Logitech K580 is better than the new K780?

As great as working from home has been, a lot of us are now mobile, so wouldn’t it be awesome to have a lightweight keyboard wherever you go? Our own search for an easy solution led us to the Logitech K580 keyboard, which connects with Bluetooth or 2.4 gig receiver to multiple devices.

Whether you want to MAXIMIZE your home workspace or need a slim keyboard that fits into a backpack for on-the-go productivity, the K580 should have you covered. And we put it through the paces to see how it stacks up. And you can also MAXIMIZE your cooling with our sponsor, Noctua.

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Quick Summary: Logitech K580

So Logitech markets the Logitech K580 wireless keyboard’s compactness as its main draw, but build quality is also really good, with minimal flex, and this keyboard is also very quiet with its low profile laptop-style keys./ Connecting with Bluetooth and the 2.4 gigahertz receiver, the gray colored Easy Switch keys make it a snap to be working on your PC and then, with one key press, write a reply to a phone message. Functionality with Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS or Android, the 10 meter range, and full-sized key spacing, all check boxes for us.

The built-in cradle being wide enough that we didn’t need to remove our phone cases was a practical touch. The number pad is perfect for data entry, though the compact size means a half-height up-down arrow. It’s sleek and modern looking, and we only encountered an issue once, after trying compatibility with several devices. We tried a previous pair with an Android phone, it appeared to connect, but the keyboard didn’t work. Clearing the saved Bluetooth device profile on Android and re-pairing by holding down the device button got it back up quickly. Probably just a Bluetooth hiccup, as this keyboard’s been rock solid for us otherwise.

Logitech K580 is better than the new K780?

Logitech K580 is better than the new K780?

This Logitech K580 Slim has been superseded by the K780, though the K580 can often be found at a sale price lower than $50 in the States, $60 in Canada, roughly 70 pounds in the UK, and a very cheap 1200nt here in Taiwan, with a 1-year hardware warranty.

While the K780 has improvements over the K580 such as 3-device Easy Switching, an open cradle design to fit any size device, and the new round-shaped key style, it’s also over 50% heavier at 875 grams. So you can get this lighter version at a discount. Obviously key markings will vary by region, our Taiwanese version has extra Chinese symbols.

The Logitech K580 is a compact 14.4 centimeters high by 37.4 wide and 2.1 deep, weighing in at 558 grams which is nearly 20 ounces, or just over a pound. This may seem heavy for its small size,/ but it feels sturdy and appropriate for ensuring the weight of a large smartphone won’t tip it backwards.

A quick setup guide and a pair of triple A batteries are included. To install the batteries, the gray top bar slides up and off, also revealing the storage spot for the USB dongle. The cover also functions as the device cradle, which snaps very securely back into place.

Logitech K580’s Design

The Logitech K580’s design is that of a laptop style keyboard, with pleasing, rounded edges. It uses membrane switches with short-throw keys that make very little noise when pressed. Their motion is snappy and satisfying, with a very slight wobble, no pre-travel, and immediate response when typing./ The keys themselves are a matte plastic with a slight texture that resists fingerprints and smudges./ It’s available in an off-white version, which was pretty tempting, as well as the professional-looking graphite colorway we have today.

The top row of keys are your media controls, which worked as expected in various applications, also doubling as your function keys. These are 60% high at 9 millimeters, versus 15 for the number-row to shift-row, and the bottom row is 16 millimeters high. As it has full sized keys, there’s no issue for larger hands, though the half height up/down arrows may not be everyone’s favorite sacrifice here. Let’s do a quick typing test.

It’s not easily visible anywhere, but if you’ve had a Logitech keyboard before you probably know there may be software to customize it a little, there’s just a really tiny mention on the quick start guide paper. The Logitech K580 can work with “Logitech Options” to customize the function keys a bit, as well as annoy you, i mean alert you, when your caps lock is on or the battery is running low, and there’s software versions for Windows and Mac.

