Cherry MX Board 1.0 Backlight Mechanical Keyboard Review

A Closer Look and Performance

When it comes to a mechanical keyboard, if it features Cherry MX switches, you know exactly what you’re going to get. The quality of their switches is unmatched in their design and their consistency. Using their patented design, cross-point technology. You can be sure that any time you hit that switch, it’ll feel just like everyone that came before or after it. I’m happy to report that same attention to detail and quality is found in every part of the keyboard too.

Size

The keyboard measures in at 470 x 165 x 25mm. Overall, that’s a pretty standard size. It doesn’t have the slimmest bezels around the edges, but it hardly feels bloated either. At 1.16 KG it’s got a good weight to it, but again, it doesn’t feel overly bulky or heavy. I think it’s a reassuring weight of quality overall.

Ergonomics

Of course, with the wrist rest attached, the keyboard certainly takes up a lot more desktop space, adding another 95mm to the front of it. That being said, the practical and ergonomic benefits of having it speak for themselves. Personally, I’ve used a wrist rest on every keyboard I’ve owned for the last six years. My wrists hurt at the thought of not using one these days.

The wrist rest isn’t anything too fancy, it’s a just a big wedge. However, I find it very comfortable overall, even if I do prefer more padded solutions, that’s really quite a subjective matter.

Boring or Smart?

The keyboard its self is pretty standard looking. Sure, it’ll look neat and tidy on your desktop gaming PC. However, it’s got an understated class to it that makes it very office environment-friendly.

It’s not got crazy macro keys, multimedia keys, lighting adjustment wheel, or anything like that. It’s just a standard and very familiar layout, with regular spacing. What that does mean, however, is support for a wide range of custom keycaps, so you could jazz it up if you so desired.

Typing Experience

It’s a Cherry MX equipped Cherry MX keyboard, it couldn’t be any more “exactly as I expected” as it is actually. That is a good thing though, especially for those who’ve used Cherry MX switches in the past. It delivers a fantastic typing experience and those MX Brown switches feel pretty light and responsive. Of course, if you don’t like that tactile bump of brown, you may want to shop for an MX Red option, which is a much smoother switch.

Gaming

Honestly, this is a very nice “office style” keyboard, that much is blatantly clear. However, the switches, anti-ghosting, N-Key rollover, and ultra-fast response rate give it just as much prowess in gaming as any gaming mechanical keyboard. It may not have RGB and all those other “gamer” themes going on, but when it comes down to it, WASD and the Spacebar feel snappy and responsive, with a really good bounce rate overall.