Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard For Tablets
A great wireless keyboard can reduce clutter on your desk and help you type faster and more comfortably—not only on your computer but also on your tablet, your phone, or even your TV. After testing more than 50 wireless and Bluetooth keyboards over the years, we've found that the Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard and K380 for Mac are the best wireless keyboards for most people's needs because they're enjoyable to type on, versatile, and inexpensive.
Our pick
| Size: | 11 by 4.9 by 0.6 inches | Connection: | Bluetooth (three devices) |
| Weight: | 14.9 ounces | Estimated battery life: | 24 months |
We've recommended the Logitech K380 for more than five years (and, more recently, the K380 for Mac) because it's comfortable, compact, and inexpensive. It lets you switch between up to three paired devices, and its battery has lasted more than two years for multiple Wirecutter staffers. Plus, it's sturdy enough to use on your lap and small and light enough to slip in a bag and take with you. Our testers needed an afternoon to get used to the K380's round keys; in addition, its arrow keys are small, and it lacks backlighting. Despite those flaws, we think the K380 is the best Bluetooth keyboard you can buy—especially at its low price.
Also great
| Size: | 16.9 by 5.2 by 0.8 inches | Connection: | Bluetooth (three devices) and USB dongle |
| Weight: | 28.6 ounces | Estimated battery life: | Five months with backlight off |
If you want a full-size keyboard with a number pad, we recommend the Logitech MX Keys and MX Keys for Mac. The backlit keys are a more traditional size and shape compared with the K380's round keys, and they're well spaced and comfortable to type on. The MX Keys can pair with and switch between three devices via Bluetooth—like the other Logitech keyboards we recommend—and it can also connect via Logitech's included Unifying USB wireless dongle. But it takes up much more desk space and has shorter battery life than our other picks. Next to basic keyboards, it's pricey, but no other full-size keyboard we tested offers the same versatility and typing experience as the MX Keys.
Also great
| Size: | 15 by 12.3 inches; from 0.3 to 0.9 inch tall | Connection: | Bluetooth (three devices) and USB dongle |
| Weight: | 30.9 ounces | Estimated battery life: | 24 months |
The Logitech K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard is the best choice if you want a keyboard with a number pad that's more compact than a traditional full-size model like the MX Keys. Overall, the K780 is very similar to the K380—it has round keys, it can pair with and switch between up to three devices via Bluetooth, and it has the same long battery life, software, and warranty. The K780 also adds a built-in stand for smartphones and tablets, and it comes with a Unifying USB wireless dongle. But the K780 lacks backlighting, and there's no Mac-layout version.
Also great
Microsoft Number Pad
A number pad
The Microsoft Number Pad is well made, enjoyable to type on, and capable of pairing with up to three devices at a time.
Buying Options
| Size: | 4.4 by 3.2 by 0.4 inches | Connection: | Bluetooth (three devices) |
| Weight: | 2.8 ounces | Estimated battery life: | 24 months |
If you don't use a number pad frequently but do need one sometimes, we recommend using the K380 with a standalone number pad. The Microsoft Number Pad is sturdy and enjoyable to type on, and it's the only model we tested that can pair with up to three Bluetooth devices and switch between them.
Also great
| Size: | 5.8 by 4.5 by 0.4 inches | Connection: | Bluetooth (one device) |
| Weight: | 4.5 ounces | Estimated battery life: | 50 hours |
If you want a number pad with full-size arrow keys and a navigation cluster, get the Satechi Bluetooth Extended Keypad. It's flat and well built, but it costs more and can pair with only a single device at a time.
Everything we recommend
Our pick
Also great
Also great
Also great
Microsoft Number Pad
A number pad
The Microsoft Number Pad is well made, enjoyable to type on, and capable of pairing with up to three devices at a time.
Buying Options
Also great
Why you should trust us
I've been testing keyboards of all shapes and sizes—Bluetooth keyboards, mechanical keyboards, gaming keyboards, and ergonomic keyboards—for Wirecutter since 2014, and I've written or edited all of Wirecutter's keyboard guides at some point in that time. I've combed through studies about hand sizes and computer ergonomics, and I've coordinated testing panels to solicit opinions from people with different hand sizes, preferences, and typing styles. I've lived with our picks for years, too.
