Logitech Keys To Go 2
I am always looking for better (smaller) ways to work on a plane.
It’s a life mission and I’ve been through laptops, mini handhelds like the Planet Gemini (wonderful, but keyboard too small), plus also Microsoft Surfaces and Chromebooks over the years looking for the perfect solution.
Could Logitech Keys To Go 2 be the answer?
It’s an ultra-slim ultra-light Bluetooth keyboard (from Logitech, obviously) that weighs in at just 222 grams and comes with replaceable coin cell batteries that offer a 3-year battery life.
What it means is… I can load up a bunch of work documents on my phone, use Google Docs (online or offline) and then type with an almost full physical keyboard and get hold of everything at the end of the journey.
I’ve been stress-testing the device in London before a forthcoming flight and the (for me) lovely thing is, if I get to a meeting too soon (I’m conscientious, sue me) then all I need is something about the weight of a mouse in my pocket or bag to be able to sit and work.
Okay admittedly, you do need to make sure you take along a phone stand, but sat in a pub or coffee bar, why not just use your pint glass? In fact, it works laid flat too, but it would be almost impossible to balance on your knees.
Because it’s Logitech (and they [it] are good at this part), you get so-called “easy-switch keys” to connect up to three devices and easily switch between them. The keys are a very slim 18 mm-pitch keyboard with 1 mm-travel scissor keys, so it’s a super light touch.
What does it connect to?
The device is supported by Logi Options+ on Windows and macOS only – and my pale gray plastic unit comprised of 36% of post-consumer recycled material. It works fine across all my current Android smartphones (I only have a handful, don’t panic) and system requirements for connection are Android 12.0 or later; ChromeOS; Windows 10 or later; iPad OS 17 or later; iOS 17 or later or MacOS 14 or later.
Are the replaceable coin cell batteries a good idea? Frankly, it feels like no, everything is rechargeable these days, but it may have helped keep the device as slim as it is.
Replacing them requires the use to get hold of some of those fancy “hex” head screwdrivers (they’re about £10 on Amazon) in a very small size and (correct me if I’m wrong Logitech) the in-package supporting documentation doesn’t tell you which size screw they are.
“In today’s fast-paced world, staying productive while on-the-go is essential,” said Joseph Mingori, general manager of mobile solutions and partnerships at Logitech. “We understand the challenges that mobile professionals face and their desire to find solutions that allow them to carry less and do more from anywhere. Keys-To-Go 2 is a highly-personal device that creates an ideal workspace, wherever your workspace may be.”
Mingori and team haven’t positioned this keyboard as a “smartphone keyboard” per se, but that’s the use case I am personally championing here. The company would probably have had to build in some kind of device support groove to make it directly marketable in that way… and that would have immediately compromised size and weight.
It’s very workable and a smartphone “biro” (i.e. one with one of those little rubber flanges on the end) helps amplify the perception that you’re using a laptop (albeit the world’s smallest one) – plus anyway, a Microsoft Sculpt Mouse works perfectly with Android across a smartphone screen, as would many other Bluetooth mice.
Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 are available in Lilac, Pale Grey and Graphite. This compact keyboard is available in two layouts, Universal (Android, ChromeOS, Windows, iPadOS, iOS and MacOS) and dedicated Apple layout (iPadOS, iOS and macOS).
Post-consumer recycled plastic
“The plastic parts in Keys-To-Go 2 include certified post-consumer recycled plastic to give a second life to end-of-use plastic from old consumer electronics: 36% for Pale Grey and Graphite, 33% for Lilac. The aluminium in the Keys-To-Go top case is made with renewable energy, rather than fossil fuels for a lower carbon impact and its paper packaging comes from FSC™-certified forests and other controlled sources,” notes the company, as it does always seek to drive home its sustainability message.
Will it hold up to use on an 8-hour transatlantic flight?
It remains to be seen… plugging a smartphone into the in-seat power will help a lot of course but – and this is a smartphone device manufacturer limitation not any fault of Logitech’s – with the power cable at the bottom of a smartphone and an inability to screen rotate apps a full 180-degrees, it could be a bit of struggle.
All that said and done, this is a really neat clever idea and I think it will pay for itself very quickly. It’s the kind of device that (at least us geeks) would walk past someone else using and say “what’s that?” when paired with a smartphone – and that happens sometimes when I use my Gemini… so I envisage greater productivity with the Keys-To-Go 2.
Keys-To-Go 2 Tablet Keyboard | Logitech price £79.99.
