s screen protectors are an incredible worth at $11 for a pack of two. Not solely does the matte end assist once you’re drawing or taking digital notes, nevertheless it additionally reduces display glare and doesn’t intrude with FaceID on the latest iPads. — A.S.

Bellemond’s “Kent Paper” overlay has essentially the most satisfying texture of the paper-feel display protectors I’ve tried. The blur is minimal and the friction between the stylus and the display is excellent 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’ll be able to revert to a unadorned display for some time then return to the paper-feel down the street. If you happen to’d like a bit of extra assist with correct placement of your display protector, you may respect Zagg’s GlassFusion+ Canvas which comes with a mounting tray for software. It’s additionally created from a polymer designed to soak up and defend your display from affect. — A.S.

All paper-feel protectors impart a slight blur, which is why magnetic covers that you may reposition make strong alternate options. They provide texture once you’re drawing or writing, however you’ll be able to take away them simply once you wish to watch Star Trek with full readability. The PenMat from PenTips makes use of skinny magnets alongside the sides to affix the movie to your display and comes with a plastic sleeve to retailer the duvet once you’re not utilizing it. Software and removing 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 may bug those that are delicate to sounds. — A.S.