Who this is for
Wireless keyboards can help you declutter your desk, allow you to type more comfortably on your phone or tablet, or let you use a computer or a TV streaming media box from your couch. Desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, smart TVs, and streaming boxes all use Bluetooth, and the best Bluetooth keyboards can switch easily between multiple devices without requiring you to re-pair them.
All of our picks connect via Bluetooth because most manufacturers focus on Bluetooth keyboards nowadays; these models tend to be better made and more enjoyable to type on, are capable of connecting to a wider variety of devices, and are priced similarly to older wireless keyboards. Some of our picks can connect via both Bluetooth and a 2.4 GHz USB wireless receiver (also known as a dongle), and you may need that dongle to connect to an older computer that doesn't support Bluetooth. Or if you want to add Bluetooth support to your computer, you can buy a Bluetooth 4.0 dongle for around $15.
This guide focuses on wireless membrane keyboards (which are built like most cheaper, older external keyboards) and scissor-switch keyboards (which have the same type of shallow keys as on most laptops). If you're looking for a wireless mechanical keyboard or a wireless ergonomic keyboard, head over to those guides. The keyboards here also aren't ideal for gaming, partly because of the delay on their wireless connections and partly because they're not designed to register more than a few simultaneous key presses.
How we picked and tested
These are the features we look for in a wireless keyboard, in rough order of importance:
- Size: In most cases, we recommend keyboards without number pads because wide keyboards force you to place your mouse farther from your body, which can put strain on your shoulders, neck, and back. Most people don't use the built-in number pad on wide keyboards—and you can get a separate number pad for number-intensive tasks—but if you do need a built-in number pad, we also have recommendations for that. Smaller keyboards also take up less room on a desk and are more portable. But a keyboard shouldn't be so small that the keys feel cramped and uncomfortable to type on.
- Typing comfort: A keyboard should have full-size, well-spaced keys that feel satisfying and responsive, not cheap or mushy. Most keyboards are angled upward from front to back, and some have little feet to angle the keyboard even further. But using a keyboard in that position causes wrist extension. "To minimize the risk of injury and to optimize performance, it is important that a keyboard can be used with the hand in its most neutral position. That is, straight and level," said Alan Hedge, professor and director of Cornell University's Human Factors and Ergonomics Research Group at the time of our interview. A keyboard with a flat—or even negative—slope is ergonomically ideal, but such keyboards are not common. The flatter the keyboard, the better.
- Connection: Bluetooth is a requirement—since many recent laptops have only USB-C ports—but a 2.4 GHz USB wireless receiver (also known as a dongle) is a nice bonus since it can be easier to set up and can offer a more stable connection in some environments. The connection should be solid, without disconnections or typing delays.1 We also prefer keyboards that can pair with and switch between multiple devices.
- OS compatibility: Bluetooth keyboards typically work with all operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Android, and iOS. But standard layouts differ between Windows and Mac, so it's ideal if the manufacturer offers different versions of the same keyboard tailored to each operating system.
- Battery life: At the very least, a great wireless keyboard should last a couple of years on replaceable batteries or a couple of months on a charge (without the backlight on). Battery life for rechargeable, internal batteries degrades over time, so the more a keyboard starts with, the better.
- Extra features: Backlit keys are a snazzy bonus, but they come at the expense of battery life. Many people don't use the software included with their wireless keyboard, but some manufacturers offer software to further customize the keyboard or add useful features.
We tested each keyboard on both Windows and Mac computers by using it for at least a day of heavy work involving lots (and lots!) of typing. In previous years, we also solicited the opinion of panel testers with different hand sizes and typing techniques, and we took our contenders with us from location to location—from home to coffee shop, from coffee shop to office, from office to home. This process gave us a feel for the comfort, portability, and build quality of our finalists. In 2020 we weren't able to panel-test or work from coffee shops due to the pandemic, but we did apply our findings from previous years' tests to our latest round of testing.
Our pick: Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard
Our pick
| Size: | 11 by 4.9 by 0.6 inches | Connection: | Bluetooth (three devices) |
| Weight: | 14.9 ounces | Estimated battery life: | 24 months |
The comfortable, compact, and inexpensive Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard and K380 for Mac can switch between as many as three paired devices, and multiple Wirecutter staffers have used their K380 keyboards for two years or more without needing to change the batteries. Its round keys take some getting used to, its arrow keys are small, and it lacks backlighting, but despite those flaws the K380 is the best Bluetooth keyboard you can buy, especially at its low price.
