MX Keys S vs MX Mechanical in Australia: Which to Buy?

The Logitech MX Keys S is the right keyboard for most Australian home offices. Its scissor keys feel like a premium laptop keyboard, quiet and low, on a full-size board with a number pad. Choose the Logitech MX Mechanical if you want mechanical switches: Tactile Quiet, Linear or Clicky, all low profile, with a longer battery life on Logitech’s figures. Both charge over USB-C, connect by Bluetooth or the included Logi Bolt receiver, and hop between three devices. For mice, desks and the rest of the setup, start with our ergonomic keyboard and mouse guide.

The short version

• Buy the MX Keys S if your current keyboard is a laptop, you want the quieter board, or you like the Pale Gray colour.
• Buy the MX Mechanical if mechanical switches are the point, or you want the longest time between charges.
• Pick Tactile Quiet on the MX Mechanical unless you know you want Linear. Leave Clicky for a room of your own.
• Neither is split or curved. For those shapes, see our best ergonomic keyboards guide.

Side by side

Battery figures are Logitech’s and vary with use.

Buying in Australia

Australia uses the US English layout, and that is the only one Logitech’s Australian store lists for both keyboards, so layout is not a worry here. What you do need to check is the variant:

• MX Keys S: Officeworks and JB Hi-Fi list it in Graphite. Logitech’s Australian MX Keys S page lists Graphite (920-011563) and Pale Gray (920-011564).
• MX Mechanical: Officeworks and JB Hi-Fi list the Tactile Quiet version in Graphite. If you want Linear or Clicky, choose it on Logitech’s Australian MX Mechanical page, which sells all three, or confirm the switch on an Amazon AU listing before you buy.

Under the Australian Consumer Law, a keyboard must be of acceptable quality and match its description. For a major fault you can choose a refund or replacement; for a minor one, the retailer can repair it. Disliking the feel isn’t a fault, so check the store’s change-of-mind policy if you are unsure.

Scissor keys vs mechanical switches

Each MX Keys S key sits on a scissor mechanism, a small hinged frame that keeps the cap level over a rubber dome. Laptops use the same idea, which is why the MX Keys S is quiet and easy to move to. Logitech adds dished keycaps and extra key stability for less noise.

The MX Mechanical has an individual mechanical switch under every key, made low profile so the board stays slim. Logitech’s keyboard guide explains the three on offer:

• Tactile Quiet: a noticeable bump on each press, no click. Logitech calls it "Quiet mechanical typing" without giving a noise figure.
• Linear: smooth from top to bottom, with no bump or click.
• Clicky: a bump plus an audible click on every key.

In an open-plan living area or a shared study, Tactile Quiet or Linear is the considerate choice.

Battery and connection

Both have a 1500 mAh battery and charge over USB-C. Leave the backlight on and you are charging every week or two (10 days for the MX Keys S, 15 for the MX Mechanical); switch it off and Logitech quotes 5 and 10 months.

Each keyboard comes with a Logi Bolt receiver and also pairs over Bluetooth, with a 10 m range. Older Logitech Unifying receivers won’t work with either. On a Mac using FileVault, use the Logi Bolt receiver so the keyboard works at the login screen.

For the MX Mechanical, install firmware updates when Logi Options+ offers them. Logitech’s release notes show a July 2022 update that added a 70 ms delay to stop keys registering twice.

Size on the desk

Footprint is almost identical: roughly 43 cm wide and 13 cm deep. Height is the difference, at 20.5 mm for the MX Keys S and 26.1 mm for the MX Mechanical. If the taller board feels high, Logitech’s MX Palm Rest is designed for it. For a small desk, the MX Keys Mini and MX Mechanical Mini drop the number pad; this comparison doesn’t cover them.

Software and systems

Both type normally over Bluetooth on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iPadOS and Android, and the MX Mechanical also lists iOS. Logi Options+, for custom keys and backlight settings, is only for Windows and macOS.

Which one should you get?

• Long days of writing and email, coming from a laptop: MX Keys S.
• You want a mechanical keyboard for work: MX Mechanical, Tactile Quiet.
• Someone else is in the room: MX Keys S, or the MX Mechanical in Tactile Quiet or Linear.
• You want the fewest charges: MX Mechanical, with the backlight off.
• You want a different shape or mouse: see our ergonomic keyboards guide and vertical mouse vs trackball comparison.

How we chose

We have not tested these keyboards. We compared Logitech’s published specifications, keyboard guide and firmware notes, and took the Australian part numbers and colours from Logitech’s Australian store. The scissor mechanism of the MX Keys S is listed on Logitech’s MX Keys spec sheet.