Kensington Presentair: A Sleek, 3-in-1 Presenter

The Kensington Presentair is a Bluetooth presenter that allows users to actively control a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation while retaining the freedom to move around the room.

A built-in red laser pointer draws its charge from the same internal rechargeable battery that powers the device; while a touch stylus lets you annotate notes on your tablet as necessary. 

For comparison: The Kensington Presentair beside the Kensington Wireless Presenter Pro.

Good looks aside, the Kensington Presentair feels just right when held in my hand – not too light or too heavy. Indeed, the balanced heft makes it is easy to switch the Presentair from a presenter’s hold to touch stylus position using the same hand.

The 4-button controls feel intuitive, though I did press the wrong button once or twice. I don’t expect it to be an issue with more frequent use, and the raised bumps on the controls did make it easy to locate the correct button by touch.

I found the red laser on the Presentair to be somewhat faint, though more than adequate in a typical meeting room with a projector lit screen. (I’m probably being spoiled by the powerful green laser pointer that I typically use). The Presentair worked seamlessly at range of about 15 feet from my laptop, and Kensington says the Presentair works up to 30 feet away.

The 4-button control. Buttons for previous slide, laser pointer, next slide, blank screen. Pressing and holding on the blank screen button also toggles it between Presentatin mode and Media mode. Here, you can also see the exposed micro-USB port for charging.

The underside of the Presentair. Note the On/Off button which also doubles as a Bluetooth pairing button.

Charging the Presentair’s internal batteries is done from a micro-USB port revealed by gently pulling on both ends of the Presentair. A short charging cable is included in the package, though I was able to charge it using a standard cable. Fully charged, the Presentair can last 9 hours under normal usage, and has up to 10 days of standby time. Regardless, it would probably be a good idea to power down the device when not in use.

Turning off the power is done by pressing and holding on the Power On/Off button on its reverse side. I found this process a tad finicky because the indicator lights were dim and it wasn’t always obvious when the device was properly switched off. A sliding toggle power switch would be very useful here, with the button used to initiate Bluetooth pairing.

And while not mentioned on its product page, the Kensington Presentair can toggle between presenter mode and media mode by holding on the “Blank screen” button until the indicator light switches from orange (Presentation mode) to blue (Media mode). Doing it again causes it to toggle back to its previous mode.

Conclusion: Kensington Presentair

Overall, the Kensington Presentair is an elegant and practical presenter that you can easily slip into your pocket. The touch stylus is a nice bonus, as is the included carry case. Priced at $70, the Presentair is hardly a bargain, though it is very well-designed and one of the nicer presenters out there.

The hard carrying case for the Presentair with its protective cap in open position.