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Office Keyboards · Comparison

The Logitech MX Keys S meets
the Logitech POP Icon Keys

The best office keyboard at RTINGS, Engadget, and CNN Underscored. We tested it head-to-head against the Logitech POP Icon Keys across 6 key dimensions.

Logitech MX Keys S top-down view in graphite on white background
BEST

Logitech MX Keys S

“The best office keyboard at RTINGS, Engadget, and CNN Underscored”

$129.99MSRP
Our Score
90.0 / 100
Logitech POP Icon Keys wireless keyboard in Graphite & White, top-down view of the compact layout with rounded-square keycaps and white action keys
VALUE

Logitech POP Icon Keys

“Wirecutter's top wireless keyboard, with three-year battery life for under $50”

$49.99MSRP
Our Score
81.1 / 100
01

Head-to-Head Breakdown

Typing
31% of score +
Logitech
90
Logitech
80
Logitech MX Keys S

RTINGS says the shallow indent in each keycap guides your fingertips into the center, and Engadget writes that the dished keys cradle your fingertips on every press. CNN Underscored's Henry T. Casey found his hands never ached after long sessions. RTINGS notes it is less tactile than a mechanical board.

Logitech POP Icon Keys

Wirecutter calls it comfortable, compact, and convenient, and Engadget found typing comfortable and quiet overall. Engadget also says the key travel could be better.

Multi-Device
22% of score +
Logitech
94
Logitech
84
Logitech MX Keys S

Three Easy-Switch keys pair a Windows PC, a Mac, and a tablet over Bluetooth or the included Logi Bolt receiver. Wirecutter and CNN both singled out the three-device switching.

Logitech POP Icon Keys

It switches between three Bluetooth devices, which Wirecutter counted in its favor. PCMag notes the Logi Bolt receiver is sold separately.

Build
16% of score +
Logitech
86
Logitech
72
Logitech MX Keys S

The frame is solid and heavy at 810 g, but RTINGS points out the top plate is plastic made to look like metal, and Wirecutter notes the battery can't be replaced.

Logitech POP Icon Keys

It is light at 530 g, and the AAA batteries last about three years. Wirecutter doesn't love the logo in the middle of the spacebar or the shiny clear plastic border.

Software
10% of score +
Logitech
84
Logitech
76
Logitech MX Keys S

Logi Options+ adds per-app shortcuts and Smart Actions macros, and it works on Windows and macOS.

Logitech POP Icon Keys

Logi Options+ lets you reassign the dedicated action keys, including an emoji key, on Windows and macOS.

Noise
11% of score +
Logitech
90
Logitech
88
Logitech MX Keys S

Low-travel scissor switches make it one of the quietest boards here, and Tom's Guide describes a smooth, quiet typing experience.

Logitech POP Icon Keys

PCMag describes the low-profile switches as quiet, and Engadget agrees.

Trust
10% of score +
Logitech
94
Logitech
90
Logitech MX Keys S

Logitech has sold the MX Keys line for years with wide retail availability, and three of our sources rank it first.

Logitech POP Icon Keys

Logitech's retail reach and a three-source consensus back it, with Wirecutter, Engadget, and PCMag all picking it.

02

Strengths & Weaknesses

Logitech MX Keys S

+ Strengths
  • Best office keyboard at RTINGS, and best overall at Engadget and CNN Underscored
  • Dished keycaps guide your fingertips to the center of each key, per RTINGS
  • Pairs three devices over Bluetooth or the included Logi Bolt receiver
− Weaknesses
  • Wirecutter measured about 10 days of battery with the backlight on, and the battery isn't replaceable
  • Wirecutter calls it huge, and it takes up much more desk than a compact board
  • Tom's Guide found the backlight dim and missed a storage slot for the receiver
Key flaw: Battery life with the smart backlight is the MX Keys S's biggest weakness.

Logitech POP Icon Keys

+ Strengths
  • Wirecutter's top pick for the best wireless keyboard
  • Engadget's best budget keyboard and a PCMag award winner
  • 36-month battery life on two AAA batteries and three-device switching
− Weaknesses
  • No number pad or backlight
  • The Logi Bolt receiver is sold separately, per PCMag
  • Wirecutter dislikes the spacebar logo and the shiny plastic border
Key flaw: It gives up the number pad and the backlight, and Engadget wanted more key travel.
03

The Verdict

Our Bottom Line

The Logitech MX Keys S won because it solves a problem no mechanical keyboard even attempts: making a desk keyboard feel as natural as a good laptop keyboard. Cameron Dougherty Tech, who used it daily for years before reviewing it, found the concave scissor-key design guides your fingertips into exactly the right position on every keystroke. That sounds like a small thing. It adds up over 8 hours of typing.

BEST
Logitech MX Keys S
Logitech MX Keys S top-down view in graphite on white background

The Logitech MX Keys S won because it solves a problem no mechanical keyboard even attempts: making a desk keyboard feel as natural as a good laptop keyboard. Cameron Dougherty Tech, who used it daily for years before reviewing it, found the concave scissor-key design guides your fingertips into exactly the right position on every keystroke. That sounds like a small thing. It adds up over 8 hours of typing.

Best for:
  • You switch between a work laptop, a desktop, and a tablet every day
  • You want a full-size layout with a number pad
  • You type in a shared office or on calls and need quiet keys
  • You want a backlight for early mornings or late nights
VALUE
Logitech POP Icon Keys
Logitech POP Icon Keys wireless keyboard in Graphite & White, top-down view of the compact layout with rounded-square keycaps and white action keys

Wirecutter's Kimber Streams typed on 32 wireless keyboards this year, each for at least a full workday on Windows and Mac, and the Logitech POP Icon Keys came out on top. The verdict was comfortable, compact, and convenient, with long battery life and switching between three paired devices. Engadget named it the best budget keyboard, and PCMag gave it an award as well.

Best for:
  • You want a quiet, comfortable wireless keyboard for about $50
  • You never want to think about charging
  • You work on a small desk and don't use a number pad
  • Your computers all support Bluetooth
04

Specifications

Spec Logitech MX Keys S Logitech POP Icon Keys
Switch Type Scissor (membrane) Scissor
Key Travel 1.8 mm 1.8 mm
Connectivity Bluetooth + 2.4GHz (Logi Bolt) Bluetooth
Device Pairing 3 devices 3 devices
Battery (no backlight) 3600 hrs —
Battery (backlight on) 240 hrs —
Weight 810 g 530 g
Layout Full-size (104 keys) Compact (no numpad)
Backlighting White LED (smart proximity sensor) No
Polling Rate 125 Hz —
Hot-Swappable No No
Battery — 36 months (2x AAA)
Read the full Office Keyboards review
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