Logitech MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard (Tactile Quiet) Reviewed.

Logitech puts out a ton of quality products. There’s no doubts at all about that. The Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse that I reviewed a couple of weeks ago is hands down, the quietest mouse I’ve ever used. Now, there’s a counterpart for that mouse; the Logitech MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard (Tactile Quiet).

How does the keyboard fare after a couple of weeks of usage?

Read on to find out my thoughts.

What is the Logitech MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard (Tactile Quiet)?

The Logitech MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard is a mechanical keyboard in Logitech premium MX line. It’s wireless, connects via Bluetooth or the Logi Bolt dongle and retails locally for SG$299.

The keyboard is also compatible with Logitech’s Option+ app.

I’m actually using the keyboard to type this review and let me tell you, it is a damn pleasure to use.

The Logitech MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard (Tactile Quiet) is made up of two different materials, in Graphite only.

The lower part of it is plastic, but the top case is made from aluminum. It gives the keyboard a very premium look though if it was up to me, I’d have preferred the whole thing to be made from aluminum instead of just the top.

The keyboard itself is packed with the usual keys you’d expect, with shortcuts for lighting, screenshots, volume control, brightness and even basic media controls. Nothing major but all appreciated nonetheless.

Weirdly, the keyboard also has a shortcut key for the Calculator app. Is Logitech targeting accountants or something?

Lighting on the keyboard is acceptably bright, though there’s only White backlighting.

If you’re hoping to have multiple colors ala gaming keyboards, you’re out of luck. There are a couple of lighting presets but I prefer the basic one, which has the whole keyboard lighted up at all times.

As a wireless keyboard, the Logitech MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard (Tactile Quiet) has an official battery life of 15 days (with backlights activated) or up to 10 months, without the lights. Speaking of lights, the keyboard actually shuts down the backlighting if it’s been idle for awhile. Another nice touch; the Caps Lock key actually blinks if Caps Lock is on.

From personal experience, that 15 day battery life is a bit on the safe side. I’ve been using the keyboard regularly for the past two weeks and a half weeks and haven’t had to charge it yet.

The keyboard has a built in 1500mAh battery and charges via the USB Type-C port at the top of the machine (above the Numpad). You can use the machine while it charges so there’s really no need to worry about work disruption.

Strangely, I was unable to get my laptop to detect the keyboard as a wired keyboard.

It was only when I paired it via Bluetooth did it register. No issue with the charging at all though as it charged as soon as I plugged in a USB Type-C wire. Not being able to use it as a wired keyboard might limit its longevity though, as it’d be useless if it has Bluetooth or Logi Bolt issues in the future.

There are actually 3 different versions of the MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard; Tactile quiet (which is the one that Logitech loaned us for review), Linear and Clicky. Each of the keys have their own feel and sounds and while I can’t testify for the Linear and Clicky models, the Tactile Quiet version of the keyboard has barely any sound other than the clickety-clack of the keys as I type.

The smoothness of the keys belies their sensitivity, as even half depressing a key will get it to register. The keys also feel incredibly fluid, with no resistance at all as they bottom out. It’s a joy to use the keyboard, though it does take some getting used to.

That’s mainly due to the mostly uniform size of the keys.

The Backspace key for example is a bit too small for my liking and sometimes I found myself hitting the Volume Down or Volume Up (they’re both on top of the Backspace key) by mistake when I overcompensate.

In fact, other than the length, all the keys are the same height. It makes the keyboard have a uniform look. but sacrifices a bit in functionality for those of use who prefer outsized keys for the special function keys.

The keycaps themselves are great though. Just like the buttons, they’re very smooth to the touch and feel very nice and premium.

They do smudge VERY easily unfortunately, so you’re going to want to have a wiping cloth handy to wipe them down every so often.

The biggest issue I have with the keyboard’s are the machine’s legs or stands.

They’re much too short and stubby for me personally.

I like to type at a steeper angle than what they’re capable of so I really feel they should’ve been longer, or ideally, adjustable.

With just one height setting, the keyboard potentially alienates a lot of people who aren’t comfortable with the incline. Why a fixed stand was used in lieu of a notched one is anybody’s guess but I feel it’s a huge oversight in an otherwise great product design.

It’s like the keyboard’s designers focused all their efforts on the keyboard itself and the stands were just a last minute addition.

The Bottom Line.

The Logitech MX mechanical wireless keyboard is a great mechanical keyboard if you’re in the market for one. It’s fluid, responsive and relatively quiet to use, making it great for the office or for personal usage.

Unfortunately, for a premium mechanical wireless keyboard, there are some glaring issues that detract from the quality. That shouldn’t stop you from considering the keyboard but just make sure you’re ok with its shortcomings.

TLDR:

Great keyboard with fluid keys that are a pleasure to use. Certain keys could be bigger and the kickstands longer, but other than that, a quality and premium mechanical wireless keyboard.