“The keyboard is fantastic with a lot of clever design touches. Your customer service, however, is terrible. The process you use to accept returned items is also unacceptable. So, I cannot say that I will be buying any more products from you in future.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“After waiting what seemed like forever, I finally received my 12.9" iPad Pro keyboard today. Unfortunately it was with a defect. Specifically, the spacebar was warped, not attached correctly, rendering it totally useless. For a company that claims to be the producers of the best keyboard on the market, I'm completely unimpressed. I've sent messages including pictures of the defect only to be met with an auto generated message telling me it would take up to two days before my issue is addressed. I couldn't be more displeased. At this point, I would caution anyone from purchasing such a high priced item that doesn't even include free shipping....”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I received my new Brydge 11.0 Pro this week. After 3 hours of charging, the keyboard will not turn on or connect without it being plugged in at all times. I've made several attempts to contact customer service but with no luck. This is my second keyboard that I've ordered from Brydge in the last two years but it's very frustrating when you can't get customer service to respond. Once they did, they want me to video myself turning on the keyboard - REALLY? I just want them to replace the keyboard in a timely manner as I've been waiting over 5 weeks to receive it initially!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“This review is incredibly LONG and for that I apologize. But my quest for the perfect Bluetooth Keyboard for my iPad Pro 11 has been long, expensive, arduous and honestly disappointing. That is until I found Brydge. So, sit a spell. Read this mini-novel and maybe I can help you avoid making the mistakes I have. Until now, finding a keyboard for my iPad Pro 11 has been fraught with frustration. Since you’re here reading reviews about the new Brydge Pro Keyboard, you’re either wondering what makes the Brydge worth the money or you’ve been let down by lesser quality keyboard(s). My needs weren’t all that complicated. I wanted a keyboard which was solid and well-made. iPad Pro is the best tablet one can buy, so It needed to be as high quality as my iPad. It had to offer an excellent typing experience, Backlit Keys, Apple Pencil Charging and iOS Shortcut Keys. And I wanted the ability to easily use my iPad in tablet mode. I honestly didn’t think this would be too much to ask for? Before Brydge, I purchased 4 (FOUR) lesser keyboards. All of them were a disappointment in one way or another. In order of purchase: 1. First up was one of the very first Bluetooth Keyboard cases you could purchase for iPad Pro 11. At that time, only Apple’s Smart Folio was available (see below for all the reasons I don’t like the Apple Smart Folio). This one was folio style, and the keyboard attached to the folio by magnets. Weak magnets at that, as it soon fell off, landing on the floor. It also was oddly missing the shortcut key to bring up the on-screen keyboard. This is much needed if you ever want to insert emojis into text messages. It also wouldn’t remain stable in my lap as is common with most folio style keyboards. Fail. 2. Second was a keyboard which wasn’t totally bad. It was made of what they called “aluminum composite” (whatever that is?). It was backlit (with a rainbow of colors – because you evidently haven’t lived until your keys are lit up in purple) and it had iOS shortcut keys, including the keyboard key. But the typing experience left much to be desired and you couldn’t use the iPad, like an iPad, i.e., in tablet mode. Fail. 3. Third was a 360-degree rotating keyboard. Sounded like a good idea, right? All you had to do was rotate it, fold it down over the keys and boom, you could use it like a tablet. It was cheap plastic, a bit too heavy when folded down to use in tablet mode (you can’t remove the iPad from the case easily), there’s a typing delay when you type and the rotating hinge is a break waiting to happen. Fail. 4. The last keyboard I bought was the Zagg Slimbook Go. It wasn’t inexpensive. While Zagg is a good brand, this was a jumbled mess in my opinion. The keyboard was covered in grey vinyl on the top, and underneath in grey fabric. The case was black plastic and while you could remove the iPad case from the keyboard, it attached by a thin magnetic strip, which could disengage too easily and seemed destined to break with little effort. In order to type on it, there’s an adjustable pull out flap on the back of the iPad case, which isn’t easy to pull out and makes the keyboard virtually unusable on the lap. The volume and power buttons are covered in plastic (WHY?). It just makes them harder to use. It was sent back for refund without even turning it on. What was Zagg thinking? Fail. Note: I did not buy the Apple Smart Folio Keyboard for iPad Pro 11. Why? Let me count the reasons: 1. It’s covered in fabric. Fabric gets dirty and people report daily on the Apple Discussion Forum the letters are already wearing off and in some cases the fabric is becoming threadbare too. 2. It doesn’t have backlit keys (Really?). 3. It doesn’t have iOS Shortcut Keys (how is that even possible, it comes from Apple for gosh-sake?). 4. The iPad attaches by magnet, which provides no protection in a fall. 5. While some seem to think Apple’s Smart Connectors which connect to the keyboard without having to charge the keyboard is great, I don’t happen to be one them. The reality is if the case becomes bent or it’s not aligned perfectly, the keyboard becomes unusable (you can also read the posts about this on Apple’s Forum). 