Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard review: A keyboard for minimalists

Nosotros may earn a committee for purchases using our links. Acquire more.

$70 contemporary keyboard

Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard review: A keyboard for minimalists

Looking for a keyboard that's contemporary, minimalist, and small? Microsoft has you covered.

Designer Compact Keyboard Hero Source: Windows Fundamental

Microsoft has a new keyboard on the cake, and this time, it's in the course of a mini keyboard designed for the minimalist in mind. It's a low-profile, sleek, slim, and modernistic Bluetooth keyboard with support for pairing to up to three devices, Windows 10'southward emoji picker, and more than. Information technology'south too compatible with Microsoft'southward Keyboard and Mouse Center software suite, enabling a whole globe of customization.

This is our review of the new Designer Compact Keyboard.

Minimalism

Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard White

Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard

Lesser line: The Microsoft Designer Meaty Keyboard is an splendid Bluetooth keyboard for minimalists, featuring a small footprint and slap-up typing feel.

Pros:

Cute design.
Customizable with the Keyboard and Mouse Center.
Emoji Key included.
Multi-device back up.

Cons:

No backlight.
Plastic instead of metal.
Simply two colors.

Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard typing experience

Designer Compact Keyboard Keys Source: Windows Central

Allow'southward get the core experience out of the manner commencement by detailing the typing experience. It'due south expert, but certainly not perfect. It's a chiclet-style keyboard, and the keys themselves are very quiet when pressed. At that place is i.35mm of cardinal travel, which at first felt a fiddling shallow for a desktop keyboard. I'm coming from Microsoft'due south older Surface Keyboard, which had 2mm of fundamental travel.

It initially felt similar I was pressing harder than I needed to when typing, bottoming out the keys with more strength than necessary. I got used to it eventually after a few days. ane.35mm of fundamental travel is similar to what you'll discover on a premium laptop, and so if you oft type on a laptop so perhaps this keyboard won't take much adjusting to. Those coming from a keyboard with 2mm (or more) of travel will experience the difference, however.

Category	Designer Compact Keyboard
Dimensions	284.07×110.77×9.05 mm (xi.eighteen×4.36×0.35 in)
Weight	288g (x.16 oz.)
Battery	Up to 36 months
Connectivity	Bluetooth LE v.0 2.4GHz frequency range
Colors	Matte Black Glacier White
Key Travel	1.35mm

Whether or not the typing experience is practiced really does come up downward to preference. I dear the tactile feeling of the keys when pressed, and the sounds the keys make when typing. It'southward a luxurious experience, simply it is definitely shallower than I was expecting it to be. That said, some might actually prefer the shorter primal travel here. If that'southward your preference, then this keyboard is splendid.

I had a few people inquire me whether the function primal on this keyboard is a toggle or a hold. Past default, it's a agree key, meaning to access the function (F1-10) keys along the top row, you have to press and hold the part central first. Yous tin fix the function key to be locked on in the Microsoft Keyboard and Mouse Center, notwithstanding. And then if you prefer your role key to be on by default, you can set it to exist just that.

On that subject, the media and shortcut keys include:

Bluetooth switch
Mute
Volume Downward
Volume Up
Play/Pause
Media Player
Windows Search
Screenshot
Domicile
Cease
Page Up
Page Downward
Lock

I'k happy to see a dedicated screenshot key here, equally there's no print screen key present on this keyboard. The screenshot key, when pressed, volition open Windows 10's Screen Snipping tool and provide you with several unlike ways of taking a screenshot, including a full-screen snip, a custom-sized snip, or snipping an app window. Those who demand access to the old Windows key + prntscrn shortcut tin however do it by pressing Fn+Windows+Space.

Source: Windows Central

This keyboard is also one of the first to include a dedicated emoji push key, which when pressed brings up Windows 10'southward born emoji picker. In the electric current build of Windows 10, this actually is just about emoji, only side by side yr, it's getting an update that will introduce gif support and integrate Windows 10's clipboard history characteristic also.

I'm non huge on emoji, so I'1000 not pressing this defended key nearly as much as others might. But, with clipboard history and gif back up existence added to the emoji picker next year, the defended key is going to get a lot more than powerful. Unlike some of Microsoft's other keyboards this twelvemonth, the Designer Compact doesn't have a dedicated Office key, likely because at that place'south no room for it.

Overall, I like the typing experience this keyboard delivers. It might accept a little getting used to, especially coming from a desktop keyboard with 2mm of fundamental travel like me. But if you're only e'er really typing on laptops, the 1.35mm of key travel here isn't going to experience much different to y'all, and as I mentioned above, you might even end upward preferring it.

Microsoft Designer Meaty Keyboard blueprint and features

Designer Compact Keyboard Thinness Source: Windows Central

Speaking of size, let's jump into this keyboard's design. In short, I love it. It's a minimalist, contemporary keyboard that looks sleek on whatsoever desk. It's low-contour too, then information technology is relatively affluent to the desk-bound which I think looks keen. I also really like the fact that it drops the number pad, instead opting for a smaller class factor that leaves more room for my mouse.

