So I currently have in my possession the Apple Smart Keyboard, ZAGG’s Slim Book Go, and the Brydge Pro 11 for my 2018 iPad Pro 11 inch. I do appreciate how slim the Apple Smart Keyboard is and don’t actually mind the typing on it, but not function keys to backlight are a major drawback for me. After a couple of days I purchased the Slim Book Go from ZAGG. FO only $100.00, this keyboard cover seemed to check all of my boxes, a more secure place for the pen, a kickstand, backlit keys, function keys, and a detachable keyboard. The Slim Book Go does absolutely add some bulk to the iPad Pro and on the 12.9 inch it might be too much, but on the 11 inch it seems fine enough.

The first the that I noticed about the Slim Book Go was the typing experience, I absolutely love it, it has a very nice tactile feel and a great sound when typing. The keyboard on the Slim Book Go has not only backlighting, but has multiple colors to choose from. Multiple colors are not exactly a big deal to me, but it is nice to have. The pairing process is is very easy and the cover seems to provide protection for the iPad in all directions. Also, when removing the magnetically attached keyboard from the tablet, the cover is not crazy big or heavy and there is a secondary spot on the bottom for them pen just in case you are trying to save battery by not having it paired or charging. The pen goes in and comes out very easily but remains securely in the cover. Lastly, the kickstand has always been an amazing feature to have on a tablet. I DO wish they would’ve made it a regular kickstand instead of a reverse one (folds down from the bottom), but I love having it. Also the battery life on the keyboard (according to ZAGG) is 12 months of use on a single charge “1 hour per day with backlight on” or roughly 365 hours of use with the back light on.

Lastly, the Brydge keyboard is one I fully expected to absolutely love and make my daily driver, until I received it. Don’t get me wrong, aesthetically the thing is gorgeous, but I have some issues and some need that are preventing me from keeping it. Firstly, the damn thing is heavy for such a small keyboard, the ZAGG is probably about 60 percent of the weight of the Brydge (or at least it feels that way). The typing experience on it is good, but seems more cramped than the Slim Book Go and the key travel is just not enough. The last thing it came down to was the lack of a kickstand. Sometimes I like being able to use my tablet as a tablet and if I go into the kitchen to make some food or am doing busy work at the office or at home and just want to play a video in the background, I don’t have to keep a separate stand anywhere, it’s on the back of the tablet.

So while each one of these are great options for a variety of reasons, I’m gonna skip the Brydge for now (this surprises me greatly). I’ve got the Slim Book Go for my daily driver and the Smart Keyboard for the days where I need to cut the size and just want something slim. Also, I want to note that every account of of a customer having to send out for a replacement of their case within the 1 year warranty says that the experience is absolutely amazing and it is super easy to get the replacement sent out right away AS LONG AS YOU REGISTER YOUR CASE ONLINE. Currently the ZAGG Slim Book Go is only $80.00 online at Best Buy.

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