Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air, Carbon Black..
Special Price Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air, Carbon Black By Logitech
Most helpful customer reviews
81 of 84 people found the following review helpful.
By J. Nolt
I bought this keyboard for my new iPad Air, replacing my absolutely BELOVED Logitech keyboard for my iPad 2.
There are just a few quibbles I have with this keybord preventing a better rating:
The keys are slightly offset from what I'm used to. The "A" key is slightly larger than the rest of the keys, because it's simultaneously the "CAPS LOCK" key. That makes the A key the last key on the left side of the keyboard, which is disconcerting to a touch typist like myself.
The offset keys put the numbers in a different location than I'm used to, so reaching for the always always always used @ symbol is really throwing me for a loop.
Those two keyboard positioning issues I might get used to. But the keys are normal-sized, which is great, but it might also make me feel a little bit too much like I haven't switched to a differently-behaving keyboard when I move from laptop to iPad.
The keys themselves feel pretty good to press and they make a nice quiet clicking sound as I type. But I think they might be slightly rounded on top, and that makes me personally feel a little less confident in my typing, because I don't get full contact on the key with my fingers.
Closing the case is a different experience from my last Logitech iPad keyboard as well, because this case does not automatically put the iPad to sleep when I close it. Not sure why that is, but it means that when I close the keyboard I have to click the edge button to sleep the iPad myself. Not as "just works" as I would like it to be.
Finally, the keyboard has a tendency to wake up the iPad when it is closed! If I squeeze it a bit in the middle-- which is a quite common thing to happen in daily use, the iPad wakes even though the case is closed. This means that in addition to sleeping the iPad I also have to turn off the keyboard when I close the case. Rather than a one-swoop close action and a one-swoop open action, now I have three actions to take to safely close the case, and three to wake it up.
And I don't know why there is a cloth tag attached to the thing. It seems just decorative, and I could really do without extraneous material just hanging off the front of my keyboard.
All in all, it's an ok product, but not as sweet as the magnetic, front-cover-only case I had for my iPad 3. I don't know if the equivalent front-cover-only case for the iPad Air behaves like my old one, but I miss it enough that I may return this one and try that one instead.
105 of 112 people found the following review helpful.
By Ron Cronovich
If you've never used a real keyboard with your iPad, it really changes the experience. Most people can type way faster on a real keyboard, so it becomes possible to use the iPad instead of a laptop to take notes at meetings, or write long and detailed emails, or craft documents using Pages. Plus, keyboard shortcuts for cut-copy-paste and cursor movement work like on an actual Macbook (which is to say, way faster than using the iPad's on-screen virtual keyboard).
Cases with integrated keyboards are the most convenient way to carry a keyboard with your iPad, though the keyboards are smaller than standard sized and therefore take a little getting used to. And--some are far better than others.
The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio is probably the best one; it's fantastic in several important respects.
Most importantly, it offers the BEST typing experience of all the keyboard cases I've had experience with, including Belkin's ultimate keyboard case for iPad 2/3/4 (which I liked a lot), Zagg, earlier Logitech ones, and others. Every iPad keyboard case makes tradeoffs or compromises to fit a full keyboard into a small package. This Logitech keyboard's tradeoffs include: there are no separate caps-lock and tabs keys (to use these you press "fn" and a letter), and the row of number keys along the top is shifted over to the right slightly. These tradeoffs take just a little while to get used to. But the upside is that the keyboard is less cramped than most keyboards built into iPad cases. Plus, the design of the keys and the typing action is really quite premium compared to other cases. I LOVE the keyboard on this thing; I'm a very fast touch-typist, and I can really fly on it. The compromises that other keyboard cases make are usually smaller, more cramped keys and awkward, nonstandard layouts.
