Best answer: Yes, the Alcantara on the Signature version of Microsoft's Type Cover is worth paying a bit extra for. It makes the keyboard cover feel much more high-end than the rubbery-feeling regular Type Cover and adds a touch of luxury. It also comes in more colors.

To Alcantara, or not to Alcantara? Is there even a question?

Microsoft offers only a couple different Type Covers for the Surface Pro: the regular ol' Surface Pro Type Cover and the fancier (and pricier) Surface Pro Signature Edition Type Cover, I bought both, to see which one I liked better. After using the two, these are my thoughts.

To be clear, the two Microsoft Surface Pro Type Covers are exactly the same, except for two things: that Alcantara, and the price. The Alcantara version costs $160 compared to the $130 regular Type Cover. Both keyboards are solid.

The Alcantara feels a lot like suede, but it's not made of any animal products, which I appreciate. For more details on this Italian-made fabric, read our post detailing everything you need to know about Alcantara.

The regular Type Cover is made of a smooth, soft plastic. My palms tend to get a bit sweaty when I type for extended periods, and after a while, I found that my hands kept sticking to the material, as if it was gripping them a bit. That's a turnoff for me.

The Alcantara feels great. It's soft and my palms don't stick to it, even when they're all swampy. Of course, I've read numerous reports that suggest Alcantara does not hold up well at all over time. However, it also appears to be easy to clean, which can apparently go a long way toward extending its life. In my experience, the ligher color Alcantara accessories definitely show more wear than the darker colors, so keep that in mind if you want to make a purchase.

So the Alcantara Type Cover is worth the extra cash?

Yep. The cost of the "upgrade," $30, really isn't a lot of money when you consider that you'll probably be using your Surface Pro for at least a couple of years. That extra cash breaks down to roughly $1.25 a month over two years, or about $0.04 a day. Again, not a lot o' scratch.

How you feel about the way Alcantara looks is a personal preference thing, but I think most people will agree that it feels great, at least when it's new. The plastic on the regular Type Cover doesn't feel bad, but it also certainly doesn't feel good.

The Signature Edition Type Cover also comes in three different and better looking colors — platinum, cobalt blue, and burgundy — while the regular version is only available in black at the moment.

Our pick

Surface Pro Signature Type Cover

Function and style skillfully combined

The Signature version of Microsoft's Surface Pro Type Cover adds a touch luxury to what is already an excellent keboard and cover, thanks to the addition of suede-like Alcantara fabric.

Less stylish

Surface Pro Type Cover

Same great cover, minus the Alcantara

The regular version of Microsoft's Surface Pro Type Cover is just as functional as the Signature version. In fact, it's exactly the same, except for the material it is made of, and it costs at least $30 less.

Cheaper third-party alternatives

Microsoft's Type Covers are the best Pro keyboard covers in our opinion. But if you're on a tighter budget, these more affordable options are more than sufficient.

1byone Microsoft Surface Pro Type Cover ($50 at Amazon)

1byone's Surface Pro Type Cover costs less than half the price of Microsoft's Surface Pro keyboard. Its keys are backlit with seven different colors, and it has a built-in battery (750mAh) to support the backlight and Bluetooth, which lets you use it when not physically connected to your Surface Pro.

Fintie Backlit Microsoft Surface Pro Type Cover ($50 at Amazon)

Fintie's version of the Surface Pro Type Cover has backlit keys that light up in seven different colors and at two brightness levels. It packs a built-in 750 mAh battery , and the layout of the keyboard is designed to be a bit more spaced out than Microsoft's keyboard. It also connects via Bluetooth so it doesn't have to be physically connected to Pro.

Brydge 12.3 Bluetooth Keyboard for Microsoft Surface Pro ($129 at Amazon)

Unlike Microsoft's Type Cover and any of the other keyboards in this roundup, this one is made of aluminum and uses a hinge to balance your Pro's display instead of a kickstand. It has backlit keys and a built-in battery. And he trackpad is made of glass and it connects via Bluetooth.

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