ProtoArc XK01 Plus Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard – Full Size Wireless Keyboard with Backlight for iPad, Surface, Tablet, Smartphone, Laptop, PC

Exceptional travel keyboard.
This is pretty much exactly what I was looking for in a travel keyboard. In fact, it’s so good, I’ve been using this at home as well instead of my main keyboard with my home PC.The keys are full sized and well spaced meaning that the typing experience is very similar to a full sized keyboard.A couple of small things remind me that this is not a true full sized keyboard although they are fairly obvious and to be expected given its portability. How much they affect you will depend on how you use the keyboard. As someone who works in finance, I constantly go between using using the number pad on spreadsheets, to letter keys for emails and direction keys back on spreadsheets.1) There is no space between the main “letters” part of the keyboard and the Number pad section meaning that it’s a little difficult to use the numbers by feel.2) The up and down keys are half size making moving around on spreadsheets or through text a little more difficult.3) Delete key is a another half key.Small gripes really and like I’ve stated, these are all a product of the keyboard’s portabiliy which is what I bought it for in the first place so I cannot complain.The keyboard is really well constructed and lovely to type on. The backlight is such a plus in dim light and I’m loving the fact that this can connect to 3 devices.All in all, I’m delighted with this keyboard. Seen some reviews stating that they’ve had problems with it after some weeks/ months of use so I’m hoping this is not the case for me.For £40, It’s a no brainer game changer for typing on the move.

Light and easy keyboard
Solid, easy to connect, light, comes in a fancy case. It works really well, very recomended.

Didn’t work with older laptops
Tried connecting the keyboard to various Windows 7 laptops. Some didn’t connect; some connected after many attempts; but none of them actually worked. As a test connected to a Windows 11 laptop which worked. But hey, the web page didn’t mention anything of the sort. I didn’t need it for the Windows 11 laptop because its keyboard is already lit. It is for the older laptop keyboards which do not lit that I bought this for. This is most unfortunate because otherwise the keyboard is what I would have liked, good click and feedback feel on the keys, and being lit, helps when using in a darkened room, e.g. when partner is watching a movie and I am trying to type a mail. Therefore could only socre it neutral 3 stars.

Avoid this.
If I could give this zero, I would, as after 6 months the product is unusable. Avoid. You cannot type anything with it as a single key press results in the key pressed repeating ittttttselffffffffff (with that being the effect demonstrated). Too many companies are out there offering garbage cheap chinese quality, with no pride in what they sell. Rip off merchants such as this company need to be called out, named & shamed.

