Hyte has always positioned itself as one of the most innovative computer peripheral companies, and the Hyte Keeb TKL is definitely… creative. The Keeb TKL is a keyless mechanical keyboard with a spacer-mounted design, a unique polycarbonate construction, and the most RGB colors I’ve seen on a mechanical keyboard in a long time. The Keeb TKL comes with everything you need for an enthusiast-grade plank, including screw-in stabilizers and a lubrication switch.
That said, it’s not cheap – it retails for $180, which is close to what you’d pay for this product. best gaming keyboard. But the super-smooth switches and surprisingly great typing experience make it well worth the money.
Specification
| switch | Hite fluffy lavender linear |
| light | 155 pixel aRGB lighting |
| Onboard storage | Yes, 2 profiles |
| media keys | Yes |
| Connectivity | USB Type A |
| cable | 6 feet, rubber |
| additional ports | 0 |
| keycap | Two-color PBT |
| software | Haite Nexus |
| Dimensions (length x width x height) | 15 x 7 x 2 inches/380 x 180 x 53 mm |
| weight | 2.7 lbs/1,224.7 g |
| Suggested retail price/price at time of publication | $180 |
Design by Hyte Keeb TKL
The Hyte Keeb TKL is an audiophile-grade mechanical keyboard with some gaming features like lightning-fast switches and tons of RGB. I’m personally not a big fan of RGB, but hey – it’s a vibe, especially with the Keeb TKL’s unique “crystal bubble polycarbonate shell.” While polycarbonate is a very popular material for keyboard cases, I’ve never seen a completely clear keyboard case.
Bubble boxes actually look great if you pay attention to aesthetics. My concern is that the polycarbonate plastic will yellow over time, especially when exposed to sunlight. To prevent this from happening, I recommend covering the board when you’re not using it (or if you’re using it in a windowless room).
Considering how this keyboard looks, I had low expectations for sound isolation. Many keyboard companies talk about soundproofing, but I’ve rarely seen it implemented well – and this keyboard doesn’t look like your typical heavy-duty aluminum soundproof keyboard. However, the Hyte Keep TKL is very soundproof: it uses three layers of acoustic foam and sandblasted anodized aluminum weights to effectively reduce noise. real Get rid of any pings and you’re good to go. The keyboard sounds surprisingly good.
Somewhere between all those layers of foam is a 5-pin PCB that houses the Durock V2 screw-in stabilizer and Hyte’s own Fluffy Lavender linear switches. According to Haight, the switches and stabilizers are pre-lubricated – but I doubt it. However, I ended up going back on my word because I’ve never received a keyboard that worked without any adjustments, but the Keeb TKL might just be the first.
The Hyte Keeb TKL comes with a huge double-sided knob that can be reprogrammed in the Hyte Nexus. By default, the left side of the knob adjusts the volume, and the right side adjusts the RGB brightness. There is also a programmable button in the middle, which is preset to cycle through RGB modes. While I like knobs on keyboards, this one on the Keeb feels a little cheap and has a lot of wobble. It works pretty well, but it seems you might need to be careful.
The Keeb TKL comes with Hyte HX OEM profile two-tone PBT keycaps that feel the same as traditional non-Cherry profile keycaps. These keycaps feel good, but they don’t look great: the legends on the Backspace, Tab, and Caps Lock keys are actually pretty bad. Of course, you can swap the keycaps, but they will match the media keys (which are not swappable).
Typing and gaming experience on Hyte Keeb TKL
The Hyte Keeb TKL is unlike any production gaming keyboard I’ve used in a long time, and the reason why is the typing experience. It uses Hyte’s Fluffy Lavender switches – not to be confused with CannonKeys’ Lavender switches. These switches have an actuation force of 36g, which is slightly lighter than the popular Cherry MX Red switches (which have an actuation force of 45g).
Since the actuation of these switches is so light, I have to carefully place my hands on the keyboard when I’m not typing. However, I was able to make adjustments after just a few hours of using Keeb TKL, and the only spelling mistakes I made after that were my own fault.
The switch is very smooth. I simply cannot stress how buttery these switches are. This is a big plus for the Keeb TKL as I hate lubricating switches – it’s messy, time consuming and expensive (Krytox 205g0 is not a cheap lubricant) and it’s nice to have smooth switches right out of the box .
While the Hyte Keeb TKL is a spacer-mount keyboard, it lacks the bounce that this type of mounting typically has – I say “usually” because I’ve used plenty of spacer-mount keyboards that don’t have that bounce, but it is People often associate this feeling with gasket installation. The Keeb TKL’s lack of flex is a bit disappointing, but it still sounds and feels great. There’s zero cabinet pressure, the stabilizers are perfectly balanced, and every bottom feels soft and supportive.
However, the Flappy Paddle media keys are the polar opposite of the Fluffy Lavender switches – they’re low-profile blue switches, which I’m not a fan of. I found them to be mushy and crumbly.
Now is the perfect time to test Keeb’s TKL gaming prowess, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The Keeb TKL performed well in my gaming tests, which is exactly what I expected. I mostly played zombie mode, which forces you to move fast, and the Fluffy Lavender Switch was perfect for that: I was able to strafe and dive around hordes of zombies (until round 37, when I was finally knocked down by a zombie).
Hyte Keeb TKL software
It’s been a while since I’ve used Hyte’s Nexus software, as I said in my review of the software Y70 touch – It has a lot to offer.
I find it interesting (but maybe a little genius) that Hight lists other products in its software, such as water coolers, fans, and cases. It’s almost like an ad, but not too over the top.
Key remapping on the Keeb TKL is very similar to the popular open source VIA software used on most high-end enthusiast mechanical keyboards. Hayter seems to have taken notes from enthusiasts not only when designing the keyboard, but also when designing the software.
I looked around for a while, but unfortunately the Hyte Keeb TKL doesn’t have per-key RGB. While this doesn’t bother me that much, it will certainly be prohibitive for those looking for a highly customizable light show. The Nexus does have many other RGB customization options, including vocal Visualization options (which I always like), but it’s not quite per-key RGB.
That said, after tinkering with RGB for so long, it’s starting to look a bit psychedelic – so maybe you don’t need per-key RGB after all.
bottom line
Overall, I really like the Hyte Keeb TKL. I’ve seen a lot of Hyte cases, so when I heard the company was expanding into keyboards, I was excited, and the Keeb TKL doesn’t disappoint.
Despite the lackluster Flappy Paddle media keys and lack of per-key RGB, the Keeb TKL is still a great keyboard for typing and gaming. Rather than buying a bunch of mechanical keyboards from a third-party supplier and rebranding them, Hite designed its own gasket-style mechanical keyboards with internal switches, and the results are pretty impressive. While it’s on the pricey side at $180, it’s a unique-looking mechanical keyboard with excellent sound isolation, ultra-smooth switches, and an audiophile-grade typing experience—pretty crazy for under $200.
If you’re looking for something more aimed at gamers, there are similarly priced products Arbiter Studio Polar 75 Pro It sounds and feels great, offers an audiophile-grade typing experience, and features magnetic Hall-effect switches for features like “Snap Tap” (SOCD) and quick triggering.
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