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A keyboard is one of the most-used accessories for every computer, and Bluetooth technology now allows you to use one without being tethered to a wire. But full-sized keyboards are still quite big, so they’ll take up a lot of room on your desk whether you’re using them or not. If you’ve moved on from a PC or Mac to a tablet, you may also be struggling with using the built-in touch-screen keyboard.
Both of those problems can be fixed with a relatively new tech accessory: a foldable Bluetooth keyboard. These full-sized keyboards have a hinge in the middle that allows you to halve their size without sacrificing functionality. The keyboard is divided completely in half; if you look down at your current keyboard, the split happens between the G and the H keys.
The keycaps on these keyboards are slightly smaller than on a typical Bluetooth keyboard, but the difference isn’t substantial enough to bother most typists. The biggest difference is the space bar, which is cut in half, and accessible on both sides. If you’ve traveled with a tablet and wished you had a physical keyboard, or want one you can keep off your desk when taking notes or watching videos, you’ll find what you’re looking for in our guide.
How Do Wireless Keyboards Work?
The best wireless keyboards pair to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth technology. Once connected, you can use these keyboards just like a regular one; they all have a full set of keys and most of the same functions are a traditional wired keyboard.
Most of the best folding keyboards will provide the same hand positioning and finger-feel of regular keyboards, though they’ll be a lot thinner and in some cases the keys are narrower or closer together. Because of their portable (read: thinner) size and foldability, you may not get the same “clicking” sound and weight you’re used to with classic keyboards.
What You Need to Know Before Buying a Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard
There are many factors to think about when choosing the right foldable Bluetooth keyboard for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.
Size and Weight:The point of having a foldable Bluetooth keyboard is its portability, which depends on its size and weight. All of the keyboards we chose weigh under half a pound, and fold up to be roughly half a foot long. You can easily keep them in a desk drawer, backpack, or the accessory pocket found on many laptop sleeves.
Compatibility: Because these keyboards connect via Bluetooth, most of them can work with PCs, Macs, iOS, and Android devices. We made sure to pick options that had function keys (the row on top of the letters), that allow you to adjust settings like screen brightness and volume with a single tap.
Battery Life:The foldable Bluetooth keyboards we picked all have rechargeable batteries rated to last roughly 40 hours per charge. That’s enough power to use the keyboard through long-distance flights, or an hour a day for over one month.
