Ultra-thin low profile mechanical keyboard from Havit is among the best of it’s price class.
Mechanical keyboards tend to be quite large and very heavy compared to regular keyboards, but it doesn’t have to be that way. As proven with this ultra-thin and reasonably priced mechanical keyboard with a surprisingly high level of performance.
Havit KB395L Review Summary
Havit is quite known for their ‘value for money’ factor such as with the MS794 gaming mouse, and this keyboard is not much different. While it is not an actual ”budget” product like most Havit gear, it does hold an unusually high amount of value for money.
For a keyboard in its price range, it has so much on offer. Most of which you usually have to pay a lot of extra money for. Such as actual RGB backlighting. RGB stands for Red, Green, and Blue and just mean that you can customize the backlight to be any color under the sun. On top of choosing colors, there are plenty of excellent LED modes and patterns you can choose from. All of which is done through a convenient shortcut on the keyboard.
While this keyboard is a visual treat, it is not all it offers. It is sporting blue switches from Kailh which gives it very decent tactile feedback as well as a crisp mechanical sound. If you are not sure how mechanical switches work then read this guide.
Admittedly this is the first time for me reviewing an ”ultra-thin” mechanical keyboard, and I was quite skeptical, to begin with. Just because everything comes at a price. For a keyboard to be thinned down, you will need to sacrifice either the switches, some of the interior or the keys themselves. Luckily, all that has been sacrificed is 7mm of the keys which is quite a lot and definitely takes some time getting used to. Whether or not the thinned down keys are a useful feature or not comes down to you. The keyboard feels noticeably different than a regular mechanical keyboard but it still has a really crisp and tactile feel.
Personally, I do slightly prefer regular mechanical switches over the thinned down version but that is mostly about my personal preferences and not because the switches are worse.
Conclusion
The Havit KB395L is an excellent value for money keyboard that has so much to offer at a very reasonable price. And while the thinned down keycaps are a bit different than what most are used to it is not that big a deal. Seeing as the switches themselves remain more or less the same, but it is the original keycap that has been thinned down.
I would definitely recommend this mechanical beauty from Havit. It not only looks incredible but also has enough mechanical feel and performance to compete with some of the best mechanical keyboards out there.
In-depth review: Performance
Let us start out with the most critical factor for any piece of gaming equipment, performance. In the end, it doesn’t matter how beautiful the backlighting look or how slick the design is if the performance is lacking.
Mechanical feel & Switches
Fortunately for Havit, they did not sacrifice much regarding feel and performance for its slick looks. The blue kailh switches work beautifully with the thinned down keycaps and have the same crisp sound as regular sized blue switches. Do note that blue switches are the loudest type of mechanical switches so do make sure that your spouse or roommate don’t mind the extra noise before you buy a blue switched mechanical keyboard.
That being said, a lot of people buy mechanical keyboards for the exact sound that blue switches make. It gives a weird but wonderful sense of satisfaction when used compared to regular membrane keyboards. Furthermore, the blue switches provide excellent feedback that limits your misclicks and gives you a more reliable overall use, whether it comes to gaming or typing. Once you go mechanical, you never go back.
Ultra-thin keycaps: Does it hurt the performance
Does it hurt the performance of the keyboard? Well, yes and no. It changes the feel of the keyboard compared to a regular mechanical board which will feel like a downgrade to some but might feel like an improvement to others.
All and all it merely decreases the ”keystroke distance” by about 1-1.5mm. I would say that it very slightly reduces the click accuracy, but beyond that, it is all about personal preference. Regarding the performance, the difference is not big enough for me to claim that one is better than the other.
Design & Quality: Compact, Sturdy, and Slick
This is where the thin design starts to kick in. The lightweight and slim design give it such a compact and slick look. It feels incredible to hold.
While all things superficial is subjective, I think that I speak for almost everyone when I say that this keyboard looks incredible. Something that is only enhanced by its excellent LED backlighting.
RGB LED Lighting
Very few keyboards in this price class can claim to offer true RGB lighting. RGB or Red, Green, Blue light means that you can customize between 16 million different colors. Simply put, you can choose any color in existence. This is usually a feature you have to pay a LOT of money for when you look at the more prominent brands such as Razer and Logitech.
This combined with the various LED modes makes it truly stunning to behold.
It is very rare that you see this much customization in a driverless keyboard. However, the KB395L uses some very convenient and easy-to-use keybindings to control the visuals of the keyboard.
Conclusion – Final Verdict
If you are looking for a new mechanical keyboard that is both affordable and feature-rich, then I can highly recommend the KB395L.
This mechanical keyboard from Havit is truly a bargain, that can compete with even the best keyboards of its price class. While not perfect it offers so much in terms of customization, both visually and practically. On top of which it also boasts a very decent performance when it comes to its mechanical and tactile feel.
The thinned down design is really what makes or breaks this keyboard. Some people will absolutely love it, and for others, it will be a deal breaker. It certainly gives the board a different feel from regular mechanical boards but that is not necessarily a bad thing.