Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air Review

The iPad Air is perhaps the first full-size tablet that doesn’t require a case to not feel out of place in the hand. No matter what kind of tablet it is, I don’t like holding it and keeping direct contact with the hardware. A case made of cloth or leather is always more comfortable and always feels better, especially for longer periods of use. Not everyone shares the same sentiment; however, the iPad Air is the first slate that I can and do use without a case because it isn’t too uncomfortable to hold.

For those who love showing off the beauty of Apple’s biggest iOS product but still want a keyboard, the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air is the best piece of hardware you can buy. It provides the security of a Smart Cover for that gorgeous display with an excellent full-size keyboard. Snap the cover on for travel. Slip it off and snap the iPad into the magnetic slit for typing. Easy peasy.
Just like Logitech’s keyboard cases, the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover comes with a slew of iOS-specific functions like activating the home button, locking, activating Siri, media and volume controls, and multitasking. The keyboard itself is spacious, though not as good as the Ultrathin Keyboard Folio’s. The difference is slight but highly noticeable: the Cover has smaller, more tightly packed keys, and they don’t stand out as much so typing produces less feedback. The Folio’s keyboard is definitely the better of the two; the Cover is a fairly close second.



Like all of today’s mobile keyboards, the battery life on the Keyboard Cover is exceptional. It’s rated for three months of continuous use (for two hours of use a day), and in my testing I haven’t found anything to the contrary. Since I began testing the Keyboard Cover over a month ago I haven’t needed to charge it once.
The reason the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover stands out from the iPad Air keyboard cases is because it’s a no-compromise accessory. It does everything right. It’s safe to travel with and won’t accidentally activate the iPad due to a weak magnet that activates the iPad in a bag. The full keyboard doesn’t have any keys moved to weird places or bunch keys together for secondary functions. It feels great to hold and carry thanks to an aluminum outside cover which matches the iPad very well, even though the aluminum is a darker shade that’s more grey than silver.
For $100, the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is a pricey but excellent iPad keyboard. It provides everything that a keyboard cover should, and at the level of quality that iPad owners have come to expect from Apple’s tablet.