Be more productive on the go with this Bluetooth keyboard that can fit in your pocket

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Amazon

Your everyday tablet is good for movie viewing, magazine reading, or game playing, but to get any sort of work done, you probably need to pair it with a keyboard. The problem is that, most of the time, adding an external accessory robs a tablet (or smartphone) of its portability. At that point, if you’re going to carry a keyboard and screen around to get stuff done, why not just use a laptop?

You could have a hybrid like the Surface Pro 4 replace your notebook entirely, but if you don’t want to pay the premium for that shift, something like the iClever Foldable Bluetooth Ultra-Slim Mini Keyboard will let you do lighter work without making your mobile devices too annoying to take on the go.

As its clunky name suggests, this is a small standalone keyboard that you can fold up when it’s time to move. It can get especially compact when you do fold it, essentially getting to the size of a slightly thicker iPhone 6s Plus. At less than 0.4 pounds, it’s also fairly light.

All of this means it’ll fit in many pants pockets, or, if nothing else, take up very little room in a bag. But despite its airiness, the board’s back is composed of a smooth brushed aluminum, which comes off as higher-grade than you might expect from something this affordable.

The device pairs over Bluetooth with both iOS and Android devices (but not Macs, and it can be finicky with Windows PCs), and iClever rates its battery as lasting more than 80 hours with regular use. It automatically turns on whenever it’s unfolded, but, while it’d be nice to have an on/off switch or built-in battery light, it does go into a sleep mode when it’s left alone for 15 minutes.

Actually typing with the iClever isn’t as luxurious as using a more spacious board, but that’s to be expected. For what it is, it’s fine. Its keys are fast, quiet, and sturdy, and its Function key gives you access to a handful of useful shortcuts; it’s totally usable for the casual tasks it’s meant for. Just try to use it on a flat surface.

It’s worth noting that this looks like a white-label situation — a quick search for “foldable keyboards” on Amazon will bring up a wave of seemingly identical devices, all of which are taking after the Kickstarted Jorno keyboard, which goes for $100. So it’s hard to give iClever too much credit here. 

Nevertheless, this model’s been received well by PCMag, BetaNews, and others, and it currently holds a 4.5 rating after 210 Amazon user reviews. It works. If you want to make your tablet or smartphone a little more productive, this looks like a good, cheap way to start.

iClever Portable Ultra-Slim Mini Bluetooth Keyboard, $31.99, available at Amazon.