Brydge 10.5 Keyboard for iPad Air (2019) | Aluminum Bluetooth 4.2 Keyboard with Backlit Keys (Space Gray)

After reading all the negative reviews about this keyboard I feel like I had to write a review.First of all I have the iPad Pro 10.5 . Maybe that makes a difference, I don’t know. People are complaining about missing keystrokes— that was obviously a concern of mine as well, I have used Bluetooth keyboards before where that happened and it made the keyboard worthless.I have not experienced anything like that on my Brydge. I have been typing on this thing for a week and it hasn’t missed a single keystroke. Not one. I type really fast as well.As everyone else has pointed out, the build quality is fantastic. The typing experience is really good. Nice tactile feel. Decent key travel. It is very heavy, and makes the entire ‘unit’ (ipad+keyboard) at least 3x heavier than the iPad alone. It is actually necessary though, if it wasn’t heavy, it would tip over very easily. This thing is very sturdy and the hinges are really strong, they hold the iPad at whatever angle you set it , no problem. But, there is one concern. These things really grip the ipad, they are really damn strong. My concern is that the ipad is not designed for this and closing the ipad down like a laptop lid repeatedly puts strain on the display and might damage it. I have used a screwdriver to loosen them a little bit but that doesn’t really help much — when you push the ipad down to close it, you can see the lcd display “ripple” like you are pressing really hard on it. Which is not good. If they had made the hinges just a little further out toward the edge maybe it wouldve been better , as they are , they end flush with the edge of the display.Another thing, and this isn’t a negative strike for the keyboard, but not having a touchpad is weird. I just want to let people know that, obviously I understood it didn’t have a touchpad, but when you actually are using it, I found myself reaching for a touchpad repeatedly and realizing there isn’t one.Other people complained that the keyboard takes too long to connect ... I don’t have this issue either. It takes 3 key presses and the keyboard is connected and working. That’s really not an issue to me, just tap it three times it wakes up and connects. It’s not as good as instantly connecting but it’s really not a hassle either.The top row of command keys are actually super useful. You can just press play from any app and your iTunes will start playing. People also complained about not being able to access the dock ... i can still access the dock, I guess my fingers aren’t that fat. Also there’s a command key specifically for the dock so you can just press that and it minimizes your app. Press it twice and it shows all the apps you had open just like if you were to press the home key twice. But then you have to use the touch screen to navigate and select stuff. It would be amazing if this thing had a touchpad, you’d essentially have a tiny MacBook , but it’s pretty darn close.The backlit keyboard is nice, it’s a necessity for me.I am not sure if it’s a quality control problem, maybe some people are getting bad units, but mine is flawless. I was ready to ship it back if it had any of the issues people described but I haven’t experienced any of them. Perhaps they have some radio interference messing with their Bluetooth connection.Oh i forgot to add, it makes watching movies and stuff in bed/on the couch wayyyy better because it sits up like a laptop.You also can’t use a standard case on this, and Brydge wants you to buy one from them that’s $40 which is ridiculous to me. I am just going to cut my case so that it fits.All in all I am really happy with it.

When I purchased my iPad I purchased the apple Smart Keyboard and AppleCare at the same same. I had intermittent problems with keyboard not being recognized by iPad. One day after about a year it quit working all together and when I called Apple they had me take it to an authorized dealer who confirmed it was dead then they sent me to an Apple store who would not fix or replace and tried to sell me another one. I left Apple store feeling a little pissed because before they helped me I witnessed another customer smashing his iPhone on the concrete floor - I thought sure they were going to help me after that but no! Anyway I came home and started looking for an alternative. I found this Bridge keyboard and read the reviews and pulled the trigger. I just love it! Yes it makes the iPad a bit heavier but I don’t care - I almost always use it with a keyboard anyway and it is super easy to take off if you want to read on it etc. And now yes I can actually use this on my lap like a laptop - amazing. I love the the quality and it is an awesome backlit keyboard that feels and looks like like a Mac. Love it - very hi quality real aluminum.Not disappointed at all. Have had it a few months and still have to recharge. Will buy again if I get the bigger iPad since the apple iPad keyboards are crap. This keyboard is way more worth the price than the apple keyboard.

Until you get this in your hands and use it, it's hard to appreciate how high quality this product is. It is indeed very premium, made of solid aluminum and not cheap plastic like so many other iPad keyboards. It feels as high quality as the iPad Pro itself. Only used it for a few days, but so far it's really a pleasure to use and I've had no issues at all with some of the problems mentioned with previous generations. Typing on it is a joy, BT connection is solid. Feels wonderful to use and also when carrying around closed. The fit and finish and color match with the iPad Pro 10.5 is perfect. I will probably look for a slip case to carry it around with because the only down side of the design is that the back isn't protected. I know Brydge sells a back cover but then you lose the "mini MacBook Pro" look. Anyway, highly recommend.

Love love love my Brydge keyboard. Makes it look, and operate like my Mac Book. Battery life incredible. Quality is another issue. Right hinge on keyboard broken. Can’t figure how this could happen since IPAD is never removed from keyboard. Overall love the keyboard, just wish it would have lasted a little longer.Wish I could give 10 Stars. Contacted the company to explain my hinge problem. To my surprise, the company was very friendly and listened to what I had to say. No problem, a new keyboard was issued right away. Now who does that? A company that stands by there product that’s who. I work for a top 3 airline which is issuing a large number of IPads to our employees. Guess which keyboards where ordering? A company that listens, stands by there product, and more importantly a product that works. Thanks Brydge.

This is my second time buying this keyboard because I love the design and it matches my iPad perfectly. However, it is cheaply made, and the keys fall off even after light use. Very frustrating will not be buying this product again.

I can hardly imagine having an iPad that doesn't have a keyboard case. I’ve bought several. This is, by far, the best quality with the best key "feel" that I have owned. It also has the best battery life that I have experienced for the lighted keys. I understand that the maker, Brydge, has gone out of business but that some other company has purchased the rights to make these keyboards. Presumably they purchased the name as well. I hope they get the product going again, because I’d like to get a new iPad, but not having a Brydge keyboard case of the proper size (and availability) is holding me back at the moment.