I hate typing with a TV distant. That is why I like this nifty $36 gadget

In my work as a tech reviewer, I’ve had loads of alternatives to check $300 keyboards with overly superior tech inside and mice able to monitoring refined actions so exactly they might nearly certainly be hacked to report my voice (thanks for the paranoia, Tom’s {Hardware}).

However as a lot as I like the last word tech equipment—give me that 8,000Hz polling fee, adjustable actuation depth, plush wrist relaxation, heavy metallic base—there are many occasions when such gear isn’t mandatory. That’s the place this low-cost Arteck keyboard-trackpad combo is a winner.

The Arteck HW197 (catchy, proper?) is a flexible system. It combines a trackpad and keyboard into one system. It helps wi-fi USB connections as much as 33 toes away with a compact USB-A dongle, in addition to Bluetooth connections. Three buttons on the prime proper of the keyboard make switching between connections fast and straightforward. The keyboard even has a metallic prime plate for additional sturdiness and a pleasant splash of fashion. 

I bought the Arteck HW197 on the finish of 2023 for $26—it’s now gone as much as about $36, although you possibly can snag low cost codes at occasions—and it’s been a staple of my front room since. I take advantage of it with my good TV as a result of I hate typing on that factor utilizing the distant’s arrow buttons to navigate an on-screen keyboard. And the built-in trackpad even is useful in sure good TV apps that help cursors, like the online browser. It additionally works nicely with house theater PCs, streaming sticks, gaming consoles, and even Raspberry Pi and Arduino tasks.

Mark Knapp / Foundry

That may appear to be too low-cost a worth, however let’s be actual: a easy TV keyboard doesn’t want all types of bells and whistles, nor does it want additional longevity or sturdiness. Whereas I’d fortunately splurge on a premium keyboard for my PC (the place I’d be hitting thousands and thousands of keystrokes per yr), that simply isn’t wanted for a media middle keyboard. For probably the most half, it’s simply there for fast searches and the occasional logins.

In that case, why purchase this keyboard as a substitute of another low-cost keyboard? Properly, there’s an enormous gulf between low-cost keyboard and a foul one. The Arteck HW197 will get the steadiness proper for the cash. It has a easy membrane keyboard with scissor switches, and the keycaps have a useful contour that keep away from awkward binding and show constant sufficient to by no means develop into a nuisance. (Taking a look at you, Logitech K400 Plus.) In actual fact, I’m in a position to hit 116 phrases per minute with 98% accuracy in Monkeytype, which is a powerful outcome for a “low-cost” keyboard.

Mark Knapp / Foundry

The trackpad is much less spectacular, with mushy bodily buttons on the backside and a far-from-smooth plastic floor. It could additionally battle to trace constantly when the keyboard is way from the wi-fi USB receiver. (Bluetooth surprisingly works just a little higher.) However in a house theater setting, mousing round is an rare exercise—and it’s merely extra handy to have even a subpar trackpad than to additionally purchase and preserve observe of a separate “low-cost” mouse.

Mark Knapp / Foundry

To be frank, there’s loads that isn’t nice in regards to the Arteck HW197. It has printed keycap legends that’ll fade, it prices through old-school Micro USB, and it lacks backlighting. However all of these are high quality trade-offs for the comfort of a keyboard-trackpad combo, plus it hardly must be recharged. It’s versatile, efficient, and inexpensive. If you happen to’re after an all-in-one keyboard-and-mouse resolution in your good TV or house theater, the Arteck HW197 is exactly what I’d advocate.

This all-in-one keyboard-and-mouse accent is ideal for any good TV