Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is a compact mechanical keyboard designed with productivity in mind. That may seem obvious given its sober gray and black design, which is a far cry from the bright RGB-coated or pastel-colored retro boards aimed at the gaming and custom keyboard markets.
But there is more than just appearances. The MX Mechanical Mini comes with a choice of three switches, one of which is a silent touch switch that suits working in office environments. It’s a real pleasure to type quickly and comes with a variety of connectivity and customization options to tailor the dashboard to your needs.
I loved using this keyboard for work, but unfortunately the MX Mechanical Mini has some glaring issues that I can’t overlook, the main one being its price. To find out more and if this could be one of the best mechanical keyboards For you, read our full review of the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini.
Logitech MX Mechanical Mini Review: Cheat Sheet
- What is it? A 75% low profile mechanical wireless keyboard from Logitech. It’s also available in a full-size TK layout keyboard, the Logitech MX Mechanical.
- For whom? Logitech orients this keyboard towards productivity, so it is designed primarily for those who want a keyboard for working. That said, it will also be fine for non-competitive games.
- How much does it cost? A lot! The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini costs $149 / £149.
- What is typing like? As smooth as silk, at least with the quiet touch keys we tested.
- Nothing bad? The Bluetooth controls eliminate important macOS shortcuts, the lighting is fiddly, and it doesn’t look or feel premium enough to justify its high price.
Logitech MX Mechanical Mini Review: The Pros
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is a good fit for productivity, as it’s wonderful to type on, easy to connect, and can be customized with the Logi Options+ app. Its low profile and compact size make it ideal for use on the go or at home on a busy desk. It’s not designed for competitive gaming, but it’s fine for casual gaming, general use, and productivity.
typing experience
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is simply lovely to type on. Its 75% layout is similar to laptop keyboards, so it will look familiar if one of our best laptops It is your daily driver. Its low-profile keys also help avoid accidentally touching the keys when typing quickly.
My average typing speed is around 77 words per minute (WPM), while my average typing accuracy is just over 85%. Using the MX Mechanical Mini, I was able to achieve 79 words per minute and almost 89% accuracy. At home I usually use a Keychron K2 V2. Its larger keys tend to get in the way and cause typing errors. I was 5WP faster and just under 9% more accurate with the MX Mechanical Mini, which makes a big difference.
I tried the tactile silent switches model and they were lovely. I usually love the classic old-school mechanical sound, but I tend to get a little embarrassed when I bring my rather loud Keychron into the office and make a fuss. The quiet switches aren’t distracting, so they’re perfect for a workplace, but still sound pleasant. I also enjoy the smooth tactile feedback the switches provide.
Logitech also offers the MX Mechanical Mini with linear switches if you prefer no tactile feedback, and with clicky switches if you want a snappier sound.
The MX Mechanical Mini is available in a macOS-oriented model, but I love that the standard model comes marked with Windows and macOS symbols on the keys, allowing you to quickly switch between the two without problems.
Build quality
The build quality of the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is overall very good. The top plate of the keyboard is made of aluminum and very pleasant to the touch. The rear lifters move with a satisfying click and no loose keys were found on my test unit. The keys sit very comfortably on the switches and require a reassuring, but not excessive, amount of force to remove.
Admittedly, it’s not perfect: the backplate is plastic and makes a squeaky sound when touched, the on/off button feels a little dull and cheap, and the keys seem to be made of ABS plastic, so don’t expect they do. It maintains its clean matte effect for a long time. However, these are only minor problems.
The keyboard plastics are made from 47% recycled plastic, while the top panel is made from carbon-free aluminum, so the construction is somewhat sustainable.
Reduced size and weight
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is very compact, which I really appreciated when I took the keyboard home from the office. I already had a bag full and in such situations I often find it difficult to fit my Keychron K2 into the front pocket of my bag due to its height. The MX Mechanical Mini was able to fit easily into the front pocket of my bag, thanks to its low rise and short length.
While the keyboard isn’t as light as you might expect from looking at it, it’s not exactly heavy. On the way to the office, I often enjoy having a much lighter bag than when I make the return trip loaded with products to try at home; I appreciated that the MX Mechanical Mini didn’t mess this up.
Easy connection and switching
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini has three Bluetooth channels to allow multiple device connections. It is very easy to connect the keyboard and you can change channels with a single touch.
