Logitech MX Keys Review: Smart choice for multi-device users

AppleInsider

The Logitech MX Keys is a Mac-compatible keyboard that rivals the Apple Magic keyboard and is a noteworthy option for users looking for a cheaper solution without sacrificing function and durability.

Logitech MX Keys Review

The Apple Magic Keyboard is good, but Logitech MX Keys is an excellent choice for users who need a budget alternative. Logitech MX Keys is a flat, laptop-style chiclet keyboard. We like its customizations and stable wireless connection, but the initial setup for Mac Studio was tricky.

USB port and universal receiver

Logitech MX Keys come with a USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a Logitech universal receiver. If you already use a Logitech mouse, the receiver connects the Logitech mouse and keyboard to your Mac Studio without taking up yet another precious USB port.

Logitech MX Keys comes with a charging cable and dongle

The back of the keyboard has a USB-C port to plug in the charging cable. The charging cable is USB-A, so you would need an adapter if using a modern Mac, but if you have a Mac Studio set up, it plugs right into the Mac Studio without needing an adapter.

Logitech claims that a full charge lasts up to 10 days or up to five months with backlighting turned off.

Logitech MX Keys is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android systems, and you can connect up to three devices. Switching devices was easy and smooth using easy-switch keys above the number pad.

Switch devices easily with a quick tap

If your workflow includes toggling back between Mac, iPad, or even a Microsoft laptop, you can use the same keyboard for all these devices. For example, you can use Logitech MX Keys to type on a MacBook and Microsoft laptop at the same time.

Automatic backlighting

If you keep a dark office aesthetic or work late into the night, it can be hard to type in the dark. This keyboard has responsive backlighting that illuminates according to its environment.

Automatic backlighting responds to hand movement

The Logitech MX Keys have proximity sensors. These sensors turn on the backlighting on the keys as they sense your fingers, even if you wave your hands above the keyboard or rest your fingers lightly on the keys.

The auto lighting helps to improve the battery life when using this wirelessly, but some users want to keep the keyboard lights on continuously. You can plug in this keyboard, but you will also have to live with a blinking green charging indicator.

Green charging indicator when plugged in using a USB-C to USB-A cord

You can adjust the keyboard brightness with a quick tap on the function keys and go as low as turning off the backlighting entirely. These function keys are at the top row of the keyboard for easy access to commands such as screen brightness, app view, and media controls.

Slim chiclet style

Logitech MX Keys feels premium compared to Mac's Magic Keyboard with its aluminum build. It has a heft with its weight of 1.9 pounds, but still slim enough to be compact. There is a slight angle, but not nearly enough to accomplish much ergonomics.

For a flat laptop-style keyboard, typing on this is still an instant upgrade if you are used to a MacBook's keyboard. Users can enjoy satisfying bouncy feedback with every tap of this chiclet keyboard.

Aluminum build, slim design

Logitech MX Keys' slim design allows it to slide into a minimal desktop, but it does not sacrifice comfort for a compact design. It has a number pad which is helpful if you work with numbers a lot, either for accounting or for shortcuts in software like Blender.

You can hardwire this keyboard to a Mac Studio with the included charging cable or a MacBook with an adapter or a dock. We preferred using Bluetooth because we already had a universal receiver for a Logitech mouse, and the connection was stable and smooth.

Logitech MX Keys - Setup

You have the option to program shortcuts using the Logitech Options software. Setting your customizations is useful for quick maneuvers as you work in different programs.

Setting up an Apple keyboard with a Mac is easy because it looks for the connection wirelessly when you turn on the device, or you could use a cable to plug it straight into the Mac to pair it. Here is where an Apple keyboard has an advantage over a third-party keyboard because of the extra steps needed for the initial setup.

When you first turn on a new Mac, it will ask you to pair a pointer device such as a keyboard. macOS does not allow you to pair third-party input devices using Bluetooth during the initial setup. However, here is a workaround we used.

We used a Logitech unifying dongle that has already paired a Logitech device with an existing Apple device. We plugged this pre-paired dongle into a new Mac, and it recognized the new wireless keyboard when we selected the correct input channel.

For example, if you use a Logitech wireless mouse with a unifying dongle on a MacBook, plug in this same dongle to your other Mac. The other Mac will recognize your new Logitech keyboard when you turn it on. The connection was stable and smooth once paired.

Logitech MX Keys - Pros

• Customizable keys with Logitech Options software


• Multi-device


• Multi-OS


• Adjustable and responsive backlighting


• Smooth and stable Bluetooth connection

Logitech MX Keys - Cons

• Not ergonomic


• USB-A receiver needs a dock or adapter for MacBook


• Tricky initial setup with Mac Studio

Logitech MX Keys is an excellent Mac wireless keyboard for budget-conscious users who value a fluid and productive workflow. The customizations and multi-device functions are helpful to working faster, Bluetooth connection is reliable even when switching devices, and automatic backlighting makes it a good companion when work gets tough well into the night.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Where to buy

Logitech MX Keys with a number pad retails for $119.99 from Logitech. Get it at a slight discount for $114.99 from Amazon.

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DAalseth

I got one of these last spring. Loved it. Far better than the Apple Keyboard I had been using. Then my Partner tried it and liked it so much they stole it and I had to buy another one. Seriously, it’s a great keyboard.

