Over the years, Logitech has been eliminating a lot of mainstream keyboards, along with several iterations of its gamer-friendly G-series keyboards. After testing the waters with MX Keys and more recently, MX Keys Mini in India, Logitech has boldly gone ahead with the launch of its first mechanical keyboards in the MX series called MX Mechanical and MX Mechanical Mini.
17,495 at Rs. 17,495, it looks very expensive at first glance; Are you fond of mechanical keyboard or not. I think the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is definitely the more interesting of the two wireless keyboards because it’s more compact and portable which should be useful to many people, especially those who frequently switch between work from home and office setups. and they have to carry their keyboard with them. Is Logitech’s First MX-Series Mechanical Keyboard Any Good? After using the MX Mechanical Mini for over a month, here’s what I think.
Logitech MX Mechanical Mini price in India & Box contents
The standard Logitech MX mechanical keyboard, which is full-sized, is priced at Rs. 19,999, while the Mini is priced at Rs. 17,495. The difference of Rs 2,504 may not sound like much, but it does make the Mini look a bit more expensive than it should be. In the box, Logitech offers a USB Type-A to Type-C cable for charging and a Logi Bolt dongle for wireless connectivity.
Logitech sent me the MX Mechanical Mini with linear switches that aren’t very noisy (or clicky), but these switches have their downsides as we’ll get to in a later section. Only linear switches are on sale at the time of publishing this review, but Logitech tells us that brown switches will be offered as an option in India soon.
Logitech MX Mechanical Mini Design
The MX Mechanical Mini and MX Mechanical are both low-profile mechanical keyboards and are available in a single color option called Graphite. According to Logitech, the bottom of the keyboard is made of plastic, while the top case is made of low-carbon aluminum. About 47 percent of the plastic used to make the Mini is said to come from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic.
Logitech MX Mechanical Mini keyboard has 75 percent layout
Despite having a plastic bottom, the keyboard feels surprisingly sturdy and has zero flex. Its weight of 612g comes mainly from the metal face plate and mechanical switch. There’s an LED light in the top right corner of the keyboard that shows pairing and battery status. The battery compartment for the rechargeable battery is hidden behind a sticker, and can be accessed, but Logitech recommends taking it to a service center for any battery maintenance.
In terms of height adjustment for the keyboard, the Logitech MX Mechanical allows two levels for the Mini. The former keyboard lays flat on the table on its three rubber stoppers, which still provide slight tilt due to the keyboard’s tapered shape. The second position with the legs pulled in adds a greater sway, which some people may prefer. I preferred to use the keyboard without extending my legs but I still needed a wrist pad, despite the fact that the MX Mechanical Mini is noticeably thinner than a regular mechanical keyboard. It’s very different from the Logitech MX Keys Mini I reviewed earlier that doesn’t require a wrist pad and is far more compact.
The keycaps of the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini have a two-tone finish. Logitech has used gray for some function keys (F1-F4, F9-F12), most alphanumeric keys and cursor keys, and black for the rest. This two-tone effect, with subtle white-only backlighting, looks very sleek and ‘corporate’, and should be right at home in a workplace or home office setup.
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini offers six lighting patterns. Shown here is the ‘Waves’ pattern
Since there is no flashy RGB lighting, Logitech has come up with lighting patterns that are nice to look at. One of the volume control keys doubles as a lighting key and lets you toggle between six light patterns, one of which includes a steady mode. Like the MX Keys Mini (Review), the backlighting system automatically dims after five seconds when your fingers are away from the keyboard to save power. Although I’m not a fan of RGB lighting, I would have appreciated a little subtle RGB customization on this front, especially considering the keyboard’s hefty price tag in India.
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini keyboard has a 75 percent layout, which can be a little too compact for some with the cursor keys sticking to the alphanumeric keys. Going for the 100 percent layout (MX Mechanical) is great for those who only want to use their keyboard in the office or home and don’t want to travel with it.
