The BEST Keyboard For Programming? MX Keys Mini 1 Year Later!

I've been using the Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard for over a year now as a full-time professional software engineer working at Adobe and content creator. In this blog post, I'll share my thoughts on it, covering the good and the bad.

Aesthetics and Build Quality

Aesthetically, I think this keyboard has a really nice clean look, kind of like the Apple Magic Keyboard. I went with the MX Keys Mini for Mac (amazon), so mine has some light gray keys surrounded by a brushed metal look. This keyboard is heavier than my Apple keyboards, but it has definitely been solid and has held up to a lot of use.

Battery Life

Coming from an Apple Magic Keyboard, I have noticed that the battery life on the MX Keys Mini is not as long as the Apple keyboards. It does last a while, and I'm not having to charge it all the time. I'd like to think that a lot of the weight in the MX Keys Mini is due to having a larger battery that would allow it to last longer, but that's just not the case. Part of that is probably due to the keys being able to light up on the MX Keys Mini.

Key Travel and Comfort

One of the things that I really noticed when I first switched over is that there is slightly more travel in the keys. Now, this is still a really short travel keyboard, but something that I did experience in using the Apple keyboard is that over time some of my fingers would get sore, usually my thumb from pounding down on the space bar.

After using this keyboard for a while, I can say that there is a subtle difference, and the keys are a little bit softer, and my fingers hurt less than they did on the Apple keyboard (amazon). It's not as comfortable on the fingers as maybe some of the longer travel keyboards out there, but it's definitely an improvement over the Magic Keyboard.

Layout and Function Keys

When I decided to move away from Apple's keyboard as my main keyboard for programming, I first tried out the Logitech MX Keys full-size keyboard, and that was great. But one thing that I didn't like was having to switch between keyboard layouts because it wasn't a one-to-one match to the layout on my MacBook Pros.

With the Logitech MX Keys Mini, the keys are in the same position, which just makes it easier to go back and forth between the keyboard and my laptops for typing. I don't have to worry about finger misplacement, and I can just focus on typing, and the keys are where I expect them to be.

Multi-device Connectivity

The MX Keys Mini has three keys that allow you to switch between three different devices because you can actually connect and be paired to three different devices at the same time. You just hit a key, and you switch between them. That is not something that you can do on the Apple keyboard, and that was also one of the big selling points for me because I have my work laptop, my personal laptop, and other devices.

Charging and Wired Mode

Another noticeable difference is that the MX Keys Mini takes a USB-C cable for charging rather than a Lightning cable like on the Apple keyboards. Now that's nice because it's easier to share the cables with other devices and not be tied to a specific manufacturer's Lightning cable. However, there is a huge flaw here, and that is that on the MX Keys Mini, even though it takes a USB-C connection, that is only for charging. You cannot use this keyboard as a wired keyboard, whereas with the Apple keyboards, you can use the Lightning cable to charge and have it be a wired keyboard.

Latency and Connectivity Issues

As for latency, I've noticed whenever I'm using the keys to switch between devices that it is sluggish, and it takes a couple of seconds for that switch to happen. Sometimes I get ahead of myself and start typing, thinking that it switched to the new device when it's still connected to the previous device, and I end up typing gibberish into Slack on my other computer that I don't want to be typing.

But once it's connected, it gets significantly better. There is still noticeable latency if I'm really focusing on it, but not enough to really concern me when I'm doing my daily work as a programmer. I hardly notice it, but if you're a super competitive gamer that needs ultra-low latency and fast response times, then you probably want to look at a different option that's not relying on this Bluetooth connectivity.

Conclusion

Even though there are some imperfections, I still really like my MX Keys Mini keyboard (amazon). It's been my favorite go-to keyboard for the last year, and I use it almost every day. Now, hypothetically, if Apple were to release a new Apple keyboard with the ability to switch between multiple devices, would I switch back to the Apple keyboard? In that scenario, I think I would, due to the better connectivity, the longer battery life, and the lighter weight.

If they were to also update the keys to have a little bit more travel so that you don't bottom out as quickly, then 100%, I would go back to the Apple keyboard. So, Apple, if you're listening, that is the keyboard I would want, and I know you haven't probably made it because you know you can make more money selling more keyboards to more people, but I would totally be willing to pay the price of a couple of keyboards in order to have one that I could switch between multiple devices.