Getting serious work done on the go, especially for an extended trip, requires more than just a laptop. If I’m heading to a conference, I also need a “real” mouse and keyboard, a USB monitor, some kind of multi-charger, and something to give me a better viewing angle. Logitech’s latest gadget (broadly speaking) tries to give you an all-in-one solution for extra laptop comfort. The Casa is a laptop stand, keyboard, and trackpad that folds into its own little folio-style case for grab and go ease.
According to Logitech’s UK store listing (there’s no US listing at the time of writing), the Casa Pop-Up Desk can make working on your laptop “40% comfier” with its fold-out stand that gives your laptop an elevated screen. The stand can handle laptops from 10 inches to 17 inches, weighing up to 16 pounds. The package includes a 60% keyboard and a trackpad (both reminiscent of the Apple Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad) with dedicated cubbies inside the folio case, which folds down into a package a little more than an inch thick and about the size of an A4 piece of paper. It’s a bit hefty at 2.65 pounds…which might be more than your laptop itself.
The keyboard and trackpad work with Windows, Mac, and Chromebooks, with the typical charging via USB-C lasting for months on the keyboard and three weeks for the trackpad. The fabric cover and matching accessories come in grey with a blue accent, pink-on-pink, and a nice black with a teal accent Logitech calls “Classic Chic.”
I really dig the all-on-one build and look of the Casa, but as a mechanical keyboard snob I think the board that comes in the package is barely an upgrade over a standard laptop (and might even be a downgrade from, say, a good ThinkPad). And I have to wonder why Logitech went with a trackpad when most users would prefer a mouse, even a thin one — again, it seems to be a lot of trouble and expense to just move the basic laptop interface down a few inches. If we’re sticking with a basic laptop-style keyboard and trackpad, I’d rather go with something like the NexPad monitor that gets the same elevation trick.
Logitech
And the NexPad is barely any more expensive than the Casa package, too. Logitech wants £179.99 for the Casa in the UK, which is about $230 USD. You could get a portable laptop stand plus a basic Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for under a hundred bucks, even if it doesn’t fold up into such an aesthetically pleasing package.