6. For all it doesn’t offer, it costs $179. Sorry, but to me, even from Apple, it’s a Fail. I also didn’t purchase but did have the opportunity to try the Logitech Slim Folio for iPad Pro 11. Why they call it the “Slim Folio” is a misnomer. It’s not slim in any way. In fact, it’s likely the thickest keyboard case you can get out there. It also weighs 1.22 lbs. The Brydge Pro 11 on the other hand weighs 1.14 lbs and is all Aluminum, not Vinyl and plastic like the Logitech. The keyboard is nice to type on, so it gets good marks for that. But it’s a folio and there is only ONE viewing angle. The volume and power buttons are covered by plastic, just like the Zagg (WHY?). And while you can place it flat (well sort of flat) to use like a tablet or to read on, it’s not totally flat. Instead it rests on the back flap at an angle and if you use Apple Pencil to draw with, it’s not very stable on the sides. It just can’t hold a candle to the Brydge. I would however, rate it better than the Zagg. How something comes packaged says volumes about the pride the manufacturer has in their product. Buy just about any non-branded keyboard from an Amazon seller and you'll get a cheap nondescript box plus a poorly written user guide (usually Chinese poorly translated to English), along with an inexpensive charging cable (if you're lucky enough to get either/both). The Brydge Keyboard on the other hand, comes packaged beautifully. The box is dark grey with an offset photo of the keyboard on the front and information about the keyboard features on the back. Flip open the magnetic flap and the keyboard is nestled in a cool presentation tray. Next to the keyboard is a USB C cable and the inside cover of the box shows what every function key does. Also included is a quick start guide, a discount coupon for a future purchase, a Brydge logo sticker and an expanded keyboard user manual. All very Apple-Like. Honestly, nicer than Apple-Like. Cool box aside, what about the Keyboard inside the box? I LOVE this Keyboard! And I had very high expectations to begin with. The Brydge exceeds my expectations and then some. Now, you can stop reading right here if you want, take my word for it and just order one for yourself. But I wrote all these words, so humor me and read why the Brydge Rocks. They say good things come to those who wait. I was born without the patience gene, so trust me when I say waiting for this keyboard to be released truly tested me. I was “THAT” customer who nudged them often to see what the status of my order was. And they always responded, even though I was “THAT” customer. Was it worth the wait? Now that I’ve had it a couple days, YES! You buy a keyboard to type on. So what’s the Brydge like to type on? The typing experience is as good as any high-end laptop keyboard. Many compare the Brydge typing experience to a Macbook. I don’t own a MacBook, so I can’t compare, but I do own a top of the line laptop and the Brydge feels just like I’m typing on it (albeit a bit smaller given this is the iPad Pro 11 keyboard). It’s solidly made from a single block of Aluminum (real aluminum mind you, not some composite metal) and it’s finished to perfectly match the Space Grey finish on my iPad. If you didn’t know this is a Brydge keyboard, you’d think I was typing on a new touchscreen MacBook. In fact, I typed this entire review on my Brydge at Starbucks and a couple people asked me if I had some new touchscreen Apple laptop! Pairing the iPad to the Brydge couldn’t be more-simple. It comes with a good charge out of the box, but I charged mine fully with the supplied USB C cable and a charging brick (no micro-USB on this puppy). You can use the same charging cable and brick which came with your iPad. Brydge claims it only needs to be charged once every 12 months (read it - TWELVE). That’s based on 2 hours use per day (without backlights turned on). I can’t confirm this with only a couple days use, but I’ve been typing like crazy and when I checked the charge it’s still fully charged. NICE! Your mileage may vary depending on the # of hours used/day and how often you use the backlights. Next, turn on the keyboard by pressing the power button, then open Settings > Bluetooth on your iPad. Press the Bluetooth button next to the power button on the Brydge and the keyboard will show up on your iPad. Tap it there and boom, you’re paired. If you find yourself in a situation where you can’t or don’t want to use Bluetooth, you can simply connect your iPad to your Brydge via USB C and you can type without a Bluetooth connection. Plus your iPad will charge your Brydge connected this way. The Brydge Keyboard is Bluetooth 4.1. Bluetooth is Bluetooth, right? Wrong. While many lesser keyboards are still running Bluetooth 3.0, Bluetooth 4.1 is Low Energry (LE). Why does it matter? With Bluetooth 3.0, latency (how long it takes to become active from a resting state) takes longer. Bluetooth 4.1 lasts longer, goes further, but more importantly, let’s you start typing the moment you wake up your iPad. That's why it matters. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the hinges on the Brydge. Could two little hinges really hold the iPad securely? Yes, yes they can. Placing my iPad in is simple (once you get the hang of it). You can adjust the angle infinitely (up to 180 degrees) and it stays completely stable. If you pick it up, holding it by the iPad itself, it stays firmly in place and won’t slide out. I’ve learned I need to place my fingers on the keyboard in order to remove it. Why is that good? You don’t want your precious iPad coming out so easily that your keyboard could fall to the floor. In the Brydge, it just won’t. Since the iPad Pro 2018 models are the same shape, front to back, you just take it out of the keyboard, turn it around, put it back in and it’s perfect for watching videos. And of course, you can pull it out to just use it as a tablet. NICE. VERY NICE! In case you’re worried about the keyboard scratching your iPad screen when it is closed, worry not. The keyboard has two perfectly placed rubber bumpers protecting your screen from ever