Logitech MX Keys S Review
Quick Verdict
Quick verdict: The Logitech MX Keys S is the best low-profile wireless keyboard for office use. The Perfect Stroke keys offer a typing feel no other scissor-switch keyboard matches, the smart backlight extends battery life to 10 days per charge, and Flow lets you control two computers with a single keyboard and mouse. At $109 it is not the cheapest option, but it is the most polished.
How This Review Was Built
Based on product documentation, feature analysis, pricing comparison, and specification evaluation, this review covers the Logitech MX Keys S's Perfect Stroke scissor switches, smart backlight with proximity detection, Flow cross-computer control, multi-device pairing, and battery life across backlight modes. Pricing is compared against the Keychron K8, Apple Magic Keyboard, and Keychron K1 Low Profile. This is an independent editorial review; no review unit was provided by Logitech, and the analysis is based on the retail version.
This review was built from a structured analysis of official product documentation, published specifications, and publicly available information — following the ToolStep testing protocol. We did not receive a review unit, and we do not claim hands-on testing that did not happen.
Performance Evaluation
According to Logitech's published specifications, the MX Keys S uses the Perfect Stroke scissor mechanism with 1.8 mm of key travel and a 45 g actuation force — shorter and lighter than a mechanical switch, which is what gives the keyboard its low-profile, laptop-like feel. The keycaps are dished to cradle the fingertips, and the dual-printed legends carry both the Mac and Windows layouts. The keyboard's headline performance feature is the smart backlight. A proximity sensor detects when your hands approach and switches the white LED backlight on; it dims or switches off when you move away. Logitech rates battery life at up to 10 days per charge with the smart backlight enabled, about 5 days with the backlight always on, and up to 15 days with it off. Brightness adjusts automatically to ambient light, so the backlight is dim in a bright office and full in a dark room without manual input.
Build Quality
Logitech builds the MX Keys S around a metal top plate with a matte finish, and the keyboard weighs about 1.7 lbs — heavy for a low-profile keyboard, which keeps it stable and stops it sliding during typing. The weight comes from the metal plate and the battery, and it is the main reason the keyboard does not feel cheap despite its thin profile. The keycaps are integrated into the scissor mechanism and cannot be removed or replaced individually. That is the defining trade-off of the low-profile design: unlike a mechanical keyboard, the MX Keys S offers no keycap customization or switch swapping. The metal plate around the keys also shows fingerprints and dust readily, so keeping a microfiber cloth nearby is part of ownership. Logitech backs the keyboard with a three-year limited warranty covering manufacturing defects, the longest in this category.
Ease of Use
The MX Keys S pairs with up to three devices at once over Bluetooth 5.1, the Logi Bolt USB receiver, or USB-C wired mode, and switches between them with dedicated Easy-Switch keys along the top row. The USB-C port also charges the keyboard while it is in use, and Logitech documents a full charge in about three hours. The keyboard's most distinctive usability feature is Flow, which lets one keyboard and mouse control two computers — moving the cursor off the edge of one screen and onto the other, with a shared clipboard between them. Flow requires the Logi Bolt receiver rather than Bluetooth and runs through Logitech's free Options+ software on both machines. Options+ is also where key remapping and per-app shortcuts live, so installing it is effectively required to use the features that justify the price. The keyboard is documented as compatible with macOS, Windows, iPadOS, and Android.
Detailed Review
Perfect Stroke Keys: Scissor Switch Feel
The MX Keys S uses Logitech's Perfect Stroke scissor mechanism, the same fundamental mechanism found in laptop keyboards and the Apple Magic Keyboard, refined with 1.8 mm of travel and a 45 g actuation force. That is well short of the roughly 4 mm travel of a mechanical switch, and the result is a low-profile typing experience aimed at people who like a laptop keyboard and want a better version of it on the desktop.
The keys are dished — slightly concave — so the fingertips settle into each cap, which makes typing by touch easier than on completely flat keys. The mechanism also produces a soft, dampened sound rather than the sharp clack of a mechanical switch. For an office, that is the point: the keyboard is engineered to be quiet rather than tactile, so buyers who want switch feedback or keycap customization should be looking at mechanical boards instead.