Build Quality of the Logitech K580

The build quality is very solid, and I have to try pretty hard to get any flex out of it, and even then it barely does, without any creaking noise. The back of the keyboard is an ultra simple affair, with just 4 wide rubber feet. The rubber feet stick well to the desktop, holding firm even to a more slick surface.

The Logitech K580 has a quoted battery life of 24 months, and the power switch is on the top edge above the delete key. It shouldn’t get switched on by accident if in a bag, and i t feels solid yet still easy to switch with a single hand. There is a small light that flashes when it’s powered on, indicating which device profile is active.

The cradle is wide and deep enough to hold most modern smartphones and some smaller tablets, although if you use a heavy duty case, or want to hold a really big phone horizontally, it may not fit. With a phone in the cradle,/ the keyboard feels secure and balanced, with no threat of tipping. There isn’t any angle adjustment for your device or the keyboard height, but devices are held at an angle that makes viewing the screen easy and comfortable. The machining of the top bar seems solid, though the one-piece redesign for the newer K780 makes us th ink that some wear and tear with heavier tablets may have prompted an alteration.

Connecting to Various Devices

Let’s get onto device connectivity. With a 10 meter range, pairing with a computer is simple, just insert the provided USB dongle into your PC, turn the keyboard on, and a Logitech driver installer will startup automatically. The installer gives you the option to connect to your device via the included Unifying receiver, a Logitech Bolt receiver if you already use one, or Bluetooth. We tried both the Unifying receiver and Bluetooth, and both paired quickly and without issue.

To add a device, long-press the Easy Switch key you want to assign and look for the K580 in your device’s Bluetooth menu./ Once paired, your device will prompt you to type a 6-number key into the keyboard to verify connection. Press enter and you’re all set. After that, the keyboard can easily be switched between devices by simply short-pressing the gray 1 or 2 channel keys, located on F11 and F12.

We found switching between devices to be immediate and consistent, and the keyboard remembers devices you’ve previously paired with. To format the keyboard for a particular OS, just hold FUNCTION and the corresponding key for 3 seconds./ The international version we have here can switch between Windows and MacOS formats, while the US version can also work with Chromebooks using Chrome OS. We tried multiple combinations/ of connected devices- PC and smartphone, PC and tablet, smartphone and tablet, and PC and PC. All of which worked, either channel can connect with Bluetooth or the USB dongle.

The Logitech K580… is surprisingly good.

Honestly I’m surprised how much I like the Logitech K580. Its heft and solidity really make me confident that it’s robust enough to take heavy usage. Once connected to the two devices you want to use, the switching between them is as easy and convenient as advertised. Maybe I’d like to see the option to connect to more than 2 devices, since nowadays most of us have more than two peripherals, but there is the K780 for 3 devices, though it IS a bit heavier. Let us know in the comments if you want to see that review.

The Logitech Options software for Windows or Mac allows function key reassignment and on-screen notifications when you press a lock key or the battery runs low. Weight and stamina are priorities for this keyboard, so there’s no RGB, and no backlight, so keep that in mind if you’re using it in a low-light environment. The option to turn on even white backlighting would be a welcome addition, though that would raise cost, add weight, and importantly, heavily reduce battery life. Rick prefers this triple-A battery design, though I would have preferred to see this with a rechargeable battery, but at least the triple A’s should last a couple years before dying.

We’ve done a mega review where we covered other Logitech wireless keyboards, link up here, and this one just feels more solid, refined, better. So our new recommendation is currently this model… until we get our hands on the newer K780. The Easy Switch feature makes it ideal for any workflow that uses more than one peripheral, and with great build quality, the Logitech K580 is sleek, modern, and practical.

If you’re looking at versatile keyboards or want something on-the-go, this is really up to the task, and with them often on-sale below sticker price, it’s a great deal. If you do decide to pick one of these up, shopping through our affiliate links below will help us here with no extra cost to you. And follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at techspinreview.

And a big thanks to Noctua for being our sponsor this episode, we’re using their high static pressure fans to cool the hard drives in our Fractal Define R5 NAS build, and they’re perfect for cooling your rig.

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