The mechanical keyboard market shows no signs of slowing up right now as computer users seek higher quality keyboards that offer a more ergonomic and comfortable way to enter text and data into their PC or Mac.
One of the latest mechanical keyboards to be launched is the new Chilkey ND75LP, a compact and low-profile keyboard with an all-aluminum case. It’s available in a wide range of colors and has a few features that could make it popular with anyone looking for a keyboard with style and usability.
The ND75LP is Chilkey’s first fully aluminum and low-profile keyboard that has both aesthetics and functionality. With its 75% layout, this new keyboard is sufficiently compact that it takes up very little desk space and has the kind of aesthetics that will please Mac and PC users.
The typing angle of this new keyboard is gently sloped but there are no flip-out feet to adjust the angle. That said, the default design seems well-judged and should suit most people’s tastes.
Each of the low-profile switches has a south-facing RGB LED built-in with a choice of 19 different backlight effects with variable brightness levels. The lighting mode can be set easily from the keyboard or else each key can have its lighting options adjusted using Chilkey’s web-based app which can also remap keys and generally customize the ND75LP on a key-by-key basis.
The top frame and bottom plate of this new keyboard are made from solid aluminum and the top part is held in place by a series of ultra-strength magnets. The housing can be easily removed and replaced with a top plate of another color to match a change in the keycaps.
The keycaps on the ND75LP are all made from PBT and have a low-profile design which gives the keys a slightly higher position than the keys on a laptop, but much lower and slimmer than the keys used on a regular mechanical keyboard.
The switches used on the ND75LP are hot-swappable and have a POM stem and housing with two mounting options for smooth typing. The keyboard has three connectivity options: Bluetooth, 2.4GHz and regular USB-C wired. The cable and 2.4GHz connections have a polling rate of 1,000Hz and full N-Key rollover support.
The Bluetooth option enables up to three devices to be paired at the same time and the user can easily switch between them with a key press. The ability to connect with three devices at once makes the ND 75 LP suitable for use with three devices without the need for a KVM switch.
An unusual feature of this keyboard is its small built-in LCD screen on the right of the frame. It has a real-time status display showing the current time, status of connections and battery charge and offers a quick and easy way to alter settings on the keyboard such as connectivity, lighting, volume and OS compatibility.
The LCD screen can also be customized using Chilkey’s web-based app to display a user’s preferred image or maybe even be set up to display a corporate logo, which is a good way of marking ownership of the keyboard and provides a nice corporate touch.
The screen’s display can be customized using the Chilkey app running on any HID-enabled browser. However, I had an issue getting the keyboard’s system clock to sync with my Mac mini and I couldn’t upload a new graphic, but it seemed to work fine with Windows. Chilkey tells me it won’t work with macOS and the only way to change things would be to run Windows using Boot Camp. For that reason, Mac users might prefer to avoid this keyboard.
There is an option to switch between Windows and macOS with a keypress or use the interface built into the mini-LCD screen. The keyboard also works with Linux and Android devices. Unfortunately, there are no spare modifier keys in the box for macOS, so if that’s something you insist on, then maybe this one isn’t for you.
The new Chilkey ND 75 LP is available in five colorways: Pure White, Jet Black, Milk Tea, Sky Blue and Lavender. The keycaps all match the surrounding aluminum frame and everything is swappable if you fancy a color change or want to fit different switches for an alternative tactile feedback or sound.
Pricing and Availability:
The Chilkey ND 75 LP is available from the Chilkey website and costs $99.
- Tech Specs:
Model: Chilkey ND 75 LP. - Type: Low-profile, mechanical keyboard.
- Backlight: South-facing RGB.
- Hot-swappable: Yes.
- Stock switch: Chilkey Blue Lotus
- Per key RGB: Yes.
- Keycap material: PCB.
- Backlight modes: 19.
- Mount type: Gasket.
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, 2.4GHz and wired.
- N-Key rollover: Yes.
- Polling rate: 1000Hz.
- Battery capacity: 3,600mAh.
- Dimensions: 322 x 138mm
- Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux, Android.
