Satechi SM1 Slim

Verdict

The Satechi SM1 Slim is a solid low profile mechanical keyboard with stylish looks, tactile low-profile switches and convenient wireless connectivity. It’s also more affordable than its rivals but sacrifices a lot on backlighting, software support and battery life to truly make it a class leader.

Introduction

The Satechi SM1 Slim represents a first for the popular brand as it enters into the highly competitive world of small form factor, low profile wireless mechanical keyboards.

We’ve seen a few heavy hitters knock it out of the park already in 2024 with brilliant options including the Lofree Flow, NuPhy Air75 V2 and Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile, so it’s fair to say that the SM1 Slim has to do a lot to live up to those options. Then, of course there is the more established Logitech MX Mechanical Mini, which is arguably this keyboard’s closest rival.

On paper, the SM1 Slim may be the option that most people can get behind with smart looks, responsive switches, convenient wireless connectivity and, best of all, a significantly lower list price at £102.99/$99.99. I’ve been putting this keyboard through its paces to see if it makes the cut as one of the best wireless keyboards.

Design

• Modern looks
• Convenient layout
• Useful extras such as receiver storage and two-stage feet

The SM1 Slim looks stylish and sleek, especially in its white and light grey colourway, which fits in well with modern office and home office environments, as well as fitting well with both Mac and Windows ultrabooks and desktops, especially the former. It is also available in a darker grey and black combo if the lighter colours aren’t to your liking, which looks eerily similar to the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini.

At 471g, it is rather light, even for a keyboard of its size, but in spite of that lightness, the SM1 Slim doesn’t feel cheap. The metal top plate and plastic chassis beneath offer no deck flex and help Satechi’s low profile option to feel sturdy even under immense pressure.

The 75 percent layout on offer is functional and works well on a keyboard of this size, especially if you’re coming from a laptop whose keyboard tray is likely similar to the SM1 Slim’s layout.

You’re getting a full set of alphanumeric keys, plus a convenient function row, dedicated arrow keys and a single column navigation cluster on the far right hand side.

For enthusiasts, this is a familiar key layout, given the prevalence of it on more full-size height keyboards. the only snag for some is that this keyboard is only available in a US ANSI layout with a single height Enter key, as opposed to being available in the more common ISO layout used in the UK and Europe.

The keycaps here are slightly indented to aid with finger placement while typing, and while they are comprised of the standard-issue ABS as opposed to PBT, they are comfortable under-finger and are fine for a keyboard at this price point. The legends on offer are shine-through and the keycaps are doubleshot, allowing for better representation of the white backlight, which is handy.

The underside of the SM1 Slim is home to two-stage adjustable feet for a steeper typing angle, which makes it a lot more comfortable to type on, as opposed to using the keyboard flat-down on the desk.

The USB-A receiver for 2.4GHz wireless operation is also housed next to the right hand foot, keeping everything together and making this keyboard a good one to use on your travels. The interface is also rather simple with an on/off switch and USB-C port for wired operation. Unlike other keyboards in this category with dual wireless connectivity, there isn’t a switch to toggle between them.

The packaging here is mostly cardboard, which is a good start, although the SM1 Slim itself comes wrapped in a thin plastic bag, which is nothing more than waste.

Performance

• Snappy and tactile low profile Brown switches
• Simple wireless connectivity
• Battery life is good with backlighting off, but weak with it on

As with a lot of other low-profile mechanical office keyboards, the SM1 Slim offers soft-tactile low-profile Brown switches as they offer a nice halfway house between heavier tactile options and light, linear ones with a small tactile bump halfway down the key travel making them an ideal choice for typists.

However, unlike other low-profile options, there isn’t any other switch choice on offer, nor is the SM1 Slim a hot-swappable keyboard if you want to change the switches out, which is a disappointment.

Nonetheless, the Brown switches inside are some of the better low-profile ones I’ve tested. Far too often, low-profile tactile switches skimp out on their tactility given the shorter throw distance compared to their full-size counterparts, and it can leave tactile switches feeling a little weak or hollow.

In this instance, the Brown switches inside the SM1 Slim offered a highly positive actuation with a reasonable helping of tactility halfway down the keypress which made typing a breeze on either my MacBook or Windows PC. It’s an especially comfortable keyboard to type on, with both its soft tactile switches and slightly indented keycaps that guide your fingers well.

Connectivity is taken care of either by Bluetooth, the bundled 2.4GHz receiver or through a USB-C wired connection. Bluetooth works on two channels, while the 2.4GHz receiver adds another to offer a total of three channels of wireless connectivity. Switching between them is as easy as pressing the Function key and either the 1,2 or 3 key to choose between which channel. Pairing over Bluetooth is also a doddle by holding down the Fn key and the 1 or 2 keys until the keyboard is recognised. It’s virtually plug-and-play.

The SM1 Slim’s battery life is also solid, as long as you turn the backlighting off. With no white light on, it’ll last for up to two months on a charge, while keeping the lighting on drops it down to 16.5 hours, meaning you will be charging it at least every two working days, as I had to during my testing. Against the competition, the endurance figure with lighting on falls a little short, where the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini lasts for two weeks with backlighting on and the NuPhy Air75 V2 offers at least double the runtime of the SM1 Slim.

Software and Lighting

• Bright, white lighting
• Cheap lighting presets in place of software

As with some other more affordable, full-size mechanical keyboards, the SM1 Slim only delivers on one side of the software and lighting element. It comes with a bright white backlight that both complements the two-tone white and grey colourway of the keyboard and offers fantastic coverage beneath the keys with a bright shine.

There isn’t any software for your troubles, though, unlike the likes of Logitech’s option, but the SM1 Slim comes with 14 different presets for backlighting which range from a block of white, to per-key illumination based on which key is pressed, and even pulsating keys based on row. It cheapens the keyboard a little, given that kind of lighting is usually found on bargain-bin keyboards from big box retailers.

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