Essential iPad Travel Accessories – 9to5Mac

I recently took a short weekend trip and wanted to just carry my iPad Pro and the other essentials I needed. With just my iPad and a few accessories, I was able to get all the work I needed done while traveling light and without sacrificing power, comfort or breaking the bank. I wanted to shed some light on these accessories because I believe they are really essential.

Which iPad I’m using

I’m currently using a 12.9 M1 iPad Pro with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi only. This means I use the absolute base model. I wish I had gone with 256GB or 512GB, especially since my iPad is my only computer, but I’m using some SSDs to compensate. Although I’m using an iPad Pro, most of the accessories I’ve mentioned will have an alternative on your particular iPad unless otherwise noted. I’ll also try not to mention the obvious accessories, but something like the Magic Keyboard is impossible to miss because it just turns your iPad into a laptop.

The main accessories

This category of accessories is for the products that are usually always physically on the iPad. When I travel, I always have five products on my iPad:

• Origrid by TinyRigs – This is a relatively new product that I have been using for a few months. For travel, this thing is a lifesaver. It lets you move and travel with all your iPad essentials without even needing to carry a backpack. The Origrid slides onto the back of the Magic Keyboard and adds storage to the back of the iPad. The model I have has two zippered compartments and those stretchy bands that can be manipulated to fit almost anything! I can easily fit a charger, cables, AirPods, SSD, Apple pencils, cleaning kit and a few other items.
• Paper Screen Protector – I had this on every one of my iPads. As an Apple Pencil user, I love it for the resistance it provides, especially when you’re shading something or even just taking notes. It protects the most important part of the iPad, the screen, and also gives you an anti-glare coating so you can use it outdoors. The display is the most important variable in resale, so make sure it is free of scratches and cracks!
• Penoval A4 Pro Apple Pencil Alternative – I could just mention the Apple Pencil 2 here, but that would be boring. Apple Pencil is still $130, five years later! The Penoval pen gives you 99% of the experience for 1/4 of the price. It has tilt and palm rejection sensitivity, fully charges in 30 minutes to give you six hours of continuous use, charges via USB-C, still attaches via magnets, and works with almost any iPad. The only thing is that it doesn’t charge magnetically and wirelessly, but it does everything else, including the double-tap shortcut.
• Pitaka MagEZ Case – I recently did a post about this case and the Pita!Flow ecosystem. But in short, what this case does is add some side rail protection to the iPad Pro, and it can stay on even when you’re using the Magic Keyboard. It also allows you to wirelessly charge your iPad.
• Magic Keyboard – If you’re an iPad Pro or iPad Air user and want your iPad to be something of a laptop replacement, then you pretty much have to get this accessory. Yes, it’s expensive, at $350 for the 12.9-in. version (currently $50 off the white version), but it truly transforms what the iPad is. The trackpad experience is amazing, the floating design is a conversation starter, and the keyboard is a joy to type on (I’m currently writing this article there). Some other options to consider for this are:

Other essential accessories

Now that I’ve mentioned the accessories that are always on my iPad when I travel, there are a few other products that I carry with me to round it all off. I still need things like a USB-C hub, an SSD, and a way to charge. Here’s the rest!

USB-C hub

The USB-C hub I traveled with is a 6-in-1 HyperDrive with multimedia controls. What I like about it is that it’s very compact, familiar and has all the essential ports I’d need on the go. It has USB-C power, SD card, Micro SD, USB A, 3.5mm headphone jack and HDMI port. But what’s unique about it are the media controls on the front of the hub. They work with any media the iPad plays and it works flawlessly.

Power

To charge my iPad I use Satechi’s new 108w GAN power brick. 108w is way too much because the iPad Pro can only take 33W at max speed. But I like this one because it has three USB-C PD ports, so it can charge even the 16-inch MacBook Pro if needed, and it has removable tabs, which is always a plus.

Various accessories

For finishing accessories, I like to wear a few things. I always carry my AirPods Pro Gen II wherever I go. I know it’s boring, but these things just work and the new noise cancellation upgrade from Gen I to Gen II still baffles me. It cuts out airplane noise, subway noise, crowd noise, and pretty much anything else that isn’t a sudden high-pitched sound. It’s unreal how they do it in a small form factor.

I also carry a 500GB Samsung T7 to offload anything that won’t fit on the iPad Pro. Finally, I like to carry a small cleaning kit when I travel to make sure I don’t get smudges and germs on my iPad. I use the Paperlike cleaning kit, which I like for the form and function, but there are many other cleaning kits out there.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, you have to use what works for you. Some people carry a bare iPad wherever they go, while others pack enough batteries, cables, and chargers to last more than a month even though they’re gone for two days. These are items I’ve tested over months or even years, and I keep them as my iPad travel essentials. If I had to choose one of these items, I would have to choose the Magic Keyboard, because it truly transforms what my iPad is to me. Tell me what you think! What accessories should you bring with you? What’s the one thing you could never travel without? Sound off in the comments which iPad you use and your most recommended accessory to go with it!

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