Logitech MX Mechanical Mini Keyboard Review
A mini office keyboard with mechanical switches
Verdict
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is an excellent, small-form-factor keyboard for office use. Its layout is convenient and general build quality is fantastic, alongside offering an immensely comfortable and responsive typing experience as a result of its Tactile Quiet switches. It may be expensive, and the software functionality may not be as good as the competition, but for a brilliant premium option for your office, this is fantastic keyboard.
Pros
- Incredibly sturdy
- Tactile Quiet switches are super-comfortable to use
- Great battery life
Cons
- Expensive for a smaller layout keyboard
- Software functionality is a little limited
Availability
- UKRRP: £149.99
- USARRP: $149.99
- EuropeRRP: €159.99
Key Features
- 75% layoutThe MX Mechanical Mini is a smaller keyboard with a 75% layout that gives features basic alphanumeric keys, as well as arrow keys and a small set of functions
- Long-lasting batteryLogitech claims the MX Mechanical Mini will last for up to 10 months off a single charge with the lighting off
- Dual means of connectivityThis is also a wireless keyboard and can connect either via the bundled Logi Bolt receiver or over Bluetooth
Introduction
Logitech has recently refreshed its longstanding line of MX peripherals with a couple of new keyboards. The MX Mechanical units – including the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini and standard Logitech MX Mechanical – offer the convenience and style associated with the MX line, as well as the power and accuracy of mechanical switches.
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is the dinkier candidate of the two by ditching the number pad. It brings low-profile Tactile Quiet switches, dual modes of connectivity with up to three devices at once, and excellent battery life.
However, for what is a smaller mechanical keyboard, it’s a bit expensive, clocking in at $149.99/£149.99/€159.99. Wireless, smaller layout mechanical boards are becoming increasingly common these days, with the likes of Razer also offering a fantastic option in the BlackWidow V3 Mini. As such, Logitech may have to pull out all the stops to make the MX Mechanical Mini a winner. Let’s find out if it succeeds.
Design
- Sturdy, slim chassis with no deck flex
- Smaller layout offers more desk real estate with minimal sacrifices
- Simple interface and port offerings
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini looks great. It’s slim and modern-looking, complete with a two-tone grey colour scheme that’s sure to fit into a forward-thinking home office setup.
There’s no real flex in the chassis of the MX Mechanical, with that structural rigidity helped along by its metal top plate that also adds a little more chic to its overall looks. Some might call its aesthetic a little muted next to comparably priced smaller ‘boards, but the MX Mechanical looks functional and purposeful.
It’s a 75% layout keyboard, which means it’s ditched the number pad, but retained the row of F-keys up top as well as the arrow keys. As layouts go, it’s one of the better small-form-factor models on offer.
For keycaps, expect to find equally low-profile double-shots here, which appear to be made of ABS plastics. They feel smooth under finger, lacking the texturing and general thickness of more premium PBT offerings. For the price, PBT would have been nice – although I’m not too sure if low-profile PBT keycaps are a thing in 2022 just yet.
The keycaps themselves are dual function as standard, meaning that some come featuring both Windows and Mac commands. This is particularly helpful given that the MX Mechanical is both Windows and Mac compatible, and also for the sake of convenience, so you know which key corresponds to which function; MacOS does have a tendency to swap the positions of some functions over its Windows counterparts.
Round the back you’ll find two large flip-up feet, complete with rubber endings, so the MX Mechanical Mini won’t be slipping around your desk anytime soon. They feel as sturdy as the keyboard itself, and even if they aren’t multi-stage feet, they offer a steeper angle for a more comfortable typing experience.
Otherwise, the interface here is wonderfully simple, with just a power button and USB-C port on the top for charging. The MX Mechanical Mini features this wonderful minimalistic quality that helps to exude an overall modern look and feel.
Performance
- Tactile Quiet switches are super-comfortable to type on
- Dual modes of connectivity brings convenience
- Battery life is excellent
Part of the reason why the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is so slim is down to its low-profile switches. There are three on offer: Linear, Clicky, or Tactile Quiet; the latter feature on my review sample. Essentially, the Tactile Quiets are a low-profile version of Brown switches, offering a blend of a tactile bump with a shorter key travel.
Browns have often been a great middle-ground for typists and gamers, given their lighter actuation force and tactile bump halfway down the key travel. The keys in the MX Mechanical feel good, and, as mentioned, these low-profile switches offer a shorter key travel than standard switches, which will mean anyone who uses a laptop on a daily basis will feel right at home.