The compact Logitech K380 has a layout similar to that of most laptop keyboards. It has all the most frequently used keys, including function and media keys along the top and small arrow keys at the bottom right. It lacks a full-size number pad, but this compact layout takes up much less room on your desk than a full-size keyboard, thus allowing you to place your mouse closer to your body. And the K380 is small and light enough to slip in a bag and take with you, unlike a long full-size keyboard or the heavy Logitech K480.
Despite the compact layout, the K380's keys don't feel cramped or too small. The unusual round keys do take some getting used to—our panel testers and I all took about an hour or so to adjust to the larger gaps between the keys while touch typing—but they're otherwise comfortable and satisfying to type on. (And the keys aren't so loud as to disturb another person in the same room.) The K380 has only a slight slope; it's not ergonomically perfect, but it is the best we've seen in this category, and it's comfortable for long typing sessions. The keyboard also feels solid and doesn't creak or flex under spirited typing like some cheaper models we've tested.
The K380 can pair with up to three devices via Bluetooth and lets you switch between them instantly with the push of a button, one of its best features. (All our picks can connect to and switch between multiple devices, but that still isn't a universal feature among wireless keyboards.) You could use the K380 to start typing an email on your computer, move to your smartphone to send a quick text message, switch to your Apple TV to change your background entertainment, and then swap back to your computer to finish up that email. The K380 can only pair via Bluetooth, though—it doesn't come with a USB dongle.
Logitech says the K380 is compatible with Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Android tablets and phones, iPads and iPhones, and the Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation). We especially appreciate that the company has both Windows and Mac versions of the K380, for people who prefer that their keyboard layout matches their operating system.
The biggest advantage the K380 has over other Bluetooth keyboards is its lengthy battery life. The K380 runs on two included AAA batteries, and Logitech told us it would last for about two years of heavy use (eight hours of use a day, five days a week). Our test K380 is still going strong after two years of daily work and entertainment, and Wirecutter staffers have had similar experiences with their K380 keyboards.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The Logitech K380 lacks backlit keys, but that's a necessary trade-off to achieve such long battery life. It also lacks a built-in number pad, and its arrow keys are small. If you need a full-size number pad or larger arrow keys, consider a separate number pad to use with the K380 or check out our larger keyboard picks.
Long-term test notes
Wirecutter supervising editor Courtney Schley has used the K380 daily for work for about four and a half years and reports that it has held up well. Aside from some shiny spots on the keys and the F5 key popping off (which she doesn't miss), the keyboard still works great despite periodic abuse from young kids who grab it off her desk and use it to "work." She told me, "I've had to replace the battery so rarely, I couldn't even tell you when I last did it."
Wirecutter senior staff writer Andrew Cunningham bought a K380 to replace our previous upgrade pick, the Logitech K811, when that model's internal rechargeable battery began to wear out. "The K380 isn't as nice of a keyboard, and I miss the backlight, but I've had it for more than two years, and I still haven't replaced the original AAA batteries it came with, so I never ended up getting another K811," Andrew said in 2018. He has since changed the batteries once. (He also had an issue with the spacebar sticking but fixed it by removing the spacebar, cleaning it, and putting it back on.)
Aside from testing, I personally used the K380 for work nearly every day (when I wasn't testing other keyboards and laptops) for about a year and a half, typing hundreds of thousands of words on it and traveling with it a few times a month. Aside from normal wear and tear—namely shiny spots worn into the most used keys—the K380 looks just as good and works just as well as on the day it arrived. And the battery hasn't run out in that time.
Best full-size keyboard: Logitech MX Keys
Also great
| Size: | 16.9 by 5.2 by 0.8 inches | Connection: | Bluetooth (three devices) and USB dongle |
| Weight: | 28.6 ounces | Estimated battery life: | Five months with backlight off |
If you want a full-size keyboard, we recommend the Logitech MX Keys or MX Keys for Mac. The MX Keys has backlit keys that are well spaced and comfortable to type on, and it can pair with and switch between three devices via Bluetooth or connect via an included Unifying USB wireless dongle. But it takes up much more desk space and has shorter battery life than our other picks, and it's pricey, too. Even so, no other full-size keyboard offers the same versatility and typing experience.
