Redragon K556 RGB LED Backlit Wired Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, 104 Keys Hot-Swap Mechanical Keyboard w/Aluminum Base, Upgraded Socket and Noise Absorbing Foams, Quiet Linear Red Switch

So this is my 4th Redragon product. I have a mouse, which is still great after 4yrs, got a short red switch mechanical gaming keyboard which is great for traveling, and then I picked up the mouse/keyboard combo for my work setup at the office cause I wanted something better than the stock setup. Well they keyboard on that wasn’t mechanical, so I ordered this one and it is AMAZING. I got the brown switches and this thing is like butter, I love typing up emails and doing any other type of typing work now just cause of how fun this board is. I imagine it would be great for gaming as well since that’s what this is aimed at. Highly recommend and will forever be a Redragon customer.

The keyboard is great, types really well and doesn’t make an extraneous amount of sound. But if you want to keep the LEDs always on and not some ridiculous pattern that’s distracting, you have to download their software. Included in it is a file called HidServ.DLL. Normally that’s included by Windows, but the DLL included with the ZIP file downloaded has extreme anti reverse engineering tactics applied like encrypted strings and checking if a debugger is attached. If you download the software, delete HidServ.DLL as it’s not even needed by the EXE to run at all.

Grabbed the board (brown key) cause my old one was wearing out. Was using the one that came with my computer. Uncle recommended this and it was on sale. Until today Ive never realized that pc keyboards could feel nice. If youve just been using oem keyboards that come with the pc you bought, you owe it to yourself to try this thing. It feels like trading in a rusty 99 ford focus and and upgrading to a new base model camry. Hopefully that makes sense. Never knew what I was missing out on

The keyboard feels great. Quiet. The lighting options are many - really cool options. I choose a solid bright color, but there are other options with movement. I had several switches go out and worked with their customer service to get me back up and working again. Customer service is all over email - no chat or phone available.

I have been eyeing this keyboard for a while now. I finally got it while it was around $40 during the Prime sale. I have only been using membrane keyboard and this feels, somewhat underwhelming when I first get it. I was expecting a bit more resistance but this keyboard is made to be very light and very light click. However, after using it for a while I know that I wont be able to go back to using membrane keyboard. The light pattern that came with this keyboard is quite useless. Its pretty. I especially interested in using the ripple effect one. However, when I selected it, every key is dark until I press them. Needless to say I cant use it. I ended up using the default one it came with and be happy with it. I flows RGB slowly and makes the keyboard look pretty. I like the sturdiness and weight. I think the base is made out off metal. Overall, I grew to like it. Lets hope they keys last for a very long time.

After having gone through a few ultra cheap mechanical keyboards I can definitively vouch for this keyboard as very much worth the step up to lower mid-rage. It is thee one to get. It hits everything I want. Obviously price is reasonable for the average person. The look is crisp, clean, and neat. I cannot stand gaudy PC peripherals so it was nice to get something so solid and clean. Even the logo is minimalist and not obnoxious. It has some decent heft to it. The base is heavy and not going to move on you. Easily the heaviest keyboard I have owned. It has backlighting that can be controlled with variety and can even be turned off completely. And it has the choice between brown and red switches. I went with brown as I like the tactile feedback but was going deaf from ultra cheap blue switches I had on previous keyboards. They are lovely. Ive had mine over a year now and it still works. But. I did lose some response accuracy in a couple switches over the year. These are cheaper switches and I guess you do get a little of what you pay for. Left CTRL was the first to go and I chalked that up to the angle of my pinky pressing it. I thought perhaps it was getting too much horizontal lateral pressure being pushed away from the keyboard to the left rather than a precision up and down strike. I replaced the switch with one of the extras. The keyboard comes with a keycap removal tool, a switch extraction tool, as well as a row of sample/extra switches. These include two blue, two brown, two red, and two black. Havent had an issue with the Left CTRL since. Unfortunately my C switch ended up with the same issue months later. Which killed the lateral contact theory. Another quick replacement and Ive been good to go. I am just all but certain another key/switch will peter out eventually. End of the day it has been a wonderful daily driver of a keyboard for over a year now. I type an above average amount daily during the week and game with it on the weekends. Ive put in some good miles on it and having to replace two switches on it doesnt sour my opinion at all. If I had paid hundreds for it, I might be upset. But I paid a reasonable price and got a more than reasonable keyboard. I would happily buy this fella again.

