Targus Wireless Folding Keyboard and Targus AMB581 Compact Multi-Device Mouse Reviews: A Compact Antimicrobial Travel One-Two Punch

Targus Wireless Folding Keyboard and Targus AMB581 Compact Multi-Device Mouse Reviews

At the height of Covid, before we really knew how it was transmitted, many tech companies reacted with antimicrobial offerings. Global accessory maker Targus started a line that included the mouse and the keyboard reviewed here. While transmission of Covid from hard surfaces ended as a rare transmission method, other bacteria and viruses, however, do travel that way. Many times, I have come home with CES and Comic-Con “crud” long before Covid-19, mostly from a lapse in hygiene after a day of touching well-touched escalator handrails.

I’ll happily put this keyboard and mouse in my mobile arsenal to help minimize secondary exposure if I forget to wash my hands after roving the show floor.

Targus uses the same technology on both devices, their Targus DefenseGuard™ Antimicrobial Protection, which curtails microorganism growth on the device. This isn’t a spray or a coating; it consists of embedded silver phosphate glass fused with the plastic. This defense will last the life of the product which happens to fall into a generous 2-year warranty.

Targus AMB581 Compact Multi-Device Mouse 

The Targus AMB581 Compact Multi-Device Mouse doesn’t have the sexiest name, but it’s the kind of mouse you want to end up in your travel bag.

The specs are pretty simple. An oval mouse that works with either hand. Simple. Elegant. Mouse aficionados will note stark differences between this mouse and say Logitech’s MX Master 3s with its wealth of features and ergonomic bravado. The Targus mouse isn’t meant to change your life, just facilitate it.

And the $19.99 Targus AMB581 Compact Multi-Device Mouse gets my life. Not only does it run Bluetooth® 5.2, but it also includes a 2.4 GHz receiver for wirelessly challenged devices. And the Bluetooth feature supports two devices—one mouse for navigation on a computer and a tablet. A small switch under the mouse shifts between connections when poked.

The mouse also includes a DPI switch atop its dome that moves between 800, 1200, and 1600 DPI accuracy with a tap. The Targus AMB581 Compact Multi-Device Mouse works on any device/OS that supports a mouse including Apple Macs, Windows devices, and Apple’s iPad.

After 30 minutes, the mouse places itself into a power-saving mode.

I have no complaints about the Targus AMB581 Compact Multi-Device Mouse. It just works. Small, light, an on-off switch so you don’t have to worry about burning battery in a bag. An elegant tool for a civilized time.

While the mouse is a great travel companion, I am not, however, a fan of the non-recyclable and non-open-friendly blister pack that houses a new, unopened mouse. Many manufacturers have moved to paper, including for their retail hangers. Targus can do better with their packaging.

Targus Wireless Folding Keyboard

A mouse doesn’t work well without a companion keyboard. While laptops ship with keyboards, most tablets and phones do not.

I tend to live on my iPad Pro, but I find that carrying a keyboard case adds too much weight most of the time. So, I tuck the Targus AMB581 Compact Multi-Device Mouse next to its antimicrobial companion keyboard, and that adds very little to the weight of my bag.

Now, whereas the mouse does pretty much what a mouse is supposed to do, the $49.99 Targus Wireless Folding Keyboard does not compete favorably with a full-sized, Cherry switch-based keyboard—or really any other main keyboard. It is meant to be a travel keyboard, and for typing a URL or a few notes, it does just fine.

Touch typists dream it is not. The “ergonomic” separation and the angle takes some getting used to. Key travel proves shallow, and the compact nature of the keyboard means keys are not placed where touch-typist-brains expect them. 

I type pretty fast, but I tend to hunt and peck a bit on this keyboard. When I attempt some speed, however, I usually find myself backtracking to correct errors. But again, I’m using it in situations that usually don’t involve a lot of text.

The multi-function keys work via the blue function key, shifting them from input to control. The only feature I don’t like is Bluetooth pairing, which requires two steps, rather than one. The keyboard requires selecting a device designation first (1, 2 or 3) and then hitting the “pairing” key (“z”). It isn’t really inconvenient, but most devices would just hold the Bluetooth function key to go from selecting to pairing.

The keyboard employs a membrane cover that folds down the middle, creating a compact, angled sliver of keyboard that easily slips in and out of a bag pocket. It folds to a size not much larger than a big smartphone.

And similar to the Targus AMB581 Compact Multi-Device Mouse, it connects to up to 3 devices, but unlike the mouse, these are all Bluetooth®. The keyboard uses Bluetooth 5.1.

A 100mAh battery drives the keyboard for up to 36 hours. It recharges via micro-USB (come on, USB-C, please!). Folding and unfolding the keyboard trigger device-on. Battery life and connectivity LEDs keep users informed of the keyboard state.

Being a Bluetooth keyboard, it works with anything any other Bluetooth keyboard works with.

Targus did a great job with the Folding Keyboard’s packaging; enclosing the keyboard is mostly cardboard with a recyclable plastic bag around the keyboard. The only ding is a clear plastic retail hanger.

Targus Wireless Folding Keyboard and Multi-Device Mouse: The Bottom Line

It never hurts to bring additional health protection while on the road. The Targus AMB581 Compact Multi-Device Mouse and Wireless Folding Keyboard won’t prevent all illnesses on the road, but they are much less likely to contribute to them. Their light design and solid features make them a good choice for traveling across the world, or down the block. 

The mouse will serve in all situations save the most precise of CAD or artistic applications, but the keyboard won’t replace a full-sized keyboard for those with a lot of text to enter, but that’s not what it was designed to do—for those occasions when a few words, a URL, or answers to a web form will do, the Targus Wireless Folding Keyboard will serve. 

Targus provided the Targus Wireless Folding Keyboard and Multi-Device Mouse for review. Images courtesy of Targus.

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