Just being a consumer and far from a big writer or product reviewer, I normally never write any lengthy review………. but this time I will make an exception. I think that this product can be a great solution for many more people than you might guess!I bought the ProtoArc Backlit Foldable Keyboard (the new model XK01 Plus) and did that for a different reason than most people would. But after I put it to the use as I wanted to, I found out a few pleasant surprises that makes this a five-star WINNER for me. But nothing is perfect in life, and so I also have a few (perhaps nit-picking?) critical observations ……….The concept of a full size foldable is not new. It ha been around for a while. Now that it is available with Bluetooth it provides the extra mobility. NOT only can a float able keyboard be a smart solution for “typing on your mobile phone”, “typing on your smart TV” or “typing on an I-Pad or other tablet), but it is also a great solution for a laptop with a “small keyboard” – for example if your laptop does not have a full numeric keypad…. BUT HERE IS something I “discovered” as an other benefit of a foldable keyboard… (read on…)How i use it? As a frequent traveler I often, and sometimes for long hours, have to use my laptop. Problem: poor sitting postures in front of a 16″ screen: Yes 16″ is a decent size screen, but it is still small to work on when you have to work on it for many hours at the time. (a smaller laptop screen may be even less comfortable). YES… I am talking about the screen now……… NOT about the keyboard…I needed a solution for a bad posture……. seated in front of a laptop screen.Here is my “solution” for the bad posture seated for hours in front of a laptop” I bought a laptop STAND that puts my laptop (INCLUDING the laptop’s own keyboard) in an elevated position in an angle, and THAT brings the screen of the laptop to eye height. Note: In one of my two pics you see the foldable laptop stand which is from a different brand that has nothing to do with the foldable keyboard. The other photo shows how the entire laptop is on the “stand”: The stand allows you to put the laptop at an adjustable angle so that the screen then goes up in height. By the way, the stand is FOLDABLE (collapsible) and it is made of a carbon fiber material. It weighs almost noting and can be easily tucked in a tiny place in your laptop bag or luggage.BUT……… when you use this stand …..the laptop’s “own keyboard” will be on a fairy sharp angle and it no longer easy to type that way. And that’s where a foldable keyboard comes in. It goes in front of the laptop (see picture). And then the foldable keyboard become the one that is very easy to operate with the laptop screen then exactly at the right height (eye-height!) and at the right angle. Now you have your screen at a very comfortable position.This foldable keyboard is easier to operate than the laptop keyboard.SO, this a keyboard became a posture solution desk work. Perhaps the brand Posture-Pedic should put its logo on this key board too (LOL).NO, I am not a person who needs massage therapists or Chiropractors and hopefully this keyboard solution of creating neck an spine position to avoid fatigue will keep me away from such therapists much longer.In any event, this keyboard……… brought may ADDITIONAL BENEFITS beyond a better posture for me!I have used foldable keyboards 10 years ago, and NO I have NOT compared the ProtoArc with other foldable keyboards that may be available from other brands. But this is what I will share about this keyboard: It seems to be very well designed, of good built quality and offering benefits that are not all explaned at the Amazon web page for this product:1. Folds up to a size of approx 8″ x 4.5″ with a thickness of about 1 1/4″ (thickest point). That is an easy “stow away szie!). But folded open, you have a FULL and FULLY functional keyboard of 4.5″ x approx 15”.2. I don’t know of any laptop with such great functional, large keyboard. Don’t underestimate how my productivity GOES UP when NOT frustrated by making many typos on smaller keyboards worse even are the irritatingly tiny keyboards on mobile phone screens. It annoys me greatly when I see how many errors I make on smaller keyboards – even on the best laptop keyboards! It is distracting. Just keep track of it when working on less than a very good keyboard!3. There are also all Fn keys with additional secundary functions such as setting brighter or darker screens, volume up and down, NEXT (song), ZOOM in etc.4, SUPER DUPER smart and handy: See the picture of they keyboard that I am adding: The three orange keys allow you to quickly shift between Bluetooth connections: You can configure and store three keyboard selections on this model foldable keyboard. For example for your laptop, your cell phone and your Tablet. So, that way you can quickly shift back and forth of typing on each of these three machines. Wow, what a great solution for doing email or WhatsApp on your mobile!5. When folded up the unit remains very sturdy. It is made of a sturdy pastic with metallic springs for opening / closing hinges. A plastic carrying case is included (THAT one COULD be nicer for the next model!) and in that case you also find a “Cell Phone Stand” which makes working / typing on your mobile so much easier.6. Finger touch action of the keys: It is fine…. The keys do not have the nice “spring” touch of full size Logitec or other higher end NON-foldable keyboards……… but yes……….. this ProtoArc beats all laptop keyboards. It is backlit, has ample spacing between individual keys and the touch mechanism of each key is far better than average!7. Excellent fast Bluetooth connecting…….8. The keyboard has a built-in rechargeable battery that is accessible by plugging aa type C at the front of the keyboard (even when closed. The specs mention that the unit has a standby time up to 150 days and that it goes into a sleep mode after 60 minutes of inactivity (press any key to activate the power again). The power also goes off when you fold the keyboard up and unfolding it turns it on automatically. Smart!On the negative side:A. The specs on the website described that the keyboard folds in four segments. Wrong. There are two side segments of about 4 1/4″ each, folding over the center segment of approx 8″. Note: The folded unit, once locked together by two easy to slice “locks” (they go over the sides), is very sturdy and easily folds in the plastic storage/transport sleeve. (I am NOT at all concerned about damage when properly stored in your laptop carrying case or suitcase).B. The USB connector for the charge port is in the front. I would rather have had it on the back………. that way recharging is easier when in use (if you need to recharge during use). NOTE: Thus far I never had to recharge this keyboard while wanting to type at the same time. I found that the rechargable battery gives many hours of power. I have not run out of power and I charge it once a week while I have the keyboard on (OPEN-FOLDED) continuously and use it frequently.C. The specs do not mention the capacity of the rechargeable battery.D. You definitely need to use a hard / non flexible surface to use this keyboard. Once it is unfolded, you have three separate segments, fitting beautifully together (you barely can see then that this keyboard has 3 parts). But they keyboard becomes useless when you would try to operate it on something that is NOT a firm flat surface. So, if you are thinking of operating it in bed you will need to put a serving board or another firm surface of at least 10″ wide and 5″ depth (length). I cannot see how the designers can bypass that need. It is most likely something you need for any foldable keyboard.E. Too many fancy high quality printed advertising materials on expensive paper stock etc. are in a very fancy box. I would say to the brand: Spend your promotional dollars in a different way. This is a foldable keyboard and not a $1,000 mobile phone.F. NOT cheap (more expensive than some traditional keyboards that are NOT foldable)……….. but not cheap of design and construction either! This unit is REALLY a great value for people who can SEE how much time and annoyance can be saved (many split seconds of annoyance drive down your productivity to the point of creeping in fatigue, and reduced efficiency of using your brain for more productive things than in the end frustration (without you knowing WHY you became less than usually productive or less quick in your thinking).In SHORT: A great VALUE for a GREAT product! A winner! Kudos to ProtoArc. Does ProArc offer more products of similar quality and with equally practical unique features???

