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The Logitech MX Mechanical and the MX Keys S are two of Logitech’s flagship Bluetooth keyboards, and on paper they look almost like siblings. Both use Bluetooth Low Energy, both pair to up to three devices at once, and both let you jump between those devices with a row of dedicated buttons. I have spent real time with both, and the honest answer is that you will not lose out either way. What you are really deciding is whether you want mechanical switches or quiet scissor keys, and whether you want to deal with a bit more noise and slightly different spacing to get that mechanical feel. Here is everything that actually separates them.
Two excellent Logitech keyboards. The MX Keys S is quieter, cheaper, and easier to live with. The MX Mechanical is more fun to type on if noise is not a problem.
- More fun to type on
- A choice of switches and extra keys
- More customizable buttons and bigger function keys
- Quieter
- $50 cheaper
- Roomier spacing near the space bar
Intro: Who This Is For
This comparison is for anyone who has narrowed their next keyboard down to Logitech’s two flagships and cannot decide between them. If you want a quiet, low-profile board that feels like an Apple Magic Keyboard with a little more travel, the MX Keys S is probably your answer. If you want the tactile response of real mechanical switches and you do not mind the extra noise or the higher price, the MX Mechanical is calling. Both are full-size boards with a number pad, and both are built to sit on a desk and connect to everything you own.
The Shared DNA
Before the differences, it helps to know how much these two keyboards have in common, because it is a lot. Both use Bluetooth Low Energy and can pair to up to three devices at one time. Switching between those devices is as simple as pressing one of the dedicated device buttons, so you can move from your laptop to your tablet to your desktop without re-pairing anything.
Both keyboards also include a Logitech Bolt receiver in the box. If you do not want to use Bluetooth, you plug the Bolt receiver straight into a USB port on your computer and it acts as the wireless bridge between the keyboard and the machine. Both boards work great on whatever operating system you are running, and they will feel familiar to Windows and Mac users alike. You also get Logitech’s customization through the Options Plus app on both, so the shortcut and key remapping options carry across the two.
Price and What Is in the Box
The MX Keys S retails for $110. The MX Mechanical retails for $160. That is a $50 gap, and it is one of the clearest reasons to pick one over the other. Both include the same accessories: a Logitech Bolt receiver and a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging and for wired connection.
Color is another quiet difference. The MX Keys S is available in graphite, black, or pale gray. The MX Mechanical is only available in graphite. If you were hoping for a lighter keyboard to match a bright desk, that alone might make the decision for you.
Here is how the two boards line up side by side.
| MX Mechanical | MX Keys S | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $160 | $110 |
| Switch type | Mechanical: linear red, clicky blue, or tactile brown | Scissor (quiet, low-profile) |
| Battery with backlight | 15 days | 10 days |
| Battery, backlight off | About 10 months | About 5 months |
| Colors | Graphite only | Graphite, black, or pale gray |
| Function row | Full-size F keys, two extra customizable buttons | Smaller F keys, fewer customizable buttons |
| In the box | Bolt receiver, USB-C to USB-A cable | Bolt receiver, USB-C to USB-A cable |
Battery Life
Battery numbers favor the mechanical, which surprised me a little. The MX Mechanical gets about 15 days on a full charge with the backlighting on, or roughly 10 months if you leave the backlighting off. The MX Keys S gets about 10 days with the backlight on, or about 5 months with the backlight turned off. Either way you are charging over USB-C, and either way most people will forget the last time they plugged it in.
The Keys and the Layout
The switches are the headline. The MX Mechanical uses mechanical switches and you can choose between three types: linear red, clicky blue, or tactile brown. The MX Keys S uses scissor-style keys for a quiet, smooth typing experience. That is the core of the whole comparison.
Beyond the switches, the button layout is not identical. The MX Mechanical has two more customizable buttons on the function row, and its function keys are full size. On the MX Keys S the function keys are a little smaller. When you look at general key spacing, both boards feel very similar, but things change around the space bar. The MX Mechanical has smaller command buttons that I find a little harder to hit reliably. On the MX Keys S the command button is a little wider, which feels more familiar to me as a Mac user. There is also no Start button to the right of the space bar on the MX Keys S. It is a small thing, but if you type by muscle memory you will notice it.
The Typing Experience
These two feel completely different under your fingers, and I enjoy both for different reasons. The MX Keys S has more of a Magic Keyboard feel, with a little more travel than Apple’s board but the same easy, light action. If you move between an iPad Magic Keyboard, a MacBook Pro, and an Apple wireless keyboard the way I do, the MX Keys S slots right in and feels familiar. I often really enjoy that lighter key travel.
The MX Mechanical is a different kind of fun. You feel every keystroke as you type, and that tactile response is something the scissor keys simply cannot give you. Of the three switch options, I prefer the brown tactile keys. To me they land in the sweet spot: you get the mechanical sound and feel without the crazy volume of the clicky blue switches. I will be comparing those switch types in a separate video, so keep an eye out for that.
The Noise Test
The MX Keys S is obviously much quieter than the MX Mechanical, and this is where the decision gets practical. If you work in an office where people care about noise, or if you take a lot of phone and video calls while you type, the MX Keys S is the one I would recommend. That mechanical clatter carries into a call in a way the scissor keys do not. The MX Mechanical is a joy to type on, but it is not shy about letting the room know you are typing.
My Recommendation
You will not lose out either way. Both keyboards share a huge amount: the key options, the shortcuts, Logitech’s Bluetooth performance that is basically second to none, and the deep customization through Options Plus. What you are really deciding is whether you want the scissor feel of the MX Keys S or the tactile mechanical feel of the MX Mechanical, and whether you want to deal with the extra noise and the tighter spacing near the space bar.
I personally prefer the spacing on the MX Keys S, and it is the quieter, cheaper board. But the more I use the MX Mechanical, the more I find it totally usable and just plain enjoyable. If noise is a non-issue and you love the feel of real switches, get the mechanical with the brown tactile keys. If you want something quiet, familiar, and easy to recommend to anyone, the MX Keys S is the safer pick.
The Verdict
There is no wrong answer here. The MX Mechanical and the MX Keys S are both excellent flagship keyboards from a company that has this category figured out. The MX Keys S wins on price, on quiet, and on that light Magic Keyboard feel. The MX Mechanical wins on switch choice, battery life, and the simple satisfaction of typing on real mechanical keys. Decide how much noise you can live with, pick the feel you want under your fingers, and buy with confidence.
