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Wireless keyboards are comfortable and practical. The one thing that a regular keyboard has that a wireless keyboard does not, is a never-ending supply of power. The regular keyboard is connected to the computer through a USB cable that powers the device. Wireless keyboards can communicate with the computer, but they can’t use it as a power source. These battery-driven keyboards need to have their batteries changed occasionally to function properly. If you are about to purchase a wireless keyboard you may be wondering how long a set of batteries will last in a wireless keyboard before they need to be replaced. The battery of a wireless keyboard can last anywhere between 3-36 months. Most high-quality keyboards will last for 20 months or more of moderate use. Some of the longer-lasting keyboards, like Logitech’s MK295, will last 3 years of everyday use before the batteries must be replaced, while other lower-quality keyboards may need to have their batteries replaced within the first months. The battery of a rechargeable wireless keyboard can last up to 3-5 months of everyday use depending on the model and usage. Razer's BlackWidow can last 192 hours on one charge with few features activated, while Logitech's wireless keyboards are estimated to last for about 3 months if they're used for about 2 hours a day, which is about 180-190 hours. Some wireless keyboards come with features that drain the batteries quicker, such as backlighting. The same keyboard will oftentimes also have a power-mode/sleep-mode function that puts the keyboard into a power-saving mode if it hasn’t been used for a set number of minutes. This extends the lifespan of the batteries. Note: Some wireless keyboards are connected through Bluetooth while others use USB-RF. Bluetooth is considered a more compatible option as it uses Bluetooth, which means it can be connected to a device regardless of how many USB-ports the device has available, or what type of USB-ports the device has. Wireless Keyboards with Longest Battery Life Let’s take a look at some wireless keyboards with long-lasting batteries. You would think that these keyboards would lack features in order to preserve as much power as possible, but the fact is that some of these keyboards pack a bunch of features and are still able to run for years with just a set of batteries. This is, as we have talked about, possible for keyboards as they can shut down between keystrokes to lower energy consumption substantially. Some of these high-end keyboards can run on a pair of AA batteries for years, which means they can be powered for about 1$ a year. Logitech MK700 – Battery Life: Up to 3 Years Logitech K520 – Up to 3 Years Logitech K380 – Up to 2 Years How Long Do Logitech Keyboard Batteries Last? Logitech makes several types of keyboards, be it wired or wireless. When it comes to their wireless keyboards, they have produce types that are charged via USB or battery-driven. Their battery-driven keyboards can, as shown above, run on a pair of batteries for years (depending on how much they're used on a daily basis) while the average rechargeable keyboard must be recharged after about three months if the keyboard is used for about two hours a day. Charging a keyboard doesn't take much time. I either do it overnight or when I'm cooking, working out, or going for a walk. Surely, this varies depending on the model and the condition of the battery, but for me, it rarely takes more than 30 minutes to have the keyboard up and running again. So, the average battery-driven Logitech keyboard can run on a pair of batteries for years while their rechargeable keyboards last for a couple of months before they need to be charged. If you spend a lot of time by the computer, these numbers may need to be lowered, and vice versa. How Long Do Razer Keyboard Batteries Last? Razer claims that their BlackWidow V3 Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard has a battery life of 192 hours without RGB. With the lights enabled, the numbers take a drastic turn, dropping all the way down to 5-25 hours of use. It's obvious that the RGB feature lowers the battery levels at an alarming rate. Thankfully, there are options regarding brightness and effects, which will extend the battery life by regulating power output. Should You Turn Off a Wireless Keyboard When It’s Not In Use? In order to increase the battery life of your wireless keyboard, it would be wise to turn it off when it’s not being used. This can feel quite redundant, to a certain degree – and it might be. Keyboards only transmit data to the computer when they’re being used (when a key is being pressed). In contrast to a wireless mouse, which has to send an abundance of information to the computer at all times. Therefore, a wireless keyboard oftentimes has twice the battery life of a wireless mouse. Regardless, there is still a bit of power usage going on even if the keyboard isn’t being used at that time. When you start to compound the number of hours the keyboard will be turned on – you understand that there’s time to spare by turning off the keyboard. This is, however, harder to remember than one would think. Most wireless keyboards have an easily accessible on/off-button in order to make it easy for the user to turn the keyboard on and off. How Do You Check Battery Life on a Wireless Keyboard? If the wireless keyboard isn’t connected to the computer through Bluetooth and has a chargeable battery - you can’t see how much power there’s left. When the keyboard is connected via Bluetooth and is rechargeable, you should be able to see the battery levels by going to Bluetooth & other devices -> Click on the Keyboard in the list of Bluetooth devices -> You should now be able to see how much there’s left in the device’s charge. It seems like there’s no way for the computer to tell how much power there’s left in the batteries that are placed in the device. Do Wireless Keyboards Wear Out? A wireless keyboard won’t wear out any quicker than a wired one. How quickly the keyboard wears out (wireless or not) is often reflective of the user’s habits. Cleaning the keyboard on a regular basis, not eating and drinking at the computer, and using it with care will make the keyboard last for a long time. But with a wireless keyboard, the battery life can diminish over time. This makes the keyboard less efficient – while only marginally, it’s still something to consider but I highly doubt that you will make note of it. Read: When Should You Replace a Keyboard? How Long Should a Wireless Keyboard Last? If you take good care of your wireless keyboard, you can expect it to last for several years. Most keyboards will last for 2-5 years before they start to wear out or malfunction, while some can last for up to 10 years. The wireless keyboard I am writing on at this moment has been with me for almost 5 years without running into a single problem, and I expect to use it for a couple more. I use the Logitech K400. In fact, I’ve got two of them – one in the office and one at home. Buying high-quality wireless keyboards is a bigger initial expense, but you will earn the money back in the long run. Minimizing the amount of spill and pressing the keys with care will extend the lifespan of most keyboards by a tremendous amount of time. Read: How To Protect Keyboards From Dust Are Wireless Keyboards Reliable? Yeah, wireless keyboards are both reliable and inexpensive now. Using a wireless keyboard hasn’t always been the seamless experience it is today, and I can only imagine it will continue to evolve as time goes by. Wireless keyboards are available in a wide variety of different styles, and with a bunch of different features suitable for all types of users. Modern wireless keyboards have less input lag and increased battery life. This makes them much more attractive than they used to be.

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