The MX Keys is a standard full-size keyboard, so in addition to the most frequently used block of keys, it has full-size arrow keys, navigation keys, and a number pad. As a result, it's about 6 inches wider than the K380—which is only 11 inches wide in total—and it's even a few inches wider than the K380 alongside our number pad pick. Most full-size keyboards are this size, but that extra width forces you to place your mouse farther away, and for some people, that position can cause strain in the shoulders, neck, and back. The MX Keys is also heavier, and less portable, than our other picks. If that's not a concern for you, the MX Keys is the best full-size wireless keyboard we've tested.
Typing on the full-size, standard square keys feels more natural than doing so on the circular keys of the K380 and K780. The keys are satisfying to type on and quiet, so they shouldn't disturb anyone you share a workspace with. Like our other picks, the MX Keys has only a slight slope—just a little steeper than on the K380, but not noticeable unless you put the two models side by side. And it feels sturdy and durable while you're typing.
Like the K380, the MX Keys can pair with up to three devices via Bluetooth and switch between them. It also comes with a Logitech Unifying wireless USB dongle, if you prefer that to Bluetooth. (A bonus: If you have any of our wireless mouse picks with Logitech Unifying receivers, the MX Keys can connect to your computer using the same dongle as your mouse uses.) But the MX Keys doesn't have anywhere to store the dongle when you're not using it, as our other full-size pick, the K780, does.
Logitech lists compatibility with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android tablets and phones, and iPads and iPhones. Like the K380, the MX Keys comes in Windows and Mac versions, so you can choose the layout you prefer.
The MX Keys has shorter battery life than our other picks—Logitech estimates around five months with the backlight off but only 10 days with the backlight on—and it recharges through an included USB-C cable. The internal battery isn't replaceable, and we expect that the battery life will degrade over time. Like the K380, the MX Keys supports Logitech Options and Flow software and comes with a one-year warranty.
A cheaper, more compact full-size keyboard: Logitech K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard
Also great
| Size: | 15 by 12.3 inches; from 0.3 to 0.9 inch tall | Connection: | Bluetooth (three devices) and USB dongle |
| Weight: | 30.9 ounces | Estimated battery life: | 24 months |
If you want a wireless keyboard with a built-in number pad that's cheaper, more compact, and blessed with longer battery life than the MX Keys has, get the Logitech K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard. The K780 is very similar to the K380—it has round keys, it can pair with and switch between up to three devices via Bluetooth, and it has the same estimated battery life, software, and warranty. The K780 also adds a number pad, a built-in stand for smartphones and tablets, and a Unifying USB wireless dongle. But the K780 lacks backlighting, and Logitech offers no Mac-layout version.
Although the K780 has a number pad, it isn't quite a full-size keyboard. Its arrow keys are small (like the K380's) and crowded together beneath the Shift key, and the navigation keys—Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down—lurk beneath a function layer on the number pad. Compared with traditional full-size keyboards, the K780 is a couple of inches more compact, and thus more ergonomically friendly. If you need full-size arrow keys or navigation keys, get the Logitech MX Keys instead.
The K780 is just as comfortable to type on as the K380. It has the same unusual round keys—though they feel a bit larger and a bit more naturally spaced—and a similar gentle slope. And like the K380 and the MX Keys, the K780 can pair with up to three devices via Bluetooth and switch between them. The K780 also comes with a Logitech Unifying wireless USB dongle, if you prefer to connect that way. It has a small cavity behind the battery door to store the USB dongle when you're not using that piece.
Logitech lists compatibility with Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Android tablets and phones, and iPads and iPhones. Although the K780 works with both Windows and Mac computers, there is no version of the K780 with Mac-specific keycaps and the Fn key in the bottom-left corner. If you need that layout, consider our other picks.
Best number pads
Also great
Microsoft Number Pad
A number pad
The Microsoft Number Pad is well made, enjoyable to type on, and capable of pairing with up to three devices at a time.
Buying Options
| Size: | 4.4 by 3.2 by 0.4 inches | Connection: | Bluetooth (three devices) |
| Weight: | 2.8 ounces | Estimated battery life: | 24 months |
If you use a number pad only sometimes—or if you use one frequently and prefer to have it separate from your keyboard—we recommend the Microsoft Number Pad. Most of the number pads we tested felt cheap and flimsy, but our pick is sturdy and enjoyable to type on, plus it has a flatter slope than most other models we considered. The Microsoft Number Pad is also the only number pad we tested that can pair with up to three Bluetooth devices and switch between them—other models can pair with just one device at a time. Microsoft lists only Windows compatibility on its website, but we tested this model on macOS, and it worked reliably (except for the calculator launcher button in the upper-left corner). Microsoft claims the Number Pad will last up to 24 months on its included battery. But it runs on a single CR2032 coin battery, which is less common than the AAAs or rechargeable batteries found in our other picks.
