diff --git a/dotcom-rendering/src/client/deviceDetection/iPadDetection.test.ts b/dotcom-rendering/src/client/deviceDetection/iPadDetection.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8d2c8bb64ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dotcom-rendering/src/client/deviceDetection/iPadDetection.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+import { getCookie, removeCookie } from '@guardian/libs';
+import { isIPad, setDeviceClassCookie } from './iPadDetection';
+
+const DEVICE_CLASS_COOKIE = 'device_class';
+
+describe('iPadDetection', () => {
+	const originalPlatform = navigator.platform;
+	const originalMaxTouchPoints = navigator.maxTouchPoints;
+
+	afterEach(() => {
+		Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'platform', {
+			value: originalPlatform,
+			configurable: true,
+		});
+		Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'maxTouchPoints', {
+			value: originalMaxTouchPoints,
+			configurable: true,
+		});
+		removeCookie({ name: DEVICE_CLASS_COOKIE });
+	});
+
+	describe('isIPad', () => {
+		it('returns true for newer iPad (iPadOS 13+, MacIntel with touch support)', () => {
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'platform', {
+				value: 'MacIntel',
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'maxTouchPoints', {
+				value: 5,
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			expect(isIPad()).toBe(true);
+		});
+
+		it('returns true for older iPad (iOS 12 and earlier)', () => {
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'platform', {
+				value: 'iPad',
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'maxTouchPoints', {
+				value: 5,
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			expect(isIPad()).toBe(true);
+		});
+
+		it('returns false for Mac desktop (MacIntel without touch)', () => {
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'platform', {
+				value: 'MacIntel',
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'maxTouchPoints', {
+				value: 0,
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			expect(isIPad()).toBe(false);
+		});
+
+		it('returns false for iPhone', () => {
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'platform', {
+				value: 'iPhone',
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'maxTouchPoints', {
+				value: 5,
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			expect(isIPad()).toBe(false);
+		});
+
+		it('returns false for Windows', () => {
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'platform', {
+				value: 'Win32',
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'maxTouchPoints', {
+				value: 0,
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			expect(isIPad()).toBe(false);
+		});
+
+		it('returns false for Android tablet', () => {
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'platform', {
+				value: 'Linux armv8l',
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'maxTouchPoints', {
+				value: 5,
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			expect(isIPad()).toBe(false);
+		});
+	});
+
+	describe('setDeviceClassCookie', () => {
+		it('sets device_class cookie to tablet on iPadOS', () => {
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'platform', {
+				value: 'MacIntel',
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'maxTouchPoints', {
+				value: 5,
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+
+			setDeviceClassCookie();
+
+			expect(getCookie({ name: DEVICE_CLASS_COOKIE })).toBe('tablet');
+		});
+
+		it('does not set cookie on Mac desktop', () => {
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'platform', {
+				value: 'MacIntel',
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'maxTouchPoints', {
+				value: 0,
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+
+			setDeviceClassCookie();
+
+			expect(getCookie({ name: DEVICE_CLASS_COOKIE })).toBeNull();
+		});
+
+		it('does not overwrite existing tablet cookie', () => {
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'platform', {
+				value: 'MacIntel',
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+			Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'maxTouchPoints', {
+				value: 5,
+				configurable: true,
+			});
+
+			setDeviceClassCookie();
+			const firstCookieValue = getCookie({ name: DEVICE_CLASS_COOKIE });
+
+			setDeviceClassCookie();
+			const secondCookieValue = getCookie({ name: DEVICE_CLASS_COOKIE });
+
+			expect(firstCookieValue).toBe('tablet');
+			expect(secondCookieValue).toBe('tablet');
+		});
+	});
+});
diff --git a/dotcom-rendering/src/client/deviceDetection/iPadDetection.ts b/dotcom-rendering/src/client/deviceDetection/iPadDetection.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cf16eb0ff6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dotcom-rendering/src/client/deviceDetection/iPadDetection.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import { getCookie, setCookie } from '@guardian/libs';
+
+const DEVICE_CLASS_COOKIE = 'device_class';
+
+/**
+ * Detects iPad devices using feature detection.
+ *
+ * - Older iPads (iOS 12 and earlier) report 'iPad' in navigator.platform
+ * - Newer iPads (iPadOS 13+) report as 'MacIntel' but have touch support
+ *   (navigator.maxTouchPoints > 1, while Macs have 0)
+ *
+ * @see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9038625/detect-if-device-is-ios/9039885#9039885
+ */
+export const isIPad = (): boolean => {
+	const isOlderIPad = navigator.platform.includes('iPad');
+
+	const isNewerIPad =
+		navigator.platform === 'MacIntel' &&
+		typeof navigator.maxTouchPoints === 'number' &&
+		navigator.maxTouchPoints > 1;
+
+	return isOlderIPad || isNewerIPad;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Sets the device_class cookie if the device is detected as iPadOS.
+ * This cookie will be sent to the backend (SDC) for proper targeting.
+ */
+export const setDeviceClassCookie = (): void => {
+	const existingCookie = getCookie({ name: DEVICE_CLASS_COOKIE });
+
+	if (isIPad() && existingCookie !== 'tablet') {
+		setCookie({
+			name: DEVICE_CLASS_COOKIE,
+			value: 'tablet',
+			daysToLive: 365,
+		});
+	}
+};
diff --git a/dotcom-rendering/src/client/main.web.ts b/dotcom-rendering/src/client/main.web.ts
index 95a572c1246..8331ee71ca0 100644
--- a/dotcom-rendering/src/client/main.web.ts
+++ b/dotcom-rendering/src/client/main.web.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 import './webpackPublicPath';
 import { adaptSite, shouldAdapt } from './adaptiveSite';
+import { setDeviceClassCookie } from './deviceDetection/iPadDetection';
 import { startup } from './startup';
 import { maybeSIndicatorCapiKey } from './userFeatures/cookies/sIndicatorCapiKey';
 
 void (async () => {
+	// Set device class cookie for iPadOS detection (runs immediately, before any SDC requests)
+	setDeviceClassCookie();
+
 	if (await shouldAdapt()) {
 		adaptSite('Web');
 	}