Logitech Illuminated Keyboard Review

We all tend to treat keyboards as a necessary evil. The mouse, touch screen and speech recognition have all come and stayed, but nothing will ever be able to replace the accuracy of the keyboard input .The problem is that very few of us are good typists and headaches caused by typing errors and the time lost in correcting them (if they are caught) has never been calculated, but the numbers will, I am sure, be terrifying.

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There’s no magic bullet to cure the keyboard related problems. Most of them stem from the person doing the typing, not the keyboard itself. Having said that, using a nice, comfortable, appealing keyboard does give the incentive to try a little harder to type better.

Logitech’s Illuminated Keyboard (LIK) is one of the sleekest, best looking and comfortable keyboards around. Ultra thin, with an appealing minimalist no frills look, it gives the appearance of being as tough as it is attractive. The laser etched keys and the backlighting make it something that pleases the eye. Logitech’s “Perfect Stroke” key system and the ergonomic design make it comfortable to use.

But with illuminated keyboards available for as little as $20 does this unit’s $79.99 price make any sense?

The keyboard’s maximum height is 0.36 inches, making it one of the thinnest on the market – its slimmer than an iPhone. The transparent frame around the key board may not exactly add a “touch of elegance” as Logitech claims, but it does look nice. The backlighting can be set to 4 different brightness settings (off, 25%, 50% and 100%). The lighting is fairly evenly spread and the keys are all clearly visible even in complete darkness. If there is a grouse with the backlighting it would have to be that the lighting behind the SHIFT and ENTER keys seems slightly less than the other keys. This is not enough to cause any problems in usage, but for the perfectionist, it could become a niggling irritation.

Although the ultra thin design offers little support to the wrists, typing is not a strain. The only ergonomic issue would be the slightly elevated keys on the bottom row. This is becoming common in other keyboards too and while I am sure there must be a scientific reason for it, I personally find it a bit awkward ergonomically. As far a comfort goes, the keyboard offers flip down risers that can raise the top of the keyboard and increase the angle for greater typing comfort. Many users will not need this, but it’s nice to have the option should it be required.

The keys are very responsive and the media controls are customizable to the user’s preference.

So is it worth the extra $ 60?

It’s not the best illuminated keyboard on the market, but it is one of the best looking and is very easy to use. It will look good alongside just about any PC or laptop. If you are a night owl or one of those who works at night in bed with a laptop and prefers to keep the lighting low, plugging in and using the LIK is a good option. And if build quality, classy looks and good performance mean anything, the extra $60 is worth while.