Logitech G213 Quick Play Gaming Backlit Keyboard
Last updated: April 4, 2023
The visual effects are first-rate on the Logitech G213, where the bright RGB lighting provides millions of color combinations. It is also comfortable to use, with a palm rest and sturdy bottom grips. Quiet key action and a high level of spill resistance make it a favorite for marathon game nights.
We looked at the top Backlit Keyboards and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Backlit Keyboard you should buy.
Product Details
Key Takeaway: The Logitech G213 is a visually impressive weapon in any gamer's arsenal, with durability to match its looks.
In our analysis of 124 expert reviews, the Logitech Quick Play Gaming Backlit Keyboard placed 15th when we looked at the top 15 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.From The Manufacturer
G213 Prodigy is a performance driven wired Logitech keyboard designed for gamers of all levels. Slim, durable, precise, and spill-resistant, G213 Prodigy is designed for the way you play. Personalize brilliant Logitech RGB color lighting and lighting patterns to match your style from a spectrum of 16.8 million colors. Customize all 12 Function keys to quickly and accurately execute complex maneuvers. With performance-tuned keys, G213 Prodigy brings together the best in tactile feedback you can feel and gaming-grade performance. Keys are tuned to deliver ultra-quick, responsive feedback that is up to 4 times faster than the keys on standard keyboards, while the anti-ghosting gaming matrix prevents response delays even when you press multiple keys simultaneously. And with dedicated media controls, you can play, pause and mute music and videos instantly right from the keyboard.
Our Expert Consultant
Molly Thornberg
Technology and parenting blogger
Technology and parenting blogger
Molly Thornberg is a professional writer, creative and mom to four kids, living her best life outside of Dallas, Texas. With a love for all things tech, she is passionate about helping parents raise kids in the digital age. She writes about technology, parenting and humor on her blog Digital Mom Blog.
Expert Reviews
What reviewers liked
Comfortable to type on thanks to the integrated palm rest.Features five customizable lighting zone. Easy to create macros. Bottom grips keeps the keyboard in place
RGB lighting looks great. Excellent for gaming.
The G213 passes for a gaming keyboard because it has RGB lighting and tuned dome keys which react slightly better than a cheaper board you would find bundled with a store-bought office PC.
- IGN
The G213 runs on the excellent Logitech Gaming Software, which provides a lot of ways to customize the peripheral. The F1 through F12 buttons are programmable, which can be extremely helpful for players who want to dabble in macros.
a high-class rubber-dome keyboard.
- PC World
They handle minor spills better than mechanical competitors, or at least with less down-time.
Relatively quiet key action
Multiple lighting schemes.
One of the keyboard’s main selling points is the RGB colored lighting effect. The RGB lighting offers up to 16.8 million colors and matching them with certain effects offers endless combinations. Logitech also made sure that more light comes out of the letters to make it pop.
The best part about the G213 Prodigy RGB gaming keyboard to the bulk of potential customers has to be the pricing. While there are products out there that offer more features or functionality, not many can anywhere near this price point.
The lighting effects are a big part of the G213 Prodigy, handled as always by Logitech’s Gaming Software application. Lighting is first-rate, as zoned RGB lighting goes, and make this look every bit the modern RGB gaming keyboard. Of course you can choose to disable lighting entirely, or set the color anything you wish. (I preferred the 'color wave' effect, set to a moderate speed, with all of the colors slowly moving across the keys.)
The Logitech G213 Prodigy is also water resistant, which is somewhat useful. In theory. For those more clumsy (or careless) out there, or maybe those with kids, this may be a useful feature.
The G213 feels pretty good for a membrane keyboard. It also comes with a palm rest, which I appreciate since I find myself both writing and gaming, which does a number on the wrists.
Logitech made the G213 extremely durable without sacrificing comfort. The keyboard was created with a slim body in order to be comfortable to carry and durable plastic construction.
It features a full QWERTY style keyboard as well as a numberpad down the right hand side which is found on most keyboards anyway. The depth on your desk is where this is going to make a difference. They include a soft touch palm rest to aid your wrists and lower the chances of developing things like repetitive strain injuries.
The keyboard offers a spill resistance of 60ml liquid rating should you accidentally get liquid on the keyboard.
The G213 keyboard excelled in its low volume and spill-proof functionality.
The G213 Prodigy keyboard’s primary difference from most other Logitech gaming keyboards is the built-in ergonomic wrist rest feature. It had never occurred to me that a wrist rest might be something I would have wanted while playing games but I am definitely a believer now. Even though this is not the first Logitech gaming keyboard with a wrist rest built in, it’s the first wrist rest that looks more like something other than a standard gaming keyboard, which is the most brilliant part about the design.
