Logitech Combo Touch is a magical keyboard for everyone – equipped with everything you could want out of a keyboard case and more. 2021 iPad owners’ choice of premium keyboards is very limited, with Apple keeping its luxury options only for the Air and Pro.
But with a nice fabric exterior, adjustable kickstand, detachable backlit keyboard, and glass trackpad, Logitech stepped in and filled the void. And at $150, it’s $10 cheaper than the Apple Smart Keyboard.
Over the past month, I’ve taken my 2021 iPad with Combo Touch everywhere, from planes to work to beaches. Here’s how to use it in the real world.
Designed and built by Logitech Combo Touch
Unlike Apple’s Smart Keyboard, the Logitech Combo Touch comes in two separate parts: a hard plastic and silicone iPad case with a hinge and a keyboard that has a trackpad. This attaches magnetically via the smart connector port, so you can remove the keyboard when you don’t need it.
When closed with the Combo Touch, the iPad 2021 thickens from 0.3 inches to 0.85 inches, and you’ll feel that extra heaviness at least for the first few days.
However, it still retains a greater portability than even MacBook Air With its smaller overall footprint and lighter weight of 1.34 lbs. It didn’t take long to accept this weight trade-off, thanks to what the Combo Touch has to offer in return.
To protect against drops, the case is made of heavy-duty rubber that doubles for a better grip than the device’s metallic surface. Despite the extra size, you’ll have no problem clicking the iPad’s physical buttons or accessing its ports.
More importantly, the hinge on the back is coated with a fabric-like material where you can rest your fingers while watching a movie for example. There is even an Apple Pencil holder on top.
Logitech combo touch stand
Speaking of the hinge, it has a 40-degree (120 to 160-degree) tilt range, which allows you to position the tablet in a variety of positions. On a desk, you can push the kickstand as far to draw, or pull it back to return to the writing position.
The Combo Touch may feel wobbly when set, but during use, the kickstand is sturdy and doesn’t budge when interacting with the tablet – even when it’s sitting on your lap.
The only downside to the hinge is the amount of space it needs. Roughly two-thirds of the back of the case serves as a kickstand instead of a third of the Microsoft Surface Pro, for example.
For this reason, in areas where you only have limited space, an expanded footprint can be a struggle. But with some tinkering, I was able to find a nice spot to get the job done, even on a thin plane tray table.
Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard
Although the backlit keyboard is smaller than standard laptops, typing on the Combo Touch is fun. The keys are well spaced, and there’s a 1mm wide travel distance (like the MacBook Air) for impressive tactile feedback, as opposed to the quick response of the smart keyboard.
Logitech has also managed to cram in a row of function keys that give you instant access to common shortcuts, such as brightness, Spotlight search, and home.
Thanks to this attention to detail, I was able to reach my usual mechanical keyboard typing pace in no time. You’ll also find all the Apple keys like Cmd, Option, and Alt here too, allowing you to use all the usual multitasking shortcuts, like “Alt + Cmd” for an app overview or Alt + Space for Spotlight.
What’s more, this fabric material extends to the keyboard, and its cushioned finish makes the palm comfortable. Very good for a fully detachable keyboard, which you can easily hold like a hardcover book and magnetically attach to the screen in a jiffy.
Logitech combo touch control panel
The compact glass trackpad is both spacious and capable. It’s smooth and easy to click, and because this is an Apple-certified accessory, it’s compatible with all iPadOS multi-finger gestures.
Surprisingly, it’s a hair larger than the trackpad on the Apple Magic Keyboard (55mm x 110mm vs 50 x 100mm), which means you won’t have trouble pressing swipe actions, like the four-finger shortcut to quickly navigate through open apps or Three-finger swipe to multitask.
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In my time, I found the Logitech Combo Touch hard to go wrong. It’s a keyboard case every iPad 9 owner should have if they plan on using their device for more than streaming movies or playing games.
It has a versatile kickstand and an excellent keyboard and control panel, and the smart connector ensures you don’t have to worry about charging it. The Combo Touch easily outperforms its closest competitor in the Brydge 10.2 MAX+, which doesn’t even have a hinge.
Simply put, Combo Touch is a no-brainer, especially since it’s on sale regularly.