Belkin Keyboard Folio Review

One of the chief problems with iPad keyboard cases is that they lock you into a predetermined screen position. Despite the tablet's wide viewing angles, one screen orientation is not optimal for all occasions, which is why we like the Belkin Keyboard Folio so much. This $99 keyboard case lets you adjust the angle of the iPad to suit your needs, and its keyboard is great to type on, too.

Design

The Belkin Keyboard Folio is made of a gray suede-like material that's comfortable to hold, but it doesn't feel as protective as hard plastic cases such as the ZaggFolio and the Targus Versavu. We also didn't find the Belkin case as attractive as the Kensington KeyFolio.

Opening the Belkin Keyboard Folio is a bit like playing with a Jacob's Ladder. This case can fold in so many ways that it's not immediately clear how it works. However, this complexity ends up being a good thing. When open, the flap covering the screen of the iPad flips to the bottom, providing a base that lets you adjust the angle of your iPad to suit your needs. Better yet, this design keeps the iPad in a secure position, so we didn't worry about it falling out if it was at too great an angle.

Performance

Belkin's keyboard presents very few compromises. The island-style keys were large and well spaced. Not only was the right Shift key full-sized, but the arrow buttons beneath (which are usually squeezed into the layout) had plenty of space, too. Like Kensington's Keyfolio, the Belkin keyboard has a dedicated .com key, and also has an @ key--they replace the right Alt and Control buttons.

Like on other iPad keyboards, the top row of the Belkin Keyboard Folio has dedicated buttons for certain iPad functions, such as media controls and text selection.

While we enjoyed typing on the ZaggFolio's slightly larger and grittier keys, we notched a higher of 62 words per minute on the Belkin keyboard, about 5 wpm higher than the Zagg and Kensington designs. Our accuracy of 99 percent was tops, too.

Belkin rates the Keyboard Folio for up to 60 hours of battery life, which is less than the Kensington and ClamCase. A microUSB port on the left side of the keyboard lets you recharge the keyboard.

Verdict

While it's a bit confusing to open, the Belkin Keyboard Folio proved the most versatile among all the iPad 2 keyboard cases we tested. It might not be the prettiest option, but it's the most functional.