JLab’s Go keyboard isn’t quite as elegant as Apple’s Magic Keyboard, but it’s a fraction of the price at just $20/£20, and its versatile connectivity features make it a good option for use with multiple devices, including Macs, Windows and iPads.
The Go has a similar low-profile design to Apple’s Magic Keyboard, but its lightweight plastic isn’t as sturdy as Apple’s more expensive aluminium design. We’d probably mostly use it indoors but, even so, it should be able to survive the occasional trip outdoors in a backpack, and it only weighs 325g, so it’s easy to carry around as well. It’s also far more versatile than its Apple rival, as it can pair with three different devices and quickly switch between them by using convenient keyboard shortcuts.
As well as working with Bluetooth, the Go also includes a wireless USB adaptor, which can provide greater range and reliability than a conventional Bluetooth connection. However, the USB adaptor has a USB-A interface, so you’ll need a USB-C adaptor if your Mac has no USB-A ports. We had no trouble pairing the Go with our MacBook Pro and iPad and switching between them repeatedly. The Go also has some additional keyboard shortcuts that tell it to adapt to Apple devices, Android, or Windows PCs, so that its various Function keys work properly. All the standard Function keys worked as we’d expect, allowing us to adjust brightness and volume, and activate the Search tool on both our MacBook and iPad. And, as well as conventional Function keys for volume and playback controls, the Go also has a little dial in the top-right corner that allows you to quickly adjust the volume, play and pause, and skip forward/back when listening to music.
The compact keyboard is best suited to casual use, for writing emails and browsing the web, but the keys travel well, so you can write a few longer documents every now and then if you need to. The only minor disappointment is that the Go doesn’t have a rechargeable battery, instead relying on two AAA batteries for its power supply. However, JLab does include two batteries with the Go, and says that these should last for around four months, before you need to replace them.
