A few months ago, I reviewed the Tom Bihn Ristretto Bag. I continue to use the bag every day when I go to and from work and when I travel, and it works like a champ. It holds my iPad and all of the iPhone and iPad accessories that I want to have with me, and it is very easy to carry. When I posted my original review, D.C. attorney Jason Bergmann commented: "One of the command keys broke off of my bluetooth keyboard when I was pulling the keyboard out of the bag when it was fairly full. For that reason, I also use a sleeve for the keyboard, which I got from Waterfield Designs and like very much." The Apple Wireless Keyboard is a must-have iPad accessory for me; I don't use it at home very often, but I use it extensively when I travel. I had been just tossing the keyboard into the Ristretto without thinking much about it, but Bergmann's comment made me second-guess my actions. Perhaps the folks at Tom Bihn were reading my mind because soon after that, Tom Bihn sent me a free review unit of a new $30 product called the Cache for Apple Wireless Keyboard. I have been testing it for several weeks now, and it works great.
There is not much to say about the Cache because the design is so simple, and I'm using the word "simple" in a good way. The Apple Wireless Keyboard is a snug but easy fit in the case, which is tapered to follow the wedge shape of the keyboard. You insert the keyboard so that the battery side of the keyboard is near the flap, although you can use it either with the keys on the bottom or the keys on the top. The Cache is padded so the keyboard is protected from anything scraping against it or yanking off one of the keys. There is a flap on the Cache that can be tucked into the opening to keep it closed.
The only real disadvantage to the Cache is that, because it is padded, the keyboard takes up more space in a bag when you are using the Cache. The keyboard by itself is only about .75" thick at the largest part (the part at the back that holds the batteries). The Cache with a keyboard inside is about 1.5" thick at its largest point, so it is almost like taking up the space of two keyboards. But considering that damaging the keyboard is a real possibility if you don't use something like the Cache, I think it is worth it.
Additionally, I like the Cache because it is simple and stylish. I have seen other attorneys use all sorts of things to store an Apple Wireless Keyboard, including the original box that the keyboard came in. I suppose that works, but I think it looks much more professional to have a keyboard in something like the Cache.
You can pay less for a product that holds a keyboard. Bergmann mentioned the products from Waterford Designs, and their least expensive product is the $15 Keyboard Socket. (For more protection, they also offer the $29 Keyboard Slip, which costs the same as the Tom Bihn Cache.) But like all of the other Tom Bihn products that I have tested, the Cache is very well designed and manufactured, stylish, and works very well. If you use a Tom Bihn Ristretto or any other bag or briefcase to carry your iPad and accessories, I can recommend the Cache to protect your Apple Wireless Keyboard from damage, not to mention to prevent that keyboard from scratching and damaging any other item in your bag.
Click here to get the Cache for Apple Wireless Keyboard from Tom Bihn ($30.00).
