Redragon K552P Mechanical Gaming Keyboard TKL with 18 Backlight Modes, Hot-Swappable Red Switches, 87-Key Compact Ergonomic Design, N-Key Rollover & Software Programmable Macro - RGB, Black

I had been contently using basic keyboards for years at work and home, without a second thought. Then, a few weeks ago, a colleague introduced me to the world of mechanical keyboards. At first I thought it was a little bit stupid that this was even a thing to be excited about. But immediately after talking to that person, I knew I needed to have one. This is why Prime exists - It was a purchase that couldn't wait. I always liked the feeling of those old school IBM keyboards. I'm not much of a gamer, but I do use a keyboard all day long for work - programming, writing documents, endlessly revising wording in controversial emails, etc - so why not invest in a keyboard that makes me a little happier during that time?I chose this keyboard because it had the clicky blue switches, looked solid, had nice RGB, was tenkeyless, and had an overall good reputation. I was not disappointed when I received it. It feels very satisfying to type on. The tenkeyless form factor is perfect for me - I had never used num pads, but would find it frustrating not to have dedicated arrows, function keys, and Insert / Home / etc they way they are here. With the RGB, I find myself sticking to the mode where all keys are one static color. The flashy effects are distracting to me, but might be inspiring to some folks. The typing angle is comfortable with or without the legs extended, but the keyboard slides around the table a bit without them.There was another very similar Redragon keyboard (Visnu) that I was also considering. I went with the Kumura because it has a more compact form factor.Now that I've been sucked into the mechanical keyboard world, here's what I think I would change. (Many other reviewers have already mentioned all of these things). The keyboard has a little bit too much of a "gamer" look to it, partly due to the font of the keycaps. It sounds like PBT keycaps have a nicer feel to them than the stock ABS ones anyway, so I would consider swapping to a custom set at some point. The raised Redragon logo is also a little bit too "gamer" looking too - I noticed that some other Redragon keyboards have a more subtle logo. A detachable cable, and maybe Bluetooth, would be nice too. I enjoy the clicky switches a lot, but am curious to try tactile but non-clicky switches which are apparently a little less obnoxious in an office environment. (Like many folks, I have been working from home during COVID). Maybe I would go with a white keyboard too.Overall, I think the Kumura succeeds in being a very nice entry into mechanical keyboards. It was under $40 when I purchased it. In retrospect, I would also have considered something like the Ajazz K870T, which is about $60 but has the features left on my wish list. But then again, $60 sounded like it was out of my price range at that point.UPDATEHere's an update after three years. This keyboard is still my daily driver, and I have modded it a bit.- Rubbed out the logo on the front of the keyboard with an eraser.- After about year one, I swapped out the stock keycaps for a set of Matcha PBT dye subs with ZDA profile (ASIN: B08QJGH5VT). These were about $38.- About 1.5 years later, I swapped out the clicky blue switches for Akko Jelly Blacks (ASIN: B09K7QX9QK). These are linear with a bit of resistance, and are compatible with the Outemu sockets in the board. It costed about $34 for two boxes of switches.- I lubed the switches and stabilizers with the lube from this kit (ASIN: B09YLLVGX4).- I added a slab of mass-loaded vinyl to the case to dampen some of the case noise. This also makes the keyboard much heavier, which I prefer. A 12" x 12" square of MLV costed about $10.I have enjoyed tinkering with the keyboard and trying various mods suggested on YouTube. One particular channel that inspired me is Consumer Tech Review. The look, sound, and feel has changed substantially from the stock setup. Especially with the clicky actuation gone, most of the sound comes from keys bottoming out and feel comes from the anticipation of them bottoming out from when they are pressed. The Matcha keycaps completely change the vibe from "gamery" to "retro" / "enthusiast". The RGB doesn't shine through these, but it does show up in the gaps between keys which is good enough for me. It's kind of stupid, but the sensory experience of the keyboard makes working just a little bit more pleasurable, and it's been interesting to vary the experience through the customizations.The budget TKL market seems competitive now, but I like this one because the case is solid and the PCB has been reliable. More recent keyboards include things like gaskets to improve the feel and layers of foam to improve the sound. I'm curious to see what kind of differences those things make in person, but I am also trying to avoid blowing too much money on this stuff. The main thing on my wish list would be a detachable USB cable. It appears possible to do that by soldering and making some alterations to the case, so that's an option.

Reviewed: White w/ RGB lights, blue switchesOverall rating: 9/10 (36/40 = 90% recommendation)After doing alot of research, I chose this keyboard based on a few factors that were very important to me: PRICE, QUALITY, FUNCTION, & AESTHETICS. As I was in the market for a keyboard for the purposes of typing, gaming is not a factor in this review. Overall, I think this keyboard delivered pretty well in almost all areas that were key in my purchasing decision.Price: 10/10Of course I would always want the lowest price possible, but I think given the quality and features of this keyboard, the price is pretty reasonable - especially considering that it feels substantial (overall good build quality, metal construction) and the high number of very customizable lighting effects. At this price, from what I could find, this keyboard simply can't be beat.Quality: 10/10I am really impressed by how solid this keyboard feels. The base is sturdy, the LEDs are very bright (with beautifully smooth transitions), and the blue switches provide delicious tactile and audible feedback. It makes this keyboard truly a joy to use (yes, I am writing this review with it right now!). The keycaps themselves are a hard plastic that adds to the well-made and solid feeling of the keyboard overall.Function: 7/10While overall the keyboard is received is perfectly functional, I was ideally looking for one in this same style (white, RGB, mechanical), but with a 10 key number pad built in as well. It just does not exist for the most part. There are other brands that provide the 10 key functionality, but based on those reviews they are either not good quality, or in my search others were out of the price range for what I was willing to spend. Additionally, I use a Mac - while this keyboard is basically compatible, I would love to see some options for an RGB mechanical keyboard that is more made for Mac. This one gets the job done - but it does leave some to be desired as far as dedicated features go. As I stated earlier under quality, the function of the keys is incredibly satisfying to type on. I have also found the functions to choose the color pattern and speed of the LEDs to be straightforward and easy to use. I am particularly impressed by the smooth, beautiful transitions and fades of the built-in patterns.Aesthetics: 9/10Finally - I was specifically looking for a white mechanical keyboard with RGB functionality. I know that this limited my options substantially right off the bat. I chose this one because the layout is simple and beautiful, the range and possibility of LED color combinations, and for its compact size (if I couldn't find a 10 key option, I figured my next best bet was to choose one that was reasonably compact). The font of the keycaps is not a personal favorite of mine, so I could see myself potentially changing out the keycaps at some point, but that is a low priority for me in the grand scheme. Overall, this keyboard looks great on my desk and I am really pleased with the compact size and the white color. Other than not having a 10 key option, this keyboard was aesthetically almost EXACTLY what I had envisioned.Overall I am very satisfied with this keyboard and I am happy that I chose it. I will update this review should anything change or if I realize I forgot to mention any important aspects. I hope this review has been helpful to you, and thanks for reading!

High quality in feel and sound, functions as a wired keyboard should, keycap coloration is neat. In my opinion, a great keyboard for its price class. Only gripe is proprietary software for the RGB which, even though it does work well, all peripherals should really be able to work with OpenRGB and similar programs by now. Still, this is a minor gripe with an otherwise excellent product, and I would and have recommended this keyboard to friends and family, and I look forwards to using this keyboard for years to come.