Corsair K100 Air review: Skinny keyboard, fat price

Historical past runs in cycles. And so, apparently, do tendencies in PC equipment. After a few decade of obsession with huge, chunky, clicky mechanical keyboards, we’re beginning to see producers return to the thinner, sleeker designs seen within the early 2000s. However with two essential variations: They’re bringing what they’ve discovered from mechanical designs to those older type components, and the costs are completely astronomical. 

So it’s with the Corsair K100 Air. This super-thin keyboard is the primary desktop design to characteristic Cherry’s Extremely-Low Profile switches, in any other case seen in high-end gaming laptops. The result’s a board that fuses the satisfying click on and resistance of mechanical keys (albeit with a lot shorter key journey) with a visible aesthetic that may simply be the slickest factor available on the market. 

The K100 Air is an acquired style. You received’t prefer it should you choose the chunky keycaps and lengthy journey of the present zeitgeist, and the worth tag is frankly ridiculous. However in order for you a keyboard that appears higher than it performs, and cash is not any object, you may have the ability to justify the associated fee.

Notice: This evaluate is a part of our ongoing roundup of the most effective wi-fi gaming keyboards. Go there to be taught extra about competing merchandise, what to search for in a wi-fi gaming keyboard, and shopping for suggestions.

Value When Reviewed

$279.99

Finest Costs In the present day: 1

$279.99

$279.99

Skinny click on

Probably the most placing and distinctive characteristic of the K100 Air is these model new ULP switches. Cherry mixed components of scissor switches present in high-quality laptop computer keyboards with a teeny-tiny spring, which sits horizontally as a substitute of vertically.

The spring really stretches out as you depress the important thing, as a substitute of compressing down like a normal MX change. 

Cherry

The result’s keys that characteristic surprisingly stiff resistance of 65 newtons with a journey of 1.8mm. For the sake of comparability, a normal MX Crimson change has 45 newtons of resistance and 4mm of journey. Contemplating that the ULP change is simply 3.5mm tall, lower than 1 / 4 of the peak of a normal change, it’s a formidable little bit of engineering. (And in contrast to the MX change, it’ll be a long time earlier than anybody can legally copy the design—ka-ching.) 

So contemplating simply how a lot thinner the K100 is versus a traditional mechanical keyboard, it’s superb how properly it feels below your fingers. The truth is at 16mm tall with out the ft prolonged, all the keyboard is thinner than one customary MX change, even with out a keycap. However neither Corsair nor Cherry can work miracles. The K100 Air feels good to sort and recreation on, however it’s nonetheless basically a laptop computer design in a full-sized desktop keyboard, and also you shouldn’t anticipate greater than that. It’s a actually, very nice laptop computer keyboard, and the stiff, springy keys really feel higher than something near this design with a membrane construction, just like the Apple Magic Keyboard and even the Lenovo ThinkPad TrackPoint Keyboard.

Michael Crider/IDG

Even so, avid gamers and typists who’ve grown accustomed to extra common mechanical boards may take some time to transition to the thinner setup. I had hassle getting right into a groove based mostly on the peak of the deck alone, even with the double-stage ft prolonged. (And by the way, Corsair, it’s awfully cheeky to make a keyboard this costly and never embrace a wrist relaxation.) For those who’re contemplating the K100 Air, I strongly recommend you strive it out in a retail retailer or take a look at the equivalent key switches on the brand new Corsair Voyager or Alienware M15 or M17 (the place it’s a dear improve) earlier than placing down practically $300 on this keyboard. 

Oh, and one final thing: The design of the Cherry ULP switches is such that you simply received’t have the ability to take off or substitute the plastic keycaps, so customization choices are out the window. You’d higher hope the end of the keys stands the take a look at of time. 

The remainder of the board 

Except for the brand new key tech, the K100 Air has nearly each characteristic Corsair might pack into its skinny body. There’s ultra-low latency wi-fi through a 2.4GHz USB dongle, Bluetooth should you’d fairly go with out, and four-device pairing to change between them. The keys gentle up with the standard RGB goodness (albeit not as vibrant or shiny as some options), and there’s a pleasant number of media controls subsequent to the all-metal quantity wheel. 

