review – The RK Royal Kludge RK89 keyboard is an entry-level mechanical keyboard with interesting features at an affordable price. I love mechanical keyboards, and this one fits a lot of boxes I like to see in one.
What is it?
RK Royal Kludge RK89 is 85% mechanical keyboard Works with almost any device.
What’s in the box?
- RK Royal Kludge RK89 keyboard
- 4 GHz USB receiver
- Keycap/Switch Puller
- Four additional Outemu linear red switches
- USB C to USB C cable
- USB A to USB C dongle
Hardware Specifications
- hot swap switch
- 2 USB pass-through
- Multi-mode ice blue LED lighting
- 1850mAh built-in rechargeable battery
- ABS two-color keycaps
- Windows/Mac/IOS/Android compatible
Design and Features
The RK Royal Kludge RK89 is an 85% mechanical keyboard. For those who don’t know, that means it’s 85% the size of a full-size keyboard with 104, 105, or 108 keys. As you can guess from the name, this one has 89 keys. Therefore, these keys provide multiple functions through the use of toggle keys and separate function keys. For example, to use the F key as a media key, you must hold down the function key, then press F8 to pause any currently playing media.
The keyboard has a removable frame in case you’re a nerd like me and like to look at switches. No tools are required. You just need to gently lift the frame up and down. It also features ABS bi-color keycaps that allow LEDs to shine through the characters. ABS is the plastic used to make bottle caps and is inexpensive to produce compared to other materials. Double shot means they use two layers of plastic to make the hat and make sure the character never wears out. The problem with keyboard lovers these days is that ABS caps tend to glow after repeated use.
A really cool feature of the keyboard is what the manufacturer calls a triple mode. The RK Royal Kludge RK89 mechanical keyboard can be used as a Bluetooth 5.0 or 2.4 GHz wireless keyboard or a USB wired keyboard. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, IOS, and Android, so you can easily find things to connect to it. I’ve used it so far on my laptop, Google Pixel 4a, one of my kids’ computers, an old Surface tablet, and my PS4.
Now let’s talk about switches without going too deep into the rabbit hole. They are Outemu red “hot swap” linear switches. Outemu is a manufacturer I’m not familiar with, but I’ve found their budget to be very good, and the Cherry MX clone switches perform well for the price point. And they are hot-swappable! If one stops working, you just use the included tool to eject the bad one and eject a new one. If you get tired of red switches, you can buy other Cherry MX compatible switches and replace them in whole or in part. crazy! Mix and match them. Use several different types and manufacturers to find the best one for you. This feature is becoming more widely available, but I haven’t seen one at this price point.
The red switch is supposed to be for speed, perfect for gamers and touch types. They require very little pressure to register keystrokes, which sucks for me as I have fat fingers. I like keys with higher drive to help prevent my roughness. Needless to say, my Backspace key got a workout. The switches on this keyboard are very smooth, with just enough clicks to satisfy my ASMR requirements for a keyboard without disturbing those around me.
Linear switches have no tactile feel when actually keystrokes are made. The linear speakers are also quieter, with soft clicks rather than loud clicks. I swear, I’m going to crawl out of the hole now. It has multiple layers of high density foam between the top plate, PCB and bottom plate. This helps produce the sound I like. It also helps reduce the rattling and vibration that other budget keyboards suffer.
The 89% layout is a nice middle ground between my 60%, 75% and 100% keyboards. For those who can’t live without a number pad, the RK89 has you covered. Although I must say, I don’t care how it’s laid out. The arrow keys are at the bottom of it, moving the numbers up, so it doesn’t feel natural to me. The zero key is also a single-size keycap like the rest of the numbers, rather than a dual-size keycap, which makes it hard for me to hit it with my thumb without pressing another key.
led. We have them here, and you can cycle through tons of different patterns. The keyboard constantly hovers in different patterns, a nifty little breathing effect that just lights up the keys you press and then slowly fades away. Now, my favorite is that when you press it, it radiates from each key. There are also settings for the brightness and speed of the effect. Now, if you’re looking for the full RGB LEDs found on so many keyboards these days, you’ll be disappointed. RK89 only has what they call Ice Blue. It’s a pleasing color to me, but it may not be for everyone. I’ll admit, though I don’t like the Razer-style lighting for my peripherals.
The RK Royal Kludge RK89 mechanical keyboard has a 2 port 2.0 USB hub which I guess is fine. I mean the mouse or something is ok, but I don’t understand why it’s not 3.0 since 2.0 was pretty much replaced. Not a deal breaker for me. I’ve never really used them on any other keyboard I own. I guess that might be a benefit if you’re missing ports.
Another feature touted on the rkgamingstore.com site is some “professional software” that allows you to customize macros and keybindings. So far I haven’t been able to find it, even after contacting support. I wish I could test it out. I want to move some keys to optimize the layout.
The next thing I didn’t like was that the keyboard box I received didn’t have an instruction manual. I had to find it on the website and it had limited information. It’s in PDF format, so if you don’t already have one, you’ll need some type of PDF reader.
Also, the extra switches should be packed more than the zipper bags they come in. Several switches I’ve received have bent pins. Not so much they can’t be straightened and used, but you still want them to be new and undamaged when you get them.
I wish this thing was built with an aluminum base. Admittedly that would add to the cost, but man, would it make this thing the perfect beginner mechanical keyboard? This is my personal preference and shouldn’t stop you from buying this keyboard. Remember, I’m a keyboard junkie.
Well, how much will this all cost me? Currently, the RK89 is priced at $74.99 at rkgamingstore.com. I have to say, to get all the features this keyboard advertises, this is a very good price no matter what my wife thinks. The point is: they’re currently sold out. Now, that’s probably because this is a new product and they don’t actually have it in stock yet. If you want one, you can sign up to be notified when it’s available.
what do I like
- The size is comfortable even for my big hands
- The sound of the keys, again, nerd
- hot swap switch
- Multiple modes that allow it to work on multiple devices
- Internal battery allows it to be wireless
- Three height settings to get you just the right angle
- Multiple layers of foam give it a premium feel and sound
what would i change
- Build materials like aluminum chassis and PBT keycaps
- USB 2.0 port
- access software. It has to be available somewhere, right?
- Better documentation, the manual is a bit sparse
final thoughts
This is a great budget mechanical keyboard for anyone looking to know all the hype. I mean, nothing the RK Royal Kludge RK89 mechanical keyboard has to offer can beat the price.
price: $74.99
where to buy: rkgamingstore.com and Amazon
source: Samples for this review provided by rkgamingstore.com.
