Logitech Wave Keys review: an affordable ergonomic keyboard that makes good choices

Ergonomics

Beyond its label, the Wave Keys is also reasonable regarding its format. Certainly wavy like any product of this type designed to type without tiring, the wave shape is ultimately not very marked. Placed in the center left of the keyboard, it has a contained height and does not separate the keys in two like on the K860 or other ergonomic models. It therefore offers an experience less removed from a classic keyboard. We will come back to the typing comfort provided below in this test.

Quite light (750 g), this keyboard is exclusively wireless (no USB connection, therefore) and embraces the classic connectivity of 2024: wireless in 2.4 GHz (via a USB dongle provided) and Bluetooth. A place to store the dongle on the go would have been appreciated, but too bad. At least we will benefit from feet at a single level under the keyboard (and not under the wrist rest this time) to adjust the height a little, as well as a small button on the rear edge to turn off the keyboard.

No dedicated buttons to switch between connected devices, since this happens through the secondary mode of the F1, F2 and F3 keys. The Wave Keys can therefore be connected simultaneously to three devices (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, etc.). Responsiveness, both when writing and switching between devices, is perfectly sufficient for office automation and classic daily use.

To fit as many keys and features as possible into this fairly compact product (376 mm wide and 219 mm deep, compared to 456 mm and 233 mm for the K860, for example), including a numeric keypad, Logitech has unsurprisingly stuck many functions on the F1 to F12 keys. The fn key allows you to toggle between the two. There we find in particular some multimedia shortcuts (but no previous/next), a shortcut to emojis, voice dictation or even volume management. Everything can be modified using software.

As we have already criticized previous Logitech keyboards, offering screen printing for Windows and macOS on the keys sometimes results in a busy result. Being able to choose between one or the other upon purchase would certainly be more costly to produce for the firm, but clearer for those who only use one of the two operating systems. A good choice is Conversely on the side of the battery system used for power supply. Logitech announces a solid battery life of three years, but it must be said that this model gives up on the backlighting, which could have been useful for nighttime work sessions.

Finally, let’s talk about the wrist rest “featuring three layers of memory foam”. Unfortunately not removable, it has a soft synthetic covering with a fabric look. This gives a false “premium” look from a distance, but we will have to see how it holds up over time. Also in the shape of a wave to match that of the keyboard, it is relatively thick and comfortable. Some more expensive products offer better, but in this price range, the result is completely satisfactory and convincing, even if we will go back for the “wow” effect of the memory foam. Perhaps very large hands that would like to fully rest on it will also find it a little short in depth.

Made about half from recycled plastics (more in the gray version than in the white version), the Logitech Wave Keys gains in ecological impact what it loses a little in premium effect (and in durability?). The all-plastic will logically make a little cheap next to a keyboard gamer high-end, but is that a big deal for an accessible ergonomic product designed for office automation?

Struck

The compressed ergonomic design of this keyboard encouraged Logitech to offer certain keys with… atypical shapes. Nothing really bothersome in practice, however, unlike the placement of certain keys which will take a little time to adapt. We think in particular of the Del key, placed above Enter and Backspace, and not on the right as on a classic keyboard. We might also have preferred an fn key stuck to the space bar to better use remote functions with one hand and more easily reach the Windows/Options key with the thumb. The overall adaptation time is, however, lower than on a classic ergonomic keyboard, where the keys are separated in two.

Office keyboard requires, here we are dealing with membrane keys. This allows for perfectly silent typing beyond the fingers hitting the keys. The feedback is satisfactory and avoids being too soft. Logitech thus offers typing worthy of a serious mid-range. Concerning the shape of this ergonomic keyboard, in practice it is difficult to say in the short term whether the solution is much more relaxing than a traditional keyboard. Especially since the “wave” of this Wave Keys is not very marked here compared to others in the ergonomic sector. On the other hand, also thanks to its wrist rest, this Logitech product is comfortable and pleasant to use.

The best software features as an argument

This keyboard has one last fairly solid argument: its software part. Usable right out of the box, the Wave Keys however benefits from being configured, like the latest products from the Swiss manufacturer, with the Logi Options+ application. In addition to the possibility of consulting the battery level or modifying the functionalities of a few keys, this allows above all to use Logitech’s Smart Actions.

Using models already available or by creating your own, this tool allows you to carry out predefined sequences of actions based on a trigger. For example, pressing a key can launch your favorite browser, open specific tabs and, why not, ask ChatGPT to tell you a good joke to start your day.