Customization: 8/10 Putting this first so people can see: THIS KEYBOARD HAS CUSTOMIZABLE INDIVIDUAL RGB (16 MILLION COLORS) BACKLIGHTING. Download the Redragon DEVARAJAS software, go to any profile, select the Coastal lighting preset, and use the tiny pencil and eraser icons to add/remove any color you pick to the keys in the diagram (see pictures). You also get 4 mini profiles via drop-down menu within the Coastal preset - FPS, MMO, MOBA, and RTS. Be careful though, because switching to a different mini profile off of your customized one will delete any previous customization youve done on that and revert to its default. This is my main quibble with Redragons software - why is the individual key customization so difficult to find and so easy to accidentally delete? However, it is a big plus that it is possible on a keyboard of this low a price and quality. I am not sure why individual RGB customization is not advertised more clearly as I almost decided against buying this keyboard due to apparent lack of that feature. The product description touts 18 BACKLIT MODES: Press FN+INS-PgDn to enter Pro-gamer mode. RGB LED adjustable lighting with 6-themed backlights -18 lighting models and later mentions Multiple RGB Themes. Packaging: 8/10 Came in a solid box, things were secure. No issues. Quality: 8/10 Pretty great especially considering this kb is only $60. Not much flex, good weight. Cable is sturdy. Other reviewers have covered this area pretty thoroughly. I personally enjoy the floating switches. For those who are unaware / did not notice, the key switches sit flush with the keyboard surface instead of being recessed, which for me means it is way easier to clean (crumbs/hairs/dust dont fall into a black hole). Aesthetics: 9/10 Clean, minimal. Thin silver bezel border. No wasted real estate. The brushed steel effect is also much less apparent than in the stock pictures - very faint unless you hold it up to the light. A plus for me but if you are going for that look, you may be disappointed. I was honestly really expecting something obnoxious and glaring to pop out (you know Redragon, I know Redragon), but I am simply not offended by anything on this keyboard. This is quite a shock to me. Even the branding is a discreet Redragon logo in matching silver, allowing one to avoid any instances of the embarrassing and loud REDRAGON font. Speaking of fonts, the keycaps font is clean and readable. Both main and secondary characters are properly located in the top half of the key to maximize the LED backlighting. The only quibble I can find is the @ key which has a bit of a strange cutout in the middle that eats into the a, but it is not readily confused with any other symbol so it gets a pass from me. Overall: 8.5/10 At this price ($60 at time of review), the K556 is a surprisingly good bargain and can hold its own against kbs $20-40 more expensive. - Decent build quality - Macros and individual key RGB customization (although difficult to find) - Clean, understated, refined look...something I never thought I would say about a Redragon product.

I am new to mechanical keyboards and wanted a cheaper one to make sure I liked this type of keyboard. This keyboard has a metallic base and is pretty hefty. It over all seems pretty sturdy and I love the sound of the brown switches. Compared to other brown switches I have heard it might be a little louder due to the key caps, but I tend to like the click they make. The lighting on the keyboard is very nice and there is a variety of color choices as well as RGB. I have had another redragon keyboard and in general I love them. They are an affordable and sturdy option for a beginner. I wish it was a little more intuitive, but I think over all it is very worth the money.

