Logitech K98M Review: Logi's Best Mechanical Keyboard Yet

Logitech has always known how to make a mouse. The MX Master line is, essentially, the ultimate productivity mouse. It’s always had a perfect blend of style, functionality, and usability that not many designs are able to master.

However, you hardly ever see an MX Master mouse paired with one of Logitech’s keyboards. Instead, they find themselves next to a broad selection of alternatives. I’ve found my trusty Leopold FC660c to be the perfect complement to my comparably ancient MX Master 2 … But that’s odd, right? You’d think the people at Logitech would be able to develop a keyboard with the same level of usability and satisfaction as its iconic modern mouse.

Now, it has. The Logitech Alto Keys K98M is a really competent wireless mechanical keyboard that feels fantastic to use. The only thing that shocks me is that it took Logitech this long to get there.

Snappy, Short Switches

Photograph: Henri Robbins

The most important part of this keyboard is the switches. I’ve tested a lot of keyboards where the manufacturer is convinced that their personal switches are better than every other one on the market, but in reality, they’re just … eh. It happens a lot.

That’s not happening here. Logitech’s switches, which share multiple design choices with enthusiast-focused options from brands like Momoka and TTC, are really nice. While Logitech couldn’t tell me who manufactured them, I would imagine they were made by one of multiple new brands that focus on smooth “pre-lubed” switches—a choice that makes a lot more sense than sticking with the typical Cherry or Gateron manufacturing.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

These switches feel crisp and snappy, with a smooth keypress and a shorter 3.5 mm travel distance (compared to a Cherry MX switch’s 4.0mm). Opening up one of the switches, there appears to be factory lubrication applied to the sliders on either side of the stem. The switch is also a “long pole” switch, with the total length of the stem and pole totaling 13.7 mm (comparatively, a standard Cherry MX Black measures 12.5 mm). The longer pole has two functions, both shortening travel distance and creating a distinct feeling when bottoming out a key. A longer pole also has an effect in typing sound, but the difference there is much harder to quantify and is dependent on multiple other variables within the keyboard. All other things being equal, though, a longer pole will result in a louder and “sharper” sound.

Typing feels quick and responsive as a result of the shortened keystroke and smooth travel. This combines with the stack-mount design of the keyboard to create a typing feeling that is comfortable and soft, yet not overly plush or slow-feeling. Beyond that, the stabilizers are all tuned incredibly well, without any rattling from the factory or after prolonged use. The typing sound feels consistent across all of the main alphabetical keys, and only becomes slightly deeper when pressing keys along the edge of the case.

Options for Optimization

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Logitech’s bundled productivity software, Logi Options, is a really impressive piece of technology. It adds quite a bit of functionality to the keyboard, offering complex and easily programmable macros that can do everything from simple operations like remapping keys or adjusting volume, to more complicated patterns like opening browser tabs with specific websites. Setting these up is easy and seamless, with pretty much every step being as intuitive as possible. The keyboard even has three dedicated keys in the top-right for custom macros.

Options, of course, also have built-in integration for AI assistants like ChatGPT, with a dedicated “Prompt Builder” UI that can be summoned with the press of a button. Thankfully, unlike some keyboards, AI functionality can easily be disabled, with the key defaulting to Page Down and being remappable to anything else. Unlike other new keyboards, there is not a dedicated Copilot key. Instead, there are only Alt, Function, and Control keys to the right of the spacebar.

The keyboard comes with a USB-A wireless dongle that can be stored in a slot on the back, and also has Bluetooth connectivity. Wired connectivity, though, is entirely absent. Instead, like most of Logitech’s productivity items, the USB-C port is used exclusively for charging. This decision has always made some sense for Logitech’s mice, since a cable can get in the way of moving a mouse, but makes far less sense for a keyboard, which is entirely stationary. This isn’t the end of the world, but it doesn’t make much sense.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

The K98M also features LED backlights. These are permanently set to white, with only a single adjustment for brightness—a far cry from the hundreds of options offered in modern gaming keyboards, and an indication this is more for productivity than gaming. I don’t personally care about this, since the backlight here is still practical for late-night use, but I can imagine some people will be frustrated by the lack of customization options compared to a gaming keyboard with per-key RGB lighting. Still, the LED lighting combines well with the transparent case, allowing a subtle glow to be diffused across the entire keyboard.

Like most of Logitech’s productivity line, this keyboard is mostly meant for low-intensity work: Writing, organizing spreadsheets, basic media editing and programming are where it shines. Any high-intensity activities, like gaming, is a bit outside of its intended use case. However, this keyboard is still perfectly capable of basic weekend gaming, as long as you don’t need the ultra-fast 1,000 Hz polling rates of gaming-focused peripherals.

B-tier Build

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Somehow, despite being made entirely of plastic, this keyboard feels very solid. It is dense and hefty without feeling industrial, and more than anything else, it just feels planted on your desk. The case isn’t particularly rigid, though. You can easily flex it by hand, with pretty much the entirety of the keyboard—case, plate, and keycaps—warping in unison.

Much like the MX Master 4, it seems like Logitech has prioritized repairability (or, at least recyclability) by leaving the underside screws fully exposed. While some people might not like the look of exposed fasteners. I will never complain about it when so many devices today take active steps to hide any evidence of assembly, covering screws and obscuring seam lines to create something seemingly impenetrable and nearly unrepairable for the average person.

Taking the keyboard apart, it appears to use a similar mounting method to some of Mode Design’s early keyboards, which they called a “Stack Mount.” Logitech refers to their version as the “Unicushion,” with branding moulded into the silicone piece being visible through the transparent shell. With this mounting method, instead of directly attaching the internal assembly to the exterior case, the PCB, plate, and switches all sit on top of a large pad of silicone. This isolates keystrokes from the rest of the keyboard to reduce harshness and rattling, while also providing a solid support underneath the PCB, resulting in a more even typing experience across all of the keys.

After peeling back the silicone layer, the PCB is exposed. This keyboard uses Kailh hot-swap sockets, one of the better options on the market, which means you can change switches if they fail. There is also a layer of sound-deadening foam between the PCB and the silicone, along with another between the PCB and plate.

Overall, the internal design is incredibly simple: no added complications, and no immediately-visible points of failure. The greatest risk to this keyboard is the potential for future battery failure, but replacement batteries for Logitech products are typically available from iFixit for DIY repairs.

While this keyboard has a few small issues, it really is a great everyday keyboard. Logitech has managed to translate the same solution-oriented designs and attention to detail from the MX Master line into a mechanical keyboard. It may not have all the bells and whistles of some other keyboards we’ve looked at—no metal cases or customizable screens to be seen here—but it still has everything necessary to be a solid productivity tool while also being enjoyable and comfortable to use.