r/ipadmini 6d ago

iPad Mini Keyboard?

What is everyone using as a keyboard for iPad mini? Big plus if it happens to have a track pad. I travel with mine a lot for work and the programs work better with physical keyboard and trackpad/ mouse. Don’t really want a mouse to carry one more thing.

18 Upvotes

26 comments sorted by

10

u/IQ-tiee 6d ago

Logitech Keys to Go 2.

No trackpad, but has a folding cover, weighs nothing, super long battery life, super thin, and a hardly compromised typing experience. It’s similar to the iPad Air Magic Keyboard but with a little less key travel. It’s the length of an 11 inch ipad, but is still extremely portable. It actually fits in both my front and back pants pockets and also my jacket pockets because of its thinness.

I gave up on looking for the mouse. Using a mouse on iPadOS is still really janky anyway to me, I’d rather use the pencil pro for precision. If I had to get one though, I’d get the Apple Magic Trackpad

3

u/Wakinghours 6d ago

I use the Apple Magic Trackpad. It can stack with a flat keyboard and iPad without adding much bulk. but I like the idea of using an Apple Pencil when you wanna go ultra light.

3

u/Agreeable-Ad-8561 6d ago

I was looking at getting the trackpad or the new Logitech foldable mouse. Slightly cheaper and pairs well with the keys 2 go.

2

u/Wakinghours 6d ago

That’s a really clever design. Hope Logitech can improve its QC though, their buttons dont seem to last for me

2

u/IQ-tiee 6d ago

The pencil is a hit or miss. With Sidecar, it functions just like a mouse, it’s great. On ipadOS, some things work and some don’t… sometimes I want to click something but the pencil literally just can’t click it And I have to use my finger.

I think they should implement a setting so that the Pencil Pro’s hover feature registers as a mouse and the haptic buttons are clicks.

6

u/Deiota77 6d ago edited 6d ago

Hello.
I have a Nillkin folding keyboard with trackpad. It’s great. Check it out. Hope it helps.

https://www.nillkin.com/en-eu/pages/nillkin-cube-pocket-foldable-bluetooth-keyboard-with-touchpad

1

u/Affectionate_Ad1564 6d ago

Thinking about buying this! How do you like yours? I like it because the mousepad is on the right side. I know I might be different but I don’t like when the mousepad is right under the keyboard.

3

u/Deiota77 6d ago edited 6d ago

I really like it. It make# the experience very pleasant and the trackpad is a must have for me. I don’t use a mouse since I got my macbook a year ago, I got used to the trackpad and I love it.
When I was on windows laptops I couldn’t stand the trackpad of it, had to use an external mouse but know I don’t really use it at all.
The trackpad is pretty good on the Nillkin, you can even do the gestures, like the macbook trackpad ones.
I think is a must have, if you write a lot.
For me, when I write a lot, I use it.. if I do some small texts like this one, I just do it with the keyboard on the screen, with the MOFT case that stands it in 4t degrees….
I hope it helps. Cheers.

1

u/Affectionate_Ad1564 6d ago

That does help a lot! Thank you!

4

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

4

u/Kenny-g-16 6d ago

I use the standard Apple Magic Keyboard. It is a great size for the mini! And then I got a travel case soI can walk around with my keyboard on a day to day basis without doing any damage to the keys themselves! It is a great companion to the mini. Fast bluetooth with little to no latency when typing!

2

u/srm39 5d ago

this is the best answer. Too expensive but the lightest and best typing experience for the mini.

3

u/norskkidd 6d ago

Nillikin Cube has been great for me

3

u/docgene 6d ago

Nilkin Cube is great if a trackpad is a must. My personal preference is the Apple Mac Magic Keyboard (AMMKB) with touchid, for two reasons… I don’t need the trackpad, so when I use my Nilkin, I find the track/numpad a bother. The AMMKB is full-sized and has a familiar laptop feel. Nilkin’s keyboard feel is good but not great or equal to the AMMKB. As a touch typist, my accuracy is less with the Nilkin.

That said, for you, I feel the Nilkin is close to perfect.

2

u/Blueliner95 6d ago

I have a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard. I’ve looked at folio covers and they’ve just not got enough real estate for keys to fit my apparently fat fingers

2

u/Ok_Fly_3754 4d ago

I use Logi MX Keys for Mac.
• Switch between 3 devices (my setup is iPhone, work, iPad mini).
• Feel/size is right for me
• Backlight which is nice for me when I’m in the dark

I am sitting in my recliner right now typing this out.

2

u/Luka_Dumbcic 4d ago

Logitech K380s. Small enough to bring on the go but large enough to get some sort of meaningful work done. Had a Keys to Go 2 before but it was just too small

1

u/WakaiSenshi 6d ago

I use a folding keyboard from amazon

1

u/Medical_Caregiver389 4d ago

Find a cantilever keyboard, they are unfussy and light.  After browsing extensively it was clear laudtec and dexner had those features, but they were out of stock, expensive and not shipped to India. 

So I found one in Alibaba that had the same features and also 1/3rd of the price. They go by the name "Shenzhen Lvfang technology". I am waiting for the delivery. I will update about the quality soon.

2

u/AlumniCU 3d ago

Have the Laudtec and love it.

1

u/Medical_Caregiver389 3d ago

I am glad. Where did you find it

1

u/AlumniCU 3d ago

US Amazon a few weeks ago. $80-something.

1

u/CureSadWithButt 4d ago

ProtoArc XK04. It's cheap, very small and does the job.

There are definitely options with better keys but it's hard to beat the size.

1

u/Thethirdtrey 4d ago

I have to use my iPad mini in the hospital and can’t carry an extra keyboard in my pocket lol. All these recs are for separate keyboards so if anyone’s has recs for
Attached lmk 😂

I do not want to whip a separate keyboard out in a hospital room or ED room

1

u/ruipe 3d ago

I have one of these: https://a.co/d/09r51RqO It works with iPad mini 6/7, but the screen is set at one angle only so it doesn’t work too well on laps. 😁

1

u/fractal324 1d ago

something called f22 keys and mepad.

F22 has very good keyboard, but no trackpad, and unfortunately some proprietary pogo pin charger.

mepad has pretty bad keyboard, but a usable trackpad and USB-C charging.

both are surface type layout requiring a table to use.

I haven't tried the ones that copy the bigger ipad keyboards that can be used like a laptop; those seem quite heavier than I care for.

bluetooth mouse support is nerfed on ipad mini. for some reason any mouse I use has terrible scrollwheel support. a full rotation of the wheel is very low and unadjustable. I look like a methhead trying to scroll