RK ROYAL KLUDGE H81 Hot Swappable Mechanical Keyboard, Triple Mode 2.4Ghz/BT5.1/USB-C Knob Control Wireless Gaming Keyboard Gasket Mounted with RGB Backlit SkyCyan Switch, 75% Layout 81 Keys

This is definitely a statement of a keyboard. The colors look better in-person than in the images. If youre a fan of retro electronics, this will be a great addition to your collection. If you like to customize your keycaps, this might give you some trouble since the colors on it are pretty specific. Functionally, its a fantastic keyboard. The functionality dial works well and turns easily. The lights are nice and bright. The switches feel good - nice and smooth with low resistance (I got the silver switches). It is a heavy keyboard - maybe not the best for a lot of on-the-go use.

For 80$, this retro looking keyboard is a steal! It has a good sound tempering, budget switches, hot-swap 3/5 pin board and double-shot cherry pbt keycaps! Out of box sound is amazing. Pretty decent wireless connectivity (BT + 2.4G) with good battery life. I only didnt like mode changing knob. It could be moved to the under of the keyboard and they could add volume knob instead of it.

Nice upgrade from my 60% keyboard, love the wireless and functionality

The keyboard sounds great. I do love the switches. I have no complaints on build quality at all although I havent opened it up yet. For the price I paid and ease of use Im extremely happy SO FAR. No issues gaming in wireless at all. Battery life seems fine you can use it while it charges so makes it even less a big deal. Now onto the software. Im on windows 11 latest drivers on everything windows are as up to date as possible. The software installs fine. Just when it launches it says no device detected. NOW this could be because the PID listed for my keyboard is different than the required PID for the software. I dont know what this is about, and customer service hasnt responded yet. Also, the software does say there is an update but fails to download it. I am located in the US so that may be the issue. You dont need the software for the keyboard to work just making a note that it doesnt work. This would be bad if there was a firmware update or something that needed to be applied to the keyboard to fix something.

This keyboard the color scheme I though online was alot brighter, but it turned out to be alot more muted and neutral colored which I actually enjoy. Feels like an old school look but they have that dark blue/ black and white selection if this isnt your color scheme. This keyboard feautres BT/2.4Ghz/Wired, all worked correctly, no issues at all. I do like that the connection options are on a dial or at least on the front as with their 1800 keyboard to switch between 2.4Ghz and BT, you had to flip over the keyboard and flip a little switch. This would be asking for alot, but to program the keyboard with the Fn and certain keys to swap modes instead and have a volume knob would be amazing. Sublegends/labels for the functions is a nice touch to see. Plenty of RGB modes for you to choose between. The battery display I love how they implemented it as usually I only see a color scale between green to red to identify if you need to charge it but here you get a whole row to show they battery level. The gasket mount design was very interesting to see at this price point. This allows flex when you type in the keyboard so if you type hard/bottom out alot, this will less the pressure youll get back on your hands when you type. You wont see too much flex but it is better than tray mounted. For stabilizers are pretty good except the space bar which is a bit sharp (presumably the wire isnt lubed correctly or its not balanced). They would be easy to modify though if you needed as theyre plate mounted stabilizers. Subjectively, the switches in this keyboard are rather scratchy, but they do pretty good if you want to go the extra mile and lube them or swap the switches out. The keycaps arent the best Ive had, but they are higher quality keycaps in my opinion. Overall, this is great keyboard for those that want a more compact keyboad but dont want to compromise everything to have more space on your desk. Id recommend this to anyone looking for a smaller keyboard but dont want to break the bank. To my knowledge though, people still dont want to spend almost a 100 dollars on a keyboard when you have super cheap membrane keyboards. But you do pay for what you get.

Great beginners board to tinker with. Or keep it stock, it felt and sounded good out of the box.

