Design

I’m a big fan of the full-size version of the Logitech MX Keys keyboard, so I was happy to see that Logitech makes a smaller version now as well. The MX Keys Mini drops the numeric keyboard and reconfigures the layout a bit, making the arrow keys smaller and shrinking the CTRL, FN, and other related keys, while keeping the letters and numbers at full size.

The keys are backlit and impressively light up as your hand approaches the keyboard, making it easy to see where your hands should “land” in a dark room. On the row of function keys are dedicated media and volume controls.

Performance

Like its larger sibling, the Logitich MX Keys Mini still has a satisfying feel when typing. It’s not “clicky” like a typical mechanical keyboard, but the keys do provide nice tactile feedback when pressed. I find the keyboard very comfortable for long typing and coding sessions.

Battery life seems to be very good as I’ve only had the keyboard for a few days, but I haven’t needed to recharge it yet, even with the backlight on.

Features

Wireless: Oddly, there was no Logitech Unifying Receiver included with this keyboard (although the full size keyboard did include one). Therefore, your only option of connecting the keyboard is via Bluetooth. The USB-C port appears to be “charge only” as I was not able to use the keyboard via a wired connection.
Backlighting: As mentioned earlier, the backlight seems to sense that your hand is approaching and lights up before you even touch a key. There is only a white LED backlight, so there is no option to change between different colors.
Multiple machine support: There are 3 dedicated buttons for switching between devices. So you can pair the keyboard via Bluetooth to your laptop, phone and tablet and then switch between devices easily.
Emoji key: Maybe one of my favorite new features, there is a dedicated key for emojis on the F7 key that allows you to easily bring up iOS’ Emoji keyboard.
Screenshot key: There is also a dedicated screenshot key that invokes iOS’ screenshot function.
Dictation key: There is also a key for voice dictation that invokes iOS’ dictation feature.
USB-C Recharging: You can use the included USB-C to charge the keyboard, but not to connect it to your computer as a wired keyboard.

Our Verdict

8.8

Great

Overall, the Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard is great for using your laptop in “clamshell” mode, or for connecting to your phone, tablet, or any device with Bluetooth keyboard support. The backlight feature works very well and the dedicated Emoji, screenshot, and dictation keys are very convenient. Unfortunately, a wireless USB adapter is not included with this version of the keyboard, so it will need a Bluetooth connection.