I encountered no problems moving from my custom Keychron Q1 with its heavier MX Clears to the MX Mechanical Mini and its Tactile Quiets for the purposes of this review. I should also mention that the MX Mechanical Mini’s switches are backlit. There isn’t any RGB lighting, as they come with a simple and functional white backlight instead that helps to illuminate the keys for those occasions you might be working late.
The keyboard also carries the same functionality as the standard Logitech MX Keys keyboard in the form of dual modes of connectivity, although with an added boost. As well as utilising Bluetooth, the MX Mechanical Mini makes use of Logitech’s new Bolt receiver. In short, it offers a more stable wireless connection through BLE compared to a more traditional 2.4GHz receiver. It’s also compatible with Linux and ChromeOS alongside your more traditional Windows and Mac flavours.
There’s also the ability to connect up to three devices seamlessly, and switching between them on the MX Mechanical Mini took just one button press for a pleasingly faff-free experience. For those power users who want one keyboard for multiple platforms, the MX Mechanical Mini is a sure-fire hit.
The keyboard’s battery life is good too, with Logitech claiming the MX Mechanical Mini will last up to two full weeks with its backlight on before shutting down, and for up to 10 months with it off. In testing, the MX Mechanical Mini delivered decent endurance, with little noticeable drain on the battery with the backlight off – I haven’t had to charge it once.
Software and Lighting
- Single-colour white backlighting looks clean
- Logi Options+ doesn’t offer much functionality
Fans of RGB lighting may be a little disappointed by the MX Mechanical Mini, given that it doesn’t feature any. On the other hand, this is designed for improving productivity in modern home offices and work settings, so flashy lights may not be top of the priority list.
Instead, the single-colour white backlighting on the MX Mechanical Mini is functional and effective, which seem to be the buzzwords for Logitech’s overall revised MX product lineup. With this backlighting, there’s also a clever feature where, if you leave the keyboard idle for a period of time, it will turn the backlighting off; but when it senses some input, it quick resumes and wakes up.
As for software, the MX Mechanical Mini utilises Logitech’s uprated Logi Options+ suite. There isn’t too much that can be done here, apart from remapping the function layer on the top of the keyboard, and adjusting the backlighting levels with a slider, as opposed to using the keyboard’s relevant hotkeys.
By comparison to the rest of the package, the lack of options within Logi Options+ seems a shame, especially with all the software-driven customisation we’re used to seeing with higher-end keyboards these days – even if they are more gaming-grade peripherals.
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Should you buy it?
You want a powerful, smaller keyboard:
The MX Mechanical Mini offers a great and perfectly usable 75% layout, which is ideal for those wanting to save space without compromising on general performance.
You’re after lots of software-based customisation:
Where the MX Mechanical Mini falls down is with the Logi Options+ software, which doesn’t offer much in the way of additional functions. If these are a priority, look elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is a truly fantastic office keyboard that brings the added powers of low-profile mechanical switches and a smaller layout to a wider audience.
It’s one of the best-built low-profile keyboards on the market today, with a chassis that features no deck flex, and two-tone grey keycaps that look sleek and especially modern. Combine this with an excellent battery life, and you have the makings of an incredible office workhorse.
The only real issue here is the high price, which is a lot to spend a keyboard for the office. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic keyboard, so if you can meet the asking price, you won’t find many better modern office keyboards out there than the MX Mechanical Mini.
How we test
We use every keyboard we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use, comfort and performance of the switches.
We also check each keyboard’s software to see how easy it is to customise and set up.
Spent at least a week testing
Compared the build quality with similar priced keyboards.
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FAQs
It comes down to personal taste. Compared to membrane switches, mechanical keyboards provide more tangible key presses, which can result in more accurate and comfortable typing. However, some mechanical switches can be substantially louder than their membrane counterparts, so it’s worth doing some research on the type of mechanical switches you’re buying.
Logitech claims the battery life can last up to 10 months with backlighting turned off, and 15 days with backlighting turned on at max brightness.
Full specification
Sustainability
Trusted Reviews’ holds the fact that global warming is not a myth as a core value and will continuously endeavour to help protect our planet from harm in its business practices.
As part of this mission, whenever we review a product we send the company a series of questions to help us gauge and make transparent the impact the device has on the environment.
We currently haven’t received answers to the questions on this product, but will update this page the moment we do. You can see a detailed breakdown of the questions we ask and why in our sustainability info page.
Jargon buster
RGB
RGB stands for Red Green Blue, and essentially means a device is capable of producing colourful lighting, rather than just a white light. It's often found on gaming peripherals such as mice and keyboards.USB-C
The modern USB connector you’ll find on most Android phones, new laptops, cameras and games consoles. It’s reversible and used for charging along with data-transfer.Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a method of wireless transmission that allows for the exchange of data between devices over short distances.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