Smart Backlight and Battery Life
The smart backlight is the feature that separates the MX Keys S from cheaper wireless keyboards. A proximity sensor under the deck watches for approaching hands and turns the white LED backlight on as they arrive, then off as they leave. Because the backlight only runs when someone is actually typing, it delivers the visibility of an always-on backlight with much of the battery profile of an always-off one.
Logitech rates the battery at up to 10 days per charge in smart-backlight mode, about 5 days with the backlight permanently on, and up to 15 days with it off. Brightness is tied to ambient light automatically, so there is no manual adjustment to remember. For buyers who want backlighting without managing it, the smart backlight is the reason to choose the S over the original MX Keys.
Flow Cross-Computer Control
Flow is the feature that sells the MX Keys S to multi-computer users. With Logitech Options+ installed on two machines — a Mac and a PC, or a work laptop and a personal desktop — a single keyboard and mouse control both, with the cursor moving from one screen to the other by sliding off the edge of the display. Text copied on one computer can be pasted on the other.
There are two practical conditions. Flow requires the Logi Bolt USB receiver rather than Bluetooth, and it needs both computers on the same network. Logitech documents a brief delay as the cursor crosses the boundary while the keyboard re-pairs. For developers, designers, and anyone juggling two machines, Flow is the standout capability; paired with an MX Master mouse it extends to keyboard, mouse, and clipboard switching together.
Build: Metal Plate and Integrated Keycaps
The MX Keys S has a matte metal top plate that gives the keyboard a solid, premium feel and enough weight — roughly 1.7 lbs — to keep it planted on the desk. That weight is deliberate: a light low-profile keyboard slides around during fast typing, and the MX Keys S does not.
The trade-off is that the keycaps are part of the scissor mechanism and cannot be replaced. There is no aftermarket keycap route on this keyboard, and no switch swapping, which is the clearest functional dividing line between it and a mechanical board. The metal plate is also the surface that collects visible fingerprints, so regular wiping is the cost of the finish. The keyboard's two flip-out feet set the tilt to about 4 or 8 degrees, though the low profile arguably suits a flat position best.
Connectivity and Multi-Device Pairing
The MX Keys S offers three connection paths: Bluetooth 5.1, the Logi Bolt USB receiver, and USB-C wired mode. It remembers up to three paired devices and switches among them with the Easy-Switch keys, which is useful for moving between a laptop, a tablet, and a phone without re-pairing.
The Logi Bolt receiver is the faster and more reliable option and the one Flow requires; Logitech documents lower latency over Bolt than over Bluetooth, though both are imperceptible for typing. The catch is that Bolt occupies a USB port on each computer, which is a real constraint on port-limited laptops. Wired USB-C mode works while charging, so the keyboard can be used even with a flat battery — the USB-C cable itself is not included.
Mac and Windows Compatibility
The MX Keys S ships with dual-printed keycaps that show both the Mac and Windows legends, so the same keyboard reads correctly on either platform. The Fn row maps to media controls and screen brightness on both macOS and Windows, and the layout does not need to be swapped when moving between the two.
Logitech Options+ is the layer that unlocks the keyboard's depth on either platform: Flow, key remapping, and per-app shortcuts all live there. The software is free and runs on macOS and Windows. On Linux the keyboard works as a standard Bluetooth or USB-C keyboard with basic typing and media keys, but Flow, remapping, and per-app shortcuts are not officially supported, and only partial community workarounds exist.
