This is my second New Trent Airbender iPad case/keyboard combo. It is a very sturdy, elegant and functional Bluetooth keyboard case for your iPad Air. It is designed for people who want to use their iPad Air in some very rough and physically demanding environments. It is also a stylish case that will not be out of place in your hip neighborhood coffee shop.

One of the first things you notice about this case is that it’s pretty heavy, although not as heavy as the original version of Airbender. The case has been obviously redesigned, and it has lost some of its bulk. The new case doesn’t come with the several layers of protection for the iPad, which made it fairly hard to put your iPad in and out.

The case is indeed very sturdy and it covers your iPad Air almost completely, except for the screen, which is now completely exposed. It imbues one with a confidence that the case will protect your iPad Air from most falls and bumps, although I have not been brave enough to venture an actual physical test. The case detaches from the keyboard, and it allows you to use the iPad by itself. All ports are exposed and are easily accessible with cords.

The keyboard paired up with my iPad Air very easily and without any hitches. It also maintained connection for the duration of use. The keyboard is charged through a micro USB slot on the side. (An Apple compatible charging port might have been a more appropriate choice, but knowing how reluctant Apple is to let the third-party vendors use its ports, this was likely not going to happen.) The keyboard is very responsive, and I for the most part like the key action. However, this sized keyboard is cramped, and it will really vary from one individual to the next how comfortable you find typing on a keyboard of this size. I am fine with composing emails and typing documents that are up to 500 words in length (such as this one), but I would not consider writing the next great American novel on it.

The arm that attaches the case to the keyboard allows for your iPad to rotate through an arbitrary angle. The design of the arm and its attachment mechanism has also been tweaked from the previous model, and it’s now much easier to adjust it and keep the iPad fixed in its place. Both the landscape and the portrait modes are fully supported. The arm is detachable, and it allows you to position the keyboard at some distance from the iPad while typing – very convenient for the times when you don’t want to stare too closely at the small screen. When attached the arm is very securely fixed and it allows you for the “true” laptop use anywhere where you feel like taking your iPad Air.

The case/keyboard combo is very well made. It is also competitively priced, and if you are looking for a rugged device/accessory of this kind then you will not go wrong with this New Trent model. I highly recommend it.