Brydge - Wireless Keyboard for Microsoft Surface Pro 7, 6, 5 and 4 - Silver

I purchased my Microsoft Surface Pro 3 a couple of years ago and also picked up the pricey keyboard. While the Microsoft SP3 keyboard is convenient I didn't care too much for the flex while typing. When the Brydge 12.3 keyboard for the Surface Pro 3 & 4 became available I was extremely interested in an upgrade. The Brydge keyboard's aluminum case has a solid feel. The back-lit keys have sufficient tactile feedback and travel to make typing much more pleasant than the Microsoft Surface Pro keyboard. Four rubber feet on the bottom of the keyboard keep it secure in place while typing. The hinge mechanism has rubber spacers that snugly hold the Surface Pro to the keyboard without fear of the two accidentally coming apart. Out of the box the spacers are for a slightly thinner Surface Pro 4 but they do include the silicone spacers for a Surface Pro 3. Swapping was easy but make sure you have everything installed completely. I did have minor issues sliding the Surface Pro into the hinges but that was due to operator error while installing the spacers. Once positioned properly the Surface Pro and Brydge keyboard looked like it a solid laptop. With the Surface Pro up and ready for use the keyboard hinge gives you a slight angle and has silicone feet (actually part of the spacer) that provide non-slip grip while typing. Setup was a fast and easy Bluetooth connection. Brydge also offers the same keyboard with 128GB of memory to provide additional storage for your Surface Pro. For that solid feeling you do pay for it in weight as it is on the heavy side coming in at almost 3 lbs. Most of that weight comes from it's on-board battery which is charged through a micro-USB port. Personally I love this keyboard. While not as thin and lightweight as the Microsoft keyboard it does add stability, no flex and great key response. I've had a few Bluetooth keyboards but none are as solid or integrate easily to the Surface Pro. I having to deal with a stand-alone keyboard for tablets. They only thing I might have done different is add a way to tether the Surface Pro to the keyboard to use the keyboard's battery for emergency power for the tablet if needed (maybe a short cable with Surface Pro charging tip). Brydge keyboards are also available for the iPad Pro 12.9" and 9.7", the new 9.7" iPad, the iPad Air 2, the iPad Air and the iPad Mini 4. I'm definitely picking one up for my 9.7" iPad. All are comparably priced to other alternatives making these a better solution if you don't mind the weight. Pros: + solid feel + looks integrated with the Surface Pro + great key response + back-lit keys + comparable pricing Cons: - relatively heavy - must remember to charge it - hinges are not 360° so you must remove Surface Pro from keyboard if you want to use it as a tablet

Much of the review could be summed up with one sentence: "This thing is absolutely awesome." I have been using Surface and Surface-like form factors as my primary portable computer for about five years now. And I've been very happy with the experience for the most part. The first one I got was motivated more by the fact that it was the best one to use with a pen than anything else, and while I was satisfied with the snap-on keyboard and kickstand support, "satisfied' is really about as far as I would go with it. As anyone who has used a kickstand based machine on a train or airplane can attest, it's often a pain to work with. The shallow travel of the keys isn't particularly satisfying to use, and the less said about the knuckle-punishing fabric keyboards that came with the first generation surface the better. And there are just an abundance of places where there isn't a good place to use the kickstand. Well, this keyboard pretty much fixes all of that. I hadn't realized just how much I had missed being able to just set my computer on my actual lap and type anywhere until I stuck my computer into this wonderful little accessory and started working. The thing improved my productivity simply because I no longer have a lingering reluctance to pull out the computer when I don't have an optimal surface to set it up on. Looking beyond the concept, the product itself is just as impressive. It's got a bit of heft to it that makes it just a little heavier than the Surface itself, much of which goes to an oversized battery they advertise will work for 3 months of heavy use. Usually I feel compelled to stress test battery life claims to see what they actually are, but in this one case I'm willing to let that number stand simply for logistical reasons. The milled aluminum case is sturdy and pleasant to work with, the glass touchpad is wonderfully smooth and responsive, and the keyboard itself has great action on all the keys. It's also got plenty of nice extras including illuminated keys, dedicated function buttons, multi-touch support, and a button to quickly check that massive never-ending battery. Now that said, there are a couple of things that could count as downsides. For a start, the fact that this thing needs an internal battery. Unlike the official Surface keyboards, this thing works on a bluetooth connection. I'm not entirely sure that's a bad thing in all cases, since it does mean you can use the keyboard in a non-laptop configuration and even with other Surface-like tablets if you want (which I confirmed do work, though they look amazingly silly.) But the downside is that you do get all the problems that typically come with bluetooth keyboards, like a slight amount of input lag at higher typing speeds (so long as you stay under 100wpm you're probably fine.) The version with an integrated SSD also has a somewhat awkward workaround for this lack of a direct connection in the form of a dangling USB cable running from the Surface USB port to the keyboard. You might also find it takes a little practice before you're able to get the thing correctly lined up with the clips that grip the Surface. And of course there's the fact that this does double the weight of the Surface, but that's pretty much a necessity in creating a stable product. I can't say that I really feel these detract from the experience for me, but they were deal breakers for a few of the other Surface users who checked out the keyboard. But if you're like me and want the traditional laptop option but don't want to spring for a Surface Book, I'd say this is probably the keyboard for you regardless of the trade-offs.