Coming strictly from mechanical gaming keyboards, this is a breath of fresh air. I wasnt too sure about the switches (used to cherry reds) but after a few lines of text Im sold. This is my new primary keyboard. Pros: Feels very substantial for a plastic keyboard Very good typing experience Good response time 75%+ keyboard is a must as a Linux user Cons: RGB a little limited in fancier effect options compared to what Im used to No shine through keycaps and keycaps a little boring -though in theme with the board

Ill just say right off the bat: in the relatively short amount of time that Ive been diving into the mechanical keyboard hobby (half a year or so), I think this is the best keyboard Ive used so far. Before buying the H81, I originally purchased Royal Kludges RK61 (60%) model with the idea that I would be able to get used to not having dedicated delete, arrow, and F keys, which I realized after a while that I could not. I returned the RK61, though I was left with a very good impression, as it was the first RK board Id ever purchased. I opted for the H81 as its replacement, and Im glad I did. It has done nothing but impress me thus far. First of all, the layout is perfect for me. It has the aforementioned keys I missed on the 60%, and omits all the other dedicated keys I never use (scroll lock, home, insert, etc...), though they can still be accessed through other keys + the FN key for people that want them. Both that and removing the number pad leaves it at a nice compact size of less than even a TKL keyboard. The case itself has a good heft to it, and while it is plastic, it still feels high quality. Also, though its a preference thing, I love the fact that it has a thick bezel. I think thick bezels look a lot better than thin ones. The dust cover is also a nice touch. To be completely honest, knowing that the switches were Royal Kludge-branded, I was fully planning on replacing them with something else (the Royal Kludge switches on the RK61 I had were good, but couldve been better), but as soon as I started typing I fell in love. They are completely free of scratchiness and sound absolutely heavenly thanks to them being pre-lubed. Usually factory-applied lube is not great, or at least not consistent, but in my opinion the Sky Cyan switches in this board feel and sound just as good as Gateron Yellow switches I hand-lubed. The description mentions that these switches are supposed to be like them, but I was skeptical. They definitely annihilated my expectations. The stabilizers are just as good. Buying boards in the past Ive always had to re-lube the stabs, but I was pleasantly surprised that they sounded fantastic right out of the box, no rattling at all, and consistent across all of them. I am absolutely blown away at how nice this board sounds and feels at this price. It is buttery smooth and has a nice thocky sound profile. Im sure the silicone in the bottom of the case also helps with that. Though I have replaced the keycaps that came on this board (as seen in my review photo), there is absolutely nothing wrong with the ones that come stock. They are good quality and they feel great, with the double-shot legends looking nice and sharp. I just had another set that I already planned on using before buying this board. Though I already have a keycap and switch puller, it is still nice that one is included for people that dont have one. Its also nice that a few extra switches are included. The only things I cant comment on are the bluetooth and dongle connections, Ive only used it wired. Other boards that Ive had in the past were good, but I always wanted something more. I think Ive finally found a board that Im completely satisfied with. I dont think you can find a better value in a keyboard for the price. Having had a Skyloong keyboard that sells for more than this one, I think the H81 is nicer. After hearing so much hype around the name Royal Kludge, and now after finally getting to try the H81 and (briefly) the RK61 out for myself, I can say Im a fan. Id say they definitely punch well above their respective price points. I typed out this review using this keyboard and it has been an absolute joy. Bottom line: I would definitely recommend this keyboard, especially if you want one that will sound and feel great right out of the box without having to do any modding.

Very nice and quite keyboard and very well nade

If you are comparing this to a > $200 keyboard, this may not meet your needs but for the price, this is really a great keyboard. It has become the rage to have a volume nob usually at the top right corner of keyboards these days. That is fine, I guess, but I prefer what Royal Kludge has done with this board using the nob as a switch for wired, 2.5GHz and the three bluetooth options. In my opinion, this is much more useful than a volume nob, especially when I can use the F-keys for volume just as easily. Using the nob to switch the keyboard from one device to another is not only easier than using the normal FN key + number key to switch between devices but it will provide a quick visual cue as to what device is currently active. This is a gasket mounted keyboard. I am not a huge fan of a springy gasket keyboard. This is not such a keyboard. It takes a pretty good press to see any plate flex. What it does do is mute the sound of your keys. That along with the polycarbonate plate makes this keyboard a great option for a work environment where other cube mates may be annoyed by a loud keyboard. The Sky Cyan switches are super smooth and creamy. They are Royal Kludges own branded switch and a great option for those who like a linear switch with a great feel. I prefer a top loaded tactical switch so I did replace the installed ones with something of my own choice but I will likely find a good use for these switches. They really are good. One thing to note, they are really tight in the PC plate and will take some effort to remove. I gave this a 4 star review but for the price and features, it really would be a 4.5 star keyboard and should be one of your top considerations for a keyboard in its price range.