Logitech POP Keys test: a colorful mechanical office keyboard

Multicolored and adorned with round keys reminiscent of good old typewriters, the POP Keys has a very different style from what we are used to seeing on a desk. Some adore it, others remain skeptical; a matter of taste of course, but we appreciate the daring bet Logitech is making to brighten up our offices a bit, especially the Esc key. If the keyboard is entirely in plastic, everything is perfectly rigid and seems very solid.

The TKL format makes POP Keys very compact with 32.1 cm in length by 13.8 cm in width. It therefore has the advantage of leaving more space on a desk and less of the center of the hand holding the mouse. On the other hand, it is quite high since it peaks at 3.5 cm, but also heavy with 779 g on the scale. This height is unfortunately not compensated by a palm rest.

In addition, it is not possible to adjust the height of the keyboard since it does not have adjustable feet. We will therefore find under the keyboard simply a few non-slip pads and a compartment for the two AAA batteries (included) and the Logibolt receiver. The manufacturer announces a three-year autonomy depending on use, which is more than enough to see coming.

If Logitech has decided to no longer link a wireless receiver (formerly Unifying, today Logibolt, more secure) to its latest peripherals (such as the MX Keys Mini), it is here. Reason put forward by the brand: Bluetooth is now widespread and Logibolt was rather reserved for businesses. The POP Keys is a mechanical keyboard and Logitech may have wanted to include this receiver to keep latency to a minimum for the benefit of potential gamers, but that’s a good point anyway. We can therefore connect the keyboard by this means or via Bluetooth, and we find the Easy-Switch technology present on many other peripherals of the manufacturer in order to couple them to three different devices and switch from one to another. using the F1 to F3 keys.

The key layout also includes Mac and Windows serigraphs. The keyboard is all the more versatile, but this system can quickly lose the user in a mush of symbols and cause some typing errors, especially with neophytes. To switch between layouts, just press FN+P for Windows/Android, FN+O for macOS, and FN+I for iOS, but a small asterisk on Logitech’s site points out that emojis are currently only supported on Windows and macOS. Unfortunately, the keyboard does not have a backlight and only a few LEDs are present at the level of the Easy-Switch and the Ver caps key.

If the functionalities of the F keys are quite classic (multimedia, screenshot, mute the microphone, etc.), it is obviously the keys dedicated to emojis that make this keyboard original. We had seen some recent models adorned with a shortcut to an emojis menu, but here we find five keys reserved for our favorite smileys. Logitech therefore mainly targets young people and certain professionals who can thus save time by displaying emojis in one click for content creation on social networks or in their messages. The manufacturer has added four additional keys with symbols (hearts, flame, thumb, etc.) to further extend the customization of its emojis.

The Logitech Options software allows you to modify the emoji shortcuts and to choose many others, even if they are different from the symbols present on the keys. You can also change the function key shortcuts as needed.

For this POP Keys, Logitech chose brown TTC mechanical switches. In office automation, they offer exemplary typing speed and responsive rebound. The disadvantage of mechanical models compared to scissor or membrane switches is their significant noise, but here it sticks much more to the typewriter concept, it must be admitted. That said, beware of criticism from potential office neighbours.

For those familiar with the red switches found on many keyboards on the market, they have the same activation distance (2 mm) and the same total stroke (4 mm), but also display some differences. The brown ones are said to be “tactile” and you really feel the activation of the key, unlike the red ones which are linear. In addition, the activation strength is 55 g on the first against 45 g on the second — so you have to press the keys a little more.

What of the overall experience? If the responsiveness of the keys is good, the round and rather tight format of the keys is not very practical, because it causes regular typing errors. We often find ourselves slipping and overflowing onto the next door. As to gaming, the mechanical switches make it quite suitable, although some errors could again occur due to the format of the keys. Up to six keys can be pressed simultaneously. On the other hand, Logitech does not specify a technology anti ghosting for this model.