One thing I love about 9to5Mac readers is how engaged they are in the comments. My review of the ClamCase Pro iPad keyboard case last month led to a lively discussion about the relative merits of that vs the Brydge keyboard, so I decided to give that a try for a retrospective shoot-out.
The Brydge Air is a slightly different beast to the ClamCase, being just a keyboard and not a full case. It still hinges shut in a laptop-like clamshell fashion, but there’s no rear protection on this one. That, as we’ll see, has both pros and cons …
Looks & portability
Looks are, let’s be honest, important. You don’t spend this kind of money on an iPad keyboard just to get decent typing performance: there are plenty of cheaper options for that.
The Brydge Air has a unibody aluminum construction–there’s no plastic at all, unless you count the rubber shims used to adjust the hinges that grip the iPad. You get two sets of these, one for the iPad Air, the other for the iPad Air 2–I have the latter.
The Brydge also gives you a choice of colors: silver, space gray or gold. Despite the fact that I have a Space Gray iPad, I prefer a classic plain aluminum look for keyboards, so opted for silver.
The Brydge thus wins the first round. Where the ClamCase has plastic on the outer casing, and also in the keyboard inset, the Brydge is all-metal. From the typing position, it looks gorgeous, and has a real feel of quality to it.
The difference in appearance in the keyboard itself is pretty minimal. Here you can see my 11-inch MacBook Air on the left, Brydge in the center, and ClamCase on the right. The plastic inset on the ClamCase doesn’t stand out that much.
The other plus point of the Brydge is footprint. The angle of the photo doesn’t show it, but to be completely fair I aligned the rear edge of the ClamCase with the hinges of the Brydge to show the difference in size. You can see that the lack of any casing makes the Brydge a little narrower and noticeably less deep.
However, I have to say the rear/underside view of the iPad with Brydge attached is rather clunky in appearance. The ClamCase may have a plastic exterior, but looks neater in this view.
Thickness wise, there’s very little in it:
And neither product is going to win any aesthetic awards when viewed from the hinge side:
With the keyboards closed, then, I’m going to call the beauty contest a draw. However, for protection, it’s a clear win for the ClamCase, offering all-round protection against scratches and dings when carrying the iPad in a bag.
Setup
Bluetooth pairing is Bluetooth pairing: quick and easy. Both products also have a physical on/off switch, making it simple to disconnect/reconnect after the initial pairing.
The Brydge also has built-in speakers. I’ll get to those later, but for now just note that you need to do a second Bluetooth pairing if you want to use them. Both input and sound pairings can be used simultaneously.
The keyboard comes with the shims installed for the original iPad Air, so I needed to replace these for the slimmer fit of my iPad Air 2. The adhesive makes this a slightly fiddly process, so the ClamCase wins by a nose for the setup.
Insertion/removal of the iPad
Inserting and removing the iPad is easy with both products. The ClamCase requires a little courage, as it feels like you’re at risk of breaking it, but works well once you’re used to it. With the Brydge, you just slide the iPad in and out of the hinges. The presence of rubber shims means it slides easily in and out, and is very securely held.
Opening and closing each keyboard is similar. The ClamCase has a cutout to help the process, while the Brydge doesn’t, but both devices really require you to pick them up off the desk to open them. I’m going to call this one a draw.
In use
So finally we get to the important part: using the keyboard.
Both products have stiff hinges that allow you to position the iPad screen at any angle, and both are rock solid once positioned. The ClamCase is more flexible, with its 360-degree fold allowing you to use it in tablet mode without removing it from the case, but this makes for a very thick device, so I always ended up removing it and putting away the keyboard anyway, so no practical difference here.
You’d think a review of a keyboard would spend most of its time talking about the typing experience, but in truth there’s very little to say: both the Brydge and ClamCase keyboard are absolutely superb. I give a slight edge to a MacBook keyboard over both, but there’s very little in it.
The Brydge keyboard is slightly stiffer in use, but it’s a very marginal difference, and I couldn’t honestly say that one is better than the other.
A draw so far, then, but the Brydge does pull ahead in one respect: it offers backlit keys. I use these in exactly one situation–in a taxi at night–but it is useful then, so a slight win for the Brydge. The brightness of the backlighting is also variable, though I found I wanted full brightness anyway.
Speakers
The Brydge Air has one extra (one not available in an earlier model): built-in speakers. These are built into the rear of the keyboard.
