If You Hate Typing on a Screen, This $40 Bluetooth Keyboard Is the Solution
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Some products that we've tried have stood the test of time and remain our faves to this day. In our series 10/10 Would Recommend, we're giving the final word on well-known products that we fully stand behind.
The Product
The Logitech K380 Bluetooth Keyboard, a tech accessory for typing that can pair up to three devices at a time.
The Stats
The Price: $39.99
Year It Came Out: 2015
Reviewed By: Wirecutter, CNN Underscored, Real Simple
What Does It Do?
The Logitech K380 Bluetooth Keyboard can pair with any compatible computer, tablet, or phone for added comfort and flexibility while typing, and users can toggle between three saved devices interchangeably. It's a very portable, travel-friendly device by virtue of its lightweight and slim build — the keyboard weighs just under a pound at 14 ounces, and it measures 11 by 5 inches and just half an inch wide on its thickest side. This keyboard is powered by two AAA batteries and has a lifespan of 2 years.
All of its keys are rounded, and most are slightly indented to provide a contoured landing pad for your fingers as they type. The keyboard's sound while in use is noticeably more muted than typing on a laptop. When I measured with the Decibel X iPhone app, typing on the Logitech keyboard came in at an average of 43 dBA while using the MacBook Pro keyboard measured 56 dBA. (For context, a running microwave has an average of 63 dBA.)
In addition to its QWERTY keys, the Logitech K380 also features a top row of media controls to help the user switch between tabs, play music, and adjust the volume on their main device. It powers on and off with a simple switch at the side, and the commands on the keyboard are the same that you'd use on any other, even if you're switching between Mac and Windows operating systems.
Why Do I Love It?
I don't know how everyone else does it, but I have always had a hard time typing on a smartphone or tablet screen. There is no tactile variance between the keys, resulting in typos galore and many frustrating minutes spent combing through to correct each one.
So, to make life at home with my brigade of Apple devices — the iPhone, iPad Air, and Apple TV — a little easier, I bought myself the Logitech K380. Shopping in a rush, I just needed something affordable to type on and happened to choose this $40 keyboard. I had no idea that this was the same model that CNET had called “one of the best multidevice wireless keyboards you can buy” upon its launch years earlier.
In my nearly 3 years with this keyboard, it's become one of my favorite gadgets, somehow making the arduous enjoyable. I use it for texting, emailing, long-form writing, and web browsing, and it feels like a much more natural way for me to get my thoughts out on a small screen. I really like that everything on this keyboard is curved — there are no hard angles, making it look and feel really fun. Plus, it's so small and light that packing it and toting it from place to place has never felt like a burden.
As it turns out, I'm not the only K380 fan on my team. Our senior electronics editor Brandon Carte gave it his seal of approval, saying, “Speaking as someone who is behind a keyboard sometimes 14 hours a day, I’m a huge fan of Logitech keyboards. The company’s Bluetooth keyboard has insane battery life and I love that it pairs with three separate devices.”
The K380 also made a cameo on a Slack call with our director of SEO & content Erica Murphy, so I also asked her about her favorite feature: “I love the tactility of the keys! They’re not sticky, but have enough oomph to give me a sturdy feel while typing,” she says.
I definitely agree — the Logitech’s keys feel comfortable to press, even at a rapid typing speed, and their soft click is a nice middle ground, volume-wise, between the clacking of a laptop keyboard and the padded nothingness of typing on a screen.
If you've received a text from me at any point during this sheltering-in-place period, I likely typed it out on the Logitech K380. Like most people, my fingers are an extension of my brain when it comes to communicating digitally. But because I'm (literally) all thumbs when I text, I'd rather have the Logitech K380 on hand when I have a lot to say.
The Final Word
The Logitech K380 keyboard is quiet, light, and intuitive to use. At $40 (and frequently on sale), it's a great value if you switch between multiple devices in one day, but you also want one easy, streamlined hub to type it all out on.
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