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Used iPads are easy to find and good value, but a large share of the cheap ones are iCloud locked or managed by a school or company. Make sure it is reset and free of Activation Lock in front of you, check that the model still gets updates, and match it to the Apple Pencil you want to use.
Every iPad looks similar in photos, so read the model number (Settings, General, About). In 2026 a sensible minimum for most people is the 9th generation iPad, which still has a home button and Lightning port and is very cheap. The 10th generation and later standard iPads have USB-C and a modern design.
The iPad Air with M1 or newer and the iPad Pro with an M-series chip are the ones to buy for drawing, multitasking or using a keyboard as a laptop replacement. The iPad mini is the choice for reading and carrying in a jacket pocket.
An iPad still linked to someone's Apple account becomes a brick after a reset. Cheap iPads sold without a charger, without the box and with vague stories are often lost or stolen, or locked by a forgotten password. Ask the seller to sign out and erase it in front of you, and only pay once you see the Hello screen and can start setup without another person's Apple ID.
Dutch schools hand out many iPads, and companies use them too. These are enrolled in device management. During setup a Remote Management screen naming a school or company means the organisation still controls it. Those iPads are not yours to use, even if the seller says the school no longer needs it.
iPad batteries last a long time but wear out like any other. Recent iPads show battery health and cycle count under Settings, Battery; on older models you can check it with a Mac and a third-party tool, or judge it by how quickly the percentage drops while you test.
Look at the screen on a white background for yellow patches, pressure marks and dead pixels. Check that the iPad lies flat on a table: some thin iPad Pro models can bend, and a bent iPad can crack later.
Apple has several Pencils, and each iPad works with only some of them. The first generation Pencil works with older iPads like the 9th generation. The second generation Pencil works with iPad Air 4 and later and recent Pro and mini models. Newer USB-C and Pro Pencils fit the most recent models. Check Apple's compatibility list before buying an iPad and Pencil separately.
Keyboard cases are model specific too. A Magic Keyboard for one iPad Pro generation may not fit the next.
Bring a cable and, for cellular models, your SIM card.
32 GB iPads are hard to live with now; 64 GB is the practical minimum, 128 GB or more if you download films for travel. Skip iPads from before the 9th generation and the first iPad Air and mini models. They are stuck on old iPadOS versions and many apps no longer support them.
If you need a specific setup, such as an iPad Air with M1 and a second generation Pencil, at least 64 GB, within 15 km, vindje.com can read the descriptions for those details instead of matching only the word iPad.
| Item | Typical asking price |
|---|---|
| iPad 9th generation, 64 GB | EUR 140-200 |
| iPad 10th generation, 64 GB | EUR 200-290 |
| iPad mini 6, 64 GB | EUR 270-370 |
| iPad Air M1, 64 GB | EUR 280-380 |
| iPad Pro 11 M1 or M2 | EUR 400-600 |
| iPad Pro M4 | EUR 700-950 |
Rough Marktplaats asking prices in the Netherlands. Condition, age and season move them a lot.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
iPad Air M1 or newer, at least 64 GB, with second generation Apple Pencil, no iCloud lock or school management, under 400 euro, within 15 kmSearch Marktplaats like this
Have the seller erase it in front of you. If setup starts without asking for another person's Apple ID, it is free of Activation Lock.
Only by the original owner, or by Apple with proof of purchase. Paid removal services advertised online are unreliable or scams.
An iPad Air with M1 or newer, or an iPad Pro, with a second generation or newer Apple Pencil. The smooth Pencil support and laminated screen make a big difference.
Not if it shows Remote Management during setup. It belongs to the school's management system and can be locked or wiped by them.