JLab Epic Wireless Keyboard review

Greatest Costs As we speak: JLab Epic Wi-fi Keyboard

In case you’re not after something mechanical or fancy comparable to a gaming keyboard, the JLab Epic Wi-fi could meet your wants.  

This system can seamlessly change between as much as three connections at a time (together with smartphones), has a number of remappable buttons and consists of devoted quantity wheel for guide audio management. 

Design & construct 

• Gray and black colourway
• 783g
• No adjustable ft

The Epic Wi-fi keyboard is on the market in a single color, that includes a steel gray base and black plastic keys. One other color possibility would have been welcome for various set-ups, however ,to be truthful, it is a traditional and complex aesthetic that may go together with most PCs.

The keyboard weighs 783g, and measures ‎42.88 x 14.33 x 1.57 cm. It’s good for an workplace, however could also be a contact too huge for some individuals travelling – it nearly matches in my backpack with my laptop computer, charger and different necessities packed in.  

The underside of the keyboard has a set raised half, so it would solely keep within the one place. In case you’re a fan of adjustable ft, this isn’t the system for you. Regardless, the Epic Wi-fi is snug to make use of, even for lengthy intervals of time.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

There may be what JLab calls a media knob (make of that title what you’ll), which you should utilize to manually management the quantity by turning up and down, and even management playback by urgent it in to pause a monitor on the likes of Spotify and YouTube.

There additionally a spread of shortcut buttons, together with a print display screen button, a house button and a search bar key. The keyboard has 108 keys in complete. Tucked beneath the raised half is a USB-A port for any further gadgets.

Connection & efficiency  

• Helps three gadgets at one time
• 2.4 GHz dongle and Bluetooth connections
• Quiet contact keys

There are two methods to attach the keyboard. You’ll be able to both use Bluetooth 5.2 (the one technique if you wish to use it with a pill or smartphone), or the wi-fi 2.4 GHz dongle.

If you need entry to the companion app (JLab Work), you’ll want to make use of the latter and a Home windows or Mac system. However the keyboard itself can be suitable with iOS, Android and ChromeOS.

When you’ve turned it on and plugged within the dongle, connection is instantaneous. Your PC or Mac could immediate you to do some configuring, although. To pair by way of Bluetooth, merely maintain one of many devoted keys till they begin flashing blue. The keyboard ought to then come up in your out there gadgets. 

Switching between gadgets can be tremendous simple. I used to be capable of bounce between my iMac, Asus Zenbook 14X (operating Home windows 11) and Xiaomi 13 (operating Android) with no points in any way. You’ll discover a slight lag when utilizing a Bluetooth connection, however that’s simply nature of the beast.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

The keyboard makes use of quiet contact keys, which don’t rattle about an excessive amount of when typing. They aren’t fairly the near-silent iMac keyboard, however every keypress has extra depth, making for an pleasant typing expertise. Backlighting on the keys can be out there – enabling it provides them a delicate white glow.

You’ll be able to remap the F and shortcut keys within the JLab Work app, with three totally different profiles out there. Not all of the keys are customisable (as you’ll discover on extra superior keyboards), however you possibly can tweak another keys instantly inside your pc’s settinhgs.  

I additionally bumped into some points with the keyboard shortcuts for copying and pasting on my iMac – trawling by means of on-line boards point out that it is a frequent concern with many third-party keyboards designed for each Home windows and Mac gadgets.  

I used to be capable of finding a workaround by going into the common macOS System Settings, then creating new app shortcuts for the same old Command and C or V functionals. JLab might do higher with its data relating to frequent points like this.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Battery life 

• 2000mAh battery
• USB-C charging

The keyboard features a 2000mAh battery. In accordance with JLab, this could offer you months of utilization. While I didn’t check this out over a protracted interval time, it didn’t run out of juice throughout use.  

In contrast to the Logitech Casa, the accompanying app doesn’t provide you with a battery life proportion, so you possibly can’t monitor precisely how lengthy you will have left, which is a disgrace. There may be an LED on the highest which can flash purple when you will have lower than 20% left.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Charging is by way of the USB-C port on the rear. The mandatory cable is included within the field, however you might use certainly one of your personal if you happen to’d choose.

Worth & availability  

The JLab Epic Wi-fi Keyboard retails at $69/£69.99. You should purchase it from JLab or Amazon if you happen to’re within the US, or Amazon or Argos if you happen to’re within the UK.

On the time of writing, JLab’s UK product web page exhibits the keyboard as ‘coming quickly’.

Wherever you purchase it from, there’s a two-year guarantee out there, and JLab is throwing in three months free entry to music streaming service Tidal.

For the quantity of options included right here, it is a first rate value. It’s not acquired a flashy design, nevertheless it’s simple to make use of and has a terrific design. You will discover additional choices in our chart of the most effective keyboards – we even have the same one for the most effective mice.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Verdict  

The JLab Epic Wi-fi keyboard has loads going for it. It appears to be like subtle, is usually simple to arrange and gives a quiet, snug typing expertise. It’s additionally easy to make use of with a number of gadgets.

The app may very well be a bit extra complete, particularly with regards to a battery life estimate. Some might also choose a keyboard with adjustable ft to supply further flexibility.

Nonetheless, these are minor niggles for what’s in any other case a well-priced and feature-rich keyboard.  

Specs

• Gray/black colourway
• 42.88 x 14.33 x 1.57 cm
• 783g
• 108 keys
• 2.4 GHz wi-fi dongle and Bluetooth 5.2 connection
• Helps as much as three gadgets
• USB-C charging
• 2,000mAh battery