Climate Pledge Friendly
I was on the hunt for a good wireless keyboard that i could with my laptop in the livingroom. I have a setup with a monitor that i can lift up from between the couch and the table and position to my front left so i can use the computer for work and play at home, or to just browse the internet while watching TV.
Finding a good keyboard that can do everything was hard! I also have 4 kids that like to destroy things so i needed something tough. Everything i found was $200+, except for this 79 dollar beauty.
So the first thing is that i paid $79 for this keyboard 8 months ago, at this price i would expect that its not going to have all the features and functionality of a $200 keyboard, there has to be sacrifices. Its also important to note that Logitech's website says the MSRP for this is $149.99, I wouldn't pay that much for this keyboard.
Pros first:
1) The keys are nice and springy, definitely not for everyone. People that are used to certain kinds of cherry switches may dislike these. For myself, i think they are good... This keyboard does well for gaming, for typing, and for everything i've used it for... I can type 150+ WPM with my normal every day typing speed landing anywhere between 100 and 120 WPM. The keyboard on my gaming desktop is the Corsair K95 (with 18 G keys) and uses the Cherry MX Brown switches. I think i like using these a little bit more.
2) Its mechanical! This means key presses will be more consistent due to higher quality parts (talking about actuation distance, pressure to actuate, etc...) and its going to last longer. Its like getting more for your money!
3) There's a bunch of G keys that allow you to record custom macros for games where you may need it.
4) Volume and media controls that can be pressed without having to press a Fn key.
5) Bluetooth AND Lightspeed technology! Of course, use Lightspeed, only use bluetooth if you have to. Lightspeed gets you 1ms response times, essentially matching the speed of corded keyboards!
6) Its built tough! The keyboard has already been flung off my lap, sat on, kicked 3 feet, and jumped on multiple times by a 35lb toddler.
Cons:
1) The volume up and down should be a roller not buttons.
2) While the mechanical keys work well (they are Romer G Tactile), they can sometimes sound like little bells with some of the extra noises they make when quickly removing your finger from a key after pressing it. Every time i hear it, i feel like it might be super cheap and break, but it just hasnt yet (which is great!).
3) The wrist rest does not come off. This can be a deal breaker for some people! For me, i like this and it gives me something to easily hold on to when moving it around. I prefer this for my current setup but most setups will not like this.
4) Lights for Caps, Scroll Lock, and Num Lock. There's no Num Lock and Scroll Lock lights, its caused me a bit of confusion a few times and i still havent gotten used to it but i realize quickly each time when something goes wrong that i just need to hit the button again to fix the issue (like num lock). When it comes to the Caps Lock button, there's a square shaped light at the top for this and a battery light next to it. I can never remember that the other light is a battery light so when i toggle caps, i see one light on and the other off and im not really sure which is which so i find myself toggling caps lock multiple times often just to get the light right. If this was the only keyboard i used, i probably wouldnt have this issue. The labels below these lights are incredibly hard to see too, they are black text on a dark gray background, terrible contrast.
5) No lights! Lights on a gaming keyboard should not be optional. They should always have them! In this case, because this is a cheaper keyboard, i would only expect white lights... However, back to that $150 price tag that Logitech originally wanted, you can find other gaming keyboards of comparable quality and more features at that price point. This is a big no-no on this keyboard in my opinion! I didnt reduce stars still because backlighting on a keyboard is rarely a necessity. The light from a monitor will almost always light up the keyboard just fine, but with some setups, the keyboard is in a drawer which is blocking the light when pulled out.
Final Verdict:
I still give this keyboard 5 out of 5 stars because its a great deal at this price point. A good gaming keyboard with these features is hard to beat at $80. I wouldn't pay more than $99.99 for this keyboard. Once you pass the $100 mark, there's plenty of other keyboards that can exceed this one.
Carbon emissions from the lifecycle of this product were measured, reduced and offset.
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Carbon Neutral Certified by SCS Global Services
Carbon Neutral Certified by SCS Global Services
Carbon Neutral Certified by SCS Global Services enables companies to demonstrate carbon neutrality for their products by reducing carbon emissions throughout their operations and offsetting their remaining carbon footprint through the purchase of carbon credits. SCS Global Services is a global leader in third-party environmental and sustainability verification, certification, auditing, testing, and standards development. SCS is a chartered Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.
