Logitech MX Keys S review

Laptop-style keys on a full desktop board, and the quietest sensible option for a shared room.

The verdict: If you type essays in a room with someone else in it, this is the keyboard to buy, because it is quiet and it feels like the laptop keyboard you are already fast on. Buy it if you share a space or you dislike the travel of mechanical keys. Skip it if you want something you can repair, re-switch and keep for a decade, where a Keychron is the better long-term buy.

Best quiet keyboard

Logitech MX Keys S Wireless Keyboard, Graphite

~$125

A full-size low profile wireless keyboard with spherically dished keys, proximity-sensing backlighting and three-device pairing.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Spec	Detail
Key type	Low profile, spherically dished keys
Backlight	Lights as your hands approach, adapts to ambient light
Pairing	Up to 3 devices, Bluetooth Low Energy or the included Logi Bolt receiver
Operating systems	Windows, macOS, Linux
Battery	Up to 10 days with backlighting, up to 5 months with it off, USB-C rechargeable
Software	Logi Options+ for Smart Actions macros and lighting
Materials	26% post-consumer recycled plastic in the Graphite version
Approx. price	Around $125

Specifications above come from Logitech's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

It is quiet. Not silent, but quiet enough that typing at eleven at night in a shared room is not an act of aggression, which is the single most common reason students should not buy a mechanical keyboard.
The key feel is close to a good laptop keyboard, so there is no adjustment period. If you already type fast on a MacBook or a ThinkPad, you will be fast on this immediately.
The proximity-sensing backlight is genuinely useful for late sessions and it turns itself off, which is why the battery lasts.
Five months of battery with the backlight off means it is effectively a keyboard you never think about charging.
Three-device pairing with a key for each. Switching between a laptop and a tablet mid-session takes one press.
It is heavy enough to stay put, which cheap wireless keyboards are not.

Where it falls short

You cannot repair or modify it. A key stops working and the keyboard is finished, which is the opposite of a mechanical board where switches are replaceable.
Low profile keys are a preference. If you like the depth and feedback of full travel, this will feel shallow and slightly dead, and no amount of getting used to it changes that.
One hundred and twenty five dollars for a scissor-switch keyboard is a lot of money, and Logitech's own competition is cheaper.
Logi Options+ is a background application, and the Smart Actions features need it running. If you object to that, most of the software value disappears.
It is full size with a number pad, which is 43cm of desk. On a dorm desk that pushes your mouse further out than is ideal for your shoulder.

What owners report

Owner reports on the MX Keys line are consistent and the recurring praise is about typing feel, which people describe as the best non-mechanical keyboard they have used. Battery life reports comfortably match Logitech's claims when the backlight is off, and fall well short when it is on, which is exactly what the specification says.

The persistent criticisms are about software and about the price. Logi Options+ draws regular complaints for being heavier than a keyboard driver needs to be. A smaller but consistent thread reports the backlight sensor triggering when you do not want it to.

For students the useful pattern is that people who bought it specifically for quietness report being satisfied, and people who bought it hoping for a mechanical-like feel generally are not. Know which you want before ordering. Our mechanical versus membrane comparison is the right starting point.

Who it suits

Students typing in shared rooms, libraries or anywhere the noise of a keyboard matters.
Anyone who is already fast on a laptop keyboard and does not want to relearn.
People who use a laptop and a tablet together and want one keyboard for both.

Who should skip it

Anyone who wants a keyboard they can keep and repair for years, where a Keychron K2 is the answer.
Typists who like deep key travel and tactile feedback.
Students with a small desk, where a full-size board with a number pad wastes width.

Alternatives worth considering

Mechanical Alternative

Keychron K2 75% Wireless Mechanical Keyboard

~$90

Thirty five dollars less, mechanical switches rated for 50 million presses, a compact 84-key layout that leaves room for your mouse, and switches you can replace. It is louder, which is the whole trade.

Check price on Amazon

Budget Pick

Logitech Signature Slim K950 Wireless Keyboard

~$80

Forty five dollars less for the same quiet low profile idea from the same manufacturer. You give up the backlight and the premium build, which for a student typing in daylight is not much of a loss.

Check price on Amazon

Pairs With It

Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse

~$80

Designed to work alongside this keyboard through the same software, including moving text and files between two computers. If you are buying one, the pair is the intended setup.

Check price on Amazon

Common questions

Is the MX Keys S good for typing essays?

It is one of the better keyboards for long typing sessions, mainly because the key feel is familiar and the noise is low. The bigger factor for essay writing is usually screen height rather than the keyboard, so if your laptop screen is on the desk, fix that first with a stand.

Mechanical keyboard or membrane for a student?

Membrane or scissor if you share a room, because mechanical keyboards are genuinely loud and roommates notice. Mechanical if you type a great deal, want the keyboard to last and can make noise. Our mechanical versus membrane comparison goes through the differences that actually matter day to day.

Is the MX Keys S quiet enough for a library?

Quieter than almost any mechanical keyboard and quieter than most desktop membrane boards, but not silent. In a silent reading room, any external keyboard is louder than a laptop. In a shared house or a group study room, it is fine.

Does it work with an iPad?

Yes, over Bluetooth, and it can hold the iPad as one of three paired devices alongside a laptop. That combination is a common setup for students who read on an iPad and write on a laptop.

How long does the battery actually last?

Logitech quotes up to 10 days with backlighting on and up to 5 months with it off, and owner reports broadly agree. If you rarely type in the dark, turn the backlight off and you will charge it twice a year.

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.