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Tag: mechanical keyboards

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Yuzu Keycaps Review: Custom Keycaps for Weird Keyboard Layouts

This week I opened a box I had been waiting weeks for: my first fully custom keycap set.

Quick Answer: Is Yuzu Keycaps Worth It?

Yuzu Keycaps is worth considering if you need a custom keycap set for an unusual keyboard layout, want colors or legends that standard sets do not offer, or are trying to build something more personal than an off-the-shelf kit. It is not the cheapest way to buy keycaps, but the set I ordered looked professional enough that you would not know it was custom-made.

Best For Why Yuzu Works
Unusual keyboard layouts You can design around nonstandard key sizes and legends
Custom color schemes Yuzu offers a large color library instead of a fixed kit
PBS or PFF profiles Useful if you want newer profile options that are not common in mass-market sets
One-off personal designs Good for making a set that does not look like everyone else’s keyboard
Budget keycap shopping Probably not the best fit; generic sets are cheaper

Why Buy Custom Keycaps

If you’ve ever bought a keyboard with an unusual layout—or just wanted something no one else has—you’ve probably run into the same problem I did: standard keycap sets don’t fit your needs.

I’m a collector of keyboards and I have:

  • Ortholinear keyboards
  • Split Keyboards
  • Keyboards with Enter, Tab, Shift, and Backspace keys in atypical sizes
  • Low Profile Keyboards

But beyond that, sometimes you want to create something no one else has, or some other variation. The design sites for these services are relatively easy, but putting together an entire design is not always easy.

The Options Explored

I opted to order from Yuzu, who offers Cherry, KAM, and what prompted me to order, the recent introduction of PBS and PFF profiles. PFF is a low profile keycap profile that only recently was designed. They also offer a lot of different color choices.

There are two other purchase alternatives:

  • FKKeycaps, who offers custom MDA, Cherry, XDA, DSA, LPF, SLK and MBK. SLK and LBF are also low profile keycaps that work with MX style low profile switches, and MBK, which only works on Choc V1 switches. FKKeycaps only seems to offer one single color of keycap.
  • Thockfactory, who offer only Cherry profile. Their price for Cherry is lower than the competition, but they don’t allow for custom layouts, only several presets, but they allow a variety of colors.

The Profiles Explained

If you look down at your keyboard now, you may notice one of two things. The keycaps are all the same shape and height. This is called uniform. Where each row is a different shape and height, that would be a sculpted profile.  Typists who rely on the subtle angle changes of a sculpted profile to orient their fingers may take a short time to adjust.

Standard Switch Profilesyou

  • Cherry –  one of the most recognizable and popular sculpted keycap profiles. It has a maximum height of 9.4mm with a cylindrical top.
  • DSA – uniform profile with a height of 7.6mm and a spherical top
  • XDA –  uniform profile with a 9.1mm height and spherical top as well as a larger surface area than DSA
  • KAM – uniform profile with a 9.1mm height and spherical top and a surface area in between DSA and XDA
  • MDA – sculpted profile with a maximum height of 12.36mm and a spherical top
  • SLK – A 7.5mm uniform spherical keycap that extends below the typical bottom of a switch
  • PBS – uniform profile with a height of 7.5mm tall, which makes it similar in height to DSA, but combines cylindrical front-to-back curvature with a spherical scoop

Low Profile Switch Profiles

Generally speaking, low profile keycaps are uniform.

  • PFF – 5mm tall, using the same cylindrical front-to-back curvature with a spherical scoop used in PBS, which makes it one of the few low profile keycaps that isn’t flat
  • LPF and MBK – are only compatible with Choc V1 low profile switches. Choc V1 switches can be lower than low profile MX switches, which PFF supports, but there is a lot less variety in general.

Yuzu: A Review

In terms of flexibility, Yuzu can’t be beat with over 300 colors. This allows you to pick colors, fonts, icons and graphics to create sets that no one has.

It is the ultimate in customization for keyboard enthusiasts. I placed an order when they started offering PBS, and received my first custom design a few weeks later…the delay due to the popularity of the new offering creating a backlog. You would not be able to tell these were custom keycaps. They look as good as the commercial ones. Why? Because Yuzu is a project of Keyreative, a commercial keycap manufacturer. Keyreative started out as an OEM manufacturer of keycaps before branching out into direct sales, so they are already the manufacturer of many keycap sets.

