The 9 Best Foldable Keyboards

For typing on a phone, the ProtoArc XK04 folds in half to about the size of the phone itself and snaps shut with a magnet. Its compact layout skips the number pad, yet Android Police got back to its normal typing speed within minutes. It pairs with three devices, switches between them with a key and charges over USB-C. The keys sound a little hollow, and the stand in the box is flimsy and easy to lose.

Spreadsheets and long emails are where the ProtoArc XK01 earns its place, since it opens into a full layout with a number pad and arrow keys where a desk keyboard has them. Scissor keys give a steady, quiet press. It remembers three devices and recharges over USB-C. Open, it spans far wider than a phone, and the hinges don't lock, so it wants a table, not a lap. Some keys or rows stop working within the first year or so.

A touchpad at one end lets the Samsers Compact Touchpad move a pointer on a tablet or phone, so there's no mouse to pack. A small fold-out phone stand comes with it, and the layout shrinks to fit, with no number pad and a few narrow keys. It stays thin enough for a jacket pocket. On Apple devices the touchpad needs a fairly recent version of iOS, so older iPhones and iPads get typing only.

Travelers who want a mouse built in get one with the iClever BK08, which folds in three around a small touchpad and sits on an aluminum underside that feels solid in the hand. It pairs with three devices, charges over USB-C and closes to roughly phone size. The touchpad doesn't work in Samsung's desktop mode. Bluetooth can drop out now and then, and the hinges can loosen with heavy use.

Wrists that ache on flat keyboards may do better on the Targus AKF003US, whose two halves angle apart in a split layout and fold shut to a slim slab. Targus treats the surface with an antimicrobial coating and says it protects the keyboard itself, not the person typing. It pairs with three devices and charges over USB-C. There's no touchpad or number pad, and the split takes some getting used to.

People who want roomy keys and a pointer in one piece can look at the ProtoArc XK01 TP, which puts a touchpad on its right-hand panel where a number pad would sit. A phone stand and a soft pouch come with it, so the whole setup packs together. It charges over USB-C and can sit for months between charges when idle. The touchpad can feel sluggish, and the wide body needs a desk or tray table.

A small USB receiver lets the TECKNET TK-KB046 work with a laptop, desktop or TV box that lacks Bluetooth, and it pairs with two more devices over Bluetooth. Unfolded, it gives a full layout with a number pad, and a stand for a phone or tablet comes in the box. TECKNET lists a three-year warranty. It's a new model without much history yet, and folded it's thicker than a phone.

Everything for a hotel desk fits in the hard case of the ProtoArc XKM01: a keyboard with a number pad, a slim wireless mouse and a stand for a phone or tablet. The keyboard and mouse connect by Bluetooth, and a USB receiver handles computers without it. The case keeps the set together in a bag, but it makes a bulkier bundle than a keyboard alone, and a few keys have quit early for some owners.

Typing on a dark plane or in a hotel room at night gets simpler with the Samsers Backlit Full-Size, whose keys light up in a choice of colors and brightness levels. A large touchpad sits beside the keys, and a phone stand comes with it. With the light off, the seller lists over 100 hours of typing per charge. Reports on the build run from solid to fragile, so it may not take rough handling.