KB487L Mechanical Keyboard

I picked this keyboard up in January 2021 for around $50 US. As someone who loves competitive FPSs like Overwatch and Valorant, I like to try new keyboards once in awhile, and the layout on this one was unique, and the color scheme on this one reminded me of Luke Skywalker's X-Wing jumpsuit, so I bought it on a whim. For the price, this keyboard is incredible. SWITCHES: It has Red Switches, when most keyboards at this price point have Blue Switches. If you don't know what this means: Blue Switches have a "clicky" sound, and a bit more of a springy feel. They have fallen out of favor with most serious gamers and office workers alike, but are generally found on most budget mechanical keyboards. Gamers often prefer Red switches because they are not as springy, and easier to push down faster, whereas most office workers tend to prefer Brown switches, because they have some of the springy-ness of clicky switches without being as loud and feeling a bit more stable. SOUND: This keyboard has a nice sound to it, which I find to be more of a "thoc" sound and less of a "click" sound. I've uploaded a video, which gets the sound mostly right. I actually think this sound profile is really good, and have never heard anything like it on a budget keyboard. BUILD: I'm an enthusiast, not an expert, but the deck has minimal flex, and overall feels solid. It also has flip-out height adjustments which I am surprised to find on a budget board. LAYOUT: More keyboard companies should make keyboards that forego the pg and pg down keys in favor of the numpad. This makes so much sense. As an gamer, a full-size keyboard isn't really an option as I need that space to swing my mouse and click heads. But sometimes I find myself needing a numpad, and being able to have the best of both worlds is pretty darn wonderful. KEYCAPS: I legitimately think these are PBT keycaps, and they feel leagues above your average keyboard-- even some of the expensive ones. If you don't know what PBT is: it's a different type of plastic. Most keyboards used ABS plastic, which over time can start to feel slippery and collect oil from your fingers. These keycaps feel just the tiniest bit grippy, and they feel a bit more "matte" if that makes sense. I've never owned PBT keycaps before, and never really noticed any issues with ABS caps, but now that I've used PBT caps I have to say I'm a huge fan. CONS These are all nitpicky, but they are the only cons I really have: 1. It's not backlit. There is supposed to be a white backlight on the numpad but I've never seen it light up. 2. The cable is permanently attached, not a removable USB-C which the most expensive keyboards have. Again, nitpicking, but it's really nice to have. 3. The legend is inconsistent. Sometimes the letters are centered, sometimes they are aligned a bit left of center. I'm a visual designer by profession, so my brain has been trained by 15 years of experience to notice this sort of thing. On this keyboard it doesn't bother me, because the price was good and for me it adds a bit of charm along with the retro colors. SUMMARY: If you're a gamer on a budget, and you like the color orange just buy this keyboard.

This is my second mechanical keyboard and I love extra keys in very unique format. I am not a gamer nor expert in mechanical keyboard world - I am a newbie. I want to have a compact, affordable, functional keyboard in order to improve working-from-home productivity and plus. Why did I choose this keyboard? First, honestly, it would be a price at $39.99. I could not find any other mechanical keyboards in this price range w/ my demands. Second, this key setup is what I need (almost). I am doing a lot of number crunching, spreadsheet compiling, VBA, and of course, a lot of email typing... I've been using all my life with 104-key keyboard. All those short keys, combo keys, etc... I started using 68-key one and felt great with little limitation: mostly, lack of numpad. After thorough monitoring, I need not only dedicated arrow keys, but also page up/down, home/end, 10-key numpad, Del key. There were couple contenders with 99-key setup, but too fancy/expensive for me. Most of all, those keys are cramped, which I can't accept. Then I found this - almost perfect match. Third, it would be its compact size. It has 89 keys, taking out six keys from the uppermiddle section in the full keyboard, replacing with 10 number keys. Its size might be similar to TKL (ten keyless) keyboard. It is slightly bigger than my first mechanical keyboard, qisan 68-key keyboard, smaller than the aged Logitech K750 (for Mac). My tiny desk at home needs a smaller keyboard so that I can have a trackball on my left and a regular mouse on my right - strange setup, but very ergonomically effective. Fourth, I fell in love with mechanical keyboard typing experience. This has "Jixian" Red switches (I have no idea how good these are). Since I haven't used other brands' different switches, I could not professionally tell the difference clearly. It felt like Gatron Brown feeling (which I already own) plus heavier spring response (need little more force to press the key). Due to my aggressive typing style, I always bottomed out - causing loud noise. At least, one thing is clear: it is not clicky. The followings are little awkward things: First, it is kind of weird to activate "number lock" by pressing Fn+Backspace. Once number lock is activated, red light under backspace key is on. Then, you can use number pad. If deactivated, you can use home/end/pg up/down/arrows/Ins/Del. Well, that would the price to pay in order to achieve more benefits. It will take some time to learn new key arrangements. Second, PBT keycaps seem okay (can't tell the quality since I haven't used any expensive models). However, it seems 0-P-L-. Keys are from other keycap set (please see the picture for details) - it's slightly off in alignment. If someone is obsessed with high quality result, this might not be the one. For me, I don't even care. As long as it has something that I look for work, I am golden. Overall, this budget ($39.99) mechanical keyboard is a near perfect match for my needs. If you are looking for an affordable entry-level mechanical keyboard, this might be the one you could consider. Happy typing!!! Cheers!!!

