I have tried two so far. One just randomly chosen online and a second from Best Buy (Targus). This second one specifically stated that it would reach 33' -- well, it doesn't. It, too, reaches about 2 feet just like the first one I tried. Both of them take a single AAA battery which is highly suspect in the power range for long range.
I have written a highly specific application which is interfaced directly through a numeric keypad. So far, I have used a few corded keypads with great success--and have ran 15' of extensions. I now need a wireless interface. Infrared would work. Most important is a solid connection so IR might be more reliable--with a given that it is not blocked.
On the Targus product, their own site says BOTH 33' and 10' on the same page in different areas. I called them and they are going to contact corporate. Any full size keyboard will reach dozens of feet (typically) but these keypads are usually meant for adjacent use. Long battery life would be appreciated--so 2 or 4 batteries would provide some extra backing and allow a longer run time. An average of 15 keys will be pushed per day...so definitely not extensive use but I don't want to have to turn it on and off. IR does seem potentially useful here.
I appreciate the full range of buttons on a typical keypad: *, +, ., etc.