The very best iPad equipment for 2026

Otterbox is an professional on the subject of 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 Good Cowl, however the clear, scratch-resistant again is sturdy with out including a whole lot of weight to the iPad. Plus, the sting safety is substantial, so that you received’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 Sequence 360 instances 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 would like an awesome steadiness of safety and elegance.

Talking of cheaper iPad instances that refill Amazon’s search consequence pages, some which can be really worthwhile are from Moko and ProCase. Should you like the feel and appear of Apple’s Good Cowl, however don’t wish to drop $50-plus on one, each of those manufacturers have dupes that provide you with that fashion at a fraction of the price of the first-party possibility. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor

Should you actually wish to indulge, Apple’s personal Magic Keyboard is the best way 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 out there for the iPad and it’s one to think about if cash is not any object — or if you would like probably the most trendy iPad keyboard cash can purchase. — 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 connected to a weighted base, or the identical arm simply connected to a desk or desk utilizing its included clamp. The stand comes absolutely assembled on the weighted base, however it’s fairly straightforward to change to the clamp because of the included directions and primary instruments within the field. Should you spring for the latest model, it’ll be even simpler because of 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 drive to maneuver the arm into the suitable place. That’s in all probability for the most effective 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 could actually accommodate floor thickness from 0.4 inch to 1.4 inches.

Should you’re prepared to sacrifice flexibility for one thing extra elegant, Elago’s P2 stand for iPad could also be a great match. It’s product of a single piece of aluminum with a ledge to your iPad and some well-placed cutouts that you may snake a charging cable by way of. The ledge can also be large sufficient to accommodate most iPad instances. It will not be foldable or adjustable, however its minimalist design will make it a sexy addition to your desk. — V.P.

Working at a pc generally is a ache within the neck (actually), so I wished a technique to play with my iPad after work with out having to raise my head off the sofa. Certain, I may use my arms, however that will get tiring. This Tablift iPad holder seems slightly humorous, like some mech-spider attacking your chest, however 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 completely different angles, together with a forward-leaning one which’s notably good for mendacity down. It’s slightly cumbersome, so I curl up the legs and retailer it beneath my sofa. The slots and securing clip carry out greatest in case your machine is bare, although I’ve been ready to make use of it with a Smart Folio connected with little difficulty. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter

Should you plan on pushing your iPad Professional to its limits as a day by day driver, you’ll in all probability want greater than the pill’s single USB-C port. Apple has offered little steerage to which USB-C hubs and adapters work greatest 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 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, connected 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 appreciated the flexibility of Satechi’s hub. I may simply use it after I wanted to prop my iPad as much as watch a YouTube video, and by simply plugging within the connected cable, I may swap to utilizing my iPad as extra of a piece machine with all the obligatory connectors in place. It’s additionally surprisingly mild 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 needs, to spend $100 on a dock for his or her iPad. (Should you’re utilizing it as a laptop computer substitute, it’s well worth the funding.) Should you’d somewhat 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 would 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 suggests you’ll be able to energy up your iPad whereas utilizing Anker’s hub as the primary 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, however it’s arduous to beat $35 for the usual 7-in-1 mannequin. — V.P.

Probably the greatest Bluetooth keyboards I’ve used not too long ago is the Logitech MX Keys Mini. It’s not designed particularly for the iPad, however it works fairly nicely with it. It combines a whole lot of the ergonomics and the final feel and look of the MX lineup right into a compact and moveable keyboard. The Keys Mini has a slim profile that’s barely raised because of its prime bar, plus comfy backlit keys which can be a dream to kind on. The backlight is certainly one of my favourite options as a result of it robotically comes on when it senses your palms getting near the keyboard. That means it solely stays illuminated if 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, however it’s one which could possibly be each your iPad keyboard and your essential desk typing machine. It could hook up with as much as three units on the identical time, permitting you to swap between them rapidly with only a press of a key, and it has just a few different useful 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 would like 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’ll normally discover for between $50 and $70. — V.P.

We referred to as Logitech’s MX Anywhere 3S a “nearly ideal travel mouse.” It’s mild at simply 95 grams and the buttons are practically silent so that you received’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 Wherever 3S is constructed from 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 together with your iPad anyway) however we by no means observed any lag in Bluetooth efficiency in our checks anyway. — A.S.

This doubtless received’t come as a shock, however the Apple Pencil Pro is the most effective 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 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 if you snap it magnetically to the aspect of your pill. I extremely suggest shelling out the extra cash for an Apple Pencil when you’re an artist — you received’t be disillusioned. — V.P.

There are different choices which can be extra reasonably priced than the Apple Pencil, although, like Logitech’s Crayon. It’s simply nearly as good by way of 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 because of 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 it’s a must to 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 suggest 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 attempting to pack mild and will solely select one quick charger to deliver with me, it could 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 machine plugged into its USB-C ports has the bottom battery earlier than allocating extra juice to that gadget. For anybody who likes this design however needs one thing with the next energy output, Anker has a 100W model that is additionally actually compact. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

Of all the facility banks we tested, the Nimble Champ Pro was the second quickest to refill an iPad. The quickest total was Mophie’s huge Powerstation Professional, however that one is de facto overkill when you’re simply utilizing it for a pill. The Champ Professional, 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 beneath two hours — and it nonetheless had sufficient juice leftover to offer it one other 75 p.c 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 can assist 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 slightly cheaper, Bersem’s screen protectors are an awesome worth at $11 for a pack of two. Not solely does the matte end assist if you’re drawing or taking digital notes, however it additionally reduces display glare and doesn’t intrude with FaceID on the latest iPads. — A.S.

Bellemond’s “Kent Paper” overlay has probably 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 in a pack, so you’ll be able to revert to a unadorned display for some time then return to the paper-feel down the highway. Should you’d like slightly extra assist with correct placement of your display protector, you may recognize Zagg’s GlassFusion+ Canvas which comes with a mounting tray for software. It’s additionally constructed from a polymer designed to soak up and defend your display from impression. — A.S.

All paper-feel protectors impart a slight blur, which is why magnetic covers that you may reposition make stable alternate options. They provide texture if you’re drawing or writing, however you’ll be able to take away them simply if 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 if you’re not utilizing it. Utility and elimination 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.