Logitech Craft review: a “Crown” to rule them all

We are usually reviewing gaming keyboards, but today we have something different, the Logitech Craft (Check on Amazon.com) is a keyboard created for designers and artists. Logitech has accustomed us to quality peripherals, both in design and functionality, and this Logitech Craft is proof of that. Its “selector disk” called a Crown is a novelty (although there are already keyboards with a similar wheel, this one goes beyond them) that extends the keyboard’s possibilities and, although it could offer more functionalities, it is a very handy tool designed so that the most creative among us can unleash their full potential.

Logitech Craft – Design

As we stated before, Logitech is very attentive with the design of its devices and the Logitech Craft is no exception. It is carefully made, very attractive, robust and balanced.

This is a full-size wireless keyboard (it has both a “Numpad” and the Insert, Start, End, arrow keys…) and quite heavy. The Logitech Craft divided into two areas: the key area, and the upper bar in aluminum finish, where we find the Crown in the upper left corner and the power and battery led in the right one.

This is a membrane keyboard, which is not intended for gaming but for professional work. Despite this, the key sensation is very good. This is due in part to the optimal distance between the individual keys and to the comfortable central groove they have.

It doesn’t have multimedia-specific keys, instead they are integrated into the function keys (F1-F12) along with other utility keys such as brightness, multitasking, etc. I am a fan of dedicated multimedia keys since I find it somewhat uncomfortable to have to use the Fn key to access these functions or lose the utility of the F keys if I activate them by default, so this is an area where Logitech can improve the Craft.

Since this keyboard is designed for both Windows and Mac PCs, Logitech removed the Windows key, and instead added the typical Start and Apple command (cmd) key found on Mac keyboards.

This is also a backlit keyboard. The backlight works really well and is motion-sensitive, you just have to bring your hands closer to the keyboard and it will illuminate automatically, as is the case with the Logitech K800 (Check on Amazon.com). It uses white LEDs, so there is no RGB lighting, which is OK since this is not a gaming keyboard.

Last but not least, let’s talk about the Crown, which is the element that really sets apart this device. It is a cylinder with a metallic surface, that can rotate freely or step by step, depending on the app that we are using it with. It is also touch-sensitive.

Logitech Craft – Performance

Using the device, the overall feeling has been very good, although there are minor flaws that Logitech could improve upon.

It is a very quiet keyboard, very comfortable to use and I seldom made a mistake while typing. In addition, being compatible with Logitech’s Unifying technology, you can use it with a Logitech mouse using a single dongle. The wireless connectivity works perfectly, and switching from one device to another is as easy as pressing one of the three dedicated buttons.

The default wheel function is the volume control. In web browsers, it switches between tabs. Other uses of the crown are, for example in Office, being able to change the font size, style, or size of an image. In Photoshop by touching the Crown you can activate the display of contextual menus that will give you access to a multitude of options, and here is where we uncover the disk’s full potential. Other Adobe programs, such as Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, and Premiere are also capable of taking full advantage of this keyboard’s unique capabilities, and where the Crown is really most useful.

Finally, we have to talk about battery life. Despite being a backlit keyboard, we expected better autonomy. During our tests, the battery lasted for 8 days. This seems somewhat short, especially if we compare this keyboard to the Logitech K800 that can reach almost a month of autonomy with the same use. Taking into account that, on a full-size keyboard the weight is usually something positive (since it makes it more stable), we would have liked for Logitech to increase the battery’s capacity in order to offer us a longer autonomy.

In any case, the keyboard will warn you well in advance when needing recharging, and it can recharge completely after being connected for a few hours.

Logitech Craft – Everyday use

Leaving the wheel aside, the Logitech Craft is simply put an excellent keyboard. We have taken a real pleasure to use it on a daily basis and it offers all the advantages of a premium device.

The backlight is very good and turns on and off automatically. The typing is silent (membrane keyboard remember?) and the concave keys offer excellent control. In the office, this keyboard is very pleasant to use. We would have expected no less from a (Check on Amazon.com) device, but we did find a flaw with the Spacebar that has a tendency to “squeak”.

Logitech Craft – Verdict

I’m torn. There are not many good keyboards that are also backlit. And writing on the Craft is really fun. I also like its weight, even if that makes it less portable. But in my everyday life that hardly matters.

Many of the flaws I listed are only minor. I expect more from a (Check on Amazon.com) premium keyboard from an established manufacturer. As a buyer, I do not want to feel like a product reviewer.

Logitech has acknowledged that the squeaky Spacebar and similar build problems were fixed in a recent hardware revision.

In any case, I’ll probably buy a Logitech Craft. Although I find (Check on Amazon.com) far too expensive for such a device. But the backlight, the solid typing experience, and low input delay are very important factors for me. I have not been so much satisfied with a keyboard for a long time – and writing comfort is paramount, at least for me.