Also quite important: the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio is very lightweight. It's lighter than the comparable Kensington and Zagg models you can find at Best Buy, and about as light as some folio-type cases that DON'T have keyboards. The iPad Air itself is nearly 1/2 pound lighter than iPad 3/4, and this case is a few ounces lighter than the comparable Logitech and Belkin cases for iPad 3/4. So when you put an iPad Air in this and compare it to an iPad 3 or 4 in a similar case, the weight difference is quite dramatic.
This case also provides good protection considering its light weight. I think you can't get better protection than this case unless you're willing to put up with a much heavier case, like an Otterbox--and then you'd lose the keyboard.
You should also read the excellent review here by Positive Logic, who has more experience than I with iPad keyboard cases and has valuable insights about this case. Positive Logic and a few other reviewers have said that the automatic sleep/wake function of this case doesn't work consistently with some units. It worked fine on mine, but you should take PL's advice if you can, and take your iPad Air to Best Buy to try out the case to verify that the sleep/wake function works before you buy the case. PL's experience was that two units in the store didn't work but one did.
I have only one criticism of this case, and it's subjective and superficial. The material of the cover is like rubber or vinyl, and makes the case look bland in my opinion, not horrible, but just not anything special. The iPad Air is a premium product with a premium price, and it looks like a premium product. There are cheaper tablets that are quite powerful and have excellent displays (like the latest Kindle Fire 8.9" HDX), but they're made of boring plastic while the Air is housed in aluminum and glass with lovely laser-cut chamfered edges. I don't want to hide my beautiful, expensive iPad in a case that looks like it cost $30.
Now, some people disagree and think the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio looks very good. I am not saying they're wrong. I'm saying that if you care about the looks of a case, you should see this one in person before buying it.
Of course, you might think the typing experience and the light weight are far more important qualities than the appearance. Which makes you much less superficial and much more rational than me. If so, buy this case! It is excellent and you're be happy.
I'd like to suggest a few alternatives for you to consider before spending your hard-earned $$$.
Belkin makes a very similar case that's also very light-weight: Belkin Ultimate Wireless Keyboard and Case for iPad Air (iPad 5) - Black (F5L151ttBLK) I had the version of this for the iPad 2/3/4. It had a terrific keyboard. It also looks good. But it's more expensive than the Logitech case you're looking at right now.
Another alternative is Logitech's "flagship" case, Logitech Fabric Skin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air, Carbon Black. The version they made for iPad 2/3/4 Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio Mystic Blue for iPad 2 and iPad (3rd/4th generation) (920-005357) came in a variety of colors and finishes and looked really great. But it was very heavy. According to the specs, the new version for the Air weighs scarcely more than the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio you're looking at now. But the Fabricskin has two disadvantages relative to the Ultrathin Keyboard Folio. First, the Fabricskin costs $50 more. Second, the Fabricskin's keyboard isn't as nice for fast touch typing. I type at least 80 words per minute on a laptop keyboard, and slightly less than that on a good iPad keyboard case. But on the Fabricskin, I drop to around 60 words per minute with more errors. It's just harder to feel your way around the keyboard without looking at it. But, it FEELS nice, and it's sealed to be more resistant to spilled coffee or spilled vodka tonics.
Finally, here's an alternative that might work for some of you: instead of getting a keyboard case/folio--most of which have compromises with respect to typing experience or weight, consider getting a lightweight sleeve for your iPad, a stand, and a stand-alone keyboard. If you shop carefully, the total cost and total weight of these three items will be similar to the weight and cost of the integrated keyboard cases you're considering. Here are some good options if you want to go this route:
Stand: SHARKK White Portable Fold-Up Stand for Apple iPad mini / iPad 2 / iPad 3 / The New iPad 4 With Retina Display / Galaxy Tab Nexus / Playbook / Xoom / Toshiba / Acer / Nook / and Other Tablets
Sleeve: rooCASE Apple iPad Air (5th generation iPad) / iPad 4 3 2 Super Bubble Neoprene Sleeve Cover (Black / Neon Green)
Cheap and good and very portable keyboard: [Upgraded Version] SHARKK® ALUMINUM Ultra Slim Mini Bluetooth 3.0 Wireless Keyboard with BUILT IN RECHARGEABLE BATTERY For iPad Air / iPad Mini Retina / iPad 2 / iPad 3 / iPad 4 / iPad Mini / The New iPad With Retina Display / Nexus 7 / Galaxy Tab / And...
