Hey folks,

Originally posted on Turbulencegains.com

Been using the ESR Rebound Magnetic Keyboard Case with my 11” iPad Pro M1 for about a month now and figured it’s time to share some thoughts. I’m a cadet pilot, studying psychology, and also running a blog where I write about fitness, tech, and aviation. Basically, my iPad isn’t for chilling or watching YouTube. I’m typing, editing, note-taking, and prepping for DGCA exams on this every single day.

I didn’t want to pay 16k for Logitech’s Folio Touch, and Apple’s Magic Keyboard was way out of budget. I already liked ESR’s accessories, so I decided to give this one a try. Reached out to them with a few pre-sale doubts, and they threw in a 20% refund after the purchase. Pretty sweet start.

Build and Grip

The case feels way more premium than what I expected. It’s made of a soft rubberized matte material that gives a grippy, confident hold. But yeah, it picks up smudges and fingerprints pretty easily. I’ve got a bit of OCD, so I clean it often with a microfiber or isopropyl cloth. Still, I’ll take smudgy and solid over slippery and shiny any day.

The hinge is sturdy and smooth. It tilts to most angles I need whether I’m working at a table, on the bed, or even in an airplane seat. No creaks, no wobbles. It feels like something you can trust not to break when adjusting it.

Typing and Trackpad

Typing is actually enjoyable. The keys have a satisfying click, aren’t too cramped, and feel stable under the fingers. They could’ve added a bit more key travel, but for a portable setup, it’s more than usable. Backlighting is available in multiple colors, but I just stick to white. The rainbow effects look kinda cheap in serious work settings.

The trackpad works well for general multitouch gestures. Scrolling, pinch-zooming, three-finger app switching all smooth. What I do miss is tap-to-drag. You can’t just lightly drag windows or files. You have to press down physically to move things, which feels a bit stiff. Not unusable, just mildly annoying.

Also, no dedicated Escape key. You’ll need to use Fn + ` to get that function. Takes a few days to get used to.

Battery and Bluetooth

Battery life is excellent. I use it around 2 to 3 hours a day, five days a week, and I didn’t charge it for the entire month. When I finally did, it charged from dead to full in about 90 minutes via USB-C. Bluetooth connection has been flawless. Turns on, reconnects instantly, no weird drops or lag.

Lap Use

Decent, actually. It’s bottom-heavy enough to feel stable on your lap. Of course, it’s not as comfy as a full-sized laptop, but I’ve typed entire blog posts while sitting cross-legged or in a moving car. It doesn’t fall backward or act wobbly like some lighter folio-style cases.

Magnet Strength

One of the things I was skeptical about was the magnetic attachment. But this thing holds on tight. The iPad snaps in with a strong click, and doesn’t budge. You’ll need both hands to pull it off, which honestly gives me peace of mind when I’m tossing it into a backpack or carrying it around.

What I’d like ESR to improve in version 2

Checkout full review Here on Turbulencegains.com

Just bought a rebound magic keyboard for the iPad 13 OLED. It has the rubber thin case around it that you can remove. It's thick and heavy but I couldn't bring myself to drop that cash on the apple version since I dont use the Magic Keyboard all day. Moreover, the magic keyboard offers poor protection and it's pretty easy for the chassis to get dinged up or scratched even in a laptop bag. Most of the time my iPad is docked next to my Mac Studio, but I certainly do use it as a laptop replacement aswell so I still need something. At any rate the ESR version feels alot more solid than the older 12.9 magic keyboard, typing is better and the base is alot more stable. The downside is you have to charge it and it's thicker and heavier. I figure the extra weight is not a huge deal though since you pretty much only ever use it on your lap sitting down or on a desk. Than when you want to grab and go with the tablet, you just pull it off the keyboard. Also the ESR one allows you to use it in portrait mode. Anyone else rocking the ESR rebound case with the new iPad OLED?

After looking on Reddit and not wanting to spend close to $300 for a keyboard I decided to try out the ESR Rebound keyboard. Here is my take:

ESR Pros:

• strong magnet and heavier

• option to light up keyboard and change the color

• considerably cheaper (~$100)

• good typing experience

• comes with separate case

• can go into portrait position with iPad

ESR Cons:

• the trackpad for me was lagging (this was a dealbreaker for me)

• not as luxe of a feel as the Magic Keyboard

• the case it comes with isn’t good quality and is difficult to put on and take off

• at times the experience overall wasn’t good- whether keys not typing or just not being able to scroll properly, the experience felt clunky

• needs to be charged

• doesn’t recline as much (this threw me off when I first tried it)

• not as seamless when folded into folio

Magic Pros:

• strong magnet and overall cleaner look and experience (folds into folio very nicely)

• better typing experience

• trackpad has zero lag

• usb C connection ports

• connects automatically

• no need to charge

Magic Cons:

• price is crazy (but, I bought mine as an open box from Best Buy for $200)

• no backlight

• does not go into portrait position on magnets (this doesn’t bother me personally)

Verdict: if it’s not obvious, I much prefer the Magic Keyboard. My iPad serves as my personal computer so the typing and trackpad experience needs to be excellent and high quality. I didn’t get that experience with the ESR personally despite all the raves I’ve seen about it. I like the Magic Keyboard enough to consider buying it at full price if I had to- that being said there are a few options online for refurbished or open box that are excellent deals.

Hopes this helps! And also, neither are great for typing in lap. That’s where my old MacBook Pro wins… I will need a lap table when I sit on the couch.