touching the keyboard when closed. The backlighting on the Brydge is one color. White. Just like real laptops. I don’t need a rainbow of colors, no I don’t. I just need to be able to see the keys in low light. The Brydge offers three levels of brightness and they are plenty bright at the highest setting. You also get all the iOS shortcut keys you could need, including the key to bring up the on-screen keyboard as well as a dedicated Siri key if you want to wake her by a tap on the keyboard. There’s also a battery level check key, which when held for 4 seconds blinks green (50% – 100% charge), yellow (25% - 49% charge), or red (15% - 24% charge). If you use the Battery Widget on your iPad, you can also see the battery charge remaining to the exact percentage there. With a battery which can last up to 12 months, you won’t likely check it very often. In addition to the iOS shortcut keys is a dedicated CMD (Command) key on the keyboard. On your iPad, open an app like Safari and hold the CMD key on the keyboard for a couple seconds and app specific shortcuts, such as Open Split View will appear in a box in the center of the screen. Any app which supports CMD Shortcuts, will show the shortcuts for that app. This is SO COOL and will dramatically help improve your workflow on your iPad. I did put a screen protector on my iPad. I chose the Brydge tempered glass screen protector, which is the only one Brydge guarantees won’t cause issues inserting and removing the iPad from the keyboard. It’s a mere .25mm thick (the thinnest you can buy), is 9H Hardness (on the Mohs Scale) which is akin to the hardness of diamond and it doesn’t cause any touch issues with my iPad whether touching with your finger or Apple Pencil. (See my review in the screen protector page) The Brydge Keyboard is the perfect lap companion. If you have ever used a folio style keyboard, try typing on it on your lap. They’re typically awful. Most folio style keyboards are unstable on anything other than flat surfaces. And laps are most definitely not flat. Since my iPad Pro is the 11” model, it’s a bit small. When I use my keyboard on my lap, I use a simple lightweight laptop desk. Most keyboards don’t have rubber feet on the bottom, but the Brydge keyboard does. So it won’t slide around on any surface you type on. Those guys and gals at Brydge thought of everything! The only thing I could possibly wish was a little different is the magnetic back cover which comes standard with the keyboard. This is evidently the first time Brydge has included back protection for the iPad, standard. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. It attaches easily by magnet and it looks very nice as it completes the look to be more integrated. My preference however, would have been something which also protects the corners of the iPad. For a perfect fit, this would have required the keyboard to be a couple millimeters bigger, which honestly wouldn’t have been a bad thing anyway While it will provide protection from scratches, it won’t provide a lot of protection if you’re the kind of person who drops things (which I’m not). Another note on the back cover: If you remove the iPad, turn it around, place it back in the hinges, then fold the screen down over the keyboard, you can use your iPad in tablet mode still attached to the keyboard. But you need to remove the magnetic back cover for the iPad to sit flat on top of the keyboard. The quick start guide also points this out. Of course, you don’t have to use the magnetic cover if you don’t want to, so it’s kind of looking a gift horse in the mouth! I suppose I should also mention at 1.14 lbs, (1.51 lbs for the 12.9” keyboard) the Brydge isn’t exactly light. For me, this isn’t an issue. It’s a solid block of aluminum after all. With your iPad in the keyboard, it still weighs less than most similar sized laptops. So honestly, if this is all I can come up with to criticize, it’s barely worth mentioning. So there you have it and congratulations if you made it all the way through this mini-novel review! It’s certainly been a long and expensive journey to find the keyboard of my dreams. But the journey led me to Brydge, where I got the perfect ending. And after so many fails, I can finally say WIN! Yes I can! Ps: I tried to attach pictures with this review. I don't think they'll come through, but they sure did look good!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“So, I am so disappointed that I waited so long for this only to have it be different than I expected. the keyboard is nice, don’t get me wrong, but it will make our iPad SUPER heavy and bulky. Also, it says you can fold our iPad back onto the keyboard for a seamless tablet experience. The whole “seamless” experience thing is VERY misleading. You have to actually remove your iPad from the keyboard and flip it around in order to use it in tablet mode. You can’t seamlessly switch from laptop mode to tablet mode. THAT really ticks me off and I want to return the thing now.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I pre ordered the 11 inch keyboard almost 3 months ago and it finally arrived today. Absolutely perfect!! Worth every penny and the wait. Beautifully designed! Color and design matches the iPad perfectly. My iPad now goes from a tablet to a laptop in an instant. Elegance and convince all in one beautiful design. Thank you Brydge for an outstanding product that is clearly way above the rest! :)”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I request future keyboard with 1) switch button - to switch between iphone, ipad, Mac Pro, Windows PC. 2) Touch Pad for PC. Reason Switching between keyboard is frustating?”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Sturdy, mimics typing on a computer keyboard. Many good functions. Will not stay attached to iPad due to ripped silicone pads.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

Brydge Pro iPad Air (4th Gen)* / Space Grey Reviews