StrangeDays

Full-time software engineer here, and I'm using this keyboard too (as well as a companion logi mouse). Pretty happy with it, in particular the USB-C charging, low-profile, soft tap keys, and adjustable backlighting (activated via hand-motion over the keys!). I like my Apple Magic Keyboard too, which is slimmer, but this is a nice option.

entropys

Logitech MX Keys come with a USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a Logitech universal receiver. If you already use a Logitech mouse, the receiver connects the Logitech mouse and keyboard to your Mac Studio without taking up yet another precious USB port.

Careful, Logitech has two wireless receiver protocols, the unifying receiver that works with the this keyboard and a number of Logitech mice, and the bolt receiver, which is a newer protocol working with other mice etc.  Unifying devices will not work with bolt devices, and vice versa.  Not a biggy, you just need to be aware that not all Logitech wireless devices will play together with the one receiver, and if you don’t pay attention to which ones you buy you will have to use up two ports with two receivers.

On the keyboard itself, it is a great keyboard for productivity purposes. It isn’t the mechanical type gamers love,  but it has decent key travel, a nice feel to the keys, and looks good. You can bang out a treatise on this keyboard and it will take longer to get fatigued than most keyboards. Battery lasts ages before recharge if you turn the backlighting off, otherwise a couple of weeks. Superior to the apple keyboard and much superior to the Satechi equivalent of the MX Keys

• USB-A receiver needs a dock or adapter for MacBook

Not sure that is a con. The most likely setup is the receiver goes into the back of an external display, which one connects the MBP or desktop via a USB-c cable for either one cable connection or for dock purposes. Even if it was to go into the back of a desktop without a USB-A port the converter/receiver would be set up just once. I doubt the receiver would be going into the MBP much.

I would also point out that with the external display setup, the keyboard and mouse will just work with whichever device is connected to the display. No need to switch anything.

ssalb

I've had the MX Keys for a little over a year. The keyboard is well made and pretty sturdy. Typing is good. But....

If you are buying this because of the backlighting, don't. It's very frustrating to use. The keycaps font is a translucent material to let the light through and not white, so in dimly lit environments, you really can't see the keys without the backlighting. The proximity sensor to turn on the backlight does not work reliably in low light. Frequently have to wave my hands over the keys to get the backlighting to turn on and then it turns off automatically after about 5-10 seconds and repeat. See the issue. Yes you can leave it plugged in, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of a bluethooth connected device. When plugged in the backlight stays on for a few minutes.

There is no way to control the backlighting duration in the Logi Options+ software. If you search the logitech support forum for the MX you will see quite a few posts where people are asking for control of the backlighting. These posts go back two or more years. Nothing has been done.

So do your research before dropping $100+ on this keyboard.

StrangeDays

ssalb said:

I've had the MX Keys for a little over a year. The keyboard is well made and pretty sturdy. Typing is good. But....

If you are buying this because of the backlighting, don't. It's very frustrating to use. The keycaps font is a translucent material to let the light through and not white, so in dimly lit environments, you really can't see the keys without the backlighting. The proximity sensor to turn on the backlight does not work reliably in low light. Frequently have to wave my hands over the keys to get the backlighting to turn on and then it turns off automatically after about 5-10 seconds and repeat. See the issue. Yes you can leave it plugged in, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of a bluethooth connected device. When plugged in the backlight stays on for a few minutes.

There is no way to control the backlighting duration in the Logi Options+ software. If you search the logitech support forum for the MX you will see quite a few posts where people are asking for control of the backlighting. These posts go back two or more years. Nothing has been done.

So do your research before dropping $100+ on this keyboard.

I guess I haven't experienced this problem. There are two keys for raising/lowering brightness, and you can leave it on all day if you like -- but yeah it's based on motion. Simply placing your keys above the home row activates it, so I dunno the issue since my hands have to be on the keyboard in order to use the keyboard. Me, I just use it when it gets dark and do so when it gets hard to read I activate backlighting. I've had it a 2-3 months and charged it maybe once?

phillyfanatic09

This keyboard also supports Bluetooth Low Energy for direct connections for up to three devices without a dongle. I use it with both my work laptop and home computer.

A great keyboard. I agree the backlight is fickle in low light but it doesn’t bother me much. Typing feel is excellent for a thin keyboard and you can get a model without the numeric keypad if you want something even smaller.

citpeks

As written, there are two characteristics that this review makes ambiguous, and subject to misconception.

First, rather importantly, the backlighting on the MX is ephemeral, in response to motion sensing, and not constant.  Those who expect a typical backlit keyboard will be disappointed.  In my usage, it lasts from 7-10 days before requiring recharging.  I haven't had any issues with the sensor, but some have gone as far as disassembling the keyboard and disconnecting it in response to a phantom "pulsing" issue.

Secondly, unlike some wireless keyboards, including Apple's Magic keyboards, the MX does not support a wired data connection through its USB port, which serves only to recharge the battery.  It is not truly possible to "hardwire" it to a computer in lieu of the wireless data connections, so when the battery eventually wears out, it will still require use of the RF receiver, or BT, rather than relying solely on the cable.

As is typical with Logitech products, the hardware can be, and in this case is above average, but the software has historically ranged from mediocre to awful, and the myriad of different driver packages the company produces for its product lineup does not help.  Some brave user tallied up all the different Logi software packages that have been created and that number was close to twenty, IIRC.

Thankfully, if one can live without macro key assignments, the MX can be used without installing Options, or any other Logi software.

tht

How do those 2 function combo keys work? Are they rocker switches?

Cmd+Alt, Opt+Start, and Opt+Ctrl look to be on one key. So, how do you press for one or the other?

phillyfanatic09

Those labels are for Windows (Ctrl, Alt, Start) or Mac OS (Cmd, Opt). So the function depends on what OS you are in at the moment.