I wanted a white keyboard for use in a dim lighting situation. There are limited choices in this style and my favorite wireless one is no longer available. Sadly, this keyboard is less usable than a black one in my use case.
First impression out of the box was how heavy the keyboard was. Not even the huge old Microsoft “Ergonomic” keyboards weigh as much as this thing. It’s a minus for me because I use this on my lap and putting it away on the shelf has become a two hand operation (I’m an old person). It ought to stay put on the deck of a rolling yacht.
Typing is very clicky with a fairly long key travel but is very positive. The keys don’t need to bottom out on to record the keystroke so it is possible to type more quietly if you have a delicate touch.
The horizontal key spacing is slightly closer together than typical keyboards – about -6 mm from the 1 to the 0 keys and enough to be irritating if you touch type and routinely use multiple keyboards.
The key caps have a sharper edge feel which makes the keyboard seem mildly unfriendly and the key caps wobble slightly.
The thing I like least are the character labels on the key caps. They are small, appear grey not black, and are stylized with gaps in many of the letters and number. For example, the number 8 looks like an “H”. The labels for the shift function of a key are so small as to be illegible in my low light situation. The labels are actually translucent, not painted, but the stylization makes them appear to be worn printed labels. Monoprice has a nearly identical version of this keyboard with a backlight which would likely be considerably more usable in dim light.
As others have noted, the height of this keyboard is about twice that of typical low-profile keyboards and the stand-off gap between the key caps and the deck gives it an unfinished appearance. If you use a palm rest, it might not be tall enough.
Hi, thanks for giving this keyboard a try and for taking the time to write the review. Sorry to hear it did not fit your preferences, I just want to address some of the things you didn't like. The weight of the keyboard was somewhat intentional to give it stability when used on a desk, and also a result of mounting the switches on a steel plate to give the keyboard extra rigidity. The font used for the keycap legends are actually clean plain ones but the double-shot process prevents the use of fully enclosed shapes in the characters. This is why some characters have the stenciled look, it was a trade-off to get the more durable legends. The horizontal spacing is fairly standard compared to a lot of keyboards we tested, but it is possible that your other keyboards might have different spacing especially if they were ergonomic. About the extra height, these mechanical keyboards use standard switches and are indeed taller compared to membrane or low-profile mechanical switch keyboards.
February 7, 2019
Irv S
Great keyboard for the price
I've been thinking long and hard about trying out mechanical keyboards. After some searches and watching youtube videos I read that outemu switches were well received and even some hardcore players preferred the outemu over the cherry mx's.
Shipping was quick to LA, 2 days.
I've been using it for almost a week and I love it. It's tactile and feels great typing.
The only downside for me, though this doesn't seem to bother some of my coworkers who also have mechanical keyboards, is that the keyboard is raised up higher then my old keyboard. For me that caused a bit of discomfort and had to go and get wrist support. This keyboard is a great buy for me and am happy with the purchase.
The difference in height could take some getting used to.