Michael Crider/IDG

Corsair is ostensibly a gaming model, and avid gamers received’t discover the keyboard missing. Along with 2,000Hz polling in USB wi-fi mode, you possibly can crank it as much as an insane 8,000Hz should you plug within the USB-C cable. The iCue software program will allow you to customise the structure (together with the Fn key!), profiles, and macros, full with onboard storage, and even a PlayStation Mode if you wish to use it together with your console. Different sensible additions embrace the choice to customise the sleeping timeout period (essential should you’re utilizing lighting on a regular basis), join a number of Corsair wi-fi units through the Slipstream dongle, and even add some fundamental Elgato streaming controls. 

Michael Crider/IDG

And naturally, there’s the lighting. In distinction with the Roccat Vulcan II, which provides you completely dazzling keyboard lights and stubbornly refuses to sync them with something not linked to your PC, the K100 Air provides you comparatively tame keyboard lights that can hook up with a wide selection of additional devices. Along with Corsair’s RGB gaming mice, headsets, case followers, RAM, mouse pads, and possibly doggie beds at this level, the corporate sells a large and costly vary of room lighting with which to sync animations. Go nuts, as a result of Corsair already did. 

Michael Crider/IDG

Mixed with a minimalist, all-black physique coated in brushed aluminum, the result’s admittedly attractive. That is the form of keyboard that Hollywood set designers drool over once they’re constructing a film model of a “hacker’s workstation.” Or maybe for a extra well timed instance, a Twitch streamer’s sponsor-laden setup, full with the most effective (or a minimum of costliest) of every part. It’s fairly, is the purpose I’m making right here. And if that’s your major motivation for purchasing a keyboard, then you definately’ll purchase the K100 Air and be joyful. Simply remember that it would look rather a lot nicer than every part else in your desk, as is the case with mine.

Michael Crider/IDG

If there’s one draw back of the keyboard’s super-sleek physique, it’s the battery. Whilst you can most likely use it wirelessly for months at a time should you can resist the urge to have the RGB lights react to your each loving keystroke, I discovered that it died after a few week of use with the lights on. That’s most likely not a deal breaker for avid gamers, however it’s pretty gentle (har har) compared to the competitors. 

Sticker shock

Which brings us to the least plausible a part of the K100 Air’s spec sheet: the worth tag. At $279.99 it’s simply the costliest of any mainstream gaming keyboard (not counting the boutique fashions), with a strong 10 p.c premium over its equally wi-fi and low-profile competitors just like the Razer Deathstalker V2 or the Logitech G915. Even should you can abdomen the concept that it’s “solely just a little dearer,” we’re nonetheless speaking about nearly $300 for a keyboard, which makes my pro-consumer bile rise. 

For this worth you’d assume that possibly Cherry is pricing every considered one of its patent-protected ULP switches like its personal beloved youngster. Both that, or Corsair thinks that avid gamers are keen to pay absolutely anything to have a handsome, ultra-thin keyboard that also counts as mechanical. In both case, I discover the worth unjustifiable, and it makes it not possible to suggest when there are wi-fi mechanical keyboards which might be much less smooth (however each bit as useful) for half the worth. 

Michael Crider/IDG

The K100 Air is outstanding for its dimensions, its typing expertise, and its interesting appears. However I can’t assist however surprise who it’s really meant for: Most avid gamers will choose extra typical mechanical keys with an extended journey, and anybody else will balk on the exorbitant worth. Possibly if Corsair comes out with a extra compact mannequin that may slot in a carry-on bag it’ll be compelling as a super-premium pill keyboard—in any case, it prices about as a lot as an Apple design. 

However for everybody else, it’s simply too area of interest and too costly. I’m excited to see these Cherry ULP switches present up in additional gaming laptops, possibly even mainstream laptops that simply desire a good typing expertise. However that’s most likely the place they need to keep—gaming keyboards can do with out the space-saving, and with out the expense.