I’ve been guilty of making some pretty egregious tech purchases in my life. A pair of absolutely terrible earbuds bought on a whim while on holiday in Spain because I forgot to pack my Apple Airpods Max. A super fancy $150 HDMI splitter that simply would not work, which the seller subsequently refused to refund me for. And worst of all, a Sega freakin’ Saturn. Yet none of these questionable gadgets quite rival the worst iPad accessory I’ve ever owned.
Said gizmo is the Logitech Slim Folio Pro iPad Keyboard Case I took a chance on for my iPad Pro 2021 (12.9-inch). It simply has too many glaring faults to endure, hence why I just sent it back while the return window is still open on this less-than-stellar peripheral.
It currently goes for $129 on Amazon, but I’m not going to link to it because the Slim Folio Pro is not an iPad case I can recommend in good conscience. Though don’t worry, I’ll point you towards a far better alternative once I explain why this iPad keyboard case is so bad.
Before I go sticking the boot into the Folio Pro keyboard any further, I need to make one thing crystal clear: I normally love Logitech products. I currently use the excellent Logitech MX Master 3 ergonomic mouse for my day-to-day work, and I think it’s a brilliant product. I’m also currently typing this agitated opinion piece on my Logitech MX Keys Mini, which is a fabulous, ultra portable keyboard that lets you seamlessly pair up to three separate devices over Bluetooth. So to reiterate, I think Logi is a great company.
But damn, does the Slim Folio Pro feel like a misfire from a manufacturer with a stellar history of PC products. It’s not that the keys are unresponsive or that the case itself doesn’t prop up my iPad Pro securely enough; it just lets itself down with a couple of baffling design decisions.
First up, I think it’s pretty stingy that the Slim Folio Pro doesn’t come with a trackpad. $130 isn’t exactly chump change, and for that outlay I don’t think a trackpad — which makes web browsing on an iPad keyboard case so much more user-friendly — is an overly greedy ask.
I know we’re not talking about iPad Pro Magic Keyboard money here, but still. Oh, and on that note, even though I think the official Apple keyboard case is overpriced at $349, I’ll admit to giving the crew at Cupertino that exact figure only a few months ago for one.
The only reason I’m not still using Apple’s superb iPad Pro keyboard is because I spilled a glass of sugar-free cranberry juice all over it about six weeks ago (rock and roll, I know). Despite using various cleaning products on my Magic Keyboard, I was unable to get rid of a persistent sticky feeling that underpinned every key press following my beverage mishap.
A better alternative
Ruining the Magic
That led me to recently coughing up for the Slim Folio Pro, and within an hour of starting to use it, I immediately knew I’d made a mistake. Not only because of the lack of touchpad, but also because its cheap feeling plastic is far too thick around my 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s obviously vital power and volume buttons.
The resistance to pressing the power button is so bad, it’s almost like you’re trying to push your finger through a cement wall before the case will recognize the fact you want to turn off the iPad’s screen.
The horribly stiff button covers make what should be such rudimentary tasks as turning off Apple’s largest tablet a chore.
That’s obviously a slight exaggeration, but these horribly stiff button covers make what should be such rudimentary tasks as turning off Apple’s largest tablet, adjusting the volume or taking a screenshot by pressing both the power and volume up inputs an absolute chore. The issue has bothered me so much, I got Amazon to agree to a return earlier in the week. It’s currently headed back to Mr Bezos, and I don’t regret the decision for a second.
Thankfully, this story has a happy ending, and one that lets me give Logitech some love. Two days ago, I bought the Logitech Combo Touch, which is currently just $139 at Amazon on sale. Even after such a brief period, I’m already smitten by it.
The keys feel even snappier than the far more expensive Magic Keyboard, I love the textured Oxford Gray material and the fact I can detach the keyboard from my iPad Pro then prop it up on my coffee table thanks to its magnetic kickstand is the sumptuous cherry on top. And I don’t even like cherries. They’re the Devil’s fruit.
I guess the moral of this tale is do your research on a product you’re interested in more extensively than I did with the Logitech Slim Folio Pro. As much as I’m glad I quickly rectified that wrong by returning it and upgrading to the Combo Touch iPad Pro case, those horrible button coverings on Logitech’s cheaper tablet case are going to bother me to an unreasonable degree for a while yet.