The Logitech Gaming Software is also quite good, and it offers more than enough support to make it worthwhile. Even if you want the software just to control the RGB light, it’s still a nice addition.
The gaming key is special, if you press it, you will become better at games. Well better if the reason you are a terrible gamer is because you keep pressing the windows key instead of CTRL for crouch because that is what it does. It turns off some keys.
The G213 has other tricks up its sleeve, like being spill-resistant. You can pour up to 60ml of liquid onto the surface of this keyboard, and it'll still function, so there's no need to worry about having a quick lunch in front of this keyboard.
Logitech’s gaming software takes control of the options available to the G213. RGB lighting can be configured, and in spite of a lack of G-keys commands and profiles can be created and assigned to the F keys. This retains essential gaming keyboard functionality.
Logitech has also designed the G213 to be spill-resistant by adding a bit of height to the mounting stems of its switches while placing them in channels to help prevent water from getting inside the switch and keyboard. According to Logitech, the keyboard can handle up to 60ml of water so small spills won’t be much of an issue.
Gaming level response time
What reviewers didn't like
Doesn't have as many as other more expensive gaming keyboards
There’s a bit of a catch, though: it doesn’t use mechanical switches. Instead, you’ll need to use membrane switches that Logitech has ‘tuned’ for gaming.
While the deck will take up a huge amount of space on your desk, it just doesn’t feel like the build quality is all that great. The entire keyboard is made of what seems like thin plastic, and even a light bit of pressure near the top of the G213 causes the entire keyboard to rock.
- IGN
the lights are quite dim, and in even moderately lit rooms, the blues and purples run together, as do the yellows and greens.
I was also disappointed by the G213’s RGB lighting. It’s noticeably more uneven and spotty than Logitech’s higher-priced keyboards, which is unusual given that lighting is typically a Logitech strength. Letters exhibit both vertical and horizontal banding, especially the Function row and the accompanying Escape key. Not a good look.
- PC World
Each membrane switch is lit from the bottom, and the underside of each keycap has a plastic structure underneath. This supporting material obstructs the light. As a result, a lot of the keycaps look splotchy, especially when they aren’t viewed from straight above.
Membrane, not mechanical keys
Lacks separate macro keys.
However, the general aesthetic of the keyboard looks plain.
The feel of the keys is good with the use of hybrid switches which require quite a bit of force to actuate, and the 4mm of the throw to the switches does make it feel more mechanical than rubber dome.
There are, however, no dedicated macro keys; and upon closer inspection you realize this is really a multimedia keyboard design.
Logitech also included a built-in wrist rest, but it’s not detachable. Without the option to disconnect the wrist rest, we think the endeavor is largely pointless.
This is a membrane-type, meaning it doesn't have individual switches underneath each key. While this is purely preference, membrane keyboards are generally seen as less satisfying to use because of that lack of sound and tactile response.
The G213 isn't a mechanical keyboard, and is instead a rubber dome keyboard. As a result, it feels very springy and is resistant when I apply pressure to each key.
The biggest downfall I found is that the keyboard isn’t relying on per-key lighting, rather opting for zone lighting which means there are LEDs under certain areas rather than individual keys.
The G213 is not a mechanical keyboard. Instead they opted for membrane keys. Having been spoiled in the world of mechanical switches for the past few years, going back to membrane was frustrating.
The most significant problem for the keyboard is the quality of the keys. I know that this issue can be somewhat mitigated by the fact that it’s not all that expensive. You could say that it’s a tradeoff made by Logitech for a lower price, but the irony is that it’s a good peripheral otherwise. My point is that many people would likely have paid $30 extra for a better-finished product.
The Mech-Dome keyboard doesn’t feel very Mech. I don’t know what it is about a mechanical keyboard that makes it feel so good for typing but for me at least membrane keyboards feel spongy and they lack feedback.
Unfortunately, there are no macro keys, but you can assign macro commands to almost any key, so it isn't so bad. However, you'll need to use Logitech's Gaming Software to assign macros and to customize the lighting on the G213.
There is a sense though that the G213 lacks a wow factor. If you prefer your keyboards mechanical, and fully gaming orientated, then this is a clear downgrade.
For backlighting, Logitech has opted to use zone lighting (five lighting zones for the G213) rather than individual LED lights for each key. While this shouldn’t have been much of an issue, given that the G213 is an entry-level keyboard, the lighting for the letters are uneven with noticeable banding under each letter due to the underlying structure of the keycaps.
Sticky key issues (fixable)
View our Backlit Keyboard buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.