REVIEW – We get offered a lot of mechanical keyboards to review, and some are more interesting than others – the Royal Kludge N80 is one of those that got my attention. Despite the brand name, this is anything but a kludge, and this board has a lot to offer. The OLED display on this low-profile mechanical board set it apart, but that display can do so much more than tell time. Read on to see what this is all about!
What is it?
The N80 is a low profile, 80 key (75%), multi-mode wireless mechanical keyboard by Royal Kludge. Friendly to both Windows and Mac, the N80 features a programmable display with rotary dial and delivers an excellent typing experience.
Royal Kludge has been around since 2015, and started with a focus on gaming keyboards. Over time that focus has shifted, but the gaming roots are often apparent in their product lines. We’ve featured a few reviews for their keyboards since 2021.
What’s included?
- 1 x Royal Kludge N80 mechanical keyboard
- 1 x Type-C-USB Cable
- 1 x 2.4G Dongle
- 4 x Spare Switches
- 1 x Keycap & Switch Puller
- 1 x User Manual
Tech specs
Click to expand
| Layout | 80 key, 75% with knob + display |
|
Key Switch
|
Red or Brown |
| Low profile | |
| Hot swappable with RK LP switches | |
|
Red switch specs (as reviewed)
|
Operating force: 40±5gf |
| Pre-travel: 1.2±0.4mm | |
| Total travel: 3.2±0.4mm | |
|
Brown switch specs
|
Operating force: 45±10gf |
| Pre-travel: 1.5±0.4mm | |
| Total travel: 3.2±0.4mm | |
| Additional Ports | 1x USB-C pass through |
| Dimensions | 13″ x 5.6″ x 11″ |
| Weight | 1lb 15oz |
| Lighting | RGB |
| Battery | 3750mAh |
| Keycaps | ABS double shot |
| Supported OS | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| Connection modes | Bluetooth, wired, 2.4ghz |
Design and features
Royal Kludge has their roots in gaming boards, but have managed to pull off a sophisticated look on the N80. Reviewed in the ‘Sandy Grey’ colorway, this keyboard has an understated appearance that would easily fit in at the office. If red is more your speed, there is also a ‘Dune Red’ option.
Low profile mechanical keyboards tend to come in smaller cases than their full size counterparts, and a back to back comparison of the Royal Kludge N80 and Royal Kludge S70 illustrate this below. While relatively small, I’d stop short of calling this a ‘travel’ keyboard at nearly 2lbs – though it is certainly easier to stash in the backpack than a full size mechanical keyboard.
The default keycaps have a uniform, generally flat profile with ‘F’ and ‘J’ featuring homing bars. These keycaps aren’t shine through, with the per-key RGB shining through the key gaps.
The rotary dial and display really shine here, with excellent detail found in the dial knurling. There is a satisfying click from the dial whenever it’s depressed, and this is easily the best implementation of an on-board display I’ve seen from the perspective of utility and design.
From an ergonomics perspective, I’m glad to see a couple tenting options on the bottom of the Royal Kludge N80 mechanical keyboard. With this being a relatively skinny case, your existing palm rest may actually sit higher than the bottom of the board which may affect typing comfort. I’ve been gravitating to low profile boards lately since I find I don’t need a palm rest to type comfortably on them – your ergonomic needs may of course vary here.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
Out of the box the Royal Kludge N80 is ready to go. The rotary dial and screen makes pairing over bluetooth or selecting either wired or 2.4ghz connections a breeze. If you’re happy with the stock layout that’s all you need to do, but if you’re interested in customization, Royal Kludge has a decent companion software available.
Within the desktop app you’ll be able to configure key binds, RGB modes, and upload a GIF for the screen to display if you’d like. Supposedly there is a macro configuration option somewhere in here, though I haven’t managed to find it. The process for customization is otherwise intuitive, and straight forward to apply.
Performance
Typing on the Royal Kludge N80 mechanical keyboard over the last month has been an absolute pleasure, and given the sound profile it’s become my main keyboard in the office. The dampening layers within the case, along with the red switches make a great pair. I would put the loudness of the keyboard as just a touch louder than a membrane board, but with a deeper profile and without the annoying plasticky sound that a membrane board would tend to carry. It’s a generally satisfying, and entirely unoffensive typing experience.
What really makes the Royal Kludge N80 stand out to me is their implementation of a display and rotary knob. Other keyboards with a display that I’ve gotten my hands on use it primarily for displaying status or perhaps showing an image/gif. The N80 does this, but also allows you to configure the board directly through this interface. This is an absolute game changer – no more needing to memorize key binds to switch BT profiles or adjust the RGB’s… all of this is easily done through the display. I’ve put together a brief video, sped up 2x to demo several of the options available quickly from the display.
Battery life is decent – running without RGB’s you’ll get a couple weeks between charges, though the RGB’s will drop that to around three work days. If you opt for the display to give you the status view, you’ll see battery percentage and not have to guess if you’re running low or not.
What I like about Royal Kludge N80 keyboard
- Excellent size and sound profile for general typing needs in an office setting (or anywhere you don’t want to cause a disturbance).
- Display is genuinely useful and makes changing settings on the fly a breeze.
- Low profile switches and solid case design.
What needs to be improved?
- Macro editing appears to be missing from the customization software.
- Unclear if the switches can be swapped in from other brands.
Final thoughts
I had picked up a different Royal Kludge board in the S70 to hold me over for the Dygma Raise 2 and was really surprised with the value of the S70 in a typically niche format. The N80 is also an excellent value board which pays attention to the details. Low profile, hot swappable switches, RGB, multimode wireless, and tenting round out a well built board under $150, or even less than $100 when found on a sale. Royal Kludge is striking the right balance in features and cost which belies the name of their brand – and the N80 is my new favorite office board.
Price: $109.00
Where to buy: Royal Kludge, Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Royal Kludge. Royal Kludge did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
