Logitech MX Mechanical keyboard
MSRP $170.00
“The Logitech MX Mechanical keyboard must be the centerpiece of your next office setup.”
Pros
- Excellent typing experience
- Works with Windows and MacOS
- Pairs with up to a few devices directly
- Adaptive, useful backlight
- Pairing is a breeze
Cons
- A bit expensive
- Limited key remapping options
- No hot-swappable switches
The Logitech MX Mechanical fills a niche that’s plagued mechanical keyboards for years. You wish a real mechanical typing experience with the slim type of Microsoft’s Surface Keyboard, but all you’ve been in a position to find are RGB-ridden gaming keyboards that will offer an incredible typing experience, but don’t look great sitting within the office.
Enter the MX Mechanical.
It’s not the primary low-profile mechanical keyboard, however it’s the primary we’ve seen from a mainstream peripheral brand like Logitech. The worth is a bit high, and the software could use more features, however the sublime typing experience on the MX Mechanical earns it a spot amongst one of the best keyboards in the marketplace.
Expensive but not egregious
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Logitech’s premium peripherals are expensive — there’s no way around it. The MX Mechanical doesn’t buck that trend, however it still doesn’t feel such as you’re throwing away extra cash. Logitech has two versions available at barely different prices: The complete-sized MX Mechanical for $170, and the 75% MX Mechanical Mini for $150.
The essential competition are the low-profile Keychon K3 and K7, that are each around $50 lower than what Logitech is asking. The K7 supports hot-swappable switches, too, so you’ll be able to adjust the texture of the keyboard down the road or swap some switches out in the event that they go bust.
What’s working in Logitech’s favor is that the MX Mechanical works with other Logitech peripherals, and it unlocks some productivity features that aren’t present with brands like Keychron. Make no mistake: The MX Mechanical keyboard is pricey. But considering Logitech’s gaming-focused G915, which may be very much like the MX Mechanical, sells for $60 more, the worth doesn’t seem as intimidating.
Three devices directly
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
One of the crucial exciting facets of the MX Mechanical is that it will probably switch between three devices almost immediately, whatever the operating system you’re using. You possibly can connect with either the pre-paired Logi Bolt dongle (a more recent dongle for keyboards just like the Logitech Pop Keys) or Bluetooth, and you’ll be able to switch between systems either with a trio of dedicated keys on the board or through the free Logi Options+ software.
I paired it to my desktop with the Bolt dongle and Bluetooth across a laptop and tablet, and there was never greater than a second or two of delay between switching. One downside here is that the MX Mechanical flat-out doesn’t have a wired mode. It really works via wireless while it’s plugged in and charging, but you’ll be able to’t ditch Bluetooth or the dongle for a straight wired connection.
Dual support for Windows and MacOS is a big plus for the MX Mechanical.
Even inexpensive mechanical keyboards just like the Akko 3068B work across various connections on the press of a key, but the massive boon for the twin connections is Logitech Flow. With a compatible mouse, you’ll be able to bounce between Windows and MacOS just by dragging your mouse, in addition to transfer files or text. It really works across up to a few devices, either with Windows or MacOS.
The keyboard supports Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Chrome OS, and Android by itself, but Flow is restricted to the 2 major desktop sorts of OS. Dual support for Windows and MacOS is the essential plus for the MX Mechanical, though. Unlike the Keychron Q1, the MX Mechanical recognizes what OS you’re using and robotically switches the layout.
Greater than a backlight
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
I assumed the static white backlight on the MX Mechanical could be the most important difference it has in comparison with Logitech’s G915 gaming keyboard, but I used to be improper. The MX Mechanical doesn’t have RGB lighting, however the white backlight is for greater than just looks.
It’s adaptive, so the ambient light sensor contained in the MX Mechanical will adjust the backlight robotically based on how much light you may have within the room. It is a key component that permits the MX Mechanical to realize 15 days of battery life and a full 10 months with the backlight off, in response to Logitech. I don’t have 10 months to attend for a keyboard to die, but I’ve been using the MX Mechanical on and off for about three weeks, and my battery is at 50%. Bring a USB-C cable with you while you leave the home just in case, but you shouldn’t have to charge the MX Mechanical often.
The lighting has some nice touches outside of being adaptive. It lights up while you lay your hands over the keyboard, for instance, which is a novelty I haven’t grown bored with (even after three years with the Nvidia Shield’s distant and its proximity sensor). Logitech uses the backlight to call out vital information, too, like a brighter light in your currently paired device while you turn the keyboard on.
