It can be hard to get excited about a keyboard — especially when you routinely get to play with some of the coolest technology on the market. But when you've been working remotely for multiple months, it's a lot easier to find a keyboard thrilling.
And that's exactly how we're feeling about the new Logitech K380 for Mac. It was announced Tuesday alongside the MX Keys and MX Master 3 for Mac. These are all subtle upgrades to workhorse products that have, until now, been designed for both Windows and Mac users, and the new versions are better pairings for the Mac. Notably, you get the command keys and a more Mac-friendly layout.
The K380 for Mac is also pretty affordable, at just $39.99, in your choice of off-white or rose. You still get all the features of the original K380 — easy switching between three devices, punchy keys and two-year battery life. We've been typing away on the K380 for more than a week, so let's dive into our full review.
And that's exactly how we're feeling about the new Logitech K380 for Mac. It was announced Tuesday alongside the MX Keys and MX Master 3 for Mac. These are all subtle upgrades to workhorse products that have, until now, been designed for both Windows and Mac users, and the new versions are better pairings for the Mac. Notably, you get the command keys and a more Mac-friendly layout.
The K380 for Mac is also pretty affordable, at just $39.99, in your choice of off-white or rose. You still get all the features of the original K380 — easy switching between three devices, punchy keys and two-year battery life. We've been typing away on the K380 for more than a week, so let's dive into our full review.
A simple and smart design
The K380 is lightweight and easy to move around your house as you find your "office" for the day. When traveling, it will be perfect to toss into a backpack or bag. It's slim all around — just shy of 11 inches in length and only 0.63 inches thick at its thickest point — but that doesn't detract from the typing experience. We'll touch on typing in a bit.
The design is pretty modern. You get rounded keys, but these aren't horrible to type on like the Pixel Slate was. Logitech has opted for a sweet and approachable font for the keys. It's inviting, and between the font and the rose color, this keyboard looks downright warm. It's a very dry rose color that feels more like a feathered pink. It doesn't necessarily complement a silver or space gray MacBook Pro or Mac mini, but it does pair quite nicely with the gold MacBook Air or iPad.
It has a matte plastic finish all around, with fairly minimal branding. The top of the keyboard features a "logi" logo and the back has a subtle K380. The battery door is easy to pop off to replace the two AAA batteries, supplied in the box. The left side has a power button, which we wish was a bit more sturdy. That's really our only quibble with the overall construction of the K380.
Well, that and the fact that the keys aren't backlit — although the rose color, with slightly darker letters and numbers, does give you better visibility in lower lighting conditions.
Built into the function row of keys you'll see three icons depicting a laptop, tablet and phone. These are easy to spot as they're the only white keys in a sea of rose. There's also a white LED indicator above them to show which device you're pairing to.
It's really quite easy to pair. Simply hold in the icon or number of the device you want for about three seconds, and the light will start flashing. From there, on your Bluetooth-capable device, opt to connect to the keyboard. On macOS this is found in System Preferences > Keyboards > Set Up a Bluetooth Keyboard. Hit connect and follow the on-screen prompts, and you'll be ready to stroll into typing town.
You can also pair this with an iOS or iPadOS device, and it works with any Bluetooth device. Just remember these keys are designed with the Mac in mind. Logitech's original K380 has keys more geared for Windows or Chrome OS.
Bluetooth held really strong for connectivity and stability. Most importantly, we didn't experience latency with any Mac, iPhone or iPad that we tested this with. We also connected it to a Dell XPS 13 and Surface Pro 6 to make sure it was a strong connection. Switching between devices was zippy as well.
 |
| © Jacob Krol/CNN |
Well, that and the fact that the keys aren't backlit — although the rose color, with slightly darker letters and numbers, does give you better visibility in lower lighting conditions.
Built into the function row of keys you'll see three icons depicting a laptop, tablet and phone. These are easy to spot as they're the only white keys in a sea of rose. There's also a white LED indicator above them to show which device you're pairing to.
It's really quite easy to pair. Simply hold in the icon or number of the device you want for about three seconds, and the light will start flashing. From there, on your Bluetooth-capable device, opt to connect to the keyboard. On macOS this is found in System Preferences > Keyboards > Set Up a Bluetooth Keyboard. Hit connect and follow the on-screen prompts, and you'll be ready to stroll into typing town.
 |
| © Jacob Krol/CNN |
Bluetooth held really strong for connectivity and stability. Most importantly, we didn't experience latency with any Mac, iPhone or iPad that we tested this with. We also connected it to a Dell XPS 13 and Surface Pro 6 to make sure it was a strong connection. Switching between devices was zippy as well.
Typing is invigorating
As writers and editors, we can really get behind a device that helps us do our jobs. And your keyboard can make or break you. Going into our testing of the K380 for Mac, we were a bit worried about the circular keycaps, but we're walking out big fans. While these are rounded (with letters and numbers getting the circular treatment), there is a subtle dip in them. The keys are not fully flat-topped, which makes it easy to properly engage them to type.
Logitech has also designed the K380 keys with an ample amount of travel and a nice backfire from each keypress. It's not as bouncy as the Magic Keyboard on the MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, but this is something we can get behind. The K380 does have the inverted T format for the arrow keys as well.
It's a great layout for Mac users, and you can really take advantage of it. You can easily manage Mission Control or Expose with a tap of a function key. Spotlight searching is a simple two-finger tap, and you can even quickly switch between applications by holding CMD + TAB. Adding in Q with that last one will let you easily close out of an application. It's handy.
All in all, it's a really great typing experience. You might think the rows and keys would be a little cramped, but in reality, it is pretty roomy.
Logitech has also designed the K380 keys with an ample amount of travel and a nice backfire from each keypress. It's not as bouncy as the Magic Keyboard on the MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, but this is something we can get behind. The K380 does have the inverted T format for the arrow keys as well.
It's a great layout for Mac users, and you can really take advantage of it. You can easily manage Mission Control or Expose with a tap of a function key. Spotlight searching is a simple two-finger tap, and you can even quickly switch between applications by holding CMD + TAB. Adding in Q with that last one will let you easily close out of an application. It's handy.
 |
| © Jacob Krol/CNN |
Bottom Line
For $39.99, any Apple user will get a lot of value out of the Logitech K380. It's a punchy and portable experience that will play nice with any Mac, iPhone or iPad that you have in your arsenal. The easy switching on the fly is great for someone who goes back and forth between computers or even a computer and a tablet. Apple users will be at home here. The K380 for Mac is a great addition to working from home as well.
See more at: CNN