In theory, this is a useful idea. With previous iPad models, I have sometimes found the speakers a bit weedy when watching a movie. But with the excellent iPad Air 2 speakers, it seems completely pointless: the speakers are lower-volume than the iPad ones, and pointed out back, they are less usefully positioned too.
I really can’t understand why the company bothered with this, other than to create a bullet-point for marketing purposes.
Pricing & conclusions
As with the ClamCase review, pricing needs to make it onto a heading as it requires the same sharp intake of breath: the price is identical, at $169. Or even more expensive, if you want the gold version: that, for some reason, carries a $20 premium.
As I said before, only you can decide whether any keyboard can justify adding at least 20% to the price of your iPad. There are much, much cheaper options out there, including the $40 Anker model that Jeremy considered a perfectly viable option in his review yesterday.
With either the ClamCase Pro or the Brydge Air, you’re getting a MacBook-quality keyboard with looks to match; whether that justifies the price premium is a decision only you can make.
If you do think it’s worth spending this kind of money, choosing between the ClamCase and the Brydge is not easy. The ClamCase offers all-round protection, and a neater look when closed–but has a plastic outer and is white. The Brydge looks a little more sophisticated in use, but clunkier from behind and when closed–and offers no protection to the back of the iPad. The Brydge has a slightly smaller footprint.
I’d say it’s very much a personal choice, and may depend on how likely you think it is your iPad could get scratched when carried. In the shoulder bag I use when walking, there’s very little risk of damage in the padded tablet pocket, so the smaller footprint of the Brydge wins out. In my cycling bag, where there’s more chance of my iPad bouncing around a little on London’s less-than-smooth roads, the ClamCase is more reassuring.
Yer pays yer money and makes yer choice.
The Brydge Air keyboard is compatible with iPad Air and iPad Air 2. It is available direct from Brydge for $169 (silver and white) or $189 (gold). The older (speakerless) model for iPad 2/3/4 cost $129 when launched, but can now be found on Amazon from $110 new, $80 used.
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While I can see how some would like the Brydge, I love the added protection of the ClamCase. And for $169, I’d rather get a little more protection than the Brydge offers. I’ll stick with my ClamCase.
I didn’t read the full discussion thread in your review of the ClamCase, but I’m surprised to see nobody has mentioned the impending 12″ Retina MBA.
I have 13″ MBA for home/work, as well as a 4th Gen iPad (Retina) for work purposes. I can understand people wanting an iPad for portability purposes, as well as the obvious app catalogue, but adding these 3rd party keyboards (keyboard cases) adds considerable bulk.
For those in the market for buying a portable Apple product for productivity (iPad or Macbook Air), would it not be worth their while to wait and see when said 12″ MBA is released, and at what price point? If Apple can get the machine’s pricing to be anywhere near the current 11″ MBA (doubtful, considering Retina screen, etc.), the price difference between an iPad Air 2 + “high end” keyboard case and a 12″ Retina MBA might be quite marginal. Though this would depend on storage capacity, LTE vs. wifi, etc.
I guess it depends on ones needs – a MBA can do photo/video editing and multitasking a little better than an iPad, where an iPad may just be simpler (if you’re only using it for email/web browsing/the odd word processing).
Just thinking out loud here…
looks nice, but the price…
Yep, it’s not cheap …
IMHO I wouldn’t get either one… I picked p ClamCase for my mom for Christmas..
Then I used the Belkin QODE Ultimate Pro Keyboard.. OMG… Their are just to many things this does better over both of the ones above.. and it costs less, $149. Still not cheep, but if serious about a keyboard/case.. VERY hard to beat.
– Full case protection like ClamCase, but fully detachable from the keyboard.
– Usable in horizontal AND vertical modes.
– Supports 2 devices, so you can switch from the iPad to your iPhone with ease..
– The bottom redirects the speaker sound toward you! (love that)
– Magnetic sensors that detect when you open it and turn the keyboard on and when you detach to turn it off.
http://www.belkin.com/us/p/P-F5L176/
Check it out.. LOVE mine..
Oh, and when you detach from the keyboard, the iPad case part is compatible with the Apple Smart Cover if you don’t want the keyboard while on-the-go..
I haven’t tried the Qode myself, but Jeremy reviewed it here: http://9to5mac.com/2014/12/29/belkins-qode-ultimate-pro-keyboard-cases/
Still too expensive for us Aussies. The $169 ($20 Off Special if you sign up for their newsletter) for the ClamCase is close to $200 AUD and I could nearly buy a MBA for that, so I have gone the new ZAGG Slim Book http://d.pr/18VCA for $129, and I love the idea of Backlit keyboard, removable from keyboard and nearly full size keyboard.
