RK ROYAL KLUDGE RK98 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard, Triple Mode 2.4G/BT5.1/USB-C Hot Swappable Mechanical Keyboard with Number Pad, Pre-lubed Switches RGB Backlit Gaming Keyboard, Software Support

For the last several years I've been using a Corsair keyboard I bought when I had a different desk and there was much more room for the keyboard and mouse. During the pandemic I upgraded to a larger desk but the keyboard tray is smaller and I sacrificed space to move my mouse. It was a minor inconvenience until recently. During the recent Xmas in July sale I was in Best Buy and decided to play with some of the keyboards that were on sale. Another Corsair caught my attention with the action of the keys and it was $50 off. I decided I didn't really need it and left. Recently I had rotator cuff surgery so I'm stuck at home with nothing to do and I've been testing my setup for working with weak hand. The limited space for the mouse became much more significant. I looked around and discovered a whole new world of custom mechanical keyboards and was blown away. I can't tell you how glad I was that I didn't purchase the other keyboard a month ago. I was looking for a keyboard with a num pad because I do a decent amount of numbers and I never really learned to use the top row number keys very well. I saw good reviews for The Royal Kudge keyboards and then found this one on sale. It was less than the Corsair I bought 4 years ago.It arrived in the mail today. I've watched a lot of YouTube videos the last few days about the qualities of keyboards like these but nothing compares to getting one in hand. The weight of the box was the initial wow moment. Then taking the keyboard out was the second. Then pressing the keys to feel the action. This keyboard is 4 inches narrower then the old one which freed up all the space I need to use my mouse and move the keyboard close the edge. Now I'm 5 days out from my surgery and I'm able to type comfortably with my arm in the sling. I'm blown away. Some things truly do work out for the best.I bought the black with silver switches. It's a bit soft but I'll adjust. I would recommend one of these to anyone. Do it for yourself and for the people that make these wonderful keyboards. Once you try one you'll never want to use anything else.The only thing that might be a negative for some people is the noise of the keys. I think it's great. It's not too loud for me. I think it kind of reminds of the old days hearing the clack of a typewriter. From what I've seen they make models that perform great but make much less noise.<8/22/24> Update: After using the keyboard more, with silver switches, I have found that the springs in the switches are too light and the distance to actuation is too short for my fat fingers. I have errors regularly because I'll graze another switch or sometimes actuate one while I'm just pausing to look at something or think. If you have a light touch these will probably be fine for you but I ordered a set of black switches which I'm hoping will be better suited to my style.

The media could not be loaded. I ordered this keyboard as a replacement to a RedThunder keyboard that had quit working after 4 days. I received this keyboard in the mail around the second week of April and have used it almost daily. If you don’t feel like reading everything, here is the short. Buy it, it’s worth it, but if you want more details, please see below.First Impressions:The first thing I noticed was the weight. It is pretty hefty and feels rock solid. It feels like a quality product. The clicking sounds is very satisfying (I turned off the sound in the video, since there was music playing). I really like the fact that you can change the color modes, and what the keyboard itself does. I chose this effect, which I thought was really cool.Set Up:I decided to use it with the USB dongle, since I use docking station, and constantly swap between my personal laptop and my work laptop. It was as simple as plug and play. The fact that it worked out of the box, with both Mac (my personal laptop) and PC (my company laptop) without any additional drivers is/was a huge win for me.Battery Life:The battery life on it is incredible, I maybe charge it once every other week. I work from home for most of the week, so this thing sees a lot of use, I would say at minimum it see’s 24 hours of continuous use (8 hours a day, over 3 days) along with however long i’m on it for my personal projects. Checking the battery level is as simple as holding down two keys, and is easily done on the fly. *The battery life may vary based on which color mode you select, so be mindful of that, but with the one I have selected, it seems to last a very long time on a charge, which is another win. The brightness is also perfect, it isn’t too overpowering but also not too dim.Downside(s):My only gripe about it is that for me, having the keys so close together can be a bit of a headache. I am constantly having to retype things from accidentally hitting the wrong key, as the keys are very sensitive (which makes sense, since it is made for gaming). This is more of user error and not a fault of the keyboard/manufacturing though, so I don’t hold that against it.Final Thoughts:All in all, for the price point, functionality, and the quality, you can’t beat this. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a gaming keyboard, or someone who just wants that mechanical feel. It is a great product, and does exactly what you want it to do. I know that gaming/mechanical keyboards come in all shapes/sizes/features/price points, but for me, this checks every box. I actually plan on purchasing a second keyboard from RK Royal Kludge, but the quieter version while i’m in the office. Whenever I get around to that, be on the lookout for another review.Great work, RK Royal Kludge, this is an amazing product.