Value Analysis
At $109, the Logitech MX Keys S sits at the premium end of the low-profile wireless keyboard category. It is $25 more than the Keychron K8 ($84), $30 more than the Apple Magic Keyboard ($79), and $40 more than the Keychron K1 Low Profile ($69). The value question is whether the Perfect Stroke typing feel, smart backlight, and Flow cross-computer control justify the premium — and for the target audience of office workers, writers, and multi-computer users, the answer is yes. The smart backlight alone extends battery life to 10 days per charge, which is triple the Keychron K8's 3.25 days and double the Magic Keyboard's 5 days, meaning fewer charging interruptions over the keyboard's lifespan. The longer math favors the MX Keys S for buyers who plan to keep it. Logitech's 3-year warranty is the longest in this category. The catch is that the MX Keys S is not mechanical: you cannot replace keycaps, customize switches, or use QMK/VIA firmware. If mechanical switches are a must-have, the Keychron K8 at $84 is the stronger value. For everyone else who wants the most polished low-profile wireless keyboard, the MX Keys S justifies its $109 price over years of daily use.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Perfect Stroke keys offer a refined low-profile typing feel
- Smart backlight turns on when hands approach — extends battery to 10 days
- Flow cross-computer control works seamlessly between Mac and Windows
- USB-C charging works while typing, full charge in 3 hours
- Dual-printed keycaps work for both Mac and Windows layouts
- Pairs with 3 devices via Bluetooth or Logi Bolt receiver
- Quiet scissor-switch mechanism suitable for shared offices
- Logi Options+ software is free, polished, and works on both Mac and Windows
- Three-year limited warranty from Logitech covers manufacturing defects
- USB-C charging port supports pass-through use while charging
- Dished keycaps cradle fingertips — easier to type by touch than flat laptop keys
Cons
- Not mechanical — no tactile feedback or switch customization
- Keys collect fingerprints and dust visibly — requires regular cleaning
- Logi Bolt receiver is required for Flow (Bluetooth does not support it)
- Heavy for a low-profile keyboard — 1.7 lbs, more than the Magic Keyboard
- Cannot replace keycaps — they are integrated into the scissor mechanism
- No tilt adjustment options beyond the two flip-out feet
- Only white backlight — no per-key RGB lighting available at this price
- Priced $25 to $30 higher than comparable low-profile competitors
- Logi Options+ software requires an account for full feature set
Specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Switch type | Scissor (Perfect Stroke) |
| Key travel | 1.8 mm |
| Actuation force | 45 g |
| Backlight | White LED with proximity sensor |
| Battery life (smart backlight) | Up to 10 days per charge |
| Battery life (backlight on) | ~5 days |
| Battery life (backlight off) | Up to 15 days |
| Charging | USB-C, full charge ~3 hours |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.1 / Logi Bolt / USB-C wired |
| Multi-device pairing | Up to 3 devices (Easy-Switch) |
| Flow | Requires Logi Bolt receiver |
| Layout | Dual-printed Mac + Windows legends |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs (approx. 770 g) |
| Warranty | 3 years |
Who Should Buy
Best For
- Users coming from a laptop keyboard who want a low-profile feel
- Anyone who works across two computers (Flow is genuinely useful)
- Office users who want the quietest possible typing experience
- Mac users who want a wireless keyboard with proper Mac keycaps
- Buyers who want a 10-day battery life without backlight management
Not For
- You want mechanical switches — see our Keychron K8 review
- You need a numeric keypad — get the MX Keys S with numeric pad ($149)
- You want per-key RGB lighting (the MX Keys S has only white backlight)
- Your budget caps at $80 — the Keychron K8 is the better value
- You need QMK/VIA programmable firmware — the MX Keys S uses Logi software only
Alternatives
- Best Office Mechanical Keyboard — Our full roundup of mechanical alternatives.
- Keychron K8 Review — The mechanical keyboard alternative at $84.
- Logitech MX Master 3S Review — The natural mouse companion to the MX Keys S.
FAQ
Is the Logitech MX Keys S worth $109?
For most office users, yes. Based on feature analysis, the MX Keys S offers a refined low-profile typing feel, the smart backlight extends battery life (10 days per charge), and Flow cross-computer control is a game-changer for multi-machine setups. The only reason to skip it is if you specifically want mechanical switches — in that case, see our Keychron K8 review.
Is the MX Keys S mechanical or membrane?
Neither — it uses scissor switches, the same mechanism as laptop keyboards and the Apple Magic Keyboard. This gives it a low-profile feel with shorter travel (1.8 mm) than mechanical keyboards (4 mm). It is quieter than mechanical keyboards and preferred by many office users who find mechanical keyboards too tall or too loud.
How does Logitech Flow work on the MX Keys S?
Flow lets you control two computers with a single keyboard and mouse, even switching the cursor between screens by moving it off the edge of one display onto the other. You can copy text on one computer and paste it on the other. It works on Windows and macOS, requires Logitech Options+ software on both machines, and needs both computers on the same network.
What is the difference between MX Keys and MX Keys S?
The MX Keys S is the 2023 successor to the original MX Keys. Key upgrades: a quieter typing mechanism (29% reduction in typing noise), a sensor-based smart backlight that turns on when your hands approach, and improved battery life (10 days versus 5 days on the original). If you have the original MX Keys, the upgrade is not necessary — but for new buyers, always get the S.
