If you’ve just bought an iPad, chances are that your targeted ads are getting frantic trying to sell you more stuff. Gimmicky peripherals, TikTok tat, useful-looking bits of plastic that you’ll never use; there’s an entire industry that’s sprung up around iPad accessories.
I’ve been using iPads for years both as a tech reviewer and as a normal person, and I’ve come to understand which iPad accessories are actually useful, and which are destined for the landfill.
So here are six iPad accessories that are genuinely worth your time and money; I’ve discounted actual official Apple products and accessories, as that’d be a bit too obvious.
I’ve also included a dishonorable mentions list at the bottom, of some products I’ve intentionally not included, and why they’re not worth buying.
1. A keyboard case
I like tablets, but typing on them is an absolute pain. I wrote my entire college dissertation on one, 12,000 words long, and it taught me that on-screen keyboards simply aren’t great for word processing.
So enter keyboard cases; these are accessories that protect your iPad while you’re transporting it, and which can be unfurled into stands with keyboards when you’re ready to work. It’s such a fundamental part of the iPad experience that Apple sells multiple versions of it (not that you need to rely on Apple’s pricey options).
My keyboard case is my most-used accessory by far – not just for the word processing benefits but simply as it’s a 2-in-1 accessory that doubles as a case. If you’re going to do any writing, be it laying out a novel or simply sending emails, I can’t recommend a keyboard case enough.
2. A USB-C dock
If you use your iPad as a portable work-station, you’ll quickly find the device’s single USB-C port quite a hindrance for all your accessories, peripherals and tools, particularly given that many apps recommend you don’t use Bluetooth devices, in order to improve latency and accuracy.
Wired keyboards, headphones, hard drives and other extras are therefore mandatory for creatives, but then where do you plug them all with only one USB-C port on an iPad? Why, into a USB-C dock, of course.
These slot into your iPad’s USB-C port and give you loads of extra space to plug things into. Many don’t only offer you extra USB-C ports but also USB 2.0, HDMI, 3.5mm jacks and memory card slots, so you can turn your iPad into a veritable powerhouse. Plus, you can usually use these to charge your iPad while something else is plugged in, which is benefit enough in and of itself.
3. A stylus
I really like my iPad’s stylus. I like it so much that I use it about 50% of the time I’m using my iPad. I like it so much that I have a spare. I like it so much that I wrote a separate article about my quest to find a cheap alternative to the Apple Pencil.
A stylus is what fulfils the iPad’s role as a versatile and portable creative work station; it turns it into a tablet in the ancient sense of the word, of a slate that you can write onto.
Using a stylus, you can mark up documents, draw sketches, make notes with your hand (which is far less annoying and noisy for people around you, not to mention far more idiosyncratic, than typing them). It unlocks a whole new way of using an iPad that, I’d argue, the tablet was originally invented for in the first place (before Apple started trying to make them more powerful than they need to be).
4. A page turner
This is going to be the most niche entry on this list, but I’ve had enough people swear by iPad page turners that I needed to include them somewhere.
iPad page turners are remote devices which let you turn the page in an eBook or document without having to physically touch the device. Most come with hand-held clickers, but some instead have foot pedals.
These devices are really handy for musicians who don’t have a free hand to turn pages, public speakers who don’t want to make it obvious that they’re reading off a script, or even readers who want to put their iPad out of reach while reading.
5. A protective case
If you read the entry about keyboard covers above and didn’t think you wanted an extra keyboard, then you’re still going to need a way to protect your iPad. That’s where protective cases come in.
There are some very rugged protective cases available for iPad. These keep them covered when you’re toting the tablet around, so it won’t get dented in your bag, and also ensure that it’s safe when you’re using it too. Many also have stands or hand-grips which will be useful in a few situations.
Some of the options online are just for protective shells, but many also have screen protectors and I’d recommend looking at once of these for extra protection – after all, a tablet’s screen is its most vulnerable area.
6. An external hard drive
I bought an external hard drive for a project, but once that wrapped, I found myself using it all the time to back up items on my iPad without having to subscribe to iCloud.
An external hard drive is a physical item, usually smaller than a smartphone, which you can plug into devices and use as a data storage tool – think of them as giant USB sticks with a lot more storage. Most of them come with USB-A adaptors but you can easily buy USB-C ones online, and some come with them.
I like using an external hard drive as it gives me a really handy way to back up items, and also convert them between devices. iCloud is only convenient on Apple devices, plus you need an internet connection and it costs you money every month, and for those reasons I avoid it. Hard drives let you easily work between multiple devices, back up when you’re out in public, and will save you money in the long run.
It can even be a hard drive that you use for other tasks, such as the Xbox hard drive shown above. Just one thing to bear in mind: it’s easy to lose external hard drives, so maybe consider an AirTag, too.
Some iPad accessories that you might want to avoid
There are a few really handy iPad accessories available online… but there are many more that I’d advise you to think twice about before buying.
For example, Bluetooth keyboards. They sound really useful, but they’re an annoying extra device to carry around besides your iPad – I used to own one, but setting it up every time I wanted to use it, and toting it about, was a pain. Instead a keyboard folio is so much more convenient. The same is true of stands: don’t buy one on its own, but instead get one that fulfils multiple functions.
I’ve also seen a few drawing gloves online; these ensure that the iPad doesn’t register your palm when you rest it on the device as you draw. The issue is, iPads have palm detection and rejection by default, so the gloves’ key selling point is already a key iPad feature.
Some people may want to buy a Bluetooth or wired mouse, but isn’t part of the point of an iPad that you can control via touchscreen? I can only see them being useful in very niche use cases, not for everyone.
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tom.bedford@futurenet.com (Tom Bedford)
