Review / Logitech MX Keys

Logitechs MX Keys [Amazon] is what it finally took to lure me away from mechanical keyboards. Its a slim yet solidly-constructed full-size model that's similar to and superior to Apple's Magic Keyboard.

Its flat, minimalist, heavy, solid and low-profile, with large backlit keys typeset in Futura Light. The keys are square with subtle circular depressions and no give—a big improvement over the wobbly chicklet keys infesting modern non-mechanical keyboards, not least Logitechs own cheaper models.

It works with USB-C, BlueTooth or the included unifying receiver. (A tiny dongle; I use it instead of BlueTooth as it works in BIOS and I dual-boot). The function keys are on a shift layer, as is now standard. Modifier keys are labeled for both Windows and MacOS, a nice if slightly cluttering touch. Keys are hard to remove; spudge them from the top. The backlighting works even in wireless mode, but will run down the battery quicker. Recharging is via USB-C; there is no removable battery. It's lasted about 10 days so far on the charge it came with. A Logitech app lets a single keyboard and mouse pair be used with any computer on the network, so long as it's installed on both machines.

The MX Keys is essentially the $200 MX Craft [Amazon] without the dial or the bulky rear panel that accomodates it. At $100, the MX Keys is not cheap, but is also no more expensive than similar models such as Apple's or Microsoft's Designer Desktop.

The extra heft and weight is nice, but it's the extra travel and tactility that puts it in a league of its own. Read the rest