The Surface Pro 3 Type Cover, also referred to as the Type Cover 3 and Type Cover Pro, is the latest cover designed for the new Surface Pro 3. It comes in five colours - Red, purple, blue, black and cyan, and I purchased the black version.
Like the Type Cover 2 before it, this mechanical keyboard offers key travel that will leave you confused. The keys have a satisfying amount of travel, even though the cover is less than 5mm thick. They also have four levels of backlighting (white light) and are made from a nice, premium material, and the keyboard itself is made of a soft felt-like material.
This keyboard is bigger than its predecessor (although the keys are the same size) to cover the new, larger screen on the Pro 3, and has two huge upgrades over the Type Cover 2.
The first is the trackpad, which is now very smooth and significantly larger than before. Microsoft says this smoothness is due to it being constructed with glass beads. The trackpad can also be clicked on both sides at the bottom, for left and right click, however I feel it is mostly easier to tap for left click and two-finger-tap for right click. My only criticism with the Type Cover 2 was that the trackpad was not usable - it was made of felt, which whilst soft was not smooth, and sometimes didn't pick up my gestures. This new trackpad is a pleasure to use, and it always works.
The other upgrade is the magnetic hinge. This keyboard now connects to the bottom of the Surface with the usual magnets, but now also lifts up and magnetically attaches to the bezel at the bottom of the Pro 3. This adds a slant to the cover, like unfolding the tabs beneath a desktop keyboard, improving the typing experience, but more importantly it improves stability - meaning the device as a whole is now much more stable on your lap.
It also comes with a loop which you can optionally stick to the keyboard for pen storage, but I honestly don't think it's a good solution so I don't use it.
This keyboard is very rigid considering how thin and light it is. It has a small amount of flex, but holds very well when I type on it. I'm a touch-typist and am quite picky with my keyboards - I love this one as it allows me to touch-type pretty fast whilst on the move, and it never makes me feel restricted in what I can do.
If you have a Surface Pro 3, or are going to get one, make sure this keyboard is a part of your order.
This review is also available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RYLZ6NSX0HLN5/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
Back to Blog