Logitech K740 Illuminated Wired Keyboard for Windows, Laser-Etched Backlit Keys, Ultra-Thin Design, Silent Low-Profile Perfectstroke Keys, USB Plug-And-Play, PC/Laptop, QWERTY UK Layout - Black

This is the third Logitech illuminated keyboard I've bought since 2011. They are good-looking, (fairly) robust and loaded with useful features such as the facility to disable caps lock via the Logitech software. I don't touch type and often work at night, so the illuminated keys are a real help as they allow me to work in low light.Although the keyboard is expensive, it is very well made with super-quiet keys and excellent fit and finish. If you ever have to take it apart (I'll come to that), it is easy to remove the back once you realise there are four screws beneath the product labels on the underside as well as the ones that are visible. Inside, there's a sturdy metal chassis for weight and rigidity.Compared to the 2014-bought one it has replaced, my latest KB740 has much quieter keys, especially the spacebar. I'm not sure whether that is due to design or because the old one had been hammered hard for nearly five years. Another welcome difference is that the 2014 item cost 35% more than the 2011 one (£69.99 vs £52), whereas the price of the 2019 one hasn't changed since 2014.While the keyboard is definitely robust and will stand up to several years of hard use, I would make one observation as a left-handed user. As I use the mouse with my left hand, the heel of my right hand tends to rest on the right end of the built-in palm rest when I'm not typing. Duh!, you say. That's what it's there for. However, the rest is made of fairly thin plastic and eventually it can crack where the non-mouse hand rests. Since the circuit board and usb/power connector are beneath the right end of the rest, you eventually end up getting intermittent disconnections. Thanks to it being user-serviceable, the problem can be fixed for a while with superglue but eventually the connection gives up the ghost.That aside, it's a great keyboard and good value for money at 26p per week over five years considering the amount of use I get out of it.

Beautiful keyboard, to both look at and to use.Almost silent, perfectly and lightly weighted spring to the keys, it's a real pleasure to use. The smooth satiny finish to the surrounding areas to the keys make them really nice to rest palms or hands on. Illumination is gentle and perfectly even (each key is lit, or at least they seem to be) rather a blanket light underneath which would fade at the periphery. Gentle orange is used for the control keys at the top.The weight isn't as heavy as some illuminated keyboards I've used, as I always use mine spread across my lap.If there's a downside, it's that it's USB chorded but obviously the illumination has to be powered and the chord, for me, is on the wrong side, near the front right corner. However the chord is of good length and so lessening restriction of movement though it could get tangled round something, I suppose.It's a keyboard to enjoy and take for granted, when you have it - I'd hate to have to go back to those clumpy, shiny and heavy slabs of plastic that I used before - definitely worth the investment, if you can. It makes typing a pleasure, once again. I can't praise it higher, really, can I?

Biggest issue I have with this keyboard, and honestly, a deal-breaker for me, I cannot press W-Shift-Space at the same time. It just doesn't work.And it's the same with many other key combinations. I cannot press more than 2-3 keys at the same time.If you play games, avoid this keyboard.I am very happy with everything else about it, the velvet-y feeling the keys have, the smooth lighting, the wrist-rest. Everything is quality.

This is my third K740. The first one gave up the ghost after many years of daily use. I tried switching to an expensive mechanical keyboard, but didn't like the longer key travel or the level of noise. I then bought another two of these, one for home and one for my office.The styling is very nice. Relatively compact for a full-size key layout so it fits nicely on my desk. It is very thin and light, but the rubber feet ensure that it does not slide around. The whole keyboard is gently curved and has an integral wrist-rest, making it very comfortable to type on. It has a white back-light with four levels of illumination (including completely off), so can be adjusted to the ambient light level.The typing experience is very similar to a high-quality laptop keyboard. Key travel is short and I find that this requires much less pressure, and lets me type much more quickly, than a mechanical keyboard. I'm not sure I would describe it as "whisper quiet", but it is much quieter than most of the alternatives.Another reviewer commented that the quality of these had gone down over time. I bought my first one when they were first released, and I haven't noticed any difference in quality with my latest two.In summary, if you are looking for a mechanical keyboard with a positive "click" for each key-press and a long key travel, then this is not for you. If you like typing on a laptop-style keyboard, like a short key-travel, and want a keyboard that looks stylish and compact, then buy one of these.