Apple’s online and retail stores in North America have started carrying products from Brydge, a company that’s known for producing MacBook-style Bluetooth keyboards for iPads. Models for the 10.2-inch iPad and 10.5-inch iPad Air are available.
Apple brought support for its Smart Keyboard to both of these iPad lines this year, suggesting it wants to encourage typing on lower-end iPads and not just the Pro series. Brydge does make a keyboard for the current iPad Pro (pictured above), which we tested and found to be the best laptop-style option available, but Apple doesn’t appear to be selling it right now.
If you have a 2019 iPad or iPad Air, though, these keyboards could be a good option. (The iPad Air version also works with 2017’s 10.5-inch iPad Pro.) They cost $129.95 each — $30 less than Apple’s Smart Keyboard — while offering more key travel, a wider range of angles to tilt the screen at, and a better experience when used on your lap. The tradeoff is is in bulk, weight, and having to deal with Bluetooth pairing and Micro USB charging.