This keyboard is one of the best I've seen available for the Surface Pro. It has very nice finishes, and compliments the Surface nicely. It truly makes the Surface Pro look like a laptop. The trackpad has the ability to use gestures, which is a great addition as well. You can use a quick three-finger tap to pull up Cortana, or slide up will three fingers to show a your open apps. The battery life is seemingly great. I'm still working off the first charge. The claim is that the battery will last up to three months on a singe charge, and it's easy to see that it's capable. That is VERY good. It also has a button you can press for the battery's status. They keys feel great, and the trackpad is very responsive. My only complaints about this keyboard is that there is no place to store the pen for my Surface Pro 3, and it does add a decent amount of weight. Though, the weight added makes it function much like a standard laptop, and doesn't feel heavy in your lap or anything like that. Pros: Very sleek, nice finishes, very responsive, excellent battery life, smart features Cons: A bit heavy, no place to store the Surface Pen Overall, an easy keyboard to recommend. Though, you may need to find a way to store your pen.

Going to jump right in - for reader's mindset, I tested this on a Surface Pro 4. Well, it’s a keyboard, lets talk about how the keys are. Each key has a nice action and travel - something around ¼” which sounds remarkably like a Lenovo keyboard (this is good). And all of this is done without adding much in the way of weight or depth as it actually clocks in smaller than the size of the Surface Book keyboard.. As a whole, the build quality of the device is pretty nice. The case feels very solid; attempting to torque it yields no bend. By design I suppose, it is very reminiscent of a Surface Book keyboard with a taste of MacBook thrown in. Of course, like either of these devices it comes with a backlit keyboard. On a minor note, you can tell that the design team spent some time in the packaging department. During my unpackaging of the box there were several times that I stood back and just stared in amazement. The one thing that I don’t care for the most on this device are the hinges. The left hinge is positioned such that it causes significant pressure on the LCD - enough that one can plainly see the stress ripple on the LCD. As a whole, it worries me that continued use in the format of a laptop might cause damage to my Surface screen. (See attached picture) On top of the hinge placing a bit too much stress on the screen, several times while testing it I noted that the Surface was apparently too heavy for it as if I picked up the combo by the base, the Surface would tilt back. As a whole, the hinges seem weak in the wrong places and strong in the wrong places. I guess the one mitigating factor to this that the weaker hinges place (slightly) less stress on the device as a whole. Finally, while the style does match up nearly perfectly with the Surface Pro 4 down to the color, the edges are sharp. When Microsoft designed the Surface, they made the edges sharp but still rounded off the edge just enough that you couldn’t feel an abrupt cut. The edges on this device work to match the Surface styling but fall flat as they missed that final smoothing effect on them. If not immediately apparent from the images of the device, the trackpad is recessed - the edges that surround the trackpad are admittedly some of the sharpest on the unit; especially the one that sits between the keyboard and the top of the trackpad. A smoother transition would have been much appreciated. Finally, the only way this connects is via Bluetooth 3.0. The device offers encryption according to its Bluetooth descriptor record, yet I still feel a bit wary typing in my passwords over a relatively open media in a 20’ radius. I do think that the risk is minimal though as I have no problem typing on a wireless keyboard which potentially suffers from similar security issues. Overall, the upside here is that I can use it with any device I want whenever. All in all, I like it. The keyboard is nice, the keys have some nice travel on them and the trackpad is relatively nice. As this is the first iteration on this device there is definitely room for improvement; the hinges as a whole are majorly concerning which will lead me to separating it from the device shortly after submitting this review and the abrupt cuts make it somewhat uncomfortable to hold on your lap. Giving it four stars as though the LCD issue is concerning, the product is a welcome addition to my tech toolkit.

