Logitech G613 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard Review

I Hope You Like Girth

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I like boards with keys, and I’ve recently picked up another. This time it’s the Logitech g613 full sized wireless mechanical keyboard, and there is a lot to say about it. It checks a lot of my boxes, but there are also some issues I have with it. The wireless mechanical market is pretty thin, Of the few options, this seems to be one of the most popular because of the price point, features, and positive experiences. The positives do end up outweighing the negatives for me, and I’ll explain why.

Logitech G613 Info

• Connection: 2.4ghz wireless & bluetooth (AA batteries included)
• Size: Full size with number pad & 5 macro keys
• type: mechanical with Romer-G switches
• Switch Info: 1.5mm actuation, 45g actuation force, tactile
• Keyboard Weight: 3.1lbs (1.4kg)
• Wrist rest: yes (not detachable)
• Media Keys: Yes (upper right)
• Price: $75$85 on Amazon US

Keyboard Layout

The Logitech g613 follows a standard layout with normal sized keycaps. Each cap has a slightly concave top which makes for easy typing. It has expected placement of all normal keys including arrows, a horizontal 6-pack, number pad, and well spaced function keys.
On the top of the board is a row of large low profile clicky buttons and one switch, In order from left to right they are. windows lock switch, wireless mode button, bluetooth mode button, mute, and volume left right rocker style button. The windows switch is the same size, shape, and profile as the other buttons, so it looks like just another button, only it’s a horizontal sliding switch. The volume button is a horizontal oval. Pressing on one side decreases volume, while the other side increases it. The windows switch is directly above the print screen button, and the volume buttons are on the far right corner of the keyboard.
On the right edge of the keyboard is the power switch. It is not on the face of the keyboard, but actually on the right edge. It is perfectly placed to be well out of the way, and difficult to hit on accident.
Under the mute and volume buttons, and above the number pad are your media keys. From left to right it’s play/pause, stop, previous, next. They are the same low profile circle clicky buttons that are on the top part of the board. The stop button is the only difference, it has a raised outer edge.
The only other extra bit to cover are the macro keys. They are in a vertical strip on the far left side of the keyboard. They span from the left control key all the way up to the escape key. They are decently spaced from the normal keys, but still it can be quite easy to accidentally press the upper macro button instead of escape. A pro tip: just pull off the cap for the upper macro key, this way your fingers don’t get confused and press the wrong thing when going for the escape key.

Keyboard Impressions

First off it is wireless…full sized and wireless, and this makes my blood flow to my man bits. I have an unrepressed flaming hatred for wires. I call them names, I yell at them, and I insult their makers. As far as I’m concerned they are all vile little annoyances people should not be putting up with.
Since I feel so strongly about wires, I try and avoid them at all costs. Just this alone makes the keyboard well worth the price for me, but luckily there’s more to it than just the wireless connectivity. I really like the switches, it is full sized with a number pad, the media buttons are so satisfying, and quick switching to bluetooth and back to wireless with dedicated buttons is amazing. These all add up, and though I had my doubts before ordering, this is now my main keyboard because it checks so many boxes for me.

Check My Boxes

The Switches:
I’ve been a Cherry MX dick rider for years, but that may switch now. The Romer-G switches are that perfect combination of tactile mixed with gaming speed. The actuation is only 1.5mm compared to the 1.2mm found in a Cherry MX speed switch. The difference being that these are not a linear switch like the speed, the Romer-G has a tactile bump half way down the switch’s travel. It is a very subtle bump though, less than what I had on my board with Cherry MX browns. With the shorter actuation distance, the tactile bump ends up being the actuation point, and this makes both the typing and gaming experience great. You get instant feedback on where the actuation is going to take place instead of guessing where on the downward travel it is going to happen. I’ve found them pretty great both for general typing, and for spamming presses in games.
Wireless & Bluetooth buttons:
It was a simple and seamless process to connect my Ipad to the keyboard. I went into my bluetooth settings in IOS, pressed the bluetooth button on the board, then used the G613 to type in the code that popped up on my Ipad, and I was all set. Now I have a button to go to ipad, and one to go back to PC. I had something similar on the Corsair k63, but it required a function key and either f9 or f10 to switch back and forth. This is a much better system, and this keyboard is full sized where the k63 has no number pad. Though I haven’t personally tested it, I assume this process could also be used to connect the G613 to a smart TV, fire stick, apple TV, or anything else that you can use a keyboard on. Then you would have quick switching between that device and your PC instead.
It’s A Big Beast:
Coming in at 3.1lbs(1.4kg) this might be the heaviest keyboard I’ve ever owned. Even the corsair k95 is under three pounds, and that is a big honker too. At first I was thrown off by the weight,, but now I really enjoy it. I am a lap typer. This means I’m always in a comfy chair with my keyboard on my lap, not sitting at a desk like a psychopath. This means the extra weight is actually welcome. It doesn’t slide around when I reach over to slap my dog around, get my vape, coffee, or pull my monitor close. I’ve had keyboards fall off my lap plenty, but I don’t see this being a problem with the G613. Not only is there a rubber strip that spans the entire keyboard on the bottom from left to right, it is just so damn heavy. If this was on a desk, it wouldn’t be going anywhere.
A F-ing Number Pad:
It isn’t actually that difficult to get a wireless mechanical, there are some options out there. The issue is if you want a number pad, then your options drop into the single digits, and the price jumps into the triple digits. That isn’t the case with the g613 thankfully. It is a reasonable price, and it has a number pad. Personally I hate using screen readers in laptop mode, and this makes a number pad a requirement for me.
It has no damn wires! Okay so it comes with a wire, but that’s just an optional USB extender to plug the wireless receiver into. Honestly, what is better than a full sized wireless keyboard? The answer is nothing, not a damn thing at all. Modern wireless boards have next to no lag, this one included, and getting away from devil strips connecting everything together is always a good decision. There is no charging cord, or cord to plug in at all, and the batteries are AA so when they die you can just pop some new ones in. There’s no lights to turn on to kill your batteries on accident. Honestly, what more could you ask for in a wireless board?
Well there are a few things, but that’s for the next section.

