For me, Logitech is first and foremost a company that makes excellent keyboards and mice. But from time to time, the brand likes to take risks and release something that’s harder to categorize. The Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk is hands down one of the weirdest pieces of hardware that I’ve reviewed in some time, but I appreciate it nonetheless. Now that it’s finally arrived in North America, I wanted to take a closer look.
What is it
The Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk is a set of wireless accessories. It includes a keyboard, a trackpad and a laptop stand, which can be easily turned into an inconspicuously looking book. It’s a neat piece of engineering, which could have failed spectacularly if it hadn’t been made by Logitech.
Design
The Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk was made to be a perfect tool for remote work. It includes a 65 percent Bluetooth keyboard, a trackpad and a laptop riser. As you can see, my sample is in pink (Bohemian Blush), which is… bold, but still, some might appreciate the more playful nature of these accessories. A laptop by itself is not enough to work comfortably, but with this, you immediately get a workspace. No more neck pain or uncomfortable typing.
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The set’s design is neat: the packaging is excellent, with everything looking tidy and stylish — truly a perfect gift. The materials and the build quality are as great as I expected from Logitech. There are other colours, too, including grey and purple.
Keyboard and Trackpad
Keyboards are Logitech’s bread and butter, so I expected nothing but excellence. Overall, the Casa Keys delivers: it’s a neat smallish keyboard with a familiar laptop layout and a few Logitech-specific keys like the Emoji key (seen on the MX Mechanical Mini). It’s a good keyboard that most likely is much better than the one on your laptop. It’s not a revelation but it does the job done. But I do wish the legends on the keys were etched into them, especially for this price.
The true star of the show is the trackpad. It’s interesting that Logi went with it and not a mouse, but it was a good decision as the trackpad, called the Casa Touch, is excellent. It’s a vast improvement on most laptop trackpads, safe for MacBook ones, and it features a smooth glass surface and tactile buttons. It’s fantastic, and it’s a shame you can’t buy it separately.
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As usual, the keyboard and the trackpad work with Logi Options+ software. Pairing them is easy, and there’s a lot you can do here, including setting up macros. MacOS touchpad gestures are all supported, as well as the Flow system that lets you transfer files from one device to another, no matter the OS.
The Casa stand
I love laptop stands and use them every day. To this day, my favourite is the Curve Flex, but the Casa does the job, even though it does not look as stylish. I wouldn’t use it at home, but when you’re out and about, like in a cafe, it’s a great way to improve productivity without looking like a total weirdo. It’s robust enough to withstand the weight of a full-sized MacBook Pro, and it will fit most if not all, laptops — even gaming ones. The official limit is 17 inches and 7.5 kilograms.
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While it works, there are better stands on the market. The Casa does not allow you to choose an angle you like, and there’s only one setting. Not enough — at least for me. But I found the height comfortable.
Battery life
Both the keyboard and the trackpad charge via a Type-C port. The battery life is excellent: the keyboard will work for 5 months without recharging, but the trackpad will last only 3 weeks. Still, a good enough result, as three minutes of charge results in a day of work.
Verdict
The Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk is an impressive package with an impressive price. USD 179.99 is steep, even with all these excellent accessories. Still, it’s a fantastic tool for someone who works remotely and a superb present thanks to gorgeous packaging.