Logitech’s Slim Combo for iPad Pro really boosts your portable productivity power

Logitech has a long history of making keyboard accessories for iPad, and it has a new product out in time for the release of the latest iPad Pro 10.5 and 12.9 updates. The Slim Combo, which is available for either size device, includes a back cover case with an integrated Apple Pencil sleeve, and a keyboard that uses the iPad’s Smart Connector.

The two piece approach results in a slim, flexible accessory package for the iPad on the go, which is pretty much a perfect combo for business travelers or creatives who want to pack light.

While it’s a ridiculous neologism, Microsoft’s ‘Lapability’ comes to mind when using the Logitech Slim Combo, since the back case includes a fold out kickstand that does a pretty good Surface Pro impression, letting you prop up your iPad Pro with a wide range of possible angles. It reliably stays open at the angle you set it, and you can even use it on your lap, as you probably guessed by now, making it a useful solution for iPad use on the couch, on the train or anywhere else you don’t have a dedicated desk.

The case can be used with or without the keyboard, which just snaps magnetically onto the edge of your iPad Pro (intentionally left open by the case). The 12.9-inch version of the Slim Combo includes a keyboard with a fold away wrist rest, while the 10.5-inch version has a fixed, single piece keyboard. Both are comfortable for typing for any length of time, with keys that provide a much more satisfying tactile experience vs. the stock Apple iPad keyboard case.

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These keys also have backlighting, also powered through the Smart Connector, so there’s no battery or pairing to worry about. It’s hard to understate how good of a job Logitech has done with the typing experience, too; this feels like typing on a real keyboard, rather than some hybrid facsimile created as a compromise.

Both pieces of the Slim Combo are made out of a hard plastic that feels like it can withstand some significant bumps and jolts. There are textured pieces where your hand is likely to fall on the outside for better grip, too, and overall the construction feels solid, down to the keys and the Pencil loop, which is perfectly size to grip the accessory snugly without being hard to load or remove.

Overall, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better case/keyboard combination that offers multi-angle viewing, including the ability to prop up your iPad in portrait orientation should you desire. The real value of a setup like this will really make itself apparent this fall, too, when iOS 11 arrives, bringing a lot more power features to the iPad Pro. The Slim Combo, at $169 for the 10.5-inch version, and $199 for the 12.9-inch model, fills in the last remaining gap for iPad productivity fans on top of those new features.