At the end, custom keycaps aren’t as cheap as generic sets, but they are comparable with more boutique sets. I opted for the below custom set, which is based on the popular Space Cadet design. Space Cadet was a keyboard designed in 1978 and used on LISP machines at MIT. I made some mistakes on my first foray into this, but Yuzu created a professional grade set of keycaps for me at a price that is comparable to a high quality set.

 

A QAZ style keyboard with custom PBS keycaps based on the popular Space Cadet design

 

Published on April 23, 2026
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Compact travel keyboard with laptop and backpack, illustrating the best travel keyboards in 2026
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Best Travel Keyboards in 2026: Mechanical, Foldable, and Portable Options

updated May 15, 2026

The best travel keyboard in 2026 depends on whether you need something foldable, mechanical, ultra-light, or wireless. Here are the best portable keyboards for working on the go.

Quick Picks: Best Travel Keyboards in 2026

The best travel keyboard depends less on one perfect product and more on what you can actually tolerate carrying. A keyboard for a hotel desk, a coffee shop, a train seat, and a cramped tray table are not necessarily the same thing.

Use Case Best Keyboard Type Why
Best overall travel keyboard Low-profile mechanical keyboard Good typing feel without taking over your bag
Best ultra-portable option 40% or compact keyboard Small enough for tight spaces, but requires a learning curve
Best foldable option Foldable keyboard or split keyboard Easy to pack, though typing feel varies dramatically
Best commuter keyboard Quiet low-profile or scissor-switch keyboard Less annoying in shared spaces
Best mechanical travel keyboard Compact hotswap mechanical keyboard Customizable switches and layout without full-size bulk

There are a few approaches to travel keyboards. In previous years, we discussed folding keyboards as a possible solution. But a lot of those do not have the typing experience of a mechanical keyboard. So how can you get the customizable typing experience you want while on the go? All of my thoughts below use open source firmware for maximum customizability, and hotswap switch options where offered. In making

If you care more about thinness than switch feel, a scissor-switch board may be the better travel keyboard than a tiny mechanical board.

If you are looking for something other than a mechanical keyboard, you can consider something like the Keychron B series. These are scissor switch keyboards, a popular choice on laptops, but they offer full customizability with ZMK open source firmware. The smallest is the Keychron B1 Pro, at $33.99 but if your travel needs allow, you can get larger ones.

The next option would be a low profile mechanical keyboard. There are a lot of good options there.  Keychron, which makes a variety of mid-market keyboards, offers Ultra-Slim QMK open source KS-33 low profile mechanical switch keyboards. They offer a 75% at the lowest rate, the K3 QMK at $74.99 at the time this was published. They make a smaller 65% version as well.

If you want to bump up a level, you can go for a Nuphy low profile. Nuphy offers their Air series. The v2 series uses QMK open source firmware, and the newer v3 has reverted back to proprietary software, so for now would recommend the v2. I bought a used original version of this keyboard, acquiring used versions of both the 60 and the 75, both of which suffered from battery swelling, which is apparently not uncommon, but the ones I got used work perfectly well wired without a battery. Nuphy does not sell replacement batteries and tried to talk me into buying a new one. The Air60v2 is currently $109.95 and the Air75v2 is at $101.95.

The next option for portability is something that isn’t usually used for portability at all. Split keyboards. Split keyboards are usually a preference of individuals for ergonomic reasons. But a split also means your keyboard divides into two pieces. While there are a lot of unique layouts for these, you can get traditional layouts, just in two pieces. There is the Epomaker Split65. Epomaker does suffer from reports of inconsistent quality, but they are a popular budget brand. If you are willing to build, you can go over to companies like Keebio. They offer a kit and an assembled set of split keyboards, like the 65% Quefrency. They also offer the 60% FoldKB.

At the moment, my preference is for a 40% keyboard. These are keyboards that have less than 50 keys. There are a variety of layouts for these. While there are 40% made by bigger companies like Keychron, such as their Q9, you have to go a bit off the open path to find a bit more variety. I have my other site, selling supplies for these tiny keyboards, called Mechdreams, where you can see some of these. These small keyboards are great for small spaces, and you can fit one in your pocket, or even on your belt, and they are fully functional keyboards, although there is a learning curve.

So, what does this tell us? The best travel keyboard is the smallest or thinnest you can fit in your bag and still enjoy using.

 

Published on February 20, 2026
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Best Keyboard for Travel: What Actually Works on the Road?

