iPad gift guide 2023 — the best presents to gift your loved one this holiday season
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
With magic in the air and gifts at every retailer, now is the best time of year to pick up some Apple iPad gifts. However, with so many options to choose from, it can be easy to get lost in all that is available. Luckily for you, iMore has been on the hunt for some of the best gifts you can get for the best iPad and we have a wide range of items all across different genres and price points.
From great wireless keyboards to the excellent Apple Pencil, iPads have some fantastic accessories that really change how you use them. In our list, we go over all you can find, splitting it up into price categories to work into your gift budget.
With that out of the way, here are the best gifts you can pick up for an iPad, just in time for the holidays.
Best iPad gifts under $50
8Bitdo Sn30 Pro Bluetooth Controller
Looking for a controller for someone who plays a lot of games on their iPad? This retro controller is a great budget gift that will work with any Bluetooth device. Give the gift of gaming this holiday season.
Most iPads in today's lineup have a USB-C port which means you can connect a USB-C dock for loads more ports. This 7-in-1 dock by CableCreation is a great gift for someone who wants to use their iPad as a laptop replacement giving them more flexibility and options when using the tablet.
Does your loved one like to work with their iPad in coffee shops or other noisy environments? The Loop Quiet Earplugs are a thoughtful gift that helps drown out the outside world when getting work done is of the utmost importance.
A charger? Really? Yes, really. Capable of 100W charging, this GaN II charger has three ports and can efficiently charge almost every Apple device at once. This is the definition of a practical gift, and with the coupon on Amazon falls into the under $50 category. I'd love to unwrap this during the holidays.
Though our choice is for the iPad Air version, the ProCase smart case is an excellent protection solution at a cheap price point, which is particularly good for someone who doesn't want a Magic Keyboard case. if you like a detached keyboard and want something on a budget, this is a great choice.
Best iPad gifts under $100
UGreen 100W 20000mAh Power Bank
Ok, a power bank isn't the most exciting gift, but honestly, it's the perfect add-on to an iPad. This power bank is sturdy, comes with a nice bag to travel with, and has a small display on the side that displays the battery percentage. With 20,000mAh to have on reserve for your iPad, you can easily charge Apple's tablet to full when needed.
The iPad makes for a great gaming device, but you'll need a good controller to get the most out of gaming on the tablet. An Xbox controller is a brilliant gift as it's versatile and will work with all Apple devices, not just Microsoft's gaming console.
AirPods 2 would make a great gift for a young teenager or family member who already owns an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV. They'll pair quickly with all of these devices and are great for listening to music on the go. However, they're not Apple's latest and greatest AirPods
Does your loved one love to draw or take notes? Then the Apple Pencil 2nd gen is the best Apple Pencil for their iPad. The 2nd gen Apple Pencil will work with all models of Apple's current tablet lineup apart from the 10th generation regular iPad.
If your loved one owns a 10th generation iPad or an older compatible iPad, the 1st gen Apple Pencil is the way to go. Yes, there is a newer USB-C version, but it doesn't have pressure sensitivity, which is crucial for drawing on a tablet. Any artist in your life will love this thoughtful gift.
Best iPad gifts over $100
Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 11-inch and iPad Air
The best keyboard and trackpad combo for the iPad Pro 111-inch and iPad Air. It has a trackpad, backlit keys, an extra USB-C port to charge your iPad, freeing up the iPad's own USB-C port, and an adjustable angle to ensure you can see that gorgeous display properly.
Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 12.9-inch
The same as above but for the larger 12.9-inch iPad. This is an essential accessory for the largest iPad Apple makes because it adds so much versatility to the huge tablet, making your investment a genuine laptop replacement.
Logitech Keyboard and Crayon Combo
Want a keyboard, trackpad, and stylus combo as the perfect all-in-one gift? The Logitech Combo is for you. If your loved one already has an iPad and you want to gift them every essential add-on they need, then this is the perfect package.
AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C are the perfect gift for any Apple fan, not just iPad owners. With incredible noise cancelation, fantastic sound, and magical pairing capabilities, there are no better wireless earbuds around. The USB-C version, in particular, is great for iPad owners as it means your loved one doesn't need to carry around any extra cables.
Best iPads for gifting
This is the most colorful member of the iPad lineup. It’s not as powerful as the iPad Air, but there’s still plenty of power to keep everything moving smoothly. This is the iPad for anyone looking to get their first Apple tablet experience.
The iPad Pro 11-inch is the most powerful of the ‘standard’ sized iPads, and it comes with boatloads of power on tap. There’s the M2 chip at its core, a 120Hz screen, and a more impressive camera too.
The massive 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the pick of the bunch, with a large price tag to match. This iPad has an enormous 12.9-inch, 120Hz ProMotion display, the M2 chip, and fantastic cameras to give you the best iPad experience possible.
Need more help? Here's a few of our regular guides to give you inspiration
- Best iPad pens and stylus options: is Apple Pencil the best?
- Best iPad: from mini to Pro and every Apple tablet in between
- Best iPad deals and sales in December
- Best accessories for iPad Air 5
- Best accessories for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro
- Best iPad Air 5 cases
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John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019. John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.
In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.