At a look
Skilled’s Ranking
Execs
- Wonderful typing really feel
- Premium design and construct
- Works with Home windows or Mac
- Customisable software program
Cons
- Very costly
- You’ll want a wrist relaxation
- Keys not backlit
Our Verdict
In case you have a wedge to spend on a premium mechanical keyboard, the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Professional is price contemplating, due to its wonderful construct and comfy typing really feel. However at this value, the keys needs to be backlit.
Worth When Reviewed
$239
Greatest Costs At present: Keyboard 81 Professional
$239
OnePlus has lengthy made strong Android telephones. However now it’s attempting its hand at totally different merchandise by collaborating with different tech firms.
The Keyboard 81 Professional is the primary product of this new initiative. It’s a mechanical keyboard that’s OnePlus branded however made in partnership with Keychron, the model of selection for a lot of mechanical keyboard nerds.
And the mannequin I examined presents wonderful construct high quality and a clean, quiet typing expertise.
In the event you don’t thoughts keys that aren’t backlit and don’t want to hold your keyboard round with you when travelling, the 81 Professional is a wonderful selection.
Design & construct
- Heavy aluminium physique
- Pretty keycap materials
- Helpful kickstand
- RGB lights, not backlit
There are two variations of the 81 Professional (so named for its 81-key format), every with totally different gray tone key caps and totally different key switches.
I reviewed the pricier ‘Summer time Breeze’ model, which has largely gentle gray keycaps manufactured from ‘marble-mallow’ materials that’s new for this keyboard, and makes use of quiet linear switches that OnePlus says it developed with Keychron.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
The ‘Winter Bonfire’ model makes use of PBT keycaps in a darker gray, alongside louder, optimised tactile switches (additionally co-created with Keychron) that I haven’t tried.
Keychron followers might notice that the format of the keyboard bears resemblance to the Keychron Q1 Professional, although the general design and keycaps are very totally different.
Primarily, the keyboard is a big chunk of silver aluminium with two-tone gray keys, a clear dial within the higher proper, and two purple keys – an escape key with the OnePlus emblem on it, and the enter key.
It’s an important keyboard with wonderful high quality construct and clean, quiet typing expertise
An adjustable bar kickstand on the underside of the keyboard, used for decreasing or elevating the typing peak, feels very luxurious. However the entire product is premium and really nicely put collectively.
OnePlus has designed the keyboard to be flipped and stood up when not in use, revealing the corporate’s ‘By no means Settle’ motto beneath. Rubberised contact factors forestall the keyboard from sliding round or scratching your desk, although at a whopping 1.87kg (sure, it’s that heavy) this factor ain’t going anyplace.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
The truth is, it’s so heavy that this actually is a set and overlook keyboard. In the event you like throwing your ‘board in a backpack to hold round or to the workplace, this isn’t the keyboard for you..
RGB lighting underneath every key may be programmed to a number of totally different modes, from a sweeping rainbow to 1 that stays unlit however then sprays gentle outwards from every key as you kind earlier than fading away (my private favorite).
The consequences are cool, however a drain on the 4,000mAh battery. After all, that’s solely a difficulty should you’re utilizing the keyboard wirelessly, reasonably than plugged in utilizing the beautiful braided USB-C to C cable within the field. It takes 5 hours to totally cost, however as soon as at 100% and with the lights turned off, I bought over one complete working week of wi-fi use.
Nevertheless, I really feel that for this value you may anticipate backlit keys, which these will not be. OnePlus does not less than present swappable Home windows or Mac keycaps with all the mandatory instruments, and you need to use both format on both working system (it additionally runs on Linux, Android, and iOS units).
Henry Burrell / Foundry
Keyboard really feel and typing expertise
- Quiet actuation
- Comfy for lengthy classes
- Wants a wrist relaxation
The Summer time Breeze mannequin has a really quiet motion that I actually like. The keys solely make a mushy thunk noise, even when you’re typing shortly. There’s additionally little or no of that plasticky clack sound, so you can positively use this in a busy workplace with out annoying anybody.
Pairing these marble-mallow caps with the quiet switches is a good mixture, and provides to the ultra-premium really feel of the product.
I discovered my private finest consolation when typing with the kickstand elevating the board barely – it’s absolutely adjustable at any angle. However I did want to make use of my very own wrist relaxation, as trying to kind with out one shortly led to wrist ache.
Even so, I made fairly a couple of typing errors, however that’s in all probability extra as a result of I often use the just about flat Logitech MX Keys Mini.
The keys make a mushy thunk … you can positively use this in a busy workplace and never annoy anybody
I examined the keyboard with a Mac, and the dial within the high proper nook is preset to manage quantity when turned and toggles sound on or off when pressed. It’s a neat contact.
In addition to the kickstand and swappable keys that don’t require soldering, the keys are remappable utilizing the VIA app. It really works on any Chromium-based browser (see the best way to apply it to the Keychron web site) and is efficient, however may be complicated.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
Worth & availability
The OnePlus Keyboard 81 Professional prices $219/£249 for the Winter Bonfire model or $239/£269 for the Summer time Breeze model I used and reviewed right here.
You should purchase it now from OnePlus US or OnePlus UK.
All entries in our greatest keyboard round-up are extra inexpensive, with the Logitech MX Mechanical ($149.99/£149.99) the obvious various. Keychron itself additionally makes an analogous mechanical keyboard within the Q1 Professional ($199/£169).
Verdict
In case you have the money and desire a premium mechanical keyboard with a wonderful typing sound and really feel, the Keyboard 81 Professional is an efficient selection. Collaborating with Keychron has labored out nicely for OnePlus, and the previous’s regular high quality shines by right here.
The spectacular aluminium construct and wonderful key switches are each highlights, whereas the marble-mallow keycaps really feel beautiful and keep away from the click-clack plastic really feel.
However it is a keyboard to place in your desk and by no means transfer, given it weights almost 2kg. And at this value you may balk that the keycaps will not be backlit. I ended up turning the beautiful however functionally ineffective RGB lights off as they sapped the battery life, too.
However for pure typing pleasure, this is a wonderful keyboard that can be utilized on any trendy computing platform and comes with all of the equipment you want.