Review: ESR Ascend keyboard case for iPad Pro and Air

Review sample provided by ESR Tech

The ESR Ascend is a keyboard case made for the iPad Pros and iPad Airs, more specifically the tablets with the flat side where Apple Pencil can attach to. Price ranges from USD 70 to 110 depending on which model you get. The price is just 1/3 of the original Apple Magic Keyboard so this pricing is definitely more reasonable.

ESR Rebound 360 with the floating tablet design

The ESR Ascend of one of the more popular keyboard cases the company sells. The other is the ESR Rebound 360 that I've also reviewed. Below are the differences

• ESR Rebound 360 looks like the original Apple Magic Keyboard and can work well on a lap too
• ESR Ascend provides more options for angle adjustment but uses more space on the table
• ESR Ascend has a row of dedicated keys for shortcuts for both 11 and 13-inch. ESR Rebound 360 only has the shortcut key row for 13-inch.
• ESR Ascend keyboard case can be folded and used as as standalone keyboard away from the tablet
• With ESR Rebound 360 you can just open and use. With ESR Ascend you have open and fold down the stand.

The keyboard case has two parts. There's the Bluetooth keyboard case and the silicone magnetic case. The silicone magnetic case will provide all-round protection except for the display. This silicone magnetic case does not with magnetic tablet stands I've tested.

The Apple Pencil can still attach to the side of the silicone case for charging and pairing. The flap of the case prevents the pen from dislodging accidentally, and can be attached magnetically to the back of the exterior case.

The keyboard case is available in either black and white. The review sample the company sent to me is white but I would have preferred black as white can get dirty more easier.

The exterior is smooth PU leather. I can't say how durable this will be but based on other PU leather cases that I have, this material should be able to last so I'm not worried about scratches or tears.

The company did not mention the weight but this is a heavy keyboard case. Every keyboard case is a heavy keyboard case and I'm saying that as someone who has reviewed many.

The keyboard case is also going to make tablet thicker. The extra weight and size is going to make this feel like a laptop than a tablet, but that's what a keyboard case dones.

Mine's the 13-inch model and the keyboard size looks full-size to me. The touchpad is big enough but there's a slight looseness to it. I would have preferred a firmer touchpad. Just a minor issue.

The keyboard can be purchased with either UK or USA keyboard layout.

The shortcuts at the top row are slightly different from original Apple Magic Keyboard.

The keys feel a bit plasticky to me. It's certainly not quite as firm compared to laptop keyboard. I would say the quality here is 4/5 so it's still pretty good. Typing experience is good. There's good travel and feedback. It's a keyboard that's easy to get used to.

This keyboard uses Bluetooth for connection. One advantage the ESR Ascend keyboard has over the ESR Rebound 360 is you can detach this keyboard and use it as a standalone keyboard away from the tablet. This allows me to place the tablet on a stand and the folded keyboard in front. The tablet stand allows me to elevate the tablet higher to a more ergonomic height.

The stand behind the tablet is the fold-down type instead of a kick-out type. The flap that protects the pen does not attach magnetically to the inner case, but it does attach magnetically to the exterior case.

The ESR Ascend keyboard case takes up more space on the table compared to the ESR Rebound 360, especially if you have the tablet angled down further.

The ESR Ascend is definitely a good looking case.

Another feature is the tablet can also be deployed vertically.

Conclusion

The ESR Ascend is a well-designed keyboard case for the iPad Pro and iPad Air. It looks good and works well. Pricing is reasonable so I can recommend this quite easily.

ESR Rebound 360 is probably the more convenient keyboard case since you can just open and use while the ESR Ascend requires you to fold down the stand. ESR Rebound 360 will work better if you do not have much table space.

ESR Ascend is good if you want to detach the keyboard to use the keyboard away from the tablet.

Whether to choose ESR Ascend or Rebound 360 will come down to personal preference.

Availability

The ESR Ascend and ESR Rebound 360 can be purchased from ESR Tech online store

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