Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 review: Ultra-portable and ultra-versatile keyboard

Apple’s Magic Keyboard series works nicely for the iPad and Mac, but they are pricey. Fortunately, several companies make viable alternatives, including Logitech. Their latest keyboard, the Keys-To-Go, is built as an ultra-portable keyboard for taking with you, and it has a much more palatable price tag.

Priced at $79.99/£79.99, the Keys-To-Go 2 is a Bluetooth keyboard built with the iPad in mind, but it can be used easily with a Mac, iPhone, Apple TV, or any other Bluetooth computer. As the name implies, it’s the successor to Logitech’s original Keys-To-Go and has a few major changes.

Find out how the Keys-2-Go compares to other iPad Keyboards in our round-up of the Best keyboards for iPad.

Logitech Keys-To-Go 2: Keys, design, and features

Like the original Keys-To-Go, the Keys-To-Go 2 has a full set of keys, including a dedicated Command key and a set of quick access keys for settings such as screen brightness, volume, and play/pause. However, these quick access keys replace the Function keys that you usually find on Mac keyboards–since the Keys-To-Go 2 is made with the iPad in mind, the Function keys aren’t necessary. The keys are made with ABS plastic that’s sourced from recycled materials.

You can’t reprogram these keys on a Mac if you do need them to be Function keys, so if you do, that instantly means this keyboard isn’t for you. (The LogiOptions+ software doesn’t support either Keys-To-Go.) Another twist is that the keys have changed their operations from the original Keys-To-Go; for example, the fast forward and rewind keys are gone, but now there is an emoji key and a screenshot key. If you’re familiar with a Magic Keyboard or the original Keys-To-Go, you’ll have to adjust to the new keys on the Keys-To-Go 2.

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The Keys-To-Go 2 doesn’t have the “header” that is on its predecessor, which needs this because it’s where the rechargeable battery is housed. No header on the Keys-To-Go 2 means no rechargeable battery–the keyboard uses a pair of CR2032 batteries placed in a compartment at the top that’s sealed using two T5 Torx screws. When it comes time to change the batteries, you need a T5 Torx screwdriver, which is not included. Logitech claims a battery life of 36 months.

The lack of a header makes the Keys-To-Go 2 smaller depth-wise than its predecessor, measuring 4.13 by 9.84 by 0.35 inches (105 by 250 by 9 millimeters) and weighing 7.84 ounces (222 grams). By comparison, the original Keys-To-Go is 5.39 by 9.52 by 0.23 inches (137 by 242 by 6 mm) and weighs 6.34 ounces (180 grams). It’s barely noticeable in a backpack and easy to carry.

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The version reviewed here is labeled, “Keys-To-Go 2 for iPad” but it can work with any Bluetooth device, including Windows PCs. It’s available in Pale Gray or Graphite. Logitech also sells a “Keys-To-Go 2” (sans the “for iPad” part) and it works just the same, except it has a combination Command/Alt key and a Lilac color option.

Logitech Keys-To-Go 2: Hands-on

Typing on the Keys-To-Go 2 is quite comfortable–I’m using it for this review. It doesn’t feel cramped to me, but it is a tighter setup than the keyboard on a MacBook. The key travel is a little like that of Apple’s keyboards, but a bit softer.

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One issue a user might have is that the Keys-To-Go 2 doesn’t have a way to adjust its angle toward you. Folding the cover underneath the keyboard doesn’t change its angle, so if that’s something you need to do (I don’t), you need to figure out another means.

Speaking of the attached keyboard cover, it’s great for when you need to stash the keyboard, protecting the keys. When I’m using the keyboard, however, I’m not quite sure what to do with it. It can be folded under the keyboard, but it feels like it shouldn’t be there. It can simply lay above the keyboard, but the cover doesn’t act as a stand or mount so it could get in the way.

With the cover in mind, I should point out that the Keys-To-Go 2 is just a portable keyboard. It’s not like the iPad’s Magic Keyboard that attaches to the iPad, provides a mount for it, and acts as a cover. Logitech offers a whole line of iPad Keyboard Cases if that’s what you want but don’t want Apple’s. (We recently reviewed the Logitech Combo Touch.)

The Keys-To-Go 2 can connect to up to three Bluetooth devices, and Logitech uses its Easy Switch keys to switch between them. After setting it up, it works almost seamlessly–you must wait a few seconds while the keyboard and device establish a connection, but after that, it’s all ready to go.

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Should you buy the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2?

If you’re in a situation where you often work remotely and you need to use multiple devices, the Keys-To-Go 2 is a handy device, with its portable design and ability to connect to up to three devices. It can also be useful with specialized installations, like, for example, if you’re using a Mac mini in a space-confined kiosk, or you switch between a Mac and iPad frequently, or you have the iPad on a stand that offers a mounting position that a keyboard case doesn’t.

If you’re a mobile user who works with an iPad and you’re looking for a keyboard for it, you might be better off with a keyboard case. That way, your iPad can be protected as you travel.