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Razer Productivity Suite, hands on: Premium keyboard & mouse combo for business users

Written by Cliff Joseph, Contributor

Razer is well known for its gaming laptops and accessories, but in recent months its Kiyo webcam and Seiren range of microphones have begun to attract a new audience of business users who need a more professional setup for video calls and presentations when working from home. That initial step into the business market was almost accidental, but the company has now released a new Productivity Suite that includes a mouse, keyboard and even a mouse mat, specifically aimed at business users.

Rather than the menacing black designs and flashing lights of its gaming accessories, the Bluetooth-equipped Pro Type keyboard and Pro Click mouse opt for a more sobre white-and-grey finish that's more suitable for office work. The Pro Type keyboard costs £139.99 (inc. VAT) or $139.99, but aims to earn its keep with a sturdy, efficient design and additional productivity features. 

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Razer Pro Type keyboard (£/$139.99)

Images: Razer

Rather than the sleek, low-profile designs favoured by many modern keyboards, such as Apple's ill-fated 'butterfly' keyboards, the Pro Type uses Razer's proprietary mechanical key design. This isn't particularly elegant -- the keys are big and chunky, and sit high above the body of the keyboard -- but the Pro Type provides a firm, responsive typing action that suits my own heavy-handed typing style, and will appeal to people who really need to type up a storm when they're working. Razer claims that the keys are sturdy enough to last for 80 million keystrokes, and my only complaint is that the large mechanical keys can be a little loud at times.

The Pro Type includes a standard top row of function keys, but these can also be used with Razer's Synapse software to record custom shortcuts in the main apps that you use for work. Battery life is relatively modest at around 80 hours without using backlighting, but the keyboard can be charged via USB, and it works as a conventional wired keyboard when using a USB cable.

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Razer Pro Click mouse (£/$99.99).

Images: Razer

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The Pro Click mouse does better with battery life, with Razer quoting up to 400 hours when connected via Bluetooth. It boasts a streamlined design that was created in collaboration with the ergonomic specialists at Humanscale. Priced at £99.99 (inc. VAT) or $99.99, the Pro Click can also use the Synapse software to assign commands and shortcuts to its eight programmable buttons.

The mouse and keyboard both also include a USB radio transmitter dongle as well as Bluetooth connectivity. You can use Bluetooth to pair the mouse and keyboard with three separate devices, which makes it easy to switch between desktop and laptop PCs at work, while the USB dongle provides one additional connection with greater range than conventional Bluetooth.

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Razer Pro Glide mouse mat (£/$9.99).

Image: Razer

The final element in the suite is the Pro Glide mouse mat, a 3mm thick foam mat with woven cloth surface that aims to provide a comfortable, non-slip working surface. It costs just £9.99 (inc. VAT) or $9.99. 

Razer's Productivity Suite is one of the more expensive keyboard-and-mouse combos, but the sturdy design and programmable versatility of the Pro Type keyboard and Pro Click mouse will appeal to professional users who type for hours on end and need additional shortcuts for their key apps.

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