Where the G613 Falls Short

The wrist rest is a major pain in the ass. Now you might be thinking, if it hurts your ass…you’re using your keyboard the wrong way Smoke. You may be right, but it’s 2021 and I’m just out here living my best life.
Since the wrist rest is not removable, it’s…well it’s always there, and it is a girthy example of a wrist rest. To put it into perspective. It is almost as wide as the distance from the bottom of the space bar to the top of the upper letter row on the keyboard. I don’t know why they opted to make it a permanent fixture, but I don’t agree with their decision. That being said I’ve already adapted to it, and it really doesn’t bother me anymore. It’s a nice palm rest, and I’m pretty much over it. I’d still be happier if it wasn’t forced on me.
The Macros are in a bad place, but Logitech isn’t the only company to put them here. The Corsair k95 has the same macros placement. The reason I don’t like the location is because it is too easy to accidentally press the top macro instead of escape. On the corsair k95 it isn’t an issue because they are not mapped by default. However in the G613 they are mapped to the function keys f01 at top and f06 at bottom. This means in most cases if you press the macro key instead of escape you’re opening the help documentation for whatever window is focused on your PC. To say this is annoying is an understatement. It is easy to fix with a key puller though. Just pull off that top macro key cap and you are all set. (The puller is not included with this board.)
You could also get the Logitech gaming software and try to reprogram the macro keys, but in my experience Logitech’s software is as inaccessible as all other gaming software. This isn’t a knock against Logitech, but an issue with all the options out there. If this changes I’ll update this section to reflect it.

Should You Get a Logitech G613

If Logitech was nice enough to pay me for this review I’d say hell yes you should, but the reality is more in the middle. It is a good board, way better than I thought a non Cherry MX board would be. That being said I think the Romer-G switches are going to be very much based on personal preference, even more so than the different types of cherries are. For me right now it is great. I do a lot of typing for BSG, and when playing the mud Alter Aeon. Some time is spent on games that require faster key presses, but most my gaming is being done on a controller right now. Because of this the G613 is a perfect keyboard for me.
I love wireless for any PC external whenever I can get it. I really like Cherry MX brown switches, and these seem to be an improved brown switch. More like the love child of a brown switch and a speed switch. That is a switch made just for me, and I am enjoying the typing experience. So if you like browns, but also like reds or speeds, then this is a switch you’d enjoy. If you’ve ever used browns with dampeners you know exactly what the typing experience is like on the G613, it feels pretty much the same.
If you don’t mind pulling off a macro keycap, and having a girthy wrist rest then the positives really outweigh the negatives in my opinion. Add in the price, and it really is a steal.

Conclusion

Logitech has really surprised me with this keyboard. Their headsets and microphones still suck royal ass, but they are doing something right with their boards. I would have never thought they’d develop a switch I liked so much, but there it is, the Romer-G is that switch.
I find this hard to rate, it is wireless and that’s worth like 8/10 on it’s own for me personally. If I had to, I’d put it right up there with the K 70.
Rating: 9.5/10
I can only hold the wrist rest against the rating, the macro keys don’t have anywhere else to go, and corsair does the same thing…that and I like girth. But being honest with myself, if it was wired the rating would be quite different. I’m willing to overlook the massive wrist rest mainly because it is wireless.
If it was a wired keyboard I’d rate it at 8/10

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