Microsoft

Microsoft 8XA-00121 Surface Pro Signature Keyboard - Forest

4.8 (145 reviews)

The Surface Pro Signature Keyboard in Forest turns your tablet into a full-featured laptop with premium Alcantara build quality.

$159.99*$189.99Save 15%
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jul 15, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

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Overview

The Microsoft Surface Pro Signature Keyboard (8XA-00121) in Forest is the cover accessory that closes the gap between tablet and laptop for Surface Pro 8, 9, and X owners. Its defining technical feature is the magnetic pogo-pin connector — no Bluetooth pairing, no driver installation, no latency. Attach it and the Surface Pro immediately gains a full backlit mechanical keyset and a large multi-touch glass touchpad. The Forest colorway uses partially biobased Alcantara material, a suede-like textile that reads as premium rather than merely decorative, and which Microsoft has refined over several keyboard generations.

The built-in Slim Pen 2 charging tray is the most practically useful engineering decision on this keyboard — the pen snaps magnetically into a recessed slot along the top edge and charges wirelessly while stored, so it's always ready without a separate charging ritual. For users who rely on stylus input alongside keyboard work, this integration removes a genuine friction point. The keyboard is explicitly designed for desk and lap use rather than tablet-only portability; in practice it adds meaningful weight and a defined form factor that makes the Surface Pro feel much more like a conventional notebook during working sessions. Power users who need port expansion will still need a hub, but for primary office productivity tasks, the Signature Keyboard covers the essentials without compromise.

Key Features

Transform Surface Pro 9 into a full laptop.

New Sapphire and Forest[1] colors are made with partially biobased Alcantara material.[2]

Designed for Surface Pro 9, Surface Pro 8, or Surface Pro X.

Surface Slim Pen 2 (not included) recharges in the built in storage tray.

Full mechanical keyset, backlit keys, and large touchpad.

Specifications

Model Number
8XA-00121
Color
Forest
Material
Partially biobased Alcantara
Compatible Devices
Surface Pro 9, Surface Pro 8, Surface Pro X
Key Type
Full mechanical keyset
Backlighting
Yes
Touchpad
Large multi-touch glass
Slim Pen 2 Storage
Yes (wireless charging tray, pen not included)
Connection
Surface magnetic pogo-pin connector

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • The magnetic click-in connection is instantaneous and reliable — no pairing, no lag, no connectivity troubleshooting between sessions.
  • Full mechanical keyset with backlit keys delivers a laptop-class typing experience that flat fabric keyboards from competitors can't match.
  • The Slim Pen 2 wireless charging tray keeps your stylus charged and physically integrated, eliminating a separate charging cable entirely.
  • Partially biobased Alcantara in Forest is genuinely distinctive — the texture and color set it apart from generic black plastic accessories.
  • The large multi-touch glass touchpad handles precise pointer work without requiring a separate mouse in most desk scenarios.

👎 Cons

  • Compatibility is limited to Surface Pro 8, 9, and X — owners of any other Surface variant or non-Microsoft hardware cannot use this keyboard at all.
  • The Alcantara surface, while premium to the touch, is known to show wear and staining over time, particularly along the palm rest area with heavy daily use.
  • The Surface Slim Pen 2 is not included despite the dedicated charging tray — the full pen-plus-keyboard workflow requires an additional significant purchase.
  • At its price tier, there is no USB-A or USB-C passthrough port on the keyboard itself, leaving port expansion entirely dependent on the Surface Pro's own limited connectivity.

Frequently Asked Questions

The 8XA-00121 is designed for Surface Pro 9, Surface Pro 8, and Surface Pro X. It will not work with earlier Surface Pro generations — the magnetic connector and firmware are specific to this lineup.
Yes — there is a built-in storage tray on the top edge of the keyboard that wirelessly recharges a Surface Slim Pen 2 when it snaps in. Note that the Slim Pen 2 is sold separately and is not included with this keyboard.
Alcantara is a suede-like synthetic textile used on the keyboard deck for a premium tactile feel. The Forest and Sapphire colorways of this generation use partially biobased Alcantara material, meaning a portion of the fabric comes from renewable biological sources rather than entirely petroleum-derived inputs.
Yes — the Signature Keyboard features a full backlit keyset, making it usable in low-light environments. Backlight brightness adjusts automatically or manually depending on ambient conditions.
The keyboard connects exclusively through the Surface magnetic pogo-pin connector — there is no standalone Bluetooth mode. It must be physically attached to a compatible Surface Pro to function.