Anker Bluetooth Folio Keyboard Case for iPad Air 2 [ONLY] - Smart Case with Auto Sleep/Wake, Comfortable Keys and 6-Month Battery Life Between Charges (Not Compatible with iPad 9.7 inch/iPad Air)

Anker is becoming well known on Amazon for selling top quality products at fair prices with lengthy warranties, and backing their merchandise with excellent customer service. This keyboard case continues that trend (and no, I didn't receive a free case for an unbiased review). Perhaps the most striking feature of the Air 2 is how light and thin it is. A well designed keyboard case should, to the extent possible, allow the Air to maintain at least a modicum of what makes it so striking. This case manages to provide full keyboard functionality with easy bluetooth pairing in an attractive, light and thin package. Design is key here, and it's clear that Anker took their time and thought it through. The front and back of the case are an attractive black faux leather that seems like it should prove durable, while the inside is a grey felt material designed to keep the iPad scratch free. The keys are slightly recessed into the felt, meaning they do not come in contact with the tablet screen. The tablet slides into three black plastic holders (one on the left side and one each at the top corners of the horizontal edges) that hold it firmly in place. This provides a minimal but secure hold, and shows the iPad, unlike cases that slide the iPad into a sleeve and cover a good portion of the front bezel. There is a thin protective material on the inside of the plastic holders to help protect the iPad, and numerous removals from the case have shown no damage to the parts of the tablet that are held by the case. The top tabs hold the tablet roughly half an inch from the edge of the case, helping provide a modicum of protection. Note that when in place, more than half of the sides, all of the bottom, and the entire back of the tablet are not covered when open for typing. For me, this helps the iPad keep its thin, airy feel, unlike more complete (and sometimes more expensive) clamshell cases. Case (no pun :) in point: the Kensington KeyFolio Thin X2 Plus is a fine case with excellent build quality. However, when the iPad is in place, the sense of additional weight and thickness is palpable. A similar comparison can be made with the popular New Trent Airbender. While clearly a product of careful thought, it suffers from the same full-enclosure weight and thickness issues as the KeyFolio (as well as the fact that it feels like it was designed by an origami master :). In the New Trent case, this is further exacerbated by the metal hinge. The iPad Air was so-named for a reason, and, to the extent possible, the Anker case best helps allow that reason to come through. Perceptions and visuals aside, of the three cases discussed here, the Anker is the lightest. The Anker keyboard is wonderful. All of the keyboard cases leave the typist with a slightly cramped feel (it's only as big as the tablet), but this is a minor adjustment, and once made, typing becomes quick, responsive, and effortless. Both the KeyFolio and Airbender have the advantage of a separate row of dedicated hotkeys for volume etc., while the Anker incorporates these with the number keys and requires holding the function key to get the hotkey feature. Yes, the other two cases are easier, but after a small adjustment period, holding the function key became second nature. Like the Airbender, the Anker includes full iPad brightness controls among the hotkey functions, something the KeyFolio lacks as it uses brightness to control the backlit keyboard (a feature I thought would be indispensable, but which in actuality proved more of an attractive but unnecessary addition and a battery drain). The Anker keyboard is not backlit and I don't notice. Yes, if I was flying and if the cabin was dark and the person next to me was sleeping, a backlit keyboard would be wonderful, but so far, that situation hasn't arisen :). Allowing the iPad to easily remove from the case is also important to me. Granted, I don't want the tablet falling out of the case, and none of the keyboard cases I've tried or seen others use have that problem. However, I do have a second, very thin non-keyboard case (the Moko Ultra Thin Smart-shell purchased from Amazon) that sometimes makes more sense to use. Removing the iPad from the two competitors mentioned above was a bit of of a pain and required proceeding slowly to unsnap the tablet without damaging the case or the iPad. Not so with the Anker. You simply lay the case flat and slowly slide the iPad out of the holders. This allows me to easily move the iPad between cases with no hassle. Finally worth mentioning are typing angle and positioning for typing. When typing on a flat surface, the snapped-on the magnet angle of the Anker is fine for viewing while typing. Is it ideal in every situation? No. Is this a laptop with a hinged top? No. However, even when it's not "perfect", the angle of the iPad for typing is fine. The KeyFolio is essentially identical to the Anker in this regard, and while the Airbender provides additional viewing angles, they come at the expense of a design (the adjustable hinge that pulls out and no magnetic hold for the keyboard) that is (for me) unacceptable. Because of the iPad's weight, keyboard cases are going to be top-heavy; a good case should anticipate that and allow for typing in various scenarios. If you type with the iPad on your lap, or in some other position while lying down, this is where the Anker shines through in spades, easily shows the best design, and trumps the competition. When snapped in place on the magnet, the combination of the magnet strength and the strength of the case along the hinge line (at the base of the triangle) provides a wedge that's going to stay a wedge in that position. I can't overemphasize the importance of this. I'm typing this now with the iPad in the Anker case on my lap at an angle to my body. The tablet is firmly locked in position and shows no tendency to tilt back or forward while I type. If I pick it up from my lap, the keyboard magnet/case hinge combination is strong enough to keep everything in place. If typing while lying down with the iPad at a more severe angle, I have the same experience -- the Anker case holds the iPad firmly and it doesn't move. The Kensington KeyFolio becomes almost unusable if not on a flat surface, with the tablet falling backwards because of the lack of strength in the hinged portion of the case. The New Trent Airbender relies on its adjustable hinge -- cumbersome when on your lap or when prone. Anker's solution is the most elegant and clearly reflects time spent testing the case before going to market. More than any other feature (and there's a LOT to like about this case), simple overall usability because of this makes the Anker case the clear winner. If magnetic enclosure is important to you, it's worth noting that the Anker case has magnets that keep the cover securely closed when not in use. Even if holding just the bottom keyboard portion of the case horizontal to the floor, the magnets hold the iPad in the top of the case securely to the bottom and it stays closed. Anker worked on getting this right and they did. Other cases either use a snap to keep the case closed (Airbender), or the magnet simply isn't strong enough to keep the case together (KeyFolio). Anker not only easily keeps the case closed with magnets (like a smart cover), in so doing, it also helps add a degree of protection for the iPad screen. Overall, Anker has taken the time to design a superior case that is functional, attractive, provides a good degree of protection, and is usable in virtually any situation (unless you happen to be on that night flight :). Add in the six month battery life (time will tell on that one), eighteen month warranty, and the reasonable price point, and this case is a clear winner for iPad Air 2 users seeking to add bluetooth keyboard functionality. While my comparisons above are limited to two best-selling competitors because I had the most experience with them, I have no doubt that, when factoring in all elements, the Anker Bluetooth Folio Keyboard Case for iPad Air 2 is the best keyboard case option for the iPad Air 2. Update - 4 years and 3 months later, and this keyboard and the Air 2 keep on keeping on.... (of course, now that I've added that...... :)

