In my work as a tech reviewer, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to test $300 keyboards with overly advanced tech inside and mice capable of tracking subtle movements so precisely they could almost surely be hacked to record my voice (thanks for the paranoia, Tom’s Hardware).
But as much as I love the ultimate tech accessories—give me that 8,000Hz polling rate, adjustable actuation depth, plush wrist rest, heavy metal base—there are plenty of times when such gear isn’t necessary. That’s where this cheap Arteck keyboard-trackpad combo is a winner.
Mark Knapp / Foundry
The Arteck HW197 (catchy, right?) is a versatile device. It combines a trackpad and keyboard into one device. It supports wireless USB connections up to 33 feet away with a compact USB-A dongle, as well as Bluetooth connections. Three buttons at the top right of the keyboard make switching between connections quick and easy. The keyboard even has a metal top plate for extra durability and a nice splash of style.
I got the Arteck HW197 at the end of 2023 for $26—it’s now gone up to about $36, though you can snag discount codes at times—and it’s been a staple of my living room since. I use it with my smart TV because I hate typing on that thing using the remote’s arrow buttons to navigate an on-screen keyboard. And the built-in trackpad even comes in handy in certain smart TV apps that support cursors, like the web browser. It also works well with home theater PCs, streaming sticks, gaming consoles, and even Raspberry Pi and Arduino projects.
Mark Knapp / Foundry
That might seem like too cheap a price, but let’s be real: a simple TV keyboard doesn’t need all kinds of bells and whistles, nor does it need extra longevity or durability. While I’d happily splurge on a premium keyboard for my PC (where I’d be hitting millions of keystrokes per year), that just isn’t needed for a media center keyboard. For the most part, it’s just there for quick searches and the occasional logins.
In that case, why buy this keyboard instead of any other cheap keyboard? Well, there’s a huge gulf between a good cheap keyboard and a bad one. The Arteck HW197 gets the balance right for the money. It has a simple membrane keyboard with scissor switches, and the keycaps have a helpful contour that avoid awkward binding and prove consistent enough to never become a nuisance. (Looking at you, Logitech K400 Plus.) In fact, I’m able to hit 116 words per minute with 98% accuracy in Monkeytype, which is a strong result for a “cheap” keyboard.
Mark Knapp / Foundry
The trackpad is less impressive, with soft physical buttons at the bottom and a far-from-smooth plastic surface. It can also struggle to track consistently when the keyboard is far from the wireless USB receiver. (Bluetooth surprisingly works a little better.) But in a home theater environment, mousing around is an infrequent activity—and it’s simply more convenient to have even a subpar trackpad than to also buy and keep track of a separate “cheap” mouse.
Mark Knapp / Foundry
To be frank, there’s a lot that isn’t great about the Arteck HW197. It has printed keycap legends that’ll fade, it charges via old-school Micro USB, and it lacks backlighting. But all of those are fine trade-offs for the convenience of a keyboard-trackpad combo, plus it hardly ever needs to be recharged. It’s versatile, effective, and affordable. If you’re after an all-in-one keyboard-and-mouse solution for your smart TV or home theater, the Arteck HW197 is precisely what I’d recommend.
This all-in-one keyboard-and-mouse accessory is perfect for any smart TV