This isn't the first 80 central keyboard by any ways, but I'1000 glad this isn't yet another full-size keyboard from Microsoft. For those that do need the number pad, Microsoft sells it separately every bit a Bluetooth peripheral that y'all can purchase for $xxx if you really want. Information technology features the aforementioned design, keys, and low profile class factor and so information technology goes with the Designer Compact keyboard very well.

The keyboard itself is fabricated of plastic, which I'chiliad not entirely thrilled about. Don't get me wrong, information technology'due south a durable, prissy feeling plastic, simply I tin't help just feel like this keyboard would wait and feel so much amend if it was aluminum similar the Surface Keyboard. Microsoft calls this a premium keyboard, but that's not echoed in the materials used.

Designer Compact Thin Source: Windows Central

The plastic material does feel prissy, yet, with the elevation side beingness a smoothen plastic and the underside being a more than textured plastic. It also has rubber anxiety underneath, which helps go along the keyboard itself in identify when typing. It'south a super light keyboard, and I was worried that it'd slide around when typing as a outcome, but it doesn't.

At that place is as well no backlight hither, meaning the keys don't light upwards in the nighttime. Microsoft probable omitted this feature to save bombardment life, only I wish information technology was hither. A premium keyboard should include a backlight, in my opinion.

Finally, this keyboard is thin. It'due south so thin, it uses four CR2032 watch-mode batteries instead of the usual AAA or AA batteries establish in other Bluetooth keyboards. This might also explain why cardinal travel on this keyboard is so shallow. Microsoft says it should terminal up to 36 months before you lot'll need to swap the batteries, which is great. The keyboard isn't rechargeable, so you'll take to become yourself some replacement batteries when the time comes.

It'southward available in ii colors; Glacier White or Matte Black. I opted for the white ane, every bit I retrieve it goes well with the Surface platinum color that my Surface Studio and Surface Book are. I practice wish Microsoft made a platinum version of this keyboard too, only alas, Glacier White looks awesome. Of class, we'll have to wait and meet if the white one stains over time.

The Designer Compact keyboard also includes the ability to pair to upwardly to three devices via Bluetooth, and you tin can switch betwixt them easily with the dedicated Bluetooth push button. If you lot're someone with multiple PCs on a desk, whether that be three desktop PCs or a desktop PC, a laptop, and a tablet, existence able to switch betwixt them at the press of a push is actually prissy.

Microsoft Keyboard and Mouse Center

Keyboard Center Designer Compact Source: Windows Central

The thing that actually makes the Designer Compact keyboard an attractive sell is the fact that it's supported by Microsoft'south own Keyboard and Mouse Center. This software suite enables the ability to customize the keyboard in unique ways, including the ability to change shortcut buttons and enable things like smart switch.

For case, using the Keyboard and Mouse Center, I can change the emoji key to an Role key, or have it open any program I like. I can also change the Media Thespian shortcut key to open up Spotify instead of Groove Music.

The Designer Compact keyboard also includes the ability to pair to up to iii devices via Bluetooth, and you can switch betwixt them easily with the dedicated Bluetooth push button. Just with the Keyboard and Mouse Center, yous tin enable smart switch that makes switching between your devices automated.

I recommend grabbing the Keyboard and Mouse Center equally one of the first things y'all do when setting up the Designer Compact Keyboard for the first time, but to make the keyboard piece of work the manner you want.

So, should you buy the Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard?

Designer Compact Keys Source: Windows Central

The Designer Compact keyboard is an first-class Bluetooth keyboard with a contemporary design that looks skilful on whatever desk-bound. If y'all're trying to live a minimalist lifestyle, this keyboard is an excellent choice at the cost of some functionality like the number pad or the print screen key. I like the emoji fundamental, especially with the knowledge that said primal volition meliorate with more features over fourth dimension.

If you're looking for a simple, mini keyboard then the Designer Compact from Microsoft is swell. I practice wish it had a backlight option, and I wish it was made out of aluminum similar Apple's own Magic Keyboard, but those are things that Microsoft tin can meliorate upon in a future version. It is $70, which is a picayune on the expensive side, but that's a premium you accept to pay for Microsoft'south "designer" accessory line.

You can guild the Designer Compact keyboard from the Microsoft Store today.

Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard White

Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard

Super make clean

Microsoft has a new keyboard on the block, and this time, it'south in the course of a mini keyboard designed for the minimalist in listen. It'south a low-profile, sleek, slim, and mod Bluetooth keyboard with support for pairing to upwardly to three devices, Windows 10's emoji picker, and more. We like it a lot.

We may earn a committee for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Zac Bowden

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Primal. Bringing yous sectional coverage into the earth of Windows 10 on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Besides an avid collector of rare Microsoft epitome devices! Keep in touch on Twitter: @zacbowden.