UPDATE: As expected, Anker's excellent customer service bumped this rating back up to what it should have been. Like I said below, the product is SOLID, and almost immediately after I wrote this review explaining the minor glitch of the caps lock key, a representative contacted me and provided a replacement. The replacement shipped immediately and arrived within 2 days, and works brilliantly. The remaining warranty on the original case transferred over to this new one, so it's not like I lost out on the remainder of the warranty either. Great product, great customer service, this is the product you should go with. ____________________________________________________________ Let me first say that this review SHOULD be a five star review because for the past few months, this case has been an absolute DREAM. The moment the ipad magnetically clicks onto the keyboard, you can already tell the high quality and functionality of this case. The keyboard works great, the automatic bluetooth connection is great, the battery lasts FOREVER, like I dont know how long it lasts because I've been using the keyboard for my classes about 6 hrs/day every day for the past 5 months and I've never had to recharge it since the first charge. The design is sleek, simple and user friendly, the padding on the keyboard is excellent. I've gotten so many compliments and inquisitive looks at my ipad because people don't realize how useful ipads can be on a daily basis when you have the right keyboard case for them! I love not having to lug around my laptop for just note taking and internet surfing on campus. Okay, so why the 3 stars: About 4 months in, the CAPS lock button stopped working. I'm a little disappointed because I expected this to last a little longer than a few months, but given how well this case works and feels otherwise, I can't really give it anything lower than 3 stars. I'd be interested to see if I can somehow get this fixed or replaced with the warranty because I love this case otherwise! Depending on the customer service, I'll be updating the review and the star rating.

This keyboard worked fine

I have had a few various cases over the years for my ipads and this is my favourite and I can recommend it too!

Product works well. Has not faulted after couple months use.

Good quality product overall and solid construction. Personally I would have preferred the keyboard to be slightly bigger and the ability to move the angle of the screen to more than one position when upright would better and not just landscape.