A little while back now I reviewed the Logi MX Keys for Mac, and rather than switch back to my original Mac keyboard, I’m still using it to this day – typing on it right now in fact! It’s a perfectly sturdy keyboard, and has been on ‘active duty’ since I unboxed it for the review… So, recently given the chance to add it’s smaller, cuter cousin to the family, I jumped at the chance…
I’m not one to review the packaging in a product, I don’t really see the point you know, (great! it’s a box?) but this time I’m going to make an exception!
I think when a package turns up like this, it really does speak to the build quality of a product, and I’ve always been impressed with the MX Keys keyboards, they have that weighty, sturdy kinda feel (hard to describe, but when you pick one up, you just know..)
I thought “Oh, great… The postie has had a little spot of rage delivering this package for me!” and my immediate afterthought was “How do I explain this to Kevin!” (our Editor boss chief guy) I very warily opened up the package and the keyboard was not only fully intact, but also 100% functional and ready to go!
Now the immediate benefits for me getting a smaller keyboard, and it may be the same for you, are that when I’m working away from home (which is at least twice a week) and I want to use an external keyboard to help place my laptop in a more shoulder friendly, ergonomic position, I can very easily fit the Logi MX Keys MINI into my ThinkTank 13L laptop bag where it sits nicely, no bulging out the top like the longer keypadded (is that a word?) version of the Logi MX Keys can. (or most other full size keyed keyboards)
I don’t want to take a larger bag when I head out to work on an article or some social media content in a cafe, I want a slender shoulder bag with my Macbook Pro 13, my Keyboard and maybe some headphones. The Logi isn’t much bigger than a small Mac keyboard (the one without the keypad) but I find it much more comfortable and it’s also more functional.
Features & Benefits
Logi make a point of calling out that the keys on their MX Keys Mini are ‘spherically-dished’ and that they’re made for fingertips, and as a longer term user of the MX series, and now the new Mini, I’ve got to agree, they feel good under my clumsy non touch-typing fingers, the perfect amount of dish and slip (if that makes any sense!) with their matte coating and soft edges.
The keyboard is relatively quiet in use, also satisfyingly solid as I mentioned earlier, this is down to the little beast being put together around one solid metal plate, and while a touch heavier than my Mac keyboard, I much prefer the sturdy feel this gives.
On the keyboard you’ll find the regular key layout but you’ll also find three extra keys that, I have to admit, seemed a little on the gimmicky side to me to start with, the emoji, dictation and mic mute/unmute keys! As if I’d ever use those… Who am I kidding! I’m a social media manager by day, my clients are remote, I’m on calls a lot and I love a smiley face emoji! 🙂 The MX Keys Mini placed these functions within easy reach and they work well! Smart!
Battery life on these keyboards is fantastic! A quoted 10 days of use from a single (USB-C) charge, (or 5 months with the backlight off) and they’re very good at letting you know. Turn on the ‘Battery Saving Mode’ switch in the Logi Options + app and the keyboard will turn off the backlight automagically at 10%. You can plug a USB-C cable in while you’re using the keyboard to charge, or on the go you can use an external battery to give your keyboard some juice otg.
The keyboard has the similar ‘mind reading’ smart illumination proximity sensors that the larger MX Keys has. I love it on the MX Keys, but this is the one part of the keyboard that I think needs a rethink – the MX Keys is black and so when illuminated, the keys stand out perfectly! My desk, and I assume many others, is near a window and so in the afternoon when there’s sun but it’s dulling down a little, the keyboard will flick on its fancy backlights, the white keys with the ambient room light and the backlight in the keys essentially making the keys ‘all white’ meaning that if you can’t touch type, you have to really look hard for where your fingers are as the letters disappear! It’s not a deal-breaker, but I found it frustrating on many occasions – in a perfect world I’d swap it for a black version which would eliminate this issue.
Another great feature you will find are the ‘Easy-switch’ keys on the Mini, just like the regular ‘Keys’ which allows you to pair your keyboard with more than one device and at the tap of a key, you can be typing on something else! Now, you might think “Why would I want to do that” well, I found out something new this time around (who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!) I can pair the keyboard with my iPhone and use it to type into my iPhone! (Emojis and all!) which is really super handy! As a social media manager, having to use my phone for so much of what I do can be really painful after a day of replying to people’s angry DM’s on Instagram! Using the keyboard has actually made it really simple! Bravo, Logi.
So it’s clear, I love this series of Logi MX Keys, but I do wish two things…
- Can I get the MX Keys but with the three new keys on top, please!
- Can you please fix the backlight/key color thing for people that like weirdly lit offices?
Great job, Logi! Five stars for this little gem of a keyboard. Thanks for reading! Find my other DRN ramblings here!
