Logitech MX Keys For Mac - Tested
In our article Logitech Make The Wireless Keyboard 'Apple Should Have Made’ we talked about the Logitech MX Keys for Mac as a viable alternative to the Apple Magic Keyboard. In this article we ask Russ Hughes, the owner of an Apple Magic Keys keyboard to test Logitech MX Keys For Mac.
Logitech MX Keys For Mac
MX Keys for Mac is a Bluetooth keyboard with numeric keypad. The features in a summary are;
Connect via the included USB receiver or Bluetooth low energy technology
Easy-switch keys to connect up to three devices and easily switch between them
10 meters wireless range
Hand proximity sensors that turn the backlighting on
Ambient light sensors that adjust backlighting brightness
USB-C rechargeable. Full charge lasts 10 days – or 5 months with backlighting off
On/Off power switch
Caps Lock and Battery indicator lights
Compatible with Logitech Flow enabled mouseConnect via the included USB receiver or Bluetooth low energy technology
Easy-switch keys to connect up to three devices and easily switch between them
10 meters wireless range
Hand proximity sensors that turn the backlighting on
Ambient light sensors that adjust backlighting brightness
USB-C rechargeable. Full charge lasts 10 days – or 5 months with backlighting off
On/Off power switch
Caps Lock and Battery indicator lights
Compatible with Logitech Flow enabled mouse
Switch between three devices
First Impressions
As a user of the Apple keyboard I was interested to see how the MX Keys compared in terms of user experience and feel of the keyboard. Yes the keyboard has several tricks up it’s sleeve that the Apple Magic keys does not have, but what matters most with something you are spending all day using is two things. First does the keyboard feel any good? If not then all the features in the world aren’t going to make up for that. Secondly, on the whole, the Apple eco-system is relatively pain free, so workflow matters to me - like connectivity and other things that make life a little easier.
First the keyboard, something Logictech claim, “decades of Logitech expertise have gone into Perfect Stroke keys – ensuring that every keystroke is fluid, natural, and accurate.” Having used the keyboard for a short time I can say it has a nice feel to it, compared to the Apple keyboard it feels more refined, although this is achieved by having keys that protrude further away from the casing than on the Apple Magic keyboard. However, is one better than the other? It’s hard to say. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. I could happily work with both, although what I think Logictech prove with their offering is that the Apple Keyboard puts style ahead of practicality. Anyone who knows anything about Apple will not be surprised by that fact. Asthetic is an enormously important factor in all of Apple’s product designs, however I think in terms of the feel of a keyboard the Logitech wins on feel. That’s not to say the Logitech is ugly, it’s just a little less refined stylistically than the Apple, but as I’ve already said, I’d rather lose some style if it means getting a nicer feel.
Secondly, workflow. I first tried to connect the keyboard to my Apple Mac M1 MacBook Pro, it claimed to have connected but never seemed to work. I didn’t check on M1 compatibility, so it may be that. When I ran into issues I thought it may require the supplied USB receiver. After some digging I’m happy to report it does not require the USB receiver. For many that would have been a deal breaker, especially laptop users. When connecting it to my Intel MacBook Pro it worked like a charm.
My minor gripe is that I like the way Apple Bluetooth devices report on their battery charge level as part of the OS, this is not the case with the Logitech. There are two ways to check charge level, the LED on the keyboard that warns you when the battery is getting low, from the user guide, “Your keyboard will let you know when it is running low. From 100% to 11% your LED will be green. From 10% and below, the LED will be red. You can continue typing for more than 500 hours without backlighting when the battery is low.” The second way to find out is by using the free Logi Options software. This software allows you to customise the keyboard either on an OS level or per application. I’m not that fussed about that kind of thing and would rather not have to use another application to use a peripheral. However, you do not need to install the Logi Options software to use the keyboard.
MX Keys Backlight
What You Get Extra With MX Keys
Gripes aside, there’s a lot of extra features with the Logitech MX Keys for Mac that you don’t get with the Apple Magic Keyboard.
It is at this point I need to talk about price. A direct comparison with the Apple Magic Keyboard in Space Grey makes the Logitech £99 and the Apple £149. If you compare it with the Apple Magic Keyboard in white then the price is around the same.
However, the Logitech offers a lot more bang for your buck, namely;
Backlit keyboard
Bluetooth and wireless USB with the receiver included
Switching between three different devices. That may not sound like much, but moving an Apple keyboard between devices is a right royal PITA.
USB-C recharging
Currently a complimentary 1-month Adobe Creative Cloud membership
Given that the MX Keys for Mac is around the same price as the Apple Magic Keyboard then it makes this alternative a compelling proposition. Furthermore, if you are considering the Space Grey Apple keyboard then this keyboard has more going for it and is a third cheaper!
Summary
As I said at the start, we Apple users are a tough bunch when it comes to brand loyalty, it takes a lot to tempt us away from anything that isn’t part of the Apple eco-system.
Given the good looks, keyboard feel and the extras not found on the Apple alternatives you’d be mad not to consider the Logitech MX Keys for Mac. I bet if you buy one you’d forget it didn’t have an Apple logo on it in minutes. Highly recommended.