Disclaimer: I purchased this both keyboards amd the rollerball mouse based on the reviews of Vine voices whom I mostly trust. ProtoArc has neither offered me any discounts or free merchandise in exchange for a positive review, and I am glad they didn’t. Any company who does this is automatically eliminated by me since ethical reviews should always be at the forefront and never bought for a few dollars.First of: if you are not a touch typist, don’t knock this keyboard due to your own limitations. Double strokes and missed keys are all due to lousy typing practice and not the fault of ANY keyboard.Having said that, and typing this review on this keyboard, I love how solid it feels and how responsive the keys are. These are full-size keys which is important for any experienced typist with normal sized hands. Some compacts reduce the size of their keyboard by also reducing the size of the keys, and that can be tiring to use for longer periods of time.I have not yet investigated all the function keys on this keyboard but expect them to be similar to those of other full-sized (non-traveling) keyboards.The one-star reviewer mentioned that the keys are illuminated only AROUND the keys. That is not true, the letters and numbers are quite visible. The backlight shuts off during pauses to conserve battery power but comes back on instantly when touching any key. This is just another of the many thoughtful features that were put in designing this keyboard.I don’t think that ProtoArc is still a generic brand. That name has become recognizable due to the quality devices the company offers. I just got their rollerball mouse as well since rollerballs have been my favorite for many years. If you have limited table space for your phone, keyboard, and mouse, the rollerball is the answer since it doesn’t have to be moved around like regular mice. The other thing I like is that their devices cost a lot less than the big name brands but are often better, most likely because they have more to lose and thus keep quality control at the forefront.As I am using this keyboard, if I miss a key on the lowest row that is due to insufficient pressure on my part and not because the keyboard is misfiring. It is merely a matter of adjusting my typing pressure. Those of us who learned to type on a mechanical typewriter should have no problem with that while the young generation who are used to the sensitivity of electrical keyboards, especially those with those very long fingernails (I call those dinosaur claws), may need more time to adjust.The huge plus on this travel keyboard is its numerical pad. None of my others have that. I happily accept the slightly larger size just for this feature alone. I am not sure how exactly they managed to do that since folded I don’t see a difference between this and my other foldable by ProtoArc. I am including pictures of both keyboards folded and opened. The other ProtoArc keyboard is an ergonomic keyboard that allows for more comfortable hand placement which matters for people with Carpal tunnel or shoulder issues. Unfortunately it is not backlit, and being black it does need some light for those who need to see the keys.Is this keyboard noiseless? No, but I like the feedback. I don’t think it is so loud that it would be considered a nuisance. I wouldn’t use it in bed next to my sleeping husband, but on a plane the background noise from the engines would nearly drown this out.Summary: this is a really well thought-out keyboard with all the features of a full size regular keyboard. That it is more narrow is deceiving: it doesn’t have the wrist cushion the better full sized keyboards have, and ProtoArc didn’t waste empty space found in full sized keyboards. Since my little table at home has a lip at the bottom to keep things from falling off when I tilt it I just add a wrist cushion for comfort. I really like the solid feel of this keyboard. Highly recommended.