The best iPad accessories for 2026

Otterbox is an skilled in the case of safety, as seen with their telephone instances, however its Symmetry Series 360 series exhibits that it has design chops, too. Symmetry instances look just like the Apple’s Sensible Cowl, however the clear, scratch-resistant again is sturdy with out including quite a lot of weight to the iPad. Plus, the sting safety is substantial, so that you received’t have to fret about harm from the inevitable, unintended bumps your pill takes. I additionally like the additional flap Otterbox added that retains the iPad display screen cowl closed and holds the second-generation Apple Pencil to the facet of the iPad Professionals. Symmetry Sequence 360 instances can be found for many iPad fashions, and whereas they’re costlier than some no-name iPad case you would possibly discover on Amazon, they’re price it if you need a terrific stability of safety and magnificence.

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

If you happen to actually wish to indulge, Apple’s personal Magic Keyboard is the way in which to go. This costly keyboard folio magnetically attaches to the newest iPad Professionals 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 isn’t any object — or if you need probably the most fashionable iPad keyboard cash should buy. — V.P.

Of the plethora of iPad stands I’ve used, Twelve South’s HoverBar Duo is the one which has come closest to good. The “duo” within the title 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, but it surely’s fairly straightforward to modify to the clamp because of the included directions and primary instruments within the field. If you happen to spring for the latest model, it’ll be even simpler because of a brand new quick-switch tab that permits you to swap between the weighted base and the clamp attachment with any further instruments.

It wasn’t exhausting to safe my 11-inch iPad Professional within the vice-grip that’s the HoverBar Duo’s pill clip, though it did take some pressure to maneuver the arm into the fitting place. That’s in all probability for one of the best 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 screen whereas working. The included clamp ought to match most desks and tables too, as it could possibly accommodate floor thickness from 0.4 inch to 1.4 inches.

If you happen to’re keen to sacrifice flexibility for one thing extra elegant, Elago’s P2 stand for iPad could also be a superb match. It’s manufactured from 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 broad sufficient to accommodate most iPad instances. It is probably not foldable or adjustable, however its minimalist design will make it a sexy addition to your desk. — V.P.

Working at a pc is usually a ache within the neck (actually), so I needed a strategy to play with my iPad after work with out having to elevate my head off the sofa. Positive, I might use my arms, however that will get tiring. This Tablift iPad holder seems somewhat humorous, like some mech-spider attacking your chest, but it surely 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 totally different angles, together with a forward-leaning one which’s significantly good for mendacity down. It’s somewhat cumbersome, so I curl up the legs and retailer it below my sofa. The slots and securing clip carry out finest in case your gadget is bare, although I’ve been in a position to make use of it with a Smart Folio connected with little situation. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter

If you happen to plan on pushing your iPad Professional to its limits as a every day driver, you’ll in all probability want greater than the pill’s single USB-C port. Apple has supplied little steerage to which USB-C hubs and adapters work finest with the iPad Professionals — there’s no MFi certification for equipment like this but. Some hubs particularly promote that they work with the most recent iPad Professionals, 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 preferred the flexibility of Satechi’s hub. I might simply use it once I wanted to prop my iPad as much as watch a YouTube video, and by simply plugging within the connected cable, I might swap to utilizing my iPad as extra of a piece gadget with the entire 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 desires, to spend $100 on a dock for his or her iPad. (If you happen to’re utilizing it as a laptop computer alternative, it’s well worth the funding.) If you happen to’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 alternative. It has most ports that you can 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 supplies as much as 85W of pass-through charging, which implies you may energy up your iPad whereas utilizing Anker’s hub as the principle 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, but it surely’s exhausting to beat $35 for the usual 7-in-1 mannequin. — V.P.

The most effective Bluetooth keyboards I’ve used not too long ago is the Logitech MX Keys Mini. It’s not designed particularly for the iPad, but it surely works fairly effectively with it. It combines quite a lot of the ergonomics and the final appear and feel of the MX lineup right into a compact and transportable keyboard. The Keys Mini has a slim profile that’s barely raised attributable to its high bar, plus comfy backlit keys which can be a dream to kind on. The backlight is one in every of my favourite options as a result of it mechanically comes on when it senses your palms getting near the keyboard. That means it solely stays illuminated once 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 facet, but it surely’s one which may very well be each your iPad keyboard and your fundamental desk typing gadget. It will possibly 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 helpful 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 need an iPad keyboard that’s much more inexpensive, and even thinner, we nonetheless just like the Logitech Keys to Go, which we’ve really useful up to now and you may 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 almost 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 constituted of 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 seen any lag in Bluetooth efficiency in our exams anyway. — A.S.

This probably received’t come as a shock, however the Apple Pencil Pro is one of the best stylus you may get for the iPad. All fashions of the Apple Pencil are designed to work particularly with iPads and it exhibits of their easy writing efficiency. The most recent stylus has a double-tap characteristic that you may customise to a sure diploma, and pressure-sensitivity lets you add as a lot or as little element as you wish to digital paintings. Plus, it nonetheless helps wi-fi charging once you snap it magnetically to the facet of your pill. I extremely advocate shelling out the extra cash for an Apple Pencil if you happen to’re an artist — you received’t be disenchanted. — V.P.

There are different choices which can be extra inexpensive than the Apple Pencil, although, like Logitech’s Crayon. It’s simply pretty much as good by way of latency and accuracy — drawing in Procreate was a lag-free expertise and my strokes at all times ended up precisely the place I needed 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.

Other than that, the opposite largest annoyance is that you must use a Lightning or USB-C cable to cost it. (Even the most recent mannequin for the iPad Professionals doesn’t magnetically connect to the pill for charging.) Whereas I wouldn’t recommend the Crayon for critical artists, I’d advocate 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 might 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 help most tablets and ultraportable laptops. And due to Anker’s PowerIQ 4.0 tech, the brick can detect which gadget 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 desires one thing with the next energy output, Anker has a 100W model that is additionally actually compact. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

Of all the ability banks we tested, the Nimble Champ Pro was the second quickest to refill an iPad. The quickest general was Mophie’s large Powerstation Professional, however that one is absolutely overkill if you happen to’re simply utilizing it for a pill. The Champ Professional, however, has a slim profile, a helpful 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 below two hours — and it nonetheless had sufficient juice leftover to present it one other 75 p.c bump. That is the pack I seize once 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 most well-liked model on this area, with matte display screen protectors for each mannequin of iPad. A set comes with two sheets and contains 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 somewhat cheaper, Bersem’s screen protectors are a terrific worth at $11 for a pack of two. Not solely does the matte end assist once you’re drawing or taking digital notes, but it surely additionally reduces display screen glare and doesn’t intervene with FaceID on the most recent iPads. — A.S.

Bellemond’s “Kent Paper” overlay has probably the most satisfying texture of the paper-feel display screen protectors I’ve tried. The blur is minimal and the friction between the stylus and the display screen is good 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 a pack, so you may revert to a unadorned display screen for some time then return to the paper-feel down the highway. If you happen to’d like somewhat extra assist with correct placement of your display screen protector, you would possibly recognize Zagg’s GlassFusion+ Canvas which comes with a mounting tray for software. It’s additionally constituted of a polymer designed to soak up and defend your display screen from influence. — A.S.

All paper-feel protectors impart a slight blur, which is why magnetic covers that you may reposition make stable options. They provide texture once you’re drawing or writing, however you may take away them simply once 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 screen and comes with a plastic sleeve to retailer the duvet once 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 delightful, velvety texture. I did discover just a few faint squeaks when drawing with the Pencil, which didn’t hassle me however would possibly bug those that are delicate to sounds. — A.S.