There’s also no need to manually switch between macOS and Windows layouts, like on my Keychron K2 V2. This is done automatically by the keyboard. Again, the dual OS brands help make the transition seamless. The keyboard is also compatible with ChromeOS, Linux, and iPadOS.
You can also connect via USB-C or the included USB Type-A Wi-Fi adapter.
Shortcuts and customization
The Logitech Logi Options+ app is free to download and allows you to customize almost all of the Fn keys, as well as the last column of control keys. This is quite useful on such a small keyboard, as it allows you to ditch functions you rarely use in favor of ones you do use.
Logitech MX Mechanical Mini Review: The Cons
While it has a lot to offer, unfortunately the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini has some glaring and frustrating issues that might make you consider an alternative.
Price
There’s no way around it, at just under $150, this keyboard is very expensive for what it is. Not that there are any particularly fancy switches, keycaps, premium build materials, or extravagant features that justify that price.
The lowest price we have seen the keyboard sell for is $132 at Amazon – still a lot of money.
Design
This is a personal preference, but I think the design of the MX Mechanical Mini is quite mundane. I get the whole low-key, minimalist black and gray vibe that Logitech was going for, but I think it’s too boring and office-like. The cheap-looking keys also bring down the premium price, although they do let in light, which is fine for working at night (more on this later).
Annoyingly, there are only two height settings, so if neither of them are comfortable, you’ll be left out of options.
Turning on
The MX Mechanical Mini features white LED backlighting, which is discreet like the rest of the design. But that’s not where my problem lies: it looks quite attractive and certainly more refined than RGB.
My problems with the backlight are twofold. Firstly, there are only a handful of lighting setups and none of them were very interesting. Obviously this feeds into both the low-key aesthetic and the “minimal workplace distractions” ethos, but it would be nice to have the option.
However, the biggest problem for me is that the backlight simply does what it wants based on ambient lighting conditions. If it’s bright, it turns off completely, presumably to squeeze as much life out of the small battery as possible. While switching between lighting options, the sun came out and the backlight went completely off. I had to go into the Logi Options+ app to switch instead of using the faster keyboard shortcut.
Fn keys in macOS
Without a doubt, my biggest complaint about the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is its Bluetooth connection buttons, which can be infuriating as a Mac user. The Bluetooth buttons are located on Fn’s 1-3.
If you’re a regular macOS user, these are the screen brightness and app exposure buttons. You can use them as standard Fn 1-3 buttons, but you can’t customize them to use the default macOS shortcuts – they’re standard Fn buttons or Bluetooth controls.
This was absolutely infuriating for me, as App Expose is probably my most used macOS shortcut. I was forced to reassign it to the Home button on my personal MacBook; It’s still not ideal. I couldn’t install the Options+ app on my work MacBook because it’s an organizational machine, so I was left without Expose or brightness controls on that computer.
My Keychron K2 uses Fn + number keys 1-3 to toggle Bluetooth, leaving the default macOS controls alone – a much better solution.
Battery duration
Logitech promises that the MX Mechanical Mini will last 15 days with the backlight enabled or 10 months with the backlight disabled. 15 days is a bit disappointing, especially considering the backlighting isn’t all that impressive and it’s not RGB.
However, the downside is that Logitech’s small 1500mAh battery makes it more portable, as I mentioned above. So this isn’t a serious drawback and is mostly something to consider: do you want longer battery life or better portability?
If you don’t have the Options+ app, it’s also impossible to check the battery, although a red light indicator flashes when 10% remains.
Logitech MX Mechanical Mini Review: Verdict
The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is a really nice keyboard, there’s no doubt about it. If my workplace gave me one to use at a workstation, I certainly wouldn’t complain. Mainly this is due to the experience of writing, which is absolutely delightful and, as a writer, extremely valuable to me. It’s also well built and has a useful app to customize it.
However, I would not buy this keyboard. Mainly, that’s because $149 is almost exorbitant given that the keyboard, while certainly looking minimalist, doesn’t exactly look or feel premium. It can also be quite frustrating to use – its backlight has a limited range and will turn off automatically (even if you’re customizing the lighting) and, as a Mac user, I really hate replacing the default key. macOS controls with Bluetooth buttons.
