Logitech K250 Wireless Keyboard
Logitech K250 Wireless Keyboard
The Logitech K250 Wireless Keyboard is one of a new line of products from Logitech called the “Fantasy Collection,” all just released at the end of spring. The K250 Wireless Keyboard is a wireless keyboard targeted at budget-conscious buyers who don’t want to compromise features for affordability, and would like a bit of personalization as well. The K250 we received came with a sharp-looking black-and-white swirl pattern on the body, but if monochromatic designs aren’t your style, other peripherals in the Fantasy Collection come in up to seven different colorful designs to personalize your workspace.
Logitech is no slouch when it comes to keyboard build and design, and it showed through when using the K250 for everyday tasks. The keyboard is a bit smaller than you would immediately expect by looking at photographs, and takes up a significantly smaller footprint on your desk than other media keyboards or full keyboards with a number pad on the right. The K250 has rubber feet to keep it from sliding around your desk surface, and the keys are low-rise but deep enough that you don’t feel like you’re using a laptop keyboard when you type long documents with it. The function keys at the top of the keyboard double as media keys, so you can toggle the function key to control music or video without having to take your hands off the keyboard and use the mouse. Even so, that’s the only notable feature the K250 has, and it would have been nice to see stand-alone volume buttons somewhere on the keyboard or even a mute button.
The K250 is a wireless keyboard, and while it would have been nice to see this keyboard use Bluetooth, Logitech is more than vested in its plug-and-play Unifying Receiver, which uses 2.4GHz wireless to keep your keyboard connected even if it’s not in line of sight of the receiver. The USB receiver itself is incredibly tiny, smaller than a quarter, and it’s designed to plug in to a USB port and stay there, regardless of which Logitech peripheral you’re using. The other benefit to using the Unifying Receiver is that it can serve as a single receiver for all of your Logitech peripherals.
The K250 Wireless Keyboard was a pleasure to use on my Mac and on my PC, and was as easy to set up as plugging in the receiver and turning the keyboard on. Additionally, at $29.99 USD, the K250 represents a great value for people looking for a solid wireless keyboard that combines good looks, clean design, no wires, and strong features without the price tag of a bulkier or more feature-heavy multimedia keyboard.
The form factor is excellent for desktop and laptop users alike, and the K250 is light and thin enough that it can go where you go. It’s a little wide to toss into a messenger bag along with your laptop, but it is light enough that you won’t have trouble stashing it in a cabinet when you leave the office.
If the opportunity to personalize your workspace with colors and designs on a budget appeals to you, the rest of Logitech’s Fantasy Collection includes colorful wireless mice, Webcams, and speakers. All of the peripherals in the collection are aggressively priced as well, perfect for college students on a budget that want something more interesting than the keyboard or mouse their laptop came with, or office workers who want to brighten up a dull gray cubicle.
Design: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Features: 3/5
Performance: 4/5
Build Quality: 4/5
