Logitech MX Keys Review - It just gives me an excuse to work more!

Logitech MX Keys Review - It just gives me an excuse to work more!

With the majority of us working from home during these times, it wouldn’t be a surprise that some of us are looking for products to upgrade our home office.

I’ve been meaning to upgrade my desk setup for some time (and that’s for another post), but the things that I’m touching the most when I’m working are definitely my keyboard and mouse. So as part of my desk setup upgrade, I’ve decided to get the Logitech’s MX Bundle after hearing so much rave about it, which includes the Logitech MX Keys and the Logitech MX Master 3 mouse. And a wrist pad… Can’t forget the wrist pad.

For this particular post though, I’ll just focus on the keyboard (which is what I’m using to type this up now).

Price

I wanted to get this out of the way first because this is probably the biggest downside to this bundle - it’s definitely not cheap. Even with the discount I managed to get from my credit card, the entire bundle still ended up at $300 AUD which definitely is on the premium side. Even if you don’t get the Master 3s and just get the MX Keys as a standalone, they still retail for $200 AUD.

Price aside, I do think this keyboard is one of the best I’ve used. 

Design

My first impression of the MX Keys is that it looks very similar to any “flat style” keyboard design - that is just another keyboard that’s similar to the Apple Keyboard. Whilst it does have a flat profile, the gunmetal colour of the keyboard makes it look very slick, and if your work desk is clean (unlike mine), it'll most definitely be the centrepiece of your desk. 

Build

The build quality of this keyboard is extremely solid. When I first picked it up out of the box, I did not expect it to be this heavy. It’s built out of a single metal plate that’s sturdy and doesn’t move around the desk. The only non-metal parts that I can see on the keyboard are the top where the charging ports and the on/off button are, and the rubber feet on the bottom. And obviously the keys themselves.

The individual keys have a circular dip to them, and they nicely curve around the tip of your fingers. It makes it very easy for your fingers to naturally fall to the centre of the keys. 

Features

The Logitech MX Keys is truly cross platform, and supports Bluetooth as well as via USB (wired or wireless with the receiver). In fact, you can tell it’s made for cross platform since the keys actually show the Option/Start key, and Command/Alternate key in one.

It can also remember up to 3 Bluetooth devices, and you can easily switch between them with the three connection keys.

It’s also backlit, and the smart thing about it is it will only turn on as you approach the keyboard, and only when it detects that it’s dark enough. Using this feature will take a hit on its battery life though. With the backlit feature on, you will be able to get 10 days of battery life on a single charge. Turning this feature off though, will last up to 5 months. Either way, the MX Keys is rechargeable via USB-C which is handy enough.

It also has dedicated programmable shortcut keys all along the top row of the keyboard. By default, they are the standard brightness, volume settings and more, plus an additional 3 app keys which can quickly launch the calculator, screenshot or notes app. But if you download the Logitech Options software, all of these can be reprogrammed to launch whatever you want. You’ll just have to get used to the specific icon on the keyboard.

One of the more advanced features of the MX Keys is that it supports Logitech Flow, which allows you to control multiple computers at once, and seamlessly switch between them and allow copying and pasting of files between them too - even if they are different OSes.

Typing

The most important thing - what’s the use of a keyboard even if it has all the features when it doesn’t do the fundamentals right? This actually surprised me the most. I had a high level of expectation before I used the keyboard based on the reviews online. However, typing on this keyboard completely solidified my purchase. I was thinking that I might have buyer’s remorse after clicking the buy button online, but typing on it completely changed my mind.

The keys have a decent amount of travel, and are soft but not mushy. Each keystroke has a satisfying thud as you type, and is definitely different to other keyboards which typically has the loud clicking sound. I really like the fact that the circular dips on the individual keys naturally guide your fingertips to the middle of each key so it doesn’t allow your fingers to slip off like other keyboards that have bulgy and curved keys.

Summary

Overall - do I like it? For sure! I can genuinely say that typing on this keyboard increases my productivity. It goes back to the fundamentals of a good typing experience, and typing on this keyboard is so satisfying that it actually makes me want to work more just to find an excuse to use this keyboard more. Do I recommend buying it? Yes! But I would probably wait until there’s a sale if you’re not in a hurry.

Oh and the wrist pad that comes with the MX Keys if you purchase the bundle? It’s alright - nothing special. It’s just a soft, rubbery foam pad to rest your wrists on, and should probably be included in the standalone package (but it isn’t).