If you have an iPad, especially one of the Pro models, most will tell you that you should buy the Apple Pencil and one of the keyboard coverss that the company also offers. What's more, it is what Apple wants you to do, but they are not always the best option, much less the cheapest for those who are not sure what use they will end up making of them. So why not search a good alternative, cheaper and easier to transport.
Apple keyboard covers: interesting for functions, not for price
As an iPad Pro user, I have to admit that yes, Apple's keyboard cases provide many advantages in the daily use of the device and bring it even closer to the idea of being a laptop replacement for many users. Even so, it all depends a lot on the type of use you are going to make of the device.
In the same way that it happens with the Apple Pencil, although this one does seem easier to take advantage of, not everyone needs all the accessories there are and can be for any specific device. Because while some will use the iPad to write texts, what others will do is draw and others will not directly create content but rather consume it.
Therefore, generalizing the needs of each user is a mistake. And even more so when it comes to investing in products with a considerable price. Because justifying the 179 euros that the Smart Keyboard costs, the 199 euros for the Smart Keyboard Folio or the 339 for the Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch model or the 399 for the 12,9-inch model is not easy at all.
What's more, unless you are clear that every day you are going to be writing with your iPad, it is that it would not be the product that I would recommend you buy as soon as you buy any iPad model. And that is why for a while I have been trying different alternatives until I reached the Logi Key to Go.
Logi Key to go on video
Versatility and portability
The Logi Key to Go is a keyboard designed by Logitech who has a wide range of solutions, including proposals that are even similar to those of Apple itself with a touchpad included. On this occasion the idea behind this keyboard is to make it versatile and portable.
What does this mean, since it is not a keyboard designed specifically for the iPad but for any device with a Bluetooth connection with which you want to use it. From a Smart TV to an Apple TV or any other set top box can benefit from joint use with this Logi keyboard. As well as Android phones and tablets and, of course, iPhones and especially Apple iPads.
In my case, I have been using it with an 11-inch iPad Pro and with the idea of seeing to what extent it could offer a similar or superior experience compared to the Smart Keyboard Folio that I had with the 12,9-inch iPad Pro. But first, let's talk about the product itself in terms of design.
El Key to Go is only 24cm wide and has a thickness of 6,3 mm. This together with a weight of 180 gr makes it very comfortable to transport. Also, being almost the same width as the 11-inch iPad Pro, the user experience is similar to that of the Smart Keyboard Folio of this model.
On the right side is the connector micro usb charging and a switch to turn it on and off when not in use. Regarding the battery, although that could have been part of the experience of use, its duration is about three months according to the brand. I haven't tried it for that long, but it is true that I haven't had the need to charge it yet and that I have given it intensive use for days.
Otherwise, the touch of the keyboard is rubbery. It's nice when you play it, but when you write it comes with certain quirks that you'll have to accept if you want to use it. The good thing is that the coating makes it resistant to dust and splashes of water. In addition to being very easy to clean by simply passing a damp cloth over it.
What is it like to write with the Key to Go
The keyboard, and this is a no-brainer, is for writing and if it doesn't do badly there, let's go. In this case, it does, but that gumminess that covers the keys makes the keys keystrokes are too soft. Therefore, in order to achieve a satisfying writing experience you will need to adaptHey, that may take you more or less time depending on the type of keyboard you normally use.
If you are used to keyboards with low-profile keys and little travel, like the ones that Apple laptops have had and almost continue to have with the latest versions despite the return to the scissor mechanism and not a butterfly, it will cost you a little more. But it's a matter of days and assimilating the type of feedback it offers so you know that when you press you've done it right and the character pressed is reflected on the screen with its corresponding key.
The only negative point is that typing for long periods can be somewhat more tiring than with the Smart Keyboard Folio o Magic Keyboard. But again it will depend on each one, because mechanical keyboards also tend to tire me while Apple's own or the Logitech MX Key that I currently use do not.
Therefore, the user experience has seemed satisfactory to me and only requires a small period of adaptation. Something that is easy if it is not that you are going to use the keyboard for eight hours five days a week.
If we add to this the support that it includes and that allows any tablet or phone to be placed vertically so that the experience is more similar to that of using a laptop, the result is a striking proposal that for those who have doubts about how far they would use a keyboard with your iPad or tablet is well worth it.
In addition, the price at which it can be found many times is about 45 euros (RRP 71,90 euros), which is very good compared to approximately 200 euros or more that Apple asks for its simpler cases without trackpad. Or even those same 150 or 200 euros from Logitech for their Combo touch or Folio touch keyboard covers.
A keyboard for specific uses
I suppose that the idea will have been clear after everything I have told you, but if not, let's do a quick recap:
- The Logi Key to Go is a keyboard with good finishes and very easy to transport
- The support provides a plus of comfort when you want to use it in mobility resting on a table or other surface
- The touch and travel of the keys is what you do have to get used to, so it is interesting to be able to try it beforehand to see if it suits you or not
- It connects via Bluetooth and that allows it to be used with a multitude of devices
- For price it is much more attractive than the official options
So, here everything is a matter of valuing what uses do you think you will make of it and to what extent a higher investment would compensate you or not. But if you want a keyboard that costs you little money, this is possibly the most interesting.
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