Credit: Logitech
If you’re short on desk space and funds, Logitech’s MK470 Slim Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo can solve both problems. These lightweight and compact accessories can squeeze into the tightest of workspaces, and their extreme quietness will be appreciated by your open-office mates. Adding to that appeal is a modest $50 price tag.
Design
The MK470 keyboard measures 14.7 x 0.83 x 5.6 inches and weighs just over a pound. It is indeed slim, but durable nonetheless. Unlike with some comparably thin keyboards, I was unable to twist or bend the MK470’s hard plastic case.
Logitech
The MK470 Slim Combo saves a lot of desk space.
The compact keyboard includes a full number pad, a dozen function keys, and hotkeys for everything from Home to LockPC. Most of the buttons work just as well on macOS as on Windows, though as the dedicated Windows key tips off, it’s explicitly designed for the latter.
The mouse also has a slim, low-profile design and weighs just 3.5 ounces. The top of it splits into two buttons, with a mechanical scroll wheel in the center.
Connectivity
Both the keyboard and mouse connect via a 2.4GHz wireless dongle that plugs into the USB port on your computer. All you have to do is remove the battery tabs from each device—AAA batteries are preinstalled—and they connect instantly without any software installation or configuration.
The combo includes an auto-sleep feature that puts each device into battery-saving mode when they’re not in use. Logitech says this extends the battery life to 18 months for the mouse and 36 months for the keyboard. Both devices reconnected instantly when I used them after a sleep period.
Typing feel
The MK470's scissor keys are responsive and relatively quiet, emitting a barely audible click when struck. They deliver a satisfying bump at the bottom of the stroke, with a firm rebound.
Logitech
Both they keyboard and mouse are thin, light, and whisper quiet.
Overall, the MK470 replicates the feeling of typing on a laptop. Even with the space-saving layout, the keys have enough distance between them to prevent your fingers from feeling cramped and to make key discovery easy.
Mouse
The mouse’s flat profile is an adjustment if you’re used to more contoured designs that fit snugly in the palm of your hand. Placing my fingertips on the mouse buttons positioned the mouse under the length of my index and middle fingers with no support for my palm. For quick tasks this clawlike position wasn’t an issue, but it grew uncomfortable and fatiguing for my hand after extended use.
The mouse tracked smoothly, though, over just about every surface I used it on, including a fleece blanket. As with the keyboard, the mouse buttons are whisper-quiet.
Verdict
Quiet and compact, the MK470 Slim Combo is an attractive upgrade for your current setup whether you work in an open workspace or a small home office. The keyboard delivers a pleasing tactile experience for typists, and the mouse tracks and scrolls smoothly so you don’t compromise your productivity. For a budget bundle, the MK470 is hard to beat.
