Logitech Pop Keys review: The mechanical keyboard for emoji addicts

Price When Reviewed

$100

Best Prices Today: Logitech Pop Keys Keyboard

$79.99

$79.99

At this level Logitech presents no fewer than 15 mechanical keyboards throughout its client and gaming divisions. So after I say that the Pop Keys is exclusive, that truly means one thing. You gained’t discover anything fairly prefer it from such a mainstream model. The mixture of mechanical practicality and enjoyable fashion is one thing that ought to have broad enchantment, or at the least be extra visually attention-grabbing than the standard gray-and-black rectangles.

And that’s the best energy of the Pop Keys—what we’ve got here’s a traditional case of favor over substance. While the board is completely enough, in the identical means that the majority of Logitech’s consumer-focused keyboards are, the corners reduce on the design mixed with its excessive worth make it arduous to suggest. Unless, after all, you simply love that bubbly, curvy look with its devoted emoji keys.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best wireless keyboards to find out about competing merchandise.

The Logitech Pop Keys design

The most placing factor in regards to the Pop Keys is its visible design. With completely rounded keycaps and a tender plastic physique that appears like a giant, squishy pillow, it has extra curves than Mulhollond Drive. It’s additionally packing a column of 5 devoted emoji keys alongside the left facet, with 4 spare keycaps in case you wish to change them round. Our evaluation unit got here in a gray-on-white “Mist” coloration, however there are 4 different, way more vibrant choices to select from, together with a wild mixture of pastel yellow, purple, and inexperienced known as “Daydream.”

Michael Crider/IDG

But don’t let the bubbly design idiot you. Underneath these spherical keycaps are customary Cherry clone switches—brown ones, to be exact, for a slight tactile “bump” that’s fairly loud with all that plastic. The keyboard can be wi-fi, with Logitech’s customary mixture of Bluetooth, RF (USB dongle within the field), and multi-device switching. The structure is the favored 75 % measurement, as seen on such mechanical designs because the Keychron Q1, and the Logi Options+ software program presents restricted programmability. Legends that work for each Windows and Mac spherical out the characteristic set.

How does the Logitech Pop Keys reduce prices?

At $100 retail, the Pop Keys is technically Logitech’s least costly mechanical keyboard. It’s 50 bucks inexpensive than the svelte MX Mechanical Mini, with the identical variety of keys, and $30 lower than the gaming-focused G613. But spend a bit of time with the board, and also you’ll see the place Logitech is slicing a number of corners for this consumer-focused board.

Michael Crider/IDG

First, the typing expertise is, for lack of a extra acceptable phrase, low cost. The shiny plastic keycaps are purposeful, and I bought used to their round form after solely a day or so. But the plastic is slippery, the legends are painted on (and can put on out a lot sooner than doubleshot keycaps), and the switches are simply in regards to the least expensive you will discover. Every keystroke on this board will rattle excess of even a primary mechanical board with a much less splashy design. I wouldn’t suggest it for a crowded workplace. Sure, you may swap out the funky keycaps, as a result of the TTC switches use the usual cross stem. But then what’s the purpose of shopping for this board?

Elsewhere, the keyboard is missing illumination apart from the Caps Lock and machine indicators, and it presents neither a chargeable battery or a USB port backup—I hope you’ve bought a number of AAAs for when this factor dies. Lastly, whereas I really like the graceful, rounded physique and the fashionable little bar on the again, there are not any deployable ft, so that you’ll need to make do with the board’s single fairly shallow typing angle.

Michael Crider/IDG

True, Logitech is hardly aiming for the keyboard purist with this design. But even so, omitting such primary options as deployable ft is one thing I simply can’t overlook on a $100 board.

What does the Logitech Pop Keys do?

Which brings us to the signature purposeful characteristic of the Pop Keys, the power to shortly enter emoji. To its credit score, the keyboard is excellent at this. You can put in any emoji you need, as long as it’s supported by Windows or MacOS, and alter them out simply sufficient through the Logi Options+ programming device. You’re not restricted to simply the emoji included on the board or its spare keycaps, both, although you’ll want to recollect which of them you selected in case you stray from the printed designs.

Michael Crider/IDG

For those that choose their keyboards a bit of extra purposeful, you may also program the 5 emoji keys (in addition to F4 by F12 and the devoted Mic key) utilizing the Options+ device. This allowed me to arrange my most well-liked 75 % structure, with devoted quantity, begin/pause, and screenshot keys on the principle layer. It’s surprisingly versatile!

Logitech’s device-swapping characteristic can be dealt with nicely, as I’ve come to count on from the corporate’s wi-fi designs. Switching between my Windows desktop, iPad, and Android cellphone was near-instant with the F1 to F3 keys. However, customized emoji programming didn’t carry over to the cell units. So in order for you that easy emoji enter particularly for non-desktop or laptop computer {hardware}, you’ll be a bit disillusioned.

Michael Crider/IDG

I additionally need to level out that different Logitech keyboards that may be programmed with Logi Options+, just like the MX Mechanical Mini, can additionally set particular keys to enter emoji. But after all, these extra buttoned-down boards lack the fanciful emoji keycaps.

Is the Logitech Pop Keys value it?

If you scraped off the Logitech branding and changed the whimsical keycaps with extra customary fare, I’d say that this keyboard is value about half its $100 asking worth. The lack of superior options (other than the excellent multi-device wi-fi) and its low-end switches and keycaps, mixed with an absence of deployable keyboard ft and rechargeable battery, implies that it leaves so much to be desired. At least on paper.

Michael Crider/IDG

In phrases of worth, I’d steer somebody towards the Keychron K3 Pro for roughly the identical worth, with a lot better parts, options, and programmability. Or heck, simply avoid wasting cash and go together with certainly one of Logitech’s non-mechanical choices, like the similarly whimsical K480. You might additionally simply get a set of “retro” keycaps and throw them on any low cost mechanical board of your selecting.

Michael Crider/IDG

But I’m not made from stone. The Pop Keys is freakin’ lovable, for all its low cost parts, and it does ship on its promise of easy emoji enter (at the least on Mac and Windows). If that’s what you’re on the lookout for, it could be definitely worth the splurge…or maybe higher but, could be value ready on a sale. The $79.99 it’s going for on Amazon on the time of writing (for some colours) appears a bit of extra acceptable.