Premium and GREAT though a bit less portable keyboard: Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch K811 Keyboard for Mac, iPad, iPhone - Silver/Black
Some iPad sleeves have outer pockets that will fit the keyboard and stand. And some times, you won't need to take the keyboard with you; this setup gives you the option of leaving it at home, reducing your travel weight. This is an advantage over most folio cases with integrated keyboards, because -- with most of these cases -- the keyboard is not removable, so you're taking it with you even when you don't need it.
85 of 91 people found the following review helpful.
By PositiveLogic
I recently updated from an iPad 4 to the new iPad Air. In the course of my iPad experience, I've had the opportunity to own the ClamCase Pro iPad Keyboard Case for iPad 2, 3 & 4, Belkin Ultimate Wireless Keyboard and Case for iPad 2, 3rd Gen and 4th Gen with Retina Display, Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio Carbon Black for iPad 2 and iPad (3rd/4th generation) (920-005370) and then Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPad 2G/3G/4G - Carbon Black (920-005460).
I've written reviews on all of these. Two of them were not all that great and two were very good. But the common flaw all of the above keyboards had was they they were heavy. They, in fact made the pre-iPad Air feel heavy. In the case of both the Fabricskin and the previous version on the Logitech Keyboard Folio, the features and fast typing I got from them made up for the extra weight.
Now with the iPad Air, I was delighted to have purchased the this new version of the Logitech Folio. Here are my early impressions after a few days of use:
Pros:
VERY LIGHTWEIGHT. When you take the keyboard out of the box, you immediately notice that it, by itself, is as light as feather. Build-wise, you can see how Logitech used less material for locking in the iPad Air and that accounts for the lighter weight. Sure enough, when I slipped in my new iPad, I immediately felt that the combination of the two was just right. To put things in perspective, the case and the iPad Air combined feel like the weight of the iPad 4 without a case. Obviously, if you weigh the two, I'm sure that not really true. BUT from the standpoint of my perception, the combined weight of the Air on this new Logitech case is in the neighborhood of the older versions of the iPad without a case. With all other keyboard covers I'd used previously, I was jarred by the feeling that the weight made the iPad into something it was not meant to be.
FAST KEYS. Yes, the fact that the shift and tab keys to double-duty takes some getting used to. But it's worth it. Keyboards that give you the standard keyboard arrangement in the dimensions of the iPad feel cramped and ultimately a pain to type on. I have averaged sized hands and I totally feel more comfortable typing on this, than on the Belkin Ultimate. I'm going my usual 70 to 80 wpm.
EASY TO ATTACH YOUR IPAD. Because the iPad gets slipped snugly into two precisely engineered corners, versus into an all-encompassing frame like the other keyboard covers, it's very easy to get it in and out.
BLUETOOTH PAIRING. Fast and easy.
VERY COOL LOOK. I have the gray version and it's really slick looking.
Cons:
ISSUE WITH CLOSING LID NOT LOCKING THE IPAD. Initially, I thought this keyboard cover had a design flaw because I tried two of them and both did not lock the the iPad, unless you jiggled it around. However, I lucked out on the 3rd one which locks the iPad ever time. So Logitech seems to have a quality control problem, not a problem with the inherent design.
On this note, you may wonder why I deducted no stars. The reason is that, as a whole, this product so devastatingly outperforms every other iPad case I've owned, I cannot justify a downgrade. I have given 2 of the 4 cases I previously reviewed 5 stars. And this one is better than both of those.
