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

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

Just a disclaimer, this is my first mechanical keyboard. This thing feels solid and types so smoothly, input for gaming is instant. I am using it in wired mode which would be best for gaming but if you want you can use Bluetooth or wireless connectivity for 3 devices. Just turn the knob to the number and it swaps over. The lighting is amazing, especially since I was using a single colored full size board before. Lots of modes and you can change between single colors and rgb. Ill update if I have any issues but so far this is close to perfect. The space bar is louder than the other keys so I might look into an insert to dampen sound but thats it.

what a cute little keyboard! SUCH a good value for the price! i’ve been telling my friends about this keyboard, it’s so smooth like butter and it’s great for gaming. 10/10

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.

I havent used a true, clunky mechanical style keyboard since I retire my IBM Pentium computer one hundred years ago tomorrow. The keys are big and feel great. The base is weighted and does not slip when you use it. But there are all the modern conveniences including a little dongle so you can connect wirelessly. A prominent selector button allows easy switching between devices--up to 6. More than an old IBM computer keyboard, this really feels like typing. You get satisfying tactile feedback in the form of crisp clicks as you type. Its big. A thick monster which is proud of its heft and ready to party. Even the colors remind me of a 1959 Ford Fairlane... The tech and quality is all there and the style as well.

The tl;dr Its a good board, with some minor flaws. The biggest compromise is RGB, but for the price it excels enough in other areas to compensate. The RGB: It doesnt do yellow. Yellow is hard for budget RGB and this keyboard is no exception. The closest it comes is chartreuse. The keyboard was set to yellow in the picture showing the backlight. The software, though. Wow. Talk about sketchy. Theres no reference to software in the packaging, just a link in the product description. To a Google Drive folder. To an .exe without a publisher. Windows does not like this at all (its not macOS or Linux friendly). However, if you can get it installed, its exactly sufficient. You can change function keys and RGB just fine with it. The build quality: Theres quite a bit more deck flex than Id like for a 75%. Its not entirely unexpected at this price point, but Ive seen budget keyboards with higher build quality than this. Ive also seen a lot worse. It gets an acceptable for this one. Im not going to complain and I am not dissatisfied. The style: This confuses me. It has nice, modern keycaps. Nice bright white with darker accents. Then the chassis is retro inspired. Theres nothing wrong with either one. The chassis looks well retro and the keycaps are nice, but together its an odd match. The layout: Its a 75% layout. Pretty normal for one, which is nice if you want to get different keycaps, like ones that match the retro inspired chassis. A little more compact than a TKL, but decently bigger than a 60%. The switches: Theyre fine. Light linear switches. Cherry style. I wouldnt call them high quality but having used several off-brand switches, I can safely say theyre better than any Asus branded switches Ive ever used. If youre really into switches, Id plan on replacing them almost immediately. Im not, so Ill just use the included ones until they get squishy. The keycap and switch puller is sufficient.

It was a gift

I used Royal Kludge keyboards in past and liked really liked it. So got this one for my work. This has serious ghosting issues on Shift and Ctrl keys. More than 10% of these keys stroke is not registered. Been using it for a week, so not sure if this is caused by some stupid settings. But this is really annoying. I had this issues with other keys also, I think, because when I tried to use some shortcut, my PC behaved really differently. Not sure if it is this one keyboard with defect or not. Ill return it, and maybe buy another same model to see if this issue persists. If theres no issue, then this keyboard is nice to use.

I think this is one of the newest products from RK Royal Kludge as it doesnt even appear on their official website. Unlike other traditional mechanical keyboards, this keyboard comes with a gasket-mounted frame, making typing much quieter to type on and making a muffler sound. I used to have a 2017 Razer Blackwidow V2 yellow switch, I love that keyboard, but this RK model shocks me as it feels even better than the yellow switch on the razer. Pros: - Gasket mounted, makes this linear switch (Sky-Cyan TTC customized switch) typing experience extremely comfortable and enjoyable - Multi-device connection, the switch on the right upper corner makes it super easy to use switch from typing on my PC to typing on my iPad or iPhone via Bluetooth. And this keyboard even has 2.4Ghz support... Woah... - Battery last long, I turn on RGB and use this keyboard ~ 10-12 hours a day, been using it for 4 days on 2.4Ghz mode, still has 80%ish left, so I bet it will last 7-10 days if you charge it to full. - Tons of RGB options, although I am not a big fan of RGB... - Comes with 4 extra switches in case one of your keys is malfunctioning. This model is hot-swappable and makes maintenance or switch upgrade/replacement super easy Cons: - So far I have not found any yet. Ive heard good things about RK royal kludge.

(The photo of the board in the review is not the original keycap and switches.) Update: their customer service contacted me then solve my problems with the switches, so if you find anything that is not to your liking I have no doubt they would take care of you as well. the highlight of this board is the solution of multiple device selection, it is one of the better ones on the market right now, the knob is responsive and easy to use. but the lower capacity of the battery will limit your time of use without charging. the material used for the board is decent for its price, the plastic feels high quality and molded properly, and it has the standard sound absorbing sheets plus a nice set of onboard stabilizers, thus even is on the lighter side of things, it still has a good enough sound profile for its price while I would still recommend you change the cap/switch if you plan on using the board as a daily driver. its also very unfriendly to any enthusiast that wants to tinker with the board because the screw holes on the bottom are all behind the rubber feet, I just cant wrap my mind around this design choice, it has no upside but all the downsides! another weird choice is to use the pause key as the last key on R2 --- how many people actually use the pause key nowadays? isnt home or end the better choice? not to mention you never gonna find a keycap set with an R2 pause key. the gasket mounting is a meh, it did provide a bit of wiggle room under higher pressure but I doubt anyone would type with such force, so if you dislike the stiffness of a plate mounting system this could be good for you, but if you looking for “the bounce” this is not it. the RGB and the FN are standard for a pre-build entry board, simple and easy but limited, you cant customize the keys, only choose what is already been set. So my conclusion is: this is a great starting point if you are new to the mechanical keyboard scene and willing to buy better caps and switches plus the need to switch between multiple devices often. but if you already have other mechanical boards and love to tinker with them, there are many better choices.