To preface, I currently own a Surface Pro 3 with the MICROSOFT keyboard. I will say using the Microsoft keyboard leaves a lot to be desired in tactile feedback but on the plus is the minimal weight added to the overall Surface Pro. But onto the review, while it is much thicker and heavier, I can live with both given the backlight keyboard (3 manual setting levels), the strength of the hinge setup and the ease of angle adjustment. But the real kicker is now you have a full fledge laptop with a very high quality keyboard with great tactile feedback. The brydge is made of excellent materials and in my estimation is built for long term use and durability. The only drawback other than the weight which is not that big of an issue is the Bluetooth interface which during initial power up has a little lag. But the build quality, the tactile feedback, backlit keyboard, the powerful docking hinge, improved angle adjustment and ease of use makeup for the weight and minor Bluetooth lag

I really like this keyboard. It allows me the ability to use my surface pro just like a conventional laptop. This setup is light weight and gives you the ability to place the screen at various angles. The BRYDGE keyboard is comfortable to use and now allows you the opportunity to use the laptop in your lap. My only two cons are that in the beginning upon initial setup the keyboards function weren't working correctly. To fix the issue, I just deleted then reconnected via bluetooth. My only other issue is that I must use the Surface Pro's screen to log onto the system before I can actually use the keyboard. Just wish that once pushing the button to wake the SP3 that the keyboard was able to be used to log on. These issues are definitely not deal breakers. This keyboard is truly worth getting. I will be recommending this keyboard to my family, friends and coworkers.

Just got this keyboard for my Surface 3 and it's amazing. I work on the go a lot, and I can't lug around a laptop in this day and age with all of the product I also have to carry so I usually work with the skinny keyboard it came with. Before I had to prop up my Surface to work and this is a hybrid fix to not having my laptop on hand. The Brydge is changing things for me though. I have to be able to work on all sorts of surfaces and with the Brydge it has made working a cinch. I love that the keyboard is so responsive to my key strokes. Unlike other keyboards I like that I can charge this keyboard and it won't drain my Surface's battery. Oh my gosh and the shortcuts added to the top of the keyboard are simply amazing. I didn't know what I was missing until I started using all of the shortcuts. This is a no brainer, if you have a Surface you should pair it with this keyboard to make life a lot easier!

I too am late on my review for the Brydge 12.3 keyboard for the Surface Pro 3 and 4. I use a Surface Pro 4 daily as my primary computing device. I use it at work, on the couch, on planes, in bed, etc – and found the normal Surface kickstand awkward and difficult to use. You can imagine how excited I was to see this new option for the Surface! My story goes like this. I purchased the Brydge 12.3 directly from Brydge a week before I was to fly to a technical conference – so I was eager to test it both on the plane and on my lap during the conference sessions. Unfortunately, Brydge’s order processing and shipping is NOT like AMAZON, and the day before I left for my trip I ran to Best Buy to purchase one in the store. BBY saves the day! It should be noted that the ordered keyboard did show up about 10 days after I ordered and I promptly returned it and was out only the return shipping costs. OK – so I finally have one in my possession! I took it out of the box and slid my Surface Pro 4 device into the holders and paired it via Bluetooth in minutes – and I was off! Let’s start off with the good things I’ve accumulated over 60 days of daily use: 1. I like the feel of the keys more than the standard Surface keyboard 2. The 3 level background lighting for the keyboard is a nice touch – see picture 3. All functions (volume control, brightness control, etc) worked immediately. 4. Love the ability to position the screen a nearly any angle from 90 to about 170 degrees!! 5. Battery life is great. 6. The option to add an SSD drive is cool – the USB dongle to connect the two devices isn’t. I don’t have the SSD enhanced keyboard, but I read about it. C’mon Brydge, you can do better than that! Now, let’s talk about the not-so-good things: 1. First and foremost, the keyboard lags. It misses keystrokes. A lot. I write technical documents for a living as well as review products, and I was surprised to read through some of the other reviews without somebody mentioning it. Unless I have a faulty device, it is quite annoying. I’ll admit I’m still using the keyboard because of the screen positioning functionality, and I’ve contacted Brydge regarding the missing keystrokes and they’ve had me try a few things, but the issue still persists. 2. Somebody else mentioned the weight/size. Per my picture, it doubles the size of the Surface Pro4. It is just as thick if not thicker than the Surface device itself. And to me – seems to about double the weight. Yes, I know – it has to so it doesn’t flip over when you have the screen at a 45 degree angle – but I’m telling you – it’s noticeable. 3. Most of you know that when you change keyboard, you sometimes get a different keyboard layout. That can be a real pain in the a$$ – and this is no exception. For example, you have to use the Fn key to use the commands “Home, End, PgUp, PgDn”. That sucks for people that used them and are familiar with their locations. Also, the Ctrl key is out of place – I think the Fn key was inserted in the so if you are use to use Ctrl functions like Copy and Paste, you are going to miss alot. 4. The trackpad works OK, but could be refined. I find myself adjusting the zoom in Chrome by mistake on that trackpad that I like to admit. Overall – I’m still using the keyboard despite the shortcomings listed above. It worked well on the plane and on my lap – where I couldn’t really use the original Surface with the kickstand. I‘m hopefully that the next product iteration will remedy the flaws – or perhaps I’ll get another one just to see if this one is defective. I would recommend this to a friend but they need to know about the issues before hand.