What's the Best iPad for You?

Whether you're a power user or a budget-minded shopper, here's how to find the right Apple tablet for your needs

By Thomas Germain

Picking the right iPad can be a little tricky. Apple offers four different tablets: the iPad Pro, the iPad Mini, the iPad Air, and the regular iPad. There are almost a dozen options when you add in optional upgrades, such as a larger display or cellular service, and even more when you consider older models that are still on the market. But one thing is straightforward: They’re great devices.

“Apple controls the hardware, the software—they pretty much have a handle on the entire ecosystem,” says Antonette Asedillo, who oversees tablet testing in our labs. “So they’re able to make sure everything works together well.”

Apple’s tablets loom large in our tablet ratings, routinely outscoring the competition in performance and display quality. iPads also lead the way in predicted reliability and owner satisfaction, based on survey data from Consumer Reports members.

Each of Apple’s four iPads has its merits, but some probably make more sense for you than others. Below we’ve broken down what sets each model apart and why you might want to consider them.

We buy and test every model that Apple releases, measuring performance across a variety of metrics, including ease of use, the quality of the display, and how fast the model does the things you ask it to do, like load web pages and apply filters to photos. Whatever your budget and your needs, we can help you find the right iPad.

And when you’re shopping, remember that as flashy as the latest models may be, you can snag a previous-generation iPad at a nice discount.

Best All-Around iPad

Apple’s entry-level model, known simply as the “iPad,” provides the most bang for your buck, especially when you take into account the number of high-quality apps and services available for the iPad operating system. It has a 10.2-inch display and 64GB of storage (you can pay for more), and it records HD video so you’ll look great on your next call (though the cameras don’t score quite as well as the other iPads on this list). In our testing, it delivered 11.3 hours of battery life while browsing the web.

For anyone who wants an Apple tablet for scrolling through social media posts or watching movies on the couch without shelling out the money you’d spend on an international flight, the classic iPad is a great pick. It’s available in a WiFi-only version or with 5G compatibility for $60 more.

Apple iPad (64GB)-2021

The Premium iPad Pick

The iPad Pro is a machine for power users, and it delivers the level of performance you’d expect from a high-end laptop. If you’re the type of person who’s automatically drawn to the latest and greatest, the 2021 iPad Pro may be the tablet for you. Before you shell out to buy it though, you should compare it to the iPad Air, described below.

The Pro outpaces all of the other tablets in our ratings. Its display uses a technology called Mini LED, also present in some high-end TVs, that produces more vibrant images and better contrast than what’s possible with traditional LCD tech. It also has a lightning-fast refresh rate, which makes the animations in everything from video games to simply scrolling around iPadOS look smoother. The Pro has an exceptional camera and Apple’s blazing fast M1 processor, and the company ditched the lighting port in favor of a USB-C connector (meaning you’ll use the same cable that powers newer MacBooks). The Pro aced our battery life tests, delivering 14.1 hours of web browsing time.

It also supports Apple’s Smart Keyboard cover (allowing you to use a physical keyboard without needing to charge or pair it via Bluetooth), $159, and the Magic Keyboard, $299, which features a cantilevered design that lets you raise and lower the screen to get a better viewing angle.

The 2021 iPad Pro comes in an 11-inch or a 12.9-inch model (you’ll pay more for the larger screen) and both sizes are also available with 5G compatibility.

Apple iPad Pro 11 (128GB) - 2021

More Powerful, Less Expensive iPad

The iPad Air may seem like an outlier, but essentially it’s an option for anyone who wants more computing power at a lower price. The Air has the same processor as the iPad Pro, so it should handle just about any task you throw at it. The Air just doesn’t have as many bells and whistles. The screen is a bit smaller and its quality is less premium (though it’s still outstanding compared to most tablets). Additionally, the cameras aren’t as fancy as the ones on the iPad Pro, it has less storage space, and the Air has a fingerprint scanner instead of facial recognition. The Air has a shorter battery life as well.

But taken on its own, the 2022 iPad Air is a great tablet. It has a gorgeous 10.9-inch screen, it’s blazing fast, and it lasts 6.9 hours in our web browsing battery-life test. The Air also plays well with accessories. It has a USB-C port, and it’s compatible with Apple’s Smart Keyboard cover and Magic Keyboard. Meanwhile, the regular iPad is stuck with a lightning port and can’t use the Magic Keyboard.

So how do you decide between the Air and the Pro? The iPad Air is a fantastic device, and you probably won’t miss the upgrades you get with the Pro. It’s the right choice if you just need the performance upgrade. Get the Pro if you want the most premium experience and don’t mind paying more for it.

Apple iPad Air (64GB)-2022

Best iPad for Portability

Apple’s 2021 iPad Mini is our top pick if you want the ideal traveling companion. (If you don’t mind an Android tablet, the Kindle Fire is a good choice if you’re looking to save money.)

The 8.3-inch iPad has a bright, sharp display with a large viewing angle, meaning you don’t need to hold it dead center in front of your face to see it clearly. The new A15 Bionic chip is blazing fast, so web browsing and watching movies seem smooth and stutter-free. The battery life is impressive, too. Our testers clocked it at 10.7 hours for web browsing and 12.4 hours for movie playback. Other updates include a USB-C port, upgraded cameras, and optional 5G compatibility.

The iPad mini is very light as well. The smaller size and lighter weight (just 0.6 pound vs. 1 pound for the iPad Air and the 11-inch iPad Pro, and 1.1 pounds for the regular iPad) make the tablet easier to hold for extended periods than its larger brethren.

Apple iPad Mini (64GB)-2021

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