{"id":598765,"date":"2026-04-22T02:38:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T02:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/598765\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T02:38:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T02:38:13","slug":"framework-is-building-a-better-couch-keyboard-because-everyone-hates-the-logitech-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/598765\/","title":{"rendered":"Framework is building a better couch keyboard because everyone hates the Logitech one"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have a wireless keyboard with a touchpad that lets you control your PC from across the room, chances are it\u2019s a Logitech K400<\/a>. Framework CEO Nirav Patel is betting that you hate using it \u2014 enough to buy Framework\u2019s spin on the idea when it arrives later this year.<\/p>\n

He says that Logitech\u2019s keyboard is precisely the reason he\u2019s building a new one: \u201cIt\u2019s that Logitech keyboard that everybody owns and nobody likes,\u201d he tells me. \u201cEverybody\u2019s got the same keyboard, nobody likes that keyboard, and so we figured we can build a better keyboard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Framework\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

Framework\u2019s wireless keyboard with touchpad is very grey. Image: Framework<\/p>\n

When I heard him say this in an interview, it was a joy. That\u2019s partly because Patel is one of the most mild-mannered tech execs I\u2019ve ever met, someone who never criticizes a competitor in public \u2014 and partly because he\u2019s absolutely right. My own Logitech K400, with its squishy buttons and bulky hollow plastic build, feels like a necessary evil rather than a device I actively like.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The original Logitech K400 is nearly 15 years old, though slightly newer versions have taken over, like the K400 Plus. Image: Logitech<\/p>\n

Is Framework\u2019s version any good? I was skeptical, because it\u2019s based on the Framework Laptop 12<\/a>\u2019s keyboard, and my colleague Antonio gave that keyboard a \u201cC.\u201d<\/p>\n

But I actually brought my own Logitech K400 to Framework\u2019s event, and I\u2019ll tell you right now, typing feels way better than on those old membrane keys. With Framework\u2019s, I got over 90 words per minute in a typing test on my very first try.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo by Victoria Barrios \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t feel as nice as the keyboard or haptic touchpad on Framework\u2019s new Laptop 13 Pro<\/a>, and I do wish it were backlit. (It has no backlight, to be clear.) The arrow keys are just OK, with two of them half-height rather than full.<\/p>\n

Also, I wasn\u2019t able to try it wirelessly at the event, only wired over USB-C, as the overall wireless radio environment there was terrible. (We had a lot of trouble connecting laptops to Wi-Fi or cellular hotspots there, too.) Also, the touchpad button press hadn\u2019t been implemented yet, though tapping to click worked fine.<\/p>\n

Overall, it feels speedy and responsive, if not as solid and premium yet as high-end wireless keyboards and obviously not as satisfying as a mechanical one. I hope that means it\u2019ll be exceptionally affordable \u2014 this might be the first Framework product I buy for myself! (The original Laptop 16<\/a> was a near miss for me.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo by Victoria Barrios \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

Patel says the company decided when building the Framework Desktop<\/a> that no good couch keyboard \/ touchpads exist, and that the same mechanical components in Laptop 12 could fix that, just with a different dimension mousing surface. He also says Framework will release the control board so people can design their own wireless keyboards too.<\/p>\n

That board uses a \u201chighly power-efficient Nordic nRF54 radio and open source ZMK Firmware\u201d to pair with up to four Bluetooth hosts at once, plus one USB-A dongle that fits in the back of the keyboard, and you can plug in a wired USB-C cable too. Plus, Framework is making an expansion card for its laptops (and Framework Desktop) that can hold the keyboard dongle flush, instead of having it stick out.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The USB-A dongle slides in here, and it feels secure. Photo by Victoria Barrios \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

Patel says he\u2019s announcing this one early so developers can start building accessories \u201clike mounts for sim rigs.\u201d Framework will release the external surface CAD files to give developers a head start, and the keyboard should ship later this year. We\u2019re waiting on a price.<\/p>\n

Update, April 21st: Added hands-on impressions and photos.<\/p>\n

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