Does the MX Keys S work with Mac and Windows?
Yes. The keyboard includes dual-printed keycaps with both Mac and Windows layouts, and the Logitech Options+ software lets you remap any key. According to manufacturer specifications, it is compatible with macOS, Windows, iPadOS, and Android. The Fn row works correctly on both Mac and Windows, including media controls and screen brightness.
Is the MX Keys S quiet?
Yes — based on feature analysis, the scissor-switch mechanism produces a soft, dampened sound rather than the clack of mechanical switches, making it suitable for shared offices or video calls. The low-profile design contributes to quieter operation than mechanical alternatives.
How long does the battery last on the MX Keys S?
With the smart backlight enabled, the battery lasts up to 10 days per charge according to Logitech's specifications. With the backlight permanently on, it lasts about 5 days. With the backlight off entirely, it can run up to 15 days. The smart backlight is the best setting — proximity detection means the backlight only comes on when your hands are near, giving you the visibility of always-on backlight with the battery life of always-off backlight.
Can you replace keycaps on the MX Keys S?
No. The keycaps are integrated into the Perfect Stroke scissor mechanism and cannot be removed or replaced individually. This is a tradeoff of the low-profile design — you cannot customize keycaps the way you can on a mechanical keyboard like the Keychron K8. If keycap customization is important, look at mechanical keyboards in our office mechanical keyboard roundup.
Does the MX Keys S have backlight?
Yes. The MX Keys S has a white backlight with smart proximity detection — it turns on when your hands approach and off when you move away. Brightness adjusts automatically to ambient light. There is no per-key RGB lighting, only white. The smart backlight is one of the standout features because it extends battery life to 10 days per charge.
Can the MX Keys S connect to 3 devices?
Yes. The MX Keys S pairs with up to three devices simultaneously via Bluetooth or the Logi Bolt receiver, and you switch between them with dedicated Easy-Switch buttons in the top right of the keyboard. According to Logitech's documentation, switching between devices is designed to be quick with no perceptible delay when typing resumes.
Is the MX Keys S good for programming?
Yes. Based on feature analysis, the low actuation force (45 g) and short travel (1.8 mm) reduce finger fatigue during long coding sessions, and the quiet operation is appreciated in pair-programming and stand-up settings. The dished keycaps make it easy to find modifier keys by touch. The main limitation is no QMK/VIA programmable firmware — you can remap keys via Logi Options+, but not at the hardware level.
Does the MX Keys S work with iPad?
Yes. The MX Keys S pairs with any iPad that supports Bluetooth, including iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini. Pairing takes under a minute, and the keyboard remembers the iPad as one of its three device slots. The Fn row media controls work with iPadOS, and you can use keyboard shortcuts like Cmd+Tab and Cmd+Space. For a dedicated iPad keyboard, see our best office mechanical keyboard guide for alternatives.
Does the MX Keys S work with Linux?
The MX Keys S works as a standard Bluetooth or USB-C keyboard on Linux without Logi Options+ software. Basic typing, the Fn row, and media controls all work. Advanced features like Flow, key remapping, and per-app shortcuts require Logi Options+, which does not officially support Linux. Community tools like Solaar can unlock some of these features, but support is partial.
Is the MX Keys S good for gaming?
It is acceptable for casual gaming but not ideal for competitive play. Typing latency with the Logi Bolt receiver is under 5 ms, which is fine for typing and most games, but the 1.8 mm scissor switches do not offer the same n-key rollover or tactile feedback as mechanical gaming keyboards. For serious gaming, see our best mechanical keyboard for work roundup, which includes gaming-capable options.
Final Verdict
Final Verdict: The Logitech MX Keys S is the best low-profile wireless keyboard for office use, with Perfect Stroke keys that deliver a refined scissor-switch typing feel, a smart backlight that extends battery life to 10 days per charge, and Flow cross-computer control that is transformative for multi-machine workflows. Based on manufacturer specifications, the keyboard is built for long-term durability. It is not mechanical, the metal plate collects fingerprints, and the $109 price is $25 more than the Keychron K8 — but for the audience it targets, the MX Keys S is the most polished option on the market. Our rating: 4.7/5.
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