In my previous writing, about using a Mini PC on the Go, I mentioned a 60-65% keyboard as the right size in my opinion for travel. So, what are the different types of keyboards?

  • Full-size
  • Tenkeyless(TKL) – A tenkeyless is the same size as a full-size keyboard, but omits the number pad.
  • 75%  – condenses the function keys
  • 65% – usually retains the arrow keys while condensing the other function keys.
  • 60% – removes the function and navigation keys
  • 40% – the smallest keyboard

Updated note: This article is more of a practical reflection on what makes a keyboard good for travel. For a current buyer-focused guide, see my updated list of the best travel keyboards in 2026.

I have long since given up on full sized keyboards. All my home keyboards are TKL. This is something of a practical issue. I’m left-handed, and the number pad is on the right side of the keyboard, favoring right handed typists. In the rare cases when you need it, you can try for a keypad such as this inexpensive one from Kisnt, which has Red, Brown, and Blue switch options and PBT keycaps already.

40% is too small. I know people are very passionate about this size once you get used to the combinations to use it. The most economical 40% I found was at the local Microcenter.

For my latest attempt, I opted for a 65% Keychron K6 that was discounted at the time I purchased it and is still reasonable. The K6 is bluetooth and USB-C, but has a hardware rather than a software switch between wireless and wired. Some models of the K6 are hotswappable, meaning you can change the switches.. Compare that to the well reviewed Royal Kludge RK68, which has a software switch. 65% gets you the arrow keys, which I do enjoy having as dedicated functions.

I previously used a 60%, and tried several variations, but missed those arrow keys. However, if I opt to try a 60% again, I might try the Royal Kludge RK61, which is not only hot-swappable, but has QMK/VIA support…which allows you to remap the keys to a configuration of your liking. Since I’m on a Keychron kick of late, they have the K12. The Pro Version has the QMK/VIA support.

By the time you get to 75%, you might as well carry around your tenkeyless on a trip, thus making the 65% percent the perfect compromise between the two.

 

Published on March 25, 2024
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Keychron C3 Pro Review: A Budget Mechanical Keyboard That Still Makes Sense

 

I have a problem. I keep buying mechanical keyboards. I only have one set of hands, and I don’t type with my feet, so why do I keep buying new ones? Partially because I’m hard on my keyboards. I gave up on non-mechanical keyboards years ago, but I didn’t buy really expensive ones. I bought a moderately priced ones. And I keep looking for new options in that. The pictures you see are the Keychron C3 Pro Keyboard. This particular model, an Amazon exclusive, retails for more, but I was able to get it for $29.99 on sale, which made it worth a try. I’m typing this post on it right now.

Quick Answer: Is the Keychron C3 Pro Worth It?

The Keychron C3 Pro is worth considering if you want an inexpensive mechanical keyboard that feels better than the price suggests and gives you useful enthusiast features like QMK/VIA support. The original non-hotswap version is still fine as a budget board, but the newer RGB hotswap version is the better choice if the price difference is small.

Version Best For Tradeoff
Original Keychron C3 Pro Cheap entry into mechanical keyboards Switches are not hotswappable
RGB hotswap C3 Pro Better long-term tinkering and switch swaps Costs a little more
Higher-end Keychron boards More features, layouts, and materials More expensive than the C3 Pro

The keyboard comes in two switch varieties, red and brown. It offers a red backlight. The keycaps are replaceable, but the switches are not. Keychron makes plenty of keyboards that allow you to swap the switches as well. It is well-built for a budget keyboard, and neither version is overly loud, something people tend to comment on with these keyboards. It has many of the features a more expensive keyboard would.

I’m clearly not a keyboard aficionado, despite my keyboard purchases. I have generally bought budget mechanical keyboards, there are too many color switches I don’t have an opinion on…I don’t know the lingo. The feature that interested me particularly is something called QMK/VIA. The feature allows reprogramming the mapping of the keyboard. Never use your Scroll Lock key? Turn it into a Mute button for Zoom. Build macros into the keyboard instead of software. Certainly an interesting thing to play with. With a few custom keycaps…you can repurpose keys you barely use.

If you are interested in quieter typing, see my guide to building a silent keyboard on a budget.

There are upgraded models from Keychron, and competing models from other companies, but for the price and features, I doubt they can beat it…especially if you get it at $30.

Update: April 2024 – Keychron is now offering the C3 Pro in an RGB hot swappable variation for only $10 more than the regular price of the variation they originally released.

Published on January 26, 2024
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