I boosted my mobile workflow with a $30 folding keyboard, but there’s a catch

When I work outside, at a café or in the park, I almost always use my laptop, but this involves carrying it around, and sometimes I just don’t want to take a bag big enough for it.

I’ve found a neat solution to ensure my productivity stays high, but the equipment and space required for it stay low.

I’ve been using the foldable ProtoArc XK04 keyboard with a tablet or the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, and I think it may almost be my ideal small-footprint casual work setup, apart from one small thing.

Small, foldable keyboard

Big enough that it’s not annoying

The ProtoArc XK04 is a Bluetooth keyboard suitable for Android, Windows, and iOS, with its standout feature being the ability to fold in half, effectively halving the space required to carry it around.

When folded, it’s barely larger or thicker than a smartphone, and although it sounds heavy at 169 grams, it never feels weighty.

It supports three Bluetooth connections, so it can be paired with multiple devices, which I find helpful as I’m constantly swapping between phones and tablets.

The 65-key keyboard isn’t quite full-size, but within a few minutes, I was typing with the same speed and accuracy as on my Apple iPad’s Magic Keyboard.

The fake leather covering the outer part of the closed keyboard provides a degree of grip when it’s unfolded, and while it does slip a little on smooth surfaces, the movement isn’t dramatic enough to affect your typing or break your flow.

There’s a little more key travel compared to a laptop, and there is a plasticky echo when you tap them, but considering its size and build, this is all to be expected.

Typing on a keyboard not attached to the screen is surprisingly freeing, allowing you to work in tight spaces and minimize screen reflections more easily when outdoors.

ProtoArc says the Bluetooth range extends to 33 feet, but I can’t imagine this will be stress-tested often, although it does at least allow the keyboard to be used in the living room connected to a television or games console.

Stability and speed

Makes work effortless

All I really want from a keyboard is speed, stability, and simplicity. The ProtoArc XR04 meets all these.

It’s stable resting on all the surfaces I’ve tried it on, it reconnects to previously paired devices immediately, and I can maintain a sensible typing speed.

I love the variety of shortcuts built into the keyboard, too, such as the Option+B combo to open Chrome, and the F2 and F3 buttons to switch between open apps or launch the helicopter view.

It makes working on a tablet faster, as there’s not always a requirement to tap the touchscreen for simple tasks.

I’ve happily sat in a café with the ProtoArc XR04 open on a slippery marble table, connected to a OnePlus Pad Lite tablet, and typed out the majority of this piece in Google Docs.

It has taken me no longer than it would if I had my laptop or my iPad with its Magic Keyboard. That’s great, but it’s how it was all transported that made life better.

One small bag

But with one small problem

When I don’t need my laptop or camera, I use my Master-Piece Circus sacoche bag, which carries two phones, my wallet, sunglasses, and a few other bits with ease.

It isn’t big enough for a laptop, and barely accepts the iPad wrapped in the Magic Keyboard.

However, there is no problem with the OnePlus Pad Lite and the ProtoArc XR04 keyboard, and I have no fear that I’m overloading the bag either.

I love how the ProtoArc gives me flexibility. Sometimes I’m not sure if I’ll have a chance to work when I’m out, but I am forced to take my laptop just in case.

The foldable keyboard not only makes working on a tablet of any size comfortable, but it works just as well with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which together becomes the ultimate way to work on the go.

If the ProtoArc XK04 is so good, where is the problem I mentioned earlier? It’s with the support system for the screen.

There’s no built-in method of holding up a screen in front of the keyboard, and instead, you get a small, folding stand in the box, but there’s nowhere to store it with the keyboard.

Convenience and freedom

A productivity win

I like the convenience of only remembering to take one item with me, and fear I’d forget (or lose) the stand itself, which is a concern as it’s an essential part of the whole setup.

Worse, it’s really flimsy, and although the keyboard feels like it would survive life on the road, I don’t hold out much hope for the stand over time.

Not having a built-in stand was the one main compromise with the ProtoArc XK04. I can’t have everything, and a compact footprint while still including a keyboard that’s large enough to type on was more important to me.

At $30 from Amazon, it’s strong value even if you eventually have to find an alternative method of propping up your phone or tablet.

The ProtoArc XK04 has increased my productivity by offering more freedom and convenience, and allows me to stick to my established, and fast, workflow.

It’s the smallest ProtoArc keyboard available, but there are different models if you want a slightly bigger keyboard or even one with a built-in trackpad.