Logitech Keys-to-Go 2 Is a Completely New Design
The more accessories I add to my tablets, the more I feel like I’m missing the point. Should I really buy the new iPad M4 bundled with the $350 Magic Keyboard or should I just buy a MacBook? That’s why I love portable but separate keyboards like Logitech’s new Keys-To-Go 2, which takes what I love about my home keyboard and makes it much more travel-friendly.
Modern small Logitech keyboards
I’m a big fan of Logitech keyboards. At home I use the MX Mechanical Mini , a low-profile, ten-key keyboard with tactile mechanical switches. When I’m away, I usually replace it with the MX Keys Mini , which is about the same but with membrane switches – not as nice to type on, but quieter for those around me.
I usually succeed, but I have a few complaints. First is durability: the MX Keys Mini is completely open when it’s in my bag, so I’m worried about the keys getting damaged in transit. Second is the size: it’s a small keyboard, but it’s still a little wide (11.65 inches), and the slanted kickstand it uses to make typing easier makes it difficult to store.
This is partly my fault, as the MX Keys Mini is not designed for travel. That’s why Logitech released the original Keys-To-Go , a completely flat keyboard so thin that its keys have little chance of getting damaged.
However, this has its problems, mainly in the form of comfort. There’s a reason my MX Keys Mini is angled this way, even if its stand likes to snag on laptops and flaps when they’re packed.
How Keys-To-Go 2 improves on what came before
With Keys-To-Go 2, Logitech tries to combine the best of both worlds by completely redesigning its portable keyboard to make it more durable and comfortable.
The change is mainly due to one new design feature: the keyboard now comes with a cover attached. This allows Keys-To-Go 2 to protect the keys when folded and also provides a greater angle for typing.
This steeper angle is due to the magnetic bottom, which allows the cover to fold under the keyboard and act as a kickstand. When fully expanded, the Keys-To-Go 2 has a pitch of 18mm, which is slightly larger than the original Keys-To-Go. The key travel is also 1mm, which is equivalent to the key travel of the Magic Keyboard.
The entire version of Keys-To-Go 2 is smaller than the original version of Keys-To-Go, as the cover art replaces the large rectangle of empty space at the top of the original. Additionally, keyboard shortcuts are now a full-featured row when used on non-mobile operating systems.
There’s still room to grow
There are still compromises (I got 86 wpm on the Keys-To-Go 2 vs. 92 on the MX Keys Mechanical), but the overall experience is now much more like a Magic Keyboard or MX Keys Mini for a fraction of the cost. .
While my previous Logitech keyboards required me to plan my packaging around them, I could easily see myself simply making Keys-To-Go 2 a part of my daily routine. It’s just under 10 inches long and only 0.18 inches tall (with the lid closed), so I definitely have room for it.
However, it is still a tablet or phone keyboard. There’s no touchpad, so it expects you to control your device via its own touchscreen. Or you can connect a mouse, although this defeats the purpose of creating a neat and tidy all-in-one device.
Neat and tidy packaging requires a sacrifice: batteries. To make this keyboard so thin, there’s no room for rechargeable batteries, so you’ll have to use replacement ones instead. Some people actually prefer them since they don’t limit the life of your device, but they are a little difficult to replace in Keys-To-Go 2. You will need both a custom screwdriver (T5) and custom batteries. (CR2032 coin cell batteries). The keyboard comes with batteries already installed, but no compatible screwdriver, so you might be a little frustrated when the battery first dies.
Logitech promises up to 36 months of battery life with up to two hours of continuous typing per day, a figure I didn’t have time to test in the couple of weeks of early access Logitech gave me through Keys-To-Go.
Another minor complaint: I was sometimes able to press keys even with the lid closed. While I don’t expect this to damage the keyboard, it may turn on connected devices while it’s lugging around in your bag.
It’s a little expensive
Keys-To-Go 2 is specifically designed for one specific task, and it does that task as well as it could. Personally, I would have liked to see a touchpad on the device, but the extra space or thickness required would simply turn the device into a completely different product .
The tablet’s untethered keyboards feature many smart upgrades over its predecessor, and it’s one of the best options you have right now.
Unfortunately, this also means that it comes with some premium. Prices here start at $80, which, while well below what a plug-in keyboard might cost you, is still too much to pay for a single-purpose device. It’s also $10 more than its predecessor.
Whether it’s worth it depends on how much you value Logitech’s build quality, as well as convenient features like keyboard shortcuts for easy mapping between three different devices. They’re well worth the price in my opinion, especially considering the smart changes Logitech has made to durability, meaning the keyboard will likely last a long time.