CORSAIR - K100 Air Wireless Full-Size Bluetooth RGB Mechanical Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile Switch Gaming Keyboard - Black

This is a great keyboard, that’s easy to type on, great ergonomics, mechanical keys, and overall premium looking with its aluminum body (Photo 1). It allows you to connect to 5 devices simultaneously (Wired, slipstream/dongle, and 3 Bluetooth devices) and switching between them is quick and easy. Then as a bonus, loaded with RGB. Dimensions/Ergonomics This is a full-size keyboard with keypad. Due to how low it gets I do not see the need of having to worry about using a wrist rest, thus allowing more space on your desk. Overall, it measures 43.6 cm in width, 15.3 cm in depth, and weighs around just 1.8lbs. For the 3 levels of height, it measured 1.6cm at its lowest, 2.0cm using the small riser, and 2.8cm with the large risers up. Quality I love the quality of this keyboard. It feels solid while also weighing less than 2lbs. The aluminum body looks fantastic and provides no flex in the keyboard. Keys feel stable under each press and the ridges on F and J are very imminent compared to my laptop keyboard (Photo 2 - K100 & 3 - laptop keyboard) allowing me to find my spot back easily. At the bottom you will find a nice art design going across the keyboard along with rubber feet along the lower level of the keyboard and around the risers (Photo 4). RGB The K100 Air comes with 10 presents for RGB effects. Pressing the same present again keeps the effect but changes the color. Using the companion software allows you to fully customize the RGB effects and even allows keys to be individually customized. All buttons light up with the RGB including secondary key functions and the logo at the top of the keyboard (Photo 5). The keyboard also allows you to adjust between 5 levels of brightness with the press of a button. Features This laptop is loaded with features and dedicated keys for them. At the top left you will find dedicated keys for individual profiles, brightness adjustments, and window key lock. On the top right is dedicated media functions, such as skip back, play/pause, skip forward, mute, and a scroll bar used for volume. Then above the number pads are dedicated buttons for each of the 3 Bluetooth, hardwire, and slipstream connections (Photo 5) Finally, in the middle you will find key indicators such as wireless on, slipstream activated, battery level (only when wired), and number lock on. Downsides Let’s just get the obvious one out of the way. Almost $300 for a keyboard is not going to be for everyone. The price is even harder to swallow when you realize you can’t replace the keys if one breaks, unlike other keyboards at a cheaper cost. Last issue I had with this keyboard is the glass black on the top of it. I am not a fan of glass black. As soon as I removed the “protected tape” off the gloss screen I could see scratches already. Then after using it for the past couple hours it has already accumulated dust and fingerprints (Photo 6).

I've never in my life spent this much on a keyboard. I've been using a custom 60% for a while now. I thought that was my "end game" keyboard - and, for many of you, it still is. This keyboard is made for a very specific (for the sake of argument, I'll say niche) group of people. It's made to be good at multiple different things at once, without being particularly great or innovative at any single one of them.. Though, there is something to be said for the fact that it's 11-17mm thick (bottom-top respectively) and is mechanical - that's crazy thin. As a digital marketer, content creator, freelance web, graphic/print marketing and brand designer, I had grown to miss the typing experience and aesthetic that low-profile "professional" keyboards provided; and I needed my number pad back something fierce. Pros: - An absolute DREAM to type on. This is like if the Logitech MX keys and an RGB "gamer" keyboard had a baby. - It's BEAUTIFUL. Pictures and video just do not do this thing justice. It has just enough 'gamer' aesthetic to make it look good and give it that "fun/gamer" appeal, without looking OVERLY gamer-y so it fits in well in a professional (or really any) environment and looks darn good doing it. - Wireless and Bluetooth/2.4ghz/multi-device compatible. I needed to be able to switch between my desktop and several different laptops and devices easily and this does that well. - RGB. Obviously as a gamer I have a love of all things RGB and this is no exception. It fits right into my "gamer" setup when I want it to, but also looks "professional" when I need it to. I could bring this thing to work with me if I wanted to and it would be just as "at home" there as it is with my personal setup at home. That being said, it's there and I'm glad that it is, but the RGB is nothing to write home about here and is not really this keyboards selling point. - ULTRA Low profile - if you're balking at the price, you either aren't in the market for this keyboard anyway, or you don't understand R&D and costs associated with that. This is an 11mm-17mm thick MECHANICAL keyboard. Even if I think there were missed opportunities here (and there were a few, more below) I still have to freely admit that this took some effort on Corsair's part that is worth the monetary reward to recoup their costs and make a little extra. Cons: I have three concerns and two minor/potential concerns, which I knocked a star off for: 1. I am pretty sure the key caps that are non-replaceable and are also ABS. So when they wear out I'm not sure what the options are, short of buying another $300 keyboard. 2. The "G1" key on my unit was not seated properly. Instead of bringing it back to the store, I tried to fix it myself by pressing it back down onto the switch. It seems to have worked and be fine for now and hopefully that does not turn into something more major in the future. 3. (Potential concern) this keyboard cannot be disassembled, which is part of the appeal to the mechanical keyboards most of us grew up with. The keys are not even removable - so I don't have a clue how you're supposed to clean this thing and keep it working in tip-top shape. As of now, I'm aiming to not let it get dirty in the first place... We'll see how far that goes. Which brings me to this thought: I'd be remiss if i didn't mention that a simple Corsair branded dust cover would have been the perfect opportunity to add a little bit more value to the package for the whopping $280USD they are asking on this. See the ASUS/ROG Falchion as an example... It didn't even need to be hard plastic and could have just as easily been a bag or some type of fabric cover. 4th and so far the most minor concern - the shiny black plastic looks awesome, but also cheap at the same time if that's possible. It scratches very, very easily and could have been done a lot better than it was at this price point. Even a microfiber cloth causes faint scratches it's so cheap. I also would like to know if using indicator lights underneath the shiny plastic piece at the top of the board was an active decision made by somebody at Corsair? That's a HUGE missed opportunity. Especially considering that Corsair developed Icue and the Nexus software that could have easily (and cheaply) been integrated into the board, instead of using cheap plastic with indicator lights underneath. For the price, this would have been an absolutely PHENOMENAL addition and would have likely opened this board up as an option to a much larger audience. Especially considering that there is no way to attach the Nexus itself to this board. Conclusion: If you're a "gamer" only that is into the custom keyboard scene - this likely isn't the keyboard for you. If you're a content creator or professional of some type that misses the ability to work on their computer and do other tasks besides just gaming and content consumption and you care about things like a number pad, device compatibility, ergonomics, and minimalist aesthetics, this could be the one you've been waiting for. While not necessarily being the 'best' at any single one of these things, you'd be hard pressed to find another option on the market that can tick all these boxes and still innovate just enough to push the ultra low profile scene a little bit further in the process.

