Kensington Key Folio Thin X3 Keyboard Case with Powerlift for iPad Air (K97269US)

I wish I had purchased this one first. Third time's the charm, I suppose.First I bought a Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air, which, actually, I was pretty happy with, because it connected well and was comfortable to carry and to type with (as long as you adjust to the unusual arrangement of some of the keys). Trouble is, I dropped it once -- and not far either, it just fell out of my hands while I was walking -- and one of the little attachment clips broke and left me no way to attach the iPad any longer.Next I moved to a ZAGG Folio Case with Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad Air -- largely based on its glowing reviews here on Amazon and elsewhere -- but I didn't like it from the beginning. The center of gravity is in the iPad, not the keyboard, so the thing kept falling over. You couldn't lay it flat, which I didn't think I'd mind when I purchased it, but then started using it and found that yes, I mind. But worse than that, when I'd move from one network to another (say, from home to work), the Bluetooth connectivity between the keyboard and the device just stopped happening -- the keyboard wouldn't connect no matter how many times I turned the keyboard or the Bluetooth settings off and on again. How very frustrating. I don't understand how it gets such glowing reviews, I just don't. The multicolored backlighting really was its best feature. Everything else? Meh.That frustration led me to this Kensington keyboard, which also gets good reviews, but this time, they're deserved. It feels extraordinarily comfortable when I'm typing on it -- keys are exactly where they belong, and they feel right to the touch. It balances on my lap and on the desk or table in exactly the right way, so I don't worry about it tipping over the way the Zagg's clamshell design would do. It connects physically to the iPad securely so I am not concerned about having the Logitech experience where some small piece might break and render the case useless. The keyboard connects to the iPad wirelessly exactly the way it should, when it should, no matter whether I'm at home or at work or elsewhere. Much like the Logitech did, the Kensington just *knows* when it should or shouldn't be connected, without me needing to cajole it, and I never feel the frustration I felt with the Zagg of trying exasperatedly to get it to connect while it stubbornly refused to cooperate with me.I do kinda miss the Zagg's colorful backlighting. The Kensington backlighting is only in one color. But I'm not complaining. In all of the important ways, the Kensington works, and it works splendidly, and I'm in love with it.

Let me begin this review by saying that I'm a big fan of Kensington products. I've owned almost half a dozen Kensington trackballs and a few of their very expensive power strips. I'd probably still be using my original Kensington ADB Turbo Mouse that I bought back in 1989 (it still works), but I don't regularly use any computers with ADB ports any longer. Kensington products seem to be built rock solid.The KeyFolio Thin X3 lives up to what I expect out of Kensington hardware - it is solidly constructed. The KeyFolio cradles the iPad much more firmly than the Logitech keyboard that it replaced. My iPad slipped out of my old keyboard/folio. From my limited experience with the Key Folio, I don't foresee that this will be an issue with the new hardware.Additionally, the keyboard is laid out like a traditional full sized keyboard. The keys are a bit smaller but they're all there. My fingers easily found their way around the keyboard when I touch typed, something that didn't happen with the Logitech keyboard with its multi-function keys and the FN key. The KeyFolio has an FN key, but it doesn't alter the function of any of the primary keys that I used to type.I do have one minor issue with the KeyFolio, and it isn't the keyboard itself, but rather the lack of a manual in the very nice retail box. In order to find a manual (and yes, I'm one of those people who reads manuals), I had to go to the Kensington website and look at it there. It wasn't a huge deal, but I had expected a manual in the box. Heck, I got as more documentation in the box with my Kensington power-strip than I did with this product. My iPad is a WiFi only machine. Lacking a manual is fine because I had access to a network with internet connectivity. However, had I not had this connection, it would have nice to have a manual in the box.I had one further minor glitch with the bluetooth pairing. The manual states that the iPad would identify the keyboard as KeyFolio Thin X3. In my case, the iPad identified the KeyFolio as Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard. I figured it out pretty quickly, but I'm not sure that my 82 year old mother would have done the same.After letting the KeyFolio charge overnight, I plugged my iPhone into it to let it charge. The phone was only at 80% charge, but the phone did register that it was plugged into a power source, and the charge level climbed from 80% to 88% in about 15 to 20 minutes. While I didn't buy the KeyFolio for its ability to charge my phone, this is a very nice added feature.I wish that I'd seen the KeyFolio Thin X3 when I was originally looking for a bluetooth keyboard for my iPad Air. It seems to be exactly what I was looking for.

An excellent product for the price. I have been using this keyboard now for about three months and it has great functionality. I am very pleased with this purchase.

Great keyboard.

I ordered this keyboard after the corner of my Logitech Type+ keyboard case chipped off. I found the keys a little tight and not responsive enough. I liked the case, but the keyboard didn't work for me. Great if you have smaller fingers that cooperate. It doesn't mean this is a bad keyboard, just not for me and my fingers. I returned it to Amazon with no fuss. Their return policy is great and why I continue to purchase items from Amazon.

The backlit keys are great and the keyboard holds the charge for a long time. Keys are nice to type on. Only draw back is the magnets are not very strong. The magnets won't hold the keyboard to the IPad if you picked up the IPad (while open and the keyboard attached by the magnet to the keyboard) by holding the IPad and not the keyboard portion of the case.

Amazing!