Accessory company Alogic recently launched a few new input devices with Mac support as part of its Echelon series, and I’ve been spending some time testing the USB-C Rechargeable Wireless Keyboard for macOS and the USB-C Rechargeable Wireless Mouse.
The Echelon series is a budget-friendly line of accessories that seeks to offer a mid-range feature set at a value price, and the mouse and keyboard do just that. Priced at $59.99 for the keyboard and $24.99 for the mouse, Alogic often runs promotional discounts of around 20% to bring the price down even further.
Echelon USB-C Rechargeable Wireless Keyboard for MacOS
Alogic’s keyboard offers a full-size 109-key layout with function rows and number pads. The membrane-style keyboard with chiclet keys has some similarities to Apple’s Magic Keyboard for Mac, though you obviously don’t have the option of an integrated Touch ID key like Logic offers. I found the keys to be well spaced to allow for smooth typing and experienced no issues with missing keystrokes, double characters, or other issues.
The Echelon keyboard offers a traditional extended keyboard layout, with key arrangements and labels such as commands optimized for the Mac. The function keys on the top row include most of the usual Mac-specific functions such as display brightness control, spotlight, mission control, launchpad, media playback control, mute, volume control, and even one to go directly to your home folder. is in the finder. That top row also has a dedicated System Sleep key. On the bottom row, there’s another dedicated key that will open your Downloads folder when Finder is active.
To the far right of the keyboard is the number pad, which contains the usual array of number and math keys, plus a top row that serves double duty as dedicated keys for switching between paired devices and for all selection, cut, copy, and paste. .
Unlike Apple’s Magic Keyboard which still uses Lightning to charge, Alogic’s Echelon keyboard charges over USB-C and a white braided USB-C to USB-C cable is included in the box. Alogic says the battery lasts “weeks” between charges, but the battery level on my unit barely dropped after several days of heavy use, so I’d expect charge intervals to be on the order of a few months, similar to what we see with Magic Keyboards.
It is worth noting that Alogic’s keyboard goes to sleep within minutes of being inactive, even if the computer connected to it is active, and you have to press a key on it and wait a bit before the keyboard wakes up. You can start typing. This took some getting used to for me due to my long-term experience with the Magic Keyboard which always seems ready to go.
With support for both Bluetooth 3.0 and Bluetooth 5.0, the Alogic Keyboard easily connects to Apple devices via Bluetooth using standard pairing steps. A distinct advantage over Apple’s Magic Keyboard is that the Echelon supports connection to up to three devices, so you can pair it with your Mac, your iPad, and even other devices and easily switch between those devices with a key combo.
Overall, I found Alogic’s Echelon USB-C Rechargeable Wireless Keyboard for macOS to be a solid budget keyboard, with a thin profile, a solid typing experience, and an excellent set of key functions. The matte white plastic is a clean look that complements Apple’s aesthetic, though I’ll have to see how well it holds up to dirt and grime over time. I miss having ‘Touch ID’ on my external keyboard, but if that’s not a deal-breaker for you, this keyboard might be worth a look. It’s normally $59.99, but an Independence Day sale now drops the price to $48.00 with promo code ID20.
Echelon USB-C Rechargeable Wireless Mouse
Alogic’s new mouse is a well-matched complement to the same matte white plastic Echelon keyboard. It’s an ambidextrous mouse, so it’s a simple matter of switching between left and right handed in macOS settings, although it’s not as ergonomic as a handed mouse.
The Echelon mouse has standard left and right mouse buttons and a scroll wheel between them. The scroll wheel can also be pressed to act as a middle mouse button, but that’s up to the input options on this mouse. There are no extra side or thumb buttons, so if those are something that become part of your workflow, this mouse isn’t for you, at least as an everyday mouse.
The left and right mouse buttons have relatively quiet clicks, which I like, but the middle scroll wheel button is quite loud. Fortunately, this is not often needed so it is not a significant problem. The scroll wheel has well-defined clicks when you scroll so you can feel the movement, but there’s no inertial free-spinning ability for quickly scrolling long pages or documents as I’ve come to appreciate on the Logitech MX Master 3 mouse I’ve had on a daily basis for years. the driver
At just $24.99 for a wireless mouse, it’s definitely a budget pick, and it shows in the overall experience, especially when you’re used to more powerful options. Alogic’s Echelon mouse is extremely lightweight, and I find it’s certainly usable on a bare desk surface, although for a better feel it’s best to glide with some sort of desk pad or mat underneath.
Alogic’s Echelon mouse supports both Bluetooth 3.0 and Bluetooth 5.0 and connects easily to a Mac or iPad using system settings, but the mouse also supports 2.4GHz connections, which can provide improved performance such as lower latency. This 2.4GHz support comes via a small USB-A dongle that fits conveniently on the bottom of the mouse when not in use so you don’t lose it. Of course, most modern Macs don’t include any USB-A ports, but I usually use my MacBook Pro in a desk setup with a Thunderbolt dock that includes some USB-A ports, and the mouse connects via dongle just like that. . Regardless, most users will likely opt for a Bluetooth connection due to simplicity.
Like the Echelon keyboard, the mouse goes to sleep after just a few minutes of inactivity, which can be a bit annoying when I return to my Mac after a short break. I use a total of three displays in my desk setup, so when I’m sitting at my desk I usually flick my mouse to locate my pointer. With this Echelon mouse, the pointer doesn’t move when the mouse is asleep, so I have to click it first to wake it up before I move it, which runs the risk of inadvertent clicks if the mouse isn’t there. Was lazy enough to go to sleep. It’s possible that I’ll get used to it over time, but so far I find it a bit annoying.
Like most smart wireless mice (sorry, Apple), the Echelon mouse charges via a USB-C port on the front, meaning it can still be used while charging. A white braided USB-C to USB-C cable is included in the box for charging purposes Alogic says a charge should last two to three weeks with typical office use, though I haven’t used it long enough to fully test those numbers. But given the slight drop in charge I’ve seen over a few days of use, that seems reasonable and probably conservative to me. Alogic indicates that it takes about an hour to fully recharge the mouse.
The Echelon mouse can be paired with up to three devices at once, two via Bluetooth and one via a 2.4GHz USB dongle. A small connection button on the bottom of the mouse is used to pair and cycle through connected devices. There’s also an on/off switch on the bottom to save battery life and prevent accidental inputs.
Coming from a more powerful Logitech mouse, I can safely say that Alogic’s Echelon mouse will not become a full-time part of my setup. But at its budget price, it’s potentially a solid option for tossing in a computer bag to use on the go. Although it doesn’t include more advanced features, it offers basic mouse buttons and a scroll wheel and can pair with multiple devices, and that’s what many users are looking for. The Echelon USB-C Rechargeable Wireless Mouse is normally $24.99, but the Independence Day sale drops the price to just $20.00 with promo code ID20.
Note: Alogic provided MacRumors with the Echelon keyboard and mouse for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an authorized partner with Alogic. When you click on a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps keep our site running.