Over the years, I've tried so many different keyboards trying to find the right fit for my setup. I run both a Mac and a Windows gaming laptop and have always enjoyed the sleekness and typing experience of an Apple Magic Keyboard, but needed Bluetooth for easy use with both systems and RGB lighting to make gaming sessions in the dark easier. I can safely say this is THAT keyboard that ends my never ending quest to find the "perfect keyboard". This keyboard is incredibly responsive. The short key throw makes for a laptop keyboard lover like myself have my highest WPM off the laptop. The lighting is uniform. There is absolutely zero key wobble, unlike other low profile mechanical keyboard brands. It's price\is steep, but if you like low profile keyboards, this is the holy grail. Worth every penny.

The amazing: - The cherry ultra low profile keys are simply amazing - short throw, very fast, but with wonderful tactile feedback. They are the best I have ever used. - The body is thin to the point of elegance, it is very solid, but small and light enough to take advantage of the wireless mobility. The pictures do not do it justice. - Both the slipstream wireless and USB wired connections are fast with no noticeable latency. The limitations: - There is zero Linux support. You have to run icue software on Windows to do anything - pairing, firmware updates, and RGB profile configuration. You can save some RGB profiles to the keyboard hardware, and these will work without icue, such as when connected to Linux. But you have to do at least the initial configuration on Windows. - The RGB configuration with icue is quite complex. Partly this is because you can have different profiles for Hardware and Software on each of the five connections (slipstream, wired, and three bluetooth.) That's ten different profiles, and there is a steep learning curve in setting them all up. Then the software is not reliable - I managed to get the hardware and software wireless profiles set correctly, but my software wired profile comes up solid red no matter what I do. Their troubleshooting guide suggests resetting the keyboard and starting over, but I've already rebooted way too many times back and forth between Linux and Windows to start over. Come on - this needs to be made simpler, and it needs to work. The strange: - OK, I get it that these ultra low profile keys don't illuminate the whole key properly. Some other manufacturers started placing the labels for regular and uppercase side-by-side on the top of the key. That's bad enough, but this keyboard puts the uppercase symbols on the bottom, and the regular case symbols on the top. This is absurd - the standard layout is over 50 years old, and the UPPER CASE is supposed to be on the top. Even this keyboard's shift keys have arrow symbols pointing up. So why are the uppercase symbols on the bottom? Stupid. See the attached photo - it's truly strange. Summary: This keyboard is so close to perfect, but I have to deduct a star for the lack of Linux support, the complexity of icue, and the bizarre symbol layout.

I've had this keyboard for three months, and while it was quite the splurge (even on sale), I have not regretted the purchase at all. I enjoy the RGB customizability and they way it integrates with my other Corsair hardware. I have also used the ability to customize the individual keystroke actions more than I expected. For example, I found my left palm accidentally pressing the Windows key sometimes while gaming. I was able to move this functionality over to the right side default menu key instead. One thing I saw consistently mentioned in other reviews was the space bar sometimes being squeaky on press. I have noticed this but very rarely. It seems to happen primarily when the room is very cold. It is a bit annoying when I notice it, but 95% of the time it doesn't happen so it would not prevent me from purchasing this keyboard. The keys are definitely "clickier" than my previous Cougar Vantar chiclet style keyboard (which lasted me 6 years before the space bar key broke completely). I know it's not "mainstream", but I miss the sort of "squishier" feeling of those keys. It is worth the trade off for the better quality build and (hopefully) longer lasting hardware. The sound is somewhere between a traditional mechanical keyboard and a laptop keyboard. I do love the low travel and after a week of adjustment, I have no trouble typing on it. I think the only true complaint I have is that the Function keys are just a tiny bit too far away to be 100% comfortable for my small hands. But I have adjusted and it's not been bad. If you're on the fence, definitely give this keyboard a try! There's a good chance you'll be happy with it.