There are a handful of reasons why it makes sense to grab a quality mechanical keyboard over the average keyboard, whether you're a keyboard enthusiast or you just want a good typing experience. There are plenty of high-end mechanical keyboards crafted for the enthusiast market, but if you're only getting started, the options can be overwhelming. That's where the Logitech MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard comes into play. It's a basic mechanical keyboard that covers the essentials and is easy to use, but lacks some of the advanced features commonly preferred by enthusiasts.

For someone who needs a reliable mechanical keyboard, this one from Logitech will get the job done. But for power users and mechanical keyboard fanatics, the absence of high-quality keycaps, user-replaceable switches, and support for wired use will rule out the MX Mechanical. Now that it's a few years old, you can find this keyboard for just over $100 with the right sale, which is a far cry from its $170 retail price. I'd recommend the MX Mechanical to the right user at the former price point, but it's a much tougher sell at the latter one.

About this review: Logitech sent me the MX Mechanical Wireless for review. The company did not have input in this article, and did not see its contents before publishing.

Pricing and availability

Logitech released the MX Mechanical in May 2022, so it's a few years old now. You can buy the keyboard from Amazon, Best Buy, Logitech, and other retailers. It has a list price of $170, but you can frequently find the keyboard cheaper with discounts. Currently, it's as low as $112 on Amazon at the time of publishing, but that will fluctuate over time. When purchasing the MX Mechanical, you can choose between clicky, tactile, or linear switch types.

Specs

What I like

The form factor is compact and low-profile, which is great for some settings

The appeal of the MX Mechanical keyboard centers around its form factor, which is much more compact than many of its mechanical counterparts. I've reviewed a few low-profile mechanical keyboards in the past, such as the Lofree Flow. However, the MX Mechanical is the thinnest mechanical keyboard I've tested to date. That kind of thing matters in certain settings, like an office where a large and clunky mechanical keyboard might draw some unwanted attention. The MX Mechanical also feels slimmer than it is due to its design, which features a flat aluminum body with switches that protrude above it.

However, the MX Master is the thinnest mechanical keyboard I've tested to date.

As far as the overall design is considered, it reminds me of if someone took the MX Keys and ditched the scissor switches for mechanical ones. That's a compliment, at least for a low profile mechanical keyboard. However, people craving a mechanical keyboard with more personality and character would probably prefer a bigger and more original board.

For example, in the image above I have the Lofree Flow on the left, the MX Mechanical in the middle, and the Logitech Pop Keys on the right. Of these keyboards, the MX Mechanical seems to have the lowest overall profile. Keyboards have various levels of thickness at their tops and bottoms, but the MX Mechanical has a solid low-profile form factor.

You can pick your switch type — and the clicky ones are excellent

Like many of the top mechanical keyboards, Logitech offers multiple switch types on the MX Mechanical keyboard: clicky (blue), linear (red), and tactile (brown). I received the tactile brown switches on my MX Mechanical review sample, but also tried the clicky blue switches on an MX Mechanical Mini. I definitely preferred the clicky blues to the tactile browns; however, both switches provide the type of experience they're aiming for.

I definitely preferred the clicky blues to the tactile browns; however, both switches provide the type of experience they're aiming for.

The tactile switches provide actuation feedback you can feel, while the clicky switches give you feedback you can hear. As a result, the tactile switches are much quieter and are hardly louder than a typical scissor-switch keyboard. This, again, will be preferred in an office setting — places where the clicky switches would be downright obnoxious. However, I felt that the tactile switches were a bit "mushier" than the clicky switches. The latter felt more responsive and had more bounce to them, which I enjoyed while typing.

It's also worth noting that the MX Mechanical with tactile switches was the easiest mechanical keyboard to adjust to that I've ever used. Often, mechanical keyboards have their own unique feel that takes time to adjust to, resulting in more mistakes and slower typing speeds early on. However, I adjusted to the MX Mechanical after just a few hundred words. This is partially because of the low-profile form factor, which provides 3.2 millimeters of total travel. You'll either love or hate this aspect of the MX Mechanical, since there are plenty of mechanical keyboards with more travel out there, such as the Lofree Block.

What I don't like

It's lacking as an enthusiast mechanical keyboard in 2024

All the aforementioned positives make the MX Mechanical a good option for casual users, mainstream audiences, and people just getting started with mechanical keyboards. However, enthusiasts will notice a few missing features. The most important one is hot-swappable switches, which would allow users to replace the key switch of their choice with a new one down the road, with no soldering required.

For what it's worth, when the MX Mechanical was released, big OEMs like Logitech didn't really support hot-swappable switches. In the years since, that has shifted, with companies like Razer and Alienware adding support on their top keyboards.

But something users will notice is the poor quality of the stock keycaps.

However, not all users will be affected by the lack of hot-swappable switches. In fact, most casual users won't even notice. But something they will notice is the poor quality of the stock keycaps, which are likely ABS plastic keycaps. Keyboards in the MX Mechanical's price range have shifted to double-shot PBT keycaps that are much nicer. In practice, the keys on the MX Mechanical get oily easy, and they'll eventually become shiny or erode over time.

Should you buy the MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard?

You should buy the MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard if:

• You want a low-profile, easy-to-use mechanical keyboard
• You want a keyboard that supports Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections
• You want good battery life

You should NOT buy the MX Mechanical Wireless Keyboard if:

• You'd prefer a mechanical keyboard with more key travel
• You want premiums like hot-swappable switches and PBT keycaps
• You're on a budget, or want a better-value keyboard

It's also worth mentioning that MX Mechanical is at the higher end of the mechanical keyboard market. At $170, the MX Mechanical might be a tough sell for enthusiasts that need more modern features for their keyboard. Similarly, the $170 price point might price out the casual or beginner mechanical keyboard users that the MX Mechanical is best suited for. However, if you can get the keyboard at a discount — it can be found in the $110-$120 range at the time of writing — it's an excellent low-profile mechanical keyboard. Because of these caveats, it's just not for everyone.