I like to contemplate myself to be a skeptic with regards to viral devices. I really like scrolling TikTok, and I’m undoubtedly a sucker for an aesthetic video, however I’ve tried numerous TiKTok devices previously — some which handed the take a look at (like my much-beloved Solawave skincare wand) whereas others have flopped fairly dang laborious. With TikTok Store tremendously growing the variety of merchandise on my FYP, nevertheless, my requirements for a wow-worthy product have solely gone up.
Normally, which means I’m the one who obsessively scours critiques prior to buying a product — and ready for the hype to die down so I don’t find yourself with yet one more gadget I barely use — however the instantaneous I noticed Logitech’s Casa Pop-Up Desk on TikTok, I knew I wanted to attempt it out ASAP.
What’s the Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk?
Billed as the final word work-from-home equipment, Logitech’s Casa Pop-Up Desk is lastly obtainable in North America — and it’s simple to know the hype. The bento-esque foldaway equipment consists of the Casa Keys wi-fi keyboard, Casa Contact wi-fi trackpad, and an ergonomic laptop computer stand — which conveniently folds into a good looking storage case that holds all your gear and suits simply right into a backpack or laptop computer bag.
The laptop computer stand, keyboard, and trackpad all fold up into one small carrying case.
Credit score: RJ Andersen / Mashable
Appropriate with most laptops and tablets starting from 10 inches to 17 inches, together with working methods like Home windows, macOS, iPadOS, and ChromeOS, the Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk is sensible, glossy, and classy…and sports activities some spectacular specs. The Casa Keys and Casa Contact each maintain an impressively lengthy battery life, with a five-month battery life for the wi-fi keyboard and a three-week battery life on the touchpad. Plus, because of Logitech’s Logi Choices+ App, it’s simple to customise your expertise — that means even Mac customers can entry a few of the similar gestures on the Casa Contact.
First impressions of the Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk
Let’s be actual — the Casa Pop-Up Desk is tremendous fairly. It’s most likely one of many extra aesthetically pleasing merchandise I’ve tried in the previous few years, and Logitech didn’t disappoint within the visuals division. Whereas there are three colours obtainable, I obtained the unit in bohemian blush — a delicate, rosy pink — and I used to be happy to find that it appears tender and understated fairly than garishly loud like many pink merchandise. The recycled plastic materials and authorized carbon-neutral packaging supply a pleasant sustainable contact, and I used to be happy to find that the Casa Pop-Up desk regarded nice whereas additionally feeling nice. It’s sturdy with out being too thick, and it’s light-weight with out feeling low cost or breakable.
The Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk folded up.
Credit score: RJ Andersen / Mashable
The within of the Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk.
Credit score: RJ Andersen / Mashable
The Casa Pop-Up Desk is tremendous user-friendly
Utilizing the Casa Pop-Up Desk is extremely simple. After charging the Casa Keys and Casa Contact with the included USB-C charging cable (which, sure, meant I wanted to cost them one by one), I packed up the case and took it to my favourite espresso store to get to work.
As soon as I used to be there, it solely took just a few moments to arrange my workstation. I used to be anxious it might look a bit obnoxious (contemplating laptops already are transportable), nevertheless it was fast and straightforward to toss my M2 MacBook Air onto the ergonomic laptop computer stand, and connecting each the keyboard and trackpad by way of Bluetooth was a breeze. Each had been user-friendly and extremely responsive, even for somebody with a typing pace of almost 100 phrases per minute.
Plus, the training curve for every system was comparatively low — particularly as soon as I put in the Logi Choices+ App. The tutorial was fast and easy, and I actually appreciated with the ability to arrange extra of the gestures I used to be used to on my MacBook. I did wrestle with the keyboard format every so often, however — as somebody who usually makes use of a customized gaming keyboard as a substitute of my MacBook’s built-in keyboard — this wasn’t an enormous deal.
I’ll truly use the Casa Pop-Up Desk longterm
As for truly utilizing the Casa Pop-Up Desk regularly? I beloved the flexibility of your entire factor. I didn’t discover myself reaching for the keyboard and trackpad after I was house (since I’m fairly proud of my house setup), however I exploit the laptop computer stand day by day — and love taking your entire setup with me to espresso retailers. I’m additionally desperate to convey the Casa Pop-Up Desk on just a few of the upcoming journeys I’ve on my calendar, and I do know it’s going to make working away from my house workplace a lot simpler.
The trackpad had a slight studying curve
Most of my points with the Casa Pop-Up Desk had been fairly small, and most of them concerned the Casa Contact trackpad. I actually struggled to get a few of the multi-touch gestures to work — together with clicking and holding with one finger whereas dragging the opposite to pick out textual content — in addition to drag-and-drop. All the pieces else labored fairly nicely, nevertheless it merely wasn’t as responsive as my MacBook’s built-in trackpad. I may drag and drop, nevertheless it required quite a lot of trial and error earlier than I found out I wanted to click on a lot more durable on the Casa Contact than I do on my MacBook. As for the two-finger click on and spotlight, possibly it’s a traditional case of consumer error, however I finally gave up attempting to make it work.
For many duties, the distinction between the Casa Contact and my MacBook’s trackpad (or my Magic Trackpad) isn’t very noticeable. Writing this text with the trackpad and keyboard, for instance, has been comparatively seamless. Nevertheless, after I was locked right into a graphic design undertaking, the variations slowed me down sufficient that I ditched the trackpad utterly. I believe I may get used to it with extra apply, however because it’s not my day by day system, it’s probably not definitely worth the time funding for me.
Is the Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk value it?
Clocking in at $179, the Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk is a little bit of a splurge. Nevertheless, for the suitable particular person, I may undoubtedly see this product being nicely definitely worth the funding.
Whether or not you’re somebody who works out of your kitchen desk, travels quite a bit, or loves tenting out at a espresso store, investing within the Casa Pop-Up Desk could be a good way to improve your remote-work equipment — without having to lug round a ton of separate items. It’s lovely, useful, and oh-so-convenient, which suggests it’s undoubtedly a worthwhile funding for these in search of a travel-friendly equipment.
When you’re in search of a wi-fi keyboard and mouse to improve your desk — otherwise you’ll solely be an occasional consumer of the Casa Pop-Up Desk — I’d advocate trying elsewhere. Logitech has some superb wi-fi keyboards in the marketplace at a lower cost level, together with the much-loved MK540 and the extra transportable Pebble 2 combo, so there are many choices obtainable. Granted, most of those include a normal wi-fi mouse as a substitute of a trackpad, however — for those who’re in search of a implausible, dependable trackpad — I’m undecided the Casa Contact is fairly adequate to warrant splurging on your entire equipment. In actual fact, my earlier house workplace setup included Apple’s Magic Trackpad and a finances Logitech keyboard that was roughly the identical worth (and much more performant) than the Casa Pop-Up Desk.
That being mentioned, I’m nonetheless very happy with the Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk, and I can undoubtedly say that — for sure customers — it’s completely definitely worth the hype. Is it for everybody? Not likely. However for me, it’s a reasonably large win.