Sublime typing
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The MX Mechanical isn’t a G915 with the gaming bits ripped out, and a couple of minutes of typing on it makes that clear. It uses Kailh Choc switches just like the G915, however the V2 versions the MX Mechanical comes with use an ordinary cross stem so you’ll be able to swap the keycaps out when you want. Logitech gives you the selection of Tactile Quiet (brown), Linear (red), and Clicky (blue) switches, and I selected the Tactile Quiet option that comes with 45 grams of activation force, 1.3mm to achieve the actuation point, and three.2mm of total travel distance.
These low-profile switches have the identical force as their full-sized counterparts, however the travel distance is far shorter (0.7mm less actuation travel, and 0.8mm less total travel). That completely changes the typing experience in comparison with full-sized switches just like the ones on the Azio Izo keyboard. It’s snappy, like if Apple’s Magic Keyboard was slathered in a coat of mechanical goodness.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The Tactile Quiet switches have a conventional feel, but they’re not exactly quiet. They’re not loud, like the press you’ll find on the Clicky option, but they’ve a hole, chunky clunk as you type. It’s immensely satisfying for typing, and I discovered myself wanting to put in writing just to make use of the keyboard more. Most mechanical keyboards are focused on gaming first (just like the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini), however the MX Mechanical is among the many few mainstream options focused on typing first.
I didn’t count it out for gaming, though I probably must have. The flat keycaps mean there’s little distinction between rows, causing multiple slipups in Destiny 2 and my recent addiction, Neon White. It really works for gaming, but you may need to construct your individual keyboard for something that appears just like the MX Mechanical but functions like a G915.
Easy isn’t at all times higher
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Logitech wants the MX Mechanical to be powerful and easy, which is obvious the primary time you load up the Logi Options+ app. It walks you thru the unique elements of the keyboard — the three device buttons, the varied backlighting options, and even some special function keys like a dedicated emoji key and a mute button for meetings. Simplicity is great, however the MX Mechanical takes it too far.
You possibly can’t rebind a lot of the keys. Options+ permits you to rebind your function keys, the grid between Insert and Page Up, and 4 keys on top of the keypad, but that’s it. Key remapping is an ordinary function for multiple Logitech keyboards, so it’s strange that it’s no more available on the MX Mechanical.
It’s even weirder considering the choices you may have for the few keys you’ll be able to remap. You possibly can bind them to keyboard shortcuts, OS apps just like the Calculator, and functions like minimizing the lively window. You possibly can even customize the keys for specific apps (though, you’re given the identical slate of actions whatever the apps you’re using).
Options+ can also be missing macro recording and binding. The list of actions in Options+ is fairly comprehensive, but the actual fact which you could only rebind some keys looks like an unnecessary roadblock for what’s otherwise an incredible software experience.
Our take
The Logitech MX Mechanical keyboard is all about keeping you productive. Flow is a giant plus if you may have an MX mouse, and the updated low-profile switches provide the most effective typing experiences you’ll be able to get south of $200. The worth stings a bit with the dearth of options in Logi Options+, however the premium is well price it if you may have other Logitech peripherals or often need to change between Windows and MacOS.
Are there any alternatives?
Yes, but they’re few and much between:
- Keychon K3: It’s less expensive than the MX Mechanical and still comes with low-profile mechanical switches. It doesn’t support Logitech Flow, nonetheless, and it uses strictly Bluetooth for the wireless connection.
- Logitech G915 TKL: A gaming tackle the MX Mechanical for a much higher price, the G915 offers an analogous construct and typing experience. It’s far more focused on gaming, with dedicated meta buttons, a volume wheel, and per-key RGB lighting.
How long will it last?
Low-profile mechanical switches have a life span of fifty million keystrokes, so you’ll be able to get several years out of the MX Mechanical before you might want to replace it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have hot-swappable switches just like the Keychron K7 or K3, so you’ll be able to’t extend the life with a switch swap down the road.
Do you have to buy it?
Yes, especially if you may have a mouse that supports Logitech Flow or toggle between devices often. You possibly can get an analogous typing experience for less with something just like the Keychron K3, but no other peripheral maker has the identical combination of features that Logitech is offering with the MX Mechanical.
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