Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard for iPad review

The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard for iPad is a slim 10mm in height and has cursor, Home and Command keys in addition to its generously proportioned QWERTY keys. It also has a Function key that lets you perform actions such as cut, copy, paste, search and adjust volume among others. This means you don’t need to touch the screen to complete many simple actions. Indeed, to edit copy we simply used the Shift and cursor keys to highlight text and the Command key to copy, cut and paste it elsewhere. This made working on productivity documents with the iPad a much more natural and familiar experience.

The Ultrathin keyboard connects to your iPad via Bluetooth, and we quickly paired the two devices. It has chiclet-style keys that have a good amount of feedback and travel, which makes using the keyboard a pleasant and practical experience. Indeed, it’s just like using a netbook with the keyboard attached.

When in use, the iPad sits in a groove just above the keyboard. The groove is magnetic, and the keyboard remained attached even when we lifted the iPad and shook it. Similarly, we could press items on the touchscreen without the iPad bouncing backwards and forwards.

When you’re not using the keyboard, the iPad clips onto a magnetic hinge at the back of the keyboard so that the keyboard completely covers the screen of the iPad. Again, this is a strong magnet, but we found casually using the iPad in this manner irritating, and we preferred to completely detach the keyboard and just use the iPad as a tablet.

Tablet computers and their virtual keyboards are perfect for the commute because you can clutch a tablet to your chest and work with it an inch from your face, which is something you can’t do with a laptop. We were therefore eager to see how practical it was to use the Ultrathin Keyboard and iPad on our train journeys. It was certainly easier than using a regular laptop, but unless you’re sat at a table it’s still an uncomfortable and cramped experience. Even so, we made far less typos using the keyboard on our daily commute than we did using the iPad’s virtual keyboard.

The Ultrathin Keyboard is powered by a removable battery that is charged via an included Micro USB to USB cable, and Logitech claims that you’ll get six months of use out of the keyboard between charges if you use it for two hours per day. We certainly didn’t have a problem with the keyboard running out of charge prematurely.

We absolutely love this keyboard cover. It transforms your iPad in to a usable and practical portable computer. If you’ve ever looked upon the Asus Transformer with envious eyes, you need the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard for iPad.