Review: Logitech Keys-to-Go Offers Great Portability
Logitech latest Bluetooth keyboard is designed for iOS devices, as a compact, portable, water-resistant keyboard for on-the-go typing. It’s neither a case accessory nor does it offer any docking mechanism to prop up your iPad. It’s just a multi-device compatible, standalone bluetooth keyboard, but that allows it to be slim and portable. if you have an existing iPad cover already with a prop function, which most people do, this makes for a great addition as a standalone iPad keyboard when you need one.
The top row is iOS centric, with shortcut keys for common iOS tasks. They allow you to return to the home screen, search, launch Siri and activate the multi tasking window or take a screenshot, and volume buttons. Your mileage may vary with other devices such as Windows or Android, but some aspect are common, such as search and volume control keys. But on Android, it will bring up the camera app with the front facing camera so you can stare at yourself. There’s also a main button for activating Bluetooth to discovery mode which allows you to switch devices pretty quickly. Pretty convenient. There’s a dedicated key for screenshots on iOS which is pretty convenient. The top-right corner of the keyboard is a button with a battery icon. Pressing it causes the small LED to light up, to mark the current level of the keyboard’s battery. It boasts a long three month battery life, and through the course of review (around 4 weeks) i only needed to charge it on the first day. I used it fairly often, for typing articles and also for taking notes on the iPad. It’s the same width as the iPad Air.
The Keys-To-Go keyboard follows Logitech other FabricSkin keyboard, with the same FabricSkin material used for the Keys-to-Go keyboard. It comes in three different colors – red, teal and basic black. The rubber-like material used encases both the front and back. It offers good grip, is non-slip and is also water resistant. It can survive the occasional coffee mug disaster, which is a nifty feature to have. Also, if the keyboard gets dirty, just run it under the tap and you are all set. As mentioned above, this is a standalone keyboard. More often than not, I use my iPad standalone. I would not want to use a Keyboard case for my iPad and have it anchored by a redundant case.
Dimensions: 242 x 137 x 6 mm
Weight: 180 grams
Comes with a MicroUSB cable
The keyboard is thin, so it doesn’t take up much space next to your tablet, and it is also lightweight. I cannot stress how light the Logitech Keys-to-Go is. Looking at Logitech other Bluetooth keyboard the K480, which is more of a desktop-based keyboard, the Keys to Go is 22% of the weight. Other Bluetooth keyboards like the Lenovo 6000 also weighs around 300g (about 40% more). It’s a great size to slip into the bag and you wouldn’t notice the extra weight. The keys themselves are nice and quiet. If you are looking for a quiet keyboard, this is it. With the combination of the FabricSkin material and the short travel keys, this keyboard offers good silent operation. The keys don’t offer much travel but offers enough pressure for good typing feedback. In terms of size, it is smaller than a proper full-sized keyboard, slight reduction on the keys, as well as on the side buttons such as the tab / shift keys and space bar. Overall, I was able to adjust to the size of the keyboard but I still prefer typing on a full size keyboard. That’s part of the compromise of using a tablet-sized keyboard but it is still a well-built keyboard and I was quite happy typing on it for a couple of hours when I’m out.
Tablets / phones are pretty amazing gadgets that can do pretty much all that a laptop can, but one limiting factor has always been on touch input. While on-screen keyboard s generally fine and dandy, it starts getting limited when you want to type more than a quick email. If what you’re looking for is a portable keyboard, the Keys-To-Go should definitely be a consideration. At an RRP of S$99, it’s not cheap, but it’s a good keyboard. There are many other Bluetooth keyboards out there in the market but those are generally thicker and bigger, and not as portable. This is a well-designed portable keyboard that would help you improve your work productivity on your mobile device.