I have been using this keyboard since 2017, so I think its fitting that I leave a review for it. This review is for the original listing with standard OTEMU Brown switches. I am aware of the fact that they now come with OTEMU BOX Browns, but the experience is basically identical. Lets go over the basic parameters first: Unboxing Experience: So the box itself is alright, it serves its purpose of holding the keyboard itself. In the box, it comes with the keyboard itself, a keycap puller, a keyswitch puller, and ten extra key switches in a different variant. Since my keyboard used gateron browns, they gave me gateron blues to try out. Box itself doesn’t come with very much, other than these items. The most useful to me were the extra switches in the box. Both the keycap and key switch puller broke after a few uses. the key switch puller in particular broke the clips on some of my key switches. Serviceable, but I would rather buy my own toll in this case. Looks: This keyboard is so damn sturdy. Up until that point, I was used to cheap plastic keyboards. So the mostly metal construction is excellent! I couldn’t feel very much flexing while typing. The keycaps are okay. they are double shot, so they won’t wear out as much as ABS. The font itself is much more of the “gamer” aesthetic. I used them for about two years before replacing them for better looking keycaps. the lighting itself is good, though controls are basic. Changing color profiles without software is a nice touch, though some savvy hackers have found a way to change colors without official software. The all black design makes it fit in with most builds, though it does stand out on a lighter colored desk. the only real downside is the the secondary function keys have their labels printed on as opposed to part of the injection mold. So eventually those legends will wear away, which I have somewhat done in those two years of using the keyboard. There is a Small Red Dragon Logo above the Arrow keys and a sticker on the back detailing the keyboard information. Its very minimal, and actually decent all things considered. Feel: This keyboard won’t win any rewards for being different. The keys themselves are fine for typing, better than membrane keyboards in all regards. There is rattle and wobble on both the key switches and stabilizers, but they are not deal-breakers at this price point. The metal reinforced backplate and metal frontplate do a good job of keeping the board stable while typing, though there is no padding behind the keyboard so it does sound a bit hollow. No lube anywhere, so scratching noises will be common. Features: So this board has hotswap capabilities, but only for OTEMU Switches. Do not try to use Gateron, Cherry, Kalih, or other brands. The pins wont fit the post mounts. This is good for interoperability between different OTEMU brand switches, but you have to desolder the pins if you want anything else. This WAS a selling point back in 2017, however they recently removed it since its only really applicable to OTEMU brand switches. Again, the RGB is a nice touch, including the preset profiles. The design is held in by multiple screws, which makes dis-assembly for modding a breeze. The USB cable itself is connected to the board using a 5-pin header, so if you break the cable, you can easily replace it using a soldering iron. The keycaps are OEM profile, so you can buy an aftermarket set and put them on the keyboard no problem. the stabilizers are plate mounted, so you can replace them with cherry OEMs once they break. Honestly, if you want to use this board as a cheap base for your next keyboard, then this might be for you. Even still, this is a surprisingly reparable keyboard. Downsides: Honestly, I only have two downside for this board. That being a non-removable USB cable. If they had just added a removable port, either USB-Micro B or USB Type-C, it would make this keyboard so much better. Like, they could’ve done it so easily too. The piece that holds the wire in place is not a through hole permanently attached to the chassis, its a rubber piece that holds the cable in place. there is enough clearance to put in a female USB Type C Header in there. The other reason is the OTEMU-only hotswap sockets. I know that kalih brand switches (or similar) are more expensive to implement, but this would allow you to use ANY switch possible. Right now, you can only use OTEMU switches. Yes, they have good variants such as the reds and blacks, but it sucks that its only these brand switches and nothing else. There is also the minor downside of some of the screws losing their paint over time, though, you won’t be able to see them from the top of the keyboard. Verdict: Overall, a good keyboard for the time. Back in 2017, when there were not very many cheap mechanical keyboards on the market, this would have been the no-brainer choice. But nowadays, there is a lot of competition in this market. I would hope that Redragon would be keen to revise this board, with the possibility of a removable cable. Its still a good keyboard, but its becoming harder to stand out with so many competitors.

I have used membrane keyboards for decades. I had never had the experience of a mechanical keyboard, and finally decided to get one. That was not this one. But, I wanted something a little flashier than the one I had before, so I got this one later. :) They are, of course, kinda pricy. This one however, was a decent price. So I bought it. Yes, I know there are better ones out there. And the switches on this one (in this case, the Outemu Browns) are either good enough for beginners or absolute trash, depending on who you talk to. But as the headline says, this review is from a beginner standpoint. My previous keyboard had Outemu Brown switches as well, and as I liked the tactile bump, I stuck with them when I got the Redragon. And really, Ive been quite happy with it. Now I will say, as Ive started to explore the world of mechanical keyboards, Im realizing that theres so much better. But, it looks like I can mod this thing, so thats what Im going to do. I generally like the look, and the overall feel of it. But I need that thock. Basically, if youre coming from a standard membrane keyboard, this is a decent keyboard. I dont regret the purchase at all. I went to help my dad with some computer issues he was having, and used his e-waste keyboard, and couldnt believe the difference. I dont know why I didnt switch to mechanical sooner. If you dont want to spend $100 or more on a keyboard, and want something decent and with RGB (I suggest getting pudding keycaps for an even better light show), and you dont care about the enthuiast side of mechanical keyboards and/or this is just a starter...yeah...this works.