Logitech MX Mechanical Mini Performance
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini uses the Logi Option+ app, similar to the MX Master 3S mouse. The two make a great combination because the keyboard works well with Logitech’s Flow feature, which lets users not only use a mouse or keyboard with two systems, but also copy and paste files between them . Unlike the Universal Controls feature available on Apple’s macOS and iPadOS devices, Logitech’s Flow is cross-platform.
Logitech’s software also makes it possible to customize the MX Mechanical Mini. It is well designed and very easy to install, use and add customizations. The keyboard customizations aren’t as advanced as compared to other enthusiast-grade mechanical keyboards (read: advanced macros), but should be good enough for regular and professional users.
The back case of the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is made of plastic
This includes the ability to add app-specific profiles, assign keys to a particular function (such as launching an app), or customize keyboard shortcuts to launch a particular function when you are in a specific app. The Option+ app also lets you check the battery status of the connected device by percentage and change the function of the function key. The customizable key list includes the Delete, Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys, but does not include the F1, F2, and F3 keys that are used to switch and pair with up to three Bluetooth devices.
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini’s wireless connectivity was good. I did encounter some disconnections with my 2018 MacBook Pro, but these were quite rare. If you encounter a disconnect, you can always plug the bundled Bolt receiver in for bullet-proof connectivity. This is important mainly because users of this keyboard are likely to optimize a lot of functions that would otherwise break if the keyboard is disconnected.
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini we reviewed came with a low-profile Kailh choke red switch
ABS keycaps have a coating that doesn’t make them slippery. They also have a nice texture. Low-profile keycaps aren’t meant to be replaced, just like the switches soldered onto the PCB below are. Actually, this is not the keyboard for those who want to customize or ‘mod’ their typing experience.
The typing experience was good on the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini with the low-profile Kailh Choc Red switch. All the keys for the space bar, there is a slight wobble and slight scratches while typing. These low-profile switches offer a soft click that feels a bit mushy and is quite quiet. They require minimal actuation force, with a pre-travel of only 1.3 mm, compared to regular switches that have a pre-travel of about 2 mm.
Extendable legs provide 8 degree inclination
The chalk red switch lacks tactile feedback with a slight bump which is useful if you type a lot. Since they are linear and have a short pre-travel period, I often made mistakes while typing as they felt too sensitive. Regular red switches would have been better, but they would come at the cost of portability and comfort. If you are a typist, I would recommend getting this keyboard with the gray switch whenever Logitech makes it available in India or looking for an alternative keyboard.
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini has a decent battery life, thanks largely to the smart backlight system. The keyboard lasted me about two months on a single charge, which is great for a wireless mechanical keyboard that’s fairly light and compact.
Decision
There are very few options when it comes to buying low-profile mechanical keyboards in India. Apart from Logitech, there are only a few brands (Keykron, Redragon, etc.) that offer wireless mechanical keyboards in India with after-sales support, but they don’t officially sell a single low-profile keyboard. There are a lot of options (NuPhy’s Air 75, Keychron’s K3, etc.) if you want to import a pre-made keyboard or kit into India, but none that you can buy right away online or from a store. Brands like Razer, Razer and Logitech’s G line-up also offer mechanical keyboards (with regular profile switches), but these are primarily designed for gamers and not serious typists.
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini will appeal to the user who wants a more satisfying typing experience, not just a flashy mechanical keyboard. It also caters to professionals (makers and coders) who will make full use of Logitech’s Flow and Customization features. There’s no hot-swapping capability or modding to be had with it, which is available on a wireless keyboard with regular-sized switches at this price point, but rock-solid software support and customization make up for it, which seems to be Logitech’s Strong point. Mechanical keyboard enthusiasts may stay away from this as there are better options available through the import route.
10. rating out of
- Design: 8
- Display: 8
- Value for money: 6
- Overall: 8
professionals
- solid build quality
- good typing experience
- smart backlighting
- Keyboard height is adjustable
- best battery life
- Robust companion app, customizable keys
Shortcoming
- do not like it
- No option for RGB lighting
- Soldered key switches, not swappable
- Battery is not user replaceable