This is still my favorite keyboard because it's the most ergonomic and I love the aesthetic, but I do have to warn folks that the paint of letters/numbers wears off of the most commonly used keys after a few to several months. (Only a couple letters in my case.) It bothered me a little, but then I realized I barely look at the keys anyway. If this is a big deal to you, don't get it. If you don't care like me, buy away. Removing one star because of this though. == I usually prefer a blue switches keyboard, as I dig that satisfying audible click and the ease of pressure when typing. However, when I saw this keyboard, I knew I must have it despite it being a red switches board. I bought it purely for aesthetics and thought, hey, this might be good for Halloween and maybe as a back-up. In line with what other reviewers have said this is an incredible value for the price: it feels well-built and stocky, it's compact, and most importantly it types like a dream. My other red switch board must've been more cheaply made (despite it being the same price), as it was an effort to type and it was a strain on my hands. Whereas the Havit board is smooth, and there's a satisfying and efficient "squish" feel when I actuate. It's also quick in returning upward which is great for me, as I am a speed typer. No, the click is not as audible in a blue switch, but there's still that wonderful typing sound I grew up with in the '90s. I think I'll use this board when I return to work in person after the pandemic, as it's quiet enough for the office, but audible enough for the sound aesthetic. Plus, less hand strain!

I needed a keyboard for a PC build I was doing for my son, and I wanted to get a mechanical one with a good build quality but at a decent price, and this keyboard did not disappoint. I designed and built a custom PC case that was very sturdy, with clean but almost industrial lines to it with a similar color scheme to this keyboard, so when I was on Amazon looking for a mechanical keyboard without a num pad or LEDs, etc, I was excited to so this one pop up, and it was uncanny at how well the colors and overall design of this keyboard matched the PC. This is a nice compact keyboard without the annoying LEDs that are trendy today and has a really nice feel to it. I thought the key switches might be noisy and the key presses would be stiffer as I have found in a few budget-priced ones I have bought the last few years for builds I have done for others, but I was pleasantly surprised at how great these were with this keyboard. It has been in daily use on a gaming PC for a little over a year and a half and the keys and switches are still in great shape. That is because this thing is built like a nicely refined tank. It has a great weight to it and doesn't slide around the desk, and all of the materials are good quality. It has a nice cloth-covered cord as well. I definitely recommend this keyboard if you are into things that are well designed and built right, and the price is great for all of that as well.

APPEARANCE The color scheme is a bit industrial. It's not meant to be cute or shown off. It doesn't have a visible logo on the face and has no RGB (LED backlight). There are white lights beneath the number pad and the caps lock button, but they're not brilliant and honestly serve no purpose. It feels like they were just thrown in for brownie points, but the boys at havit will get no brownies from me. Or maybe they will, but they'll be stale if they're used to celebrate the lighting. This keyboard isn't too heavy or too light; it's not moving around while you type, even if you do so aggressively. There are latches on the back to keep it elevated at an angle and well-placed rubber stops to help keep it in place. The durable threaded cord is long enough for most set ups and no software is required for use. Just plug in and go. KEYS/SOUND The keys are pretty tall and super sensitive, so depending on your proficiency as a typist you may have an adjustment period where you'll accidentally hit two keys at the same time before getting used to it. There's no flex whatsoever in the body, I don't care how much force you use while typing. This keyboard feels solid, and for the price, I'm definitely impressed. The keys respond with what feels and sounds like tactile switches, but I'll admit I'm not educated enough about switches to say for sure. What I can say is that you don't need to fully compress them. A soft tap is all that's needed to register, which can lead to a problem with the sensitivity I mentioned above. The sound is like a dull clacking; it's definitely not subtle, but not the kind of whiny clacking you might get from lighter keyboards that felt like they were made in a toy factory. VERDICT Overall (and especially considering its price), this keyboard has great value, despite the fact it's not high-end or made of the finest materials the industry has to offer. If you can look past its aesthetic shortcomings, its lack of wireless and RGB features, and the sensitivity of the keys, you won't be disappointed. This product does exactly what it's supposed to do, which is offer you a consistent, solid, and responsive piece of hardware. Edit: I'm sure the switches under the keys are linear, and not tactile like I suspected. They're just way too sensitive and lack the noticeable pressure you'd feel from tactile or clicky variants. The good thing with sensitive keys is that you'll have to learn to be more accurate, but if you don't care about that expect many errors when the tips or sides of your fingers accidentally brush against other keys.