Also great
| Size: | 5.8 by 4.5 by 0.4 inches | Connection: | Bluetooth (one device) |
| Weight: | 4.5 ounces | Estimated battery life: | 50 hours |
If you want a number pad with full-size arrow keys and a navigation cluster, get the Satechi Bluetooth Extended Keypad. It's sturdy, like the Microsoft Number Pad, and it doesn't feel hollow or suffer from rattling keys like other models we tested. It works on both Windows and Mac, but it can pair with only one device at a time. Satechi claims it will last for up to 50 hours of continuous use on a charge, and you can recharge its built-in battery with the included USB-C cable.
What to look forward to
The Logitech MX Keys Mini is a compact version of our current pick for a full-size keyboard, the Logitech MX Keys, that omits the numpad and navigation keys for the same $100 price tag. It adds a few new keys to the top row, such as an emoji key, a voice-to-text key, and a mic mute key, but takes away the optional USB dongle in favor of a Bluetooth-only connection. We already think the MX Keys is a bit pricey, but we'll test the Mini in the upcoming months to see if it's a worthwhile compact option.
The competition
Compact
The Lenovo ThinkPad TrackPoint Keyboard II feels great to type on and includes a TrackPoint nub as well as left- and right-click buttons, but it can pair with only one device at a time and doesn't come in a Mac-layout version. It also costs more than twice as much as the K380.
Similarly, Apple's Magic Keyboard offers a solid typing experience, but it's expensive and it lacks device switching, and Apple doesn't make a Windows version.
Microsoft's Designer Compact Keyboard has springy, responsive keys and can connect to three devices. But it's available with only a Windows layout, powered by coin batteries, and typically priced higher than our picks.
The Satechi Slim X1 feels decent to type on and can connect to three devices, but it's expensive compared to the K380, it's available with only a Mac layout, and its battery isn't replaceable.
The Logitech Keys-To-Go can pair with only one device at a time and is coated in a Cronenbergian texture that Logitech calls FabricSkin. In our tests, typing on it felt like poking a person's clothed thigh or pressing into a fabric Band-Aid on someone's arm—a texture that several of our panel testers strongly objected to. If you can tolerate the sensation, the Keys-To-Go is a decent keyboard; it has layouts for both Mac/iOS and Windows/Android, and it's thin, light, and spill resistant.
Full size
On the Aluminum Bluetooth Keyboard, Satechi forgos a Windows version and omits a USB wireless dongle, both of which Logitech offers with the MX Keys.
The Satechi Slim X3 has the same problems, plus its keys aren't as comfortable to type on as the MX Keys's keys.
The Logitech Craft is a keyboard marketed toward creative professionals, with a customizable "creative input dial" that you can use while navigating Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Google Chrome. But it's too darn expensive, and it doesn't come in Windows- and Mac-specific layouts. Wirecutter Deals editor Nathan Burrow used "a massive Amazon gift card haul" to purchase a Craft. "It's the best Bluetooth keyboard I've owned, while still not rising to the level of being worth what it costs," he said.
The Microsoft Designer Bluetooth Desktop has less comfortable keys than the similarly compact Logitech K780. It's also compatible with fewer operating systems, and it can't pair with multiple devices.
Number pads
Although the Foloda Wireless Number Pad is popular, in our tests it flexed and creaked under normal typing pressure, and its keys rattled when we pressed them.
Footnotes
Sources
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Alan Hedge, Ergonomic Workplace Design for Health, Wellness, and Productivity, August 5, 2016
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Alan Hedge, director of Cornell University's Human Factors and Ergonomics Research Group, interview
About your guide
Kimber Streams is a senior staff writer and has been covering laptops, gaming gear, keyboards, storage, and more for Wirecutter since 2014. In that time they've tested hundreds of laptops and thousands of peripherals, and built way too many mechanical keyboards for their personal collection.
Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard For Tablets
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-bluetooth-keyboard/
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