The mechanical keyboard is back, and luckily, some manufacturers have found that more people are interested in purchasing one than just gamers. Some brands have already started to produce sleek and compact mechanical keyboards. This is the case of Vissles, which has already prepared a keyboard of low profile which is love at first sight.
The world’s thinnest mechanical keyboard
When we hear “mechanical keyboard”, we usually come to mind a heavy hulk of keys with many lights and a design of the most tacky in the world. For years it has been really difficult to find a sober and elegant mechanical keyboard. One capable of convincing the owner of an Apple Keyboard to put it in the drawer, for example. Luckily, brands like Keychron or Vissles are working on solutions of this type.
The last proposal Vissles has made on his Kickstarter is the LP85, a ultralight keyboard with optical switches and 75% key layout. They asked for $ 12,000 to be able to finance the production and… they have raised ten times more money. And the funny thing is, there are still two weeks left until the closing of the crowdfunding.
Switches, keys and technology
The Vissles LP85 wants to be the more compact and lightweight mechanical keyboard From the market. To do this, it makes use of optical mechanical switches, called N-key, which make use of light to register the pulsation instead of metal parts. In combination with some key caps so thin, you get a low-profile keyboard that also has a sound clicky. This means that it is ideal both for writing for hours, and for playing video games, since the sound of the pulsation will serve as feedback.
The keys have a very short travel, just 1.2 millimeters. They need an actuation force of 50 grams. Its response time is really fast: 0.2 milliseconds.
Design and build
The whole frame of this keyboard is built in aluminum of great quality. Has a total of 85 keys made of ABS plastic and resistant to fingerprints. Count on RGB backlight that we can configure up to 19 different modes. Measures only 12 millimeters high, a little more than the Apple Keyboard, which makes us appreciate the great work underneath this keyboard. In addition to being slim and compact, it is lightweight. The Vissles LP85 weighs only 547 grams.
The keyboard is being offered on Kickstarter with both white and black keys, so the colors are expected to stick when it finally goes on sale.
Connectivity
Regarding connectivity, you can use both wireless as wired USB-C (which is also included in the box). Its distribution at the moment is only ANSI, but it has versions for both macOS as for Windows. It is also possible pair up to 3 devices simultaneously thanks to technology Bluetooth 5.0. We can switch between one computer and another simply by pressing a key.
Price and availability
The Vissles LP85 still has units available on Kickstarter, and they ship to the whole world. This ultra-low-profile keyboard is expected to hit general sale in 2022. Both the Mac model and the Windows version are being sold on the platform for 99 dollars, which seems like a really attractive price considering the premium features that the keyboard has. Its price will probably increase when it reaches the general public.
We do not know if there will be an ISO version of this keyboard, but if you are interested, we suggest you give the manufacturer a bit of cane through social networks so that they are encouraged to open up to the European market, since the product is worth it.