I purchased the Havit Mechanical Keyboard about six months ago, and I couldn't be happier with my choice! This keyboard offers a perfect blend of performance, comfort, and functionality. Build Quality: The construction feels solid and durable, making it suitable for both gaming and typing. Typing Experience: The mechanical switches provide a satisfying tactile feedback that makes typing enjoyable. I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my typing speed and accuracy. Compact Design: The compact layout, with a number pad included, saves space on my desk without sacrificing functionality. It’s perfect for anyone who needs a full-size keyboard but wants to keep their workspace organized. Value for Money: For the quality you get, the price is more than reasonable. It feels like a premium product without the premium price tag. Overall, I highly recommend the Havit Mechanical Keyboard to anyone in need of a reliable and stylish keyboard. Whether you're gaming, working, or just browsing, this keyboard delivers on all fronts! ------------------------- Above review is written by GPT-4, which is my opinion on this compact keyboard. I need a small keyboard for my limited desk space. And I also need the number pad for excel inputting. I have been searching keyboards for quite a while until I found this keyboard which fit my need perfectly. I have used this keyboard for half year and still feel comfortable typing on it. And it was quite a deal when I purchase it with only $30 by using 30% off coupon .

Update: after using for a while, I found I failed to trigger a key on press too often. I also realized the numpad was pretty much useless for 95% of the things you'd want it for because it doesn't have the +,-, and enter keys. I will re-state that the color combination is great, price was good, and it looks neat if you're a keyboard collector who will put it on display etc. However see photo, doesn't look great when lit. -- Original Review: A keyboard that replaces the rarely used 9 keys of insert, delete, page up, etc. and puts a numpad there instead. Also a cool key color combination. No under key lighting (except a poorly lit numpad.) Keys: quality feel: heavy plastic and slightly tacky, solid thump, no click that feels good. Color is good, photos are accurate. The keyboard uses an offbrand type of switch and is not hot-swappable. The feel is fine, but longevity could be an issue due to this. Lighting: The only lighting on the keyboard is under the numpad, when numlock is on, and that lighting does not look good (see photo). However it will usually be off for my use. Numpad operation: Numpad numbers are activated with Fn+Backspace (numlock), which then lights up the numpad. When off/unlit, those keys instead work as the missing keys like insert and delete. Is this unique Numpad configuration useful? #1 Will moving the delete key annoy you too much? Maybe, I haven't decided yet. The other missing/moved keys I never used. #2 Is a numpad without calculation buttons useful to you? Not having a + - or Enter key on the numpad reduces functionality. Consider a standalone numpad and a typical Tenkeyless keyboard instead?

I very rarely write reviews but I think this product is deserving of one. I'm a software engineering student and wanted to upgrade to something a little more ergonomic and smaller than my cheap low-profile, 105 key keyboard because of tension in my hands after a day's worth of typing and having limited desk real-estate. I didn't want unnecessary backlit keys, wanted a plug-and-play device, and needed a numpad and arrow keys. I didn't want to spend over $75 and just needed something compact, efficient, and ergonomic. This keyboard fits the bill. It suits all of my needs, feels durable and robust with a good weight and "solidness", alleviated a lot of the cramping in my hands and wrists, and is a joy to use. The single improvement that could be made would be just a touch more resistance on the spacebar; however, that's just a small personal preference that doesn't impact the general performance or quality. Overall, if you're looking for a compact mechanical keyboard that isn't pricy or flashy, this is probably the keyboard for you. For the price, the quality is exceptional.