As yesterday’s kids become today’s highly sought-after demographic for marketers, it’s no surprise companies want to deliver products aimed specifically at the 16-to-24-year-old Gen Z crowd. In one such attempt to capture the attention of younger audiences, Logitech seeks to walk the fine line between cool and cringe with the POP Mechanical Wireless Keyboard ($99.99). This compact, colorful wireless mechanical keyboard has some cool, quirky functionality, but also a surprising lack of customization given its tech-savvy target audience. Possibly more of a concern: It’s hard to type on.
Smile Like You Mean It
The first thing you’ll notice about this new keyboard is just how colorful it is. The Logitech POP Mechanical Keyboard is the flagship product of Logitech’s Studio Series line, which includes the $40 POP Mouse, also pictured above, that will be reviewed separately. (The two products are not available as a bundle.) The board comes in three different color options, each one more vibrant than the last. Our review unit uses the Blast color scheme—a saturated yellow body with black and gray circular keys reminiscent of an old-school typewriter. Your other options include the cooler lilac, blues, and whites of the Daydream color scheme, or the softer reds and pinks of the Heartbreaker.
Whatever color you choose, you’ll be greeted with the same tenkeyless-design board. At 1.4 by 12.6 by 5.5 inches (HWD) and just 1.7 pounds, the POP Keyboard is compact and light, and the keys, which are rounded at the edges, are roughly the same size as your fingertip. Logitech opts out of the common Cherry MX switches found in most mechanical boards, in favor of TTC Brown switches.
In use, the TTC Brown switches work just as well as their Cherry MX cousins, providing a satisfying clack (though some may agree that they’re slightly louder than Cherry MX Brown switches). There’s enough space between the keys to clean between them easily, though because of the shape of the keys, not every one of my button presses stuck their landing. Speed typists should not apply.
Along the right flank of the board, you’ll find the power switch, and underneath, a slight bump atop the area where the AAA battery is stored—this protrusion also gives the board a bit of inclination. Overall, it’s a very perky-looking board and is sure to brighten up your desktop.
The POP keyboard’s second selling point is a bit harder to swallow. The board features five dedicated emoji buttons, which are meant to spice up your boring text with a quick smiley, a crying face, or a heart-eyed emoji. Four emoji keycaps come installed on the board, with four more included in the box.
To be sure, the use and meaning of an emoji has become more polarizing as times change. (Just ask anyone under the age of 25 if they’ve ever used the crying emoji un-ironically.) So the quick-access emojis might entertain some while taking up valuable keyboard space for others. As an avid emoji avoider, I find myself leaning toward the latter category, wishing instead that they were typical macro buttons (which they can be, with some changes).
Although the jury might be out on whether the emoji buttons are actually useful or not, the POP keyboard comes packed with some solid functionality. For starters, the keyboard can use either the included Logitech Bolt USB wireless dongle or Bluetooth to connect to your PC or other devices. You can sync up the board with up to three devices at once, cycling through each with a press of one of the first three function keys.
In addition, the function-key row controls the volume, can instantly bring up the snipping tool, controls media playback, and even offers immediate speech dictation with the press of a button. All of these functions can be adjusted in the Logitech Options app.
Logitech Options: Not Enough, Well, Options
As the hub used to control your Logitech POP keys, the Logitech Options app’s other features are disappointingly limited. You can use it to adjust and remap only the emoji keys and the majority of the function keys. (The first three are reserved for signal switching between devices.) You can also assign different emoji-key shortcuts for launching specific apps like WeChat instead of the emoji depicted on the keycap, but the customization ends there.
For keyboard aficionados anxious to remap their keyboards, being limited to just function keys and emoji buttons might be deal-breakers. If that’s where your interest lies, you’re better off using something like the Razer Pro Type Ultra, a general-use mechanical keyboard with tons of the more premium features you’d expect from high-end productivity or gaming boards, including customization options galore.
If casual gaming is on your mind, the POP Keyboard works just fine, though its rounded keys, while aesthetically pleasing, aren’t reliable for fast-paced action games. You’re better off with a gaming keyboard like the Asus ROG Falchion Wireless Gaming Keyboard.
With a promised 36 months of battery life on one set of AAA batteries, the POP Keyboard boasts strong battery life, although we can’t help but wish the batteries were rechargeable.
Just a Pretty, Smiley Face
As a simple, general-use keyboard, the POP Keyboard works well enough overall for people who are emoji-minded (and not speed typists). It will appeal to casual computer users, students looking to beautify their workstations, and energetic social-media addicts. The colorful, compact board is easy on the eyes and will impress…at least, at first.
But once you start to dive deeper, you’ll see how limited the board is. If you’re in the market for a tenkeyless mechanical keyboard for under $100, you might want to try the entry-level Drop ENTR Mechanical keyboard. If you’re willing to spend a little more, the Razer Pro Type Ultra provides both better aesthetics and increased functionality. Otherwise, with the POP, know what you are getting if you go for it: Buy it for the look, and stay for the smileys.