Hi Ben, I can’t believe you didn’t mention the ability of the keyboards to put the iPad to sleep when closed. I don’t know about the ClamCase Pro but while the Brydge puts the iPad Air 1 to sleep, this is NOT the case for the iPad Air 2. They’ve been very quiet about this. I know it’s because Apple moved the magnets in the iPad Air 2 but I still think they should be upfront about this.
Kieran, I don’t personally use the autosleep function following a cycling holiday where it kept switching itself on while cycling so I finished the day with a flat battery.
Hi Ben, being the one who started the debate about the Brydge Keyboard when you reviewed the ClamCase Pro, I’m grateful that you now managed to also review the Brydge.
Great review! Something you have us accustomed to.
I am now on the edge of dropping my Apple Wireless Keyboard + Origami Workstation setup in favor of a Silver Brydge Keyboard.
Something I had long been considering and we even agree on the color, Silver, even though my iPad Air 2 is a Space Grey one.
Regarding the other comments, I agree that my second choice to the Brydge would be the Belkin QODE Ultimate Pro and NOT the ClamCase Pro. It just looks better and seems to offer a better quality.
Anyway, I’m going for the Brydge since I don’t need the whole protection, I just use the keyboard when typing on the desk, not while carrying my iPad.
Kindest regards
OK, I am missing something here. An iPad with a nice keyboard is a second rate replacement for a MBA, costs about the same thing, and is the same size. Why would I want to go this route?
As someone who owns both, I’d say it’s not second-rate, it’s horses for courses. My MBA is more powerful, my iPad Air 2 has better battery-life, true instant on/off and built-in LTE. I’m writing this on a train on my iPad …
I agree, Ben. Also, I have some apps that I enjoy using on my iPad versus just straight web browsing on a MacBook Air. I have the iPad Air 2 and Retina MBP 15. If I don’t “need” to take my MBP with me, I’d rather not. The smaller footprint on the Brydge plus Air 2 is quite welcome sometimes.
I have the Brydge for my iPad Air 2 and LOVE it. I also had the Qode but sold it because of the weird keyboard layout. If I remember correctly, it was the colon/semicolon key requiring a function press. Not good for workflow. I had the original Brydge for my iPad 4 and love everything but the speakers. They’ve vastly improved the speakers on the new Brydge but they still don’t sound as good as the Air 2’s speakers. Overall though, the fit, finish, solid construction, infinitely adjustable hinge, footprint, keyboard layout, and backlit keys are all killer features. This thing is SOLID! I’m very careful with my gear so durability or ruggedness is not needed for my use and both the iPad and Brydge fit in a Waterfield Designs iPad case. Totally satisfied with my Brydge and feel it’s worth every penny!
I went with the Zagg Slim Book for my iPad Air 2. Protective case for tablet, nice keyboard w/back lit keys, video-viewing mode, and detachable tablet without losing protective cover. All for only $129.
I got tired of waiting for them to release the Rugged Book for $149, but the added drop protection would be worth the $20.
Hi Ben, thanks for a great review. What about weight? Is the weight appreciably different between the two keyboards?
I can’t get mine to work
I bought it and it looks well made and works pretty easily. But it doesn’t turn an ipad into a laptop, there is no track pad or connectivity with other devices. Honestly, I took it back off after a few minutes, concluding that it is no substitute for a slim and light chromebook on the road. Unfortunately, I will continue to carry both the iPad and the Chromebook, leaving the expensive keyboard at home.
What does replacing the shims mean? What does it involved? Thanks.
What does replacing the shims involve?
Piece of cake. The silicone shims are held on by tape so you can remove them easily if you want. They fill the void in the hinge bracket to match the thickness of the Air or Air 2. You get both sets of shims with the keyboard. Once the shim is installed, it won’t go anywhere. I take my Air 2 in and out of the keyboard every day and never had an issue.
Slightly fiddly, but takes only a few minutes. Just pull out the existing ones, peel off the self-adhesive tape from the replacements and then carefully work them in. Once in place, put your iPad in to fully press the new shims against the metal to secure the adhesive.
I have the iPad Air and the Brydge keyboard, and bought the keyboard for the backlit function. I love the substantial feel of the unit, it looks a nice piece of kit. Plus, I bought the acrylic shell cover for the iPad so that it’s protected from scratching, and it all fits into a Toffee leather zipped pouch.