Tablets have come a long way from devices you only use to binge-watch your favorite shows on road trips. And now tablet-with-keyboard combos are everything you love about a tablet — lightweight and portable — with the power and utility of a laptop. Even more enticing is most tablet-keyboard combos are less expensive than their laptop counterparts.
If you are debating getting either a new laptop or a tablet with a keyboard, consider a few things:
- With a tablet combo, you can detach the keyboard when you don’t need it
- Tablets with keyboards are more portable than laptops
- All tablets have touch screens, where many laptops don’t
“Anything you can do, I can do better,” is the song that tablets sing to laptops in 2020. Below you’ll find our recommendations for the best tablets with keyboards, from top-of-the-line iPads to budget tablets for $500.
1. iPad Pro
BEST OVERALL
With laptop-worthy processing and storage, an iPhone-worthy camera and the portability you’d expect from a tablet, the iPad Pro is without doubt one of the best tablets with keyboards year after year. The 10-hour battery life can hang with you during your busy day at the home or office, and whatever you are working on or viewing is going to look incredible on the liquid retina display. It’s definitely worth the extra coin, but keep in mind, you’ll have to purchase the keyboard separately.
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab 6
RUNNER-UP
As an option that truly functions as a powerful laptop when paired with a keyboard, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 6 is every bit as great as the iPad Pro, especially if Android is your flavor of choice. It sports an impressive 15-hour battery life for plenty of show binging or tackling office work. And the Snapdragon 855 chip and handle just about anything you throw at it, while the Super AMOLED display makes content look great. Like the iPad Pro, the keyboard is sold separately.
MORE: The 10 Best Android Tablets
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3. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
BEST FOR OFFICE USE
With upgraded battery life and performance compared to its predecessor, the Surface Pro 7 is a great option for your office tasks. Pair it with any stylus, and you can really get to work by drawing and writing right on the tablet. And seeing how it weighs less than two pounds, and sports 10.5 hours of battery life, the Surface Pro 7 will most likely outlast you during a full day at the office.
4. Google Pixel Slate
EASY TO USE
The Pixel Slate is a pricey endeavor, especially when you consider options like the iPad Pro and Galaxy Tab 6 are more powerful, but the big thing that Google Pixel Slate has going for it is Chrome OS — it’s incredibly easy to use. But don’t forget about the premium display as well as the impressive 12 hour battery life. When technology gives you a little trouble, it is worth spending a little extra on an easy to use tablet with keyboard combo.
5. Microsoft Surface Go 2
BUDGET SURFACE
When you’d like a Surface Book, but you aren’t ready to shell out that kind of dough, the Surface Go 2 is an affordable option to join the Surface family. You still get 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for around $550, and not to mention an impressive 10-hour battery life in a package that weighs just over a pound. The Surface Go 2 is proof you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a quality keyboard-tablet combo.
6. Lenovo Tablet 10
MOST RELIABLE
When you want a reliable and portable tablet with a keyboard that uses Windows, the Lenovo Tablet 10 checks all those boxes. It is one of the few tablets with keyboards that includes a stylus, which is great taking notes, especially when you’re in the office. The 8.5-hour battery life should make it through your entire workday without issues. And taking it from the office, home and then back again, is no problem considering it only weighs 1.46 pounds.
7. Apple iPad Air (2020)
PORTABLE DESIGN
A more affordable and lightweight option compared to the iPad Pro, the iPad Air still sports a large and vibrant retina display as well as a speedy A14 bionic chip to blast through any task you throw at it. And considering it only weighs about a pound, it is one of the most portable options you’ll find. Not a bad choice, especially if you’re always on the go.
8. Microsoft Surface Book 3
BEST SPLURGE
An absolute powerhouse of a tablet with a keyboard, the Surface Book 3 will help you happily wave goodbye to your laptop. Sporting 16GB of RAM, 256 of SSD storage, and a speedy processor, most laptops have trouble competing with those specs. You can choose between a 13-inch or 15-inch display, which is larger than most tablets, too. Of course, this comes at a steep price, but the extra cash buys you a ton of power and utility.
9. Apple iPad Tablet (2020)
BEST CLASSIC
If you’re looking for the tablet that started it all, the most recent version of the iPad is a great way to jump into the tablet world. Settled in-between the Pro and the Air, the regular iPad has been updated to a larger 11-inch Retina display for glorious and vivid colors. The built-in camera includes an 12 megapixel camera for great photos and even allows you to shoot videos in HD. But the best part is included connectivity with the Smart Keyboard, which provides a keyboard when you need it and a cover for your iPad when you’re on the go.