Logitech Pop Icon Keys review: A small, portable and affordable keyboard

Like other products in the PopKeys range, the design of the PopIcon keys relies heavily on the choice of colours, which are offered in four on Logitech’s official website: pink and off-white, lilac and off-white, graphite and green, and finally. Off-white and orange (our test version).

Made entirely of plastic, the Pop Icon Keys’ chassis gives off the impression of a toy, but the build quality isn’t bad. Sure, it’s easy to twist it with both hands while deliberately trying to twist it in two opposite directions, but we didn’t notice any recession when typing, no matter how hard it was. While its back and front faces are made of the same slightly smooth white plastic, its edges are coated with a smooth, reflective plastic. A choice designed to improve typing comfort on the sometimes sharp edges of portable keyboards, but which provides a tone cheapalmost dated with a yet successful design.

Just like the range of MX Keys, it won’t be possible to adjust the tilt angle with the rear wedges. So you’ll have to appreciate its profile, which rises to a peak of 22mm, to be expected to take advantage of it.

Still on the subject of measurements, let’s take the opportunity to pull out the ruler… With its height of 13.6 cm, the Pop Icon Keys MX Keys is a little shorter than the Keys Mini, but certainly wider at 32.4 cm. This difference is explained by the presence of a column of extra keys, sandwiched between the Sup key and the left arrow. They’re aimed at two switchable function modes, nicknamed Office and Leisure, via the Logi Options+ software (which we’ll come back to later).

No need to look back, down or anywhere else: Pop Icon Keys does not include a USB port. And the absence of any external port means battery operation: Two AAAs are required to power the pop icon keys. Concerns about environmental impact are understandable – and we’d recommend opting for reusable batteries for that matter – but Logitech promises up to 36 months of battery life on a pair of batteries. Significant longevity, and it’s no wonder the keyboard didn’t fail during weeks of testing.

To use it, you’ll need to use Bluetooth 5.3, fortunately SwiftPair is certified for automatic linking with a Windows device from the first connection, or via the Logitech Bolt dongle that’s not included with the keyboard. We can understand this decision when we see the ease with which our editorial team assembles all kinds of dongles. That said, anyone coming into the Logitech ecosystem will find themselves limited in access options. Also, don’t expect to be able to run your motherboard’s BIOS without 2.4 GHz or USB connectivity.

Still similar to the MX keys, the POP Icon Keys use their own double-screen printing, grouping the various functions of the macOS and Windows keyboards onto a single key. The result is inevitably cluttered and difficult to read. It would have made more sense to offer separate versions for the two ecosystems, but for economic reasons the decision is not surprising. Another drawback, the absence of backlighting makes the keyboard difficult to use in a dark room. While we’re on the subject of keys, let’s point out that they have a fairly distinct concave shape.

This is obvious, but remember that pop icon keys are not meant to be used. Gaming. Already poorly suited for reactive use in video games, due to the presence of the chiclet switch, but also its absence. N-Key RolloverOnly six keys can be activated simultaneously. Using Bluetooth, which is susceptible to signal interference, is also not recommended for intense FPS sessions.