The complete guide
Choosing a Typewriter-Style Mechanical Keyboard, A Practical Buyer's Guide
The problem this keyboard actually solves
A lot of us like the way old typewriters look. The round keys, the lever, the honest mechanical feel. What we do not like is the reality of using one: no backspace, no undo, no copy and paste, and a ribbon that runs out halfway through a draft.
So people compromise. They buy a plain black keyboard because it works, and they put a typewriter on a shelf because it looks good. Two objects doing two jobs, and the one you touch every day is the boring one.
This board closes that gap. It is a modern mechanical keyboard built to look and feel like a typewriter, with 83 round keycaps, a return lever on the side, and a case with a clear retro styling. It connects by cable, Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz receiver, and it works with laptops, PCs, phones and tablets. It will not type on paper. Nothing with a USB-C port will. What it will do is make the thing already on your desk worth looking at.
How a typewriter-style keyboard works
Underneath the retro shell, this is a standard mechanical keyboard. Each key sits over its own switch, and pressing the key pushes a stem down until the switch registers. That is different to a membrane keyboard, where a rubber sheet presses onto a circuit board and the feel is softer and vaguer.
The switches here are Wisteria Linear V2, which are linear. A linear switch travels straight down with no bump partway through the press. Some people prefer that smoothness, especially for gaming, where you want a quick, clean press with nothing in the way. Others prefer a tactile bump so they can feel the moment a key registers. If you fall in the second camp, this board is still worth a look, because the PCB is hot-swappable.
Hot-swap means the switches are held in sockets rather than soldered to the board. You pull one out with the included tool and press a different one in. No iron, no solder, no risk of ruining the board. A set of spare switches and a 2-in-1 keycap and switch puller come in the box, which makes trying it out easy rather than a project.
The lever on the side is the detail most people ask about. On a real typewriter, that lever returned the carriage and advanced the paper. Here it works as the backspace key. You get the physical motion without the mechanical consequence, which is a fair trade when you want to delete a word rather than start a new line.
The screen, the knob and the slot
A few features set this board apart from a plain retro-looking keyboard.
The rotary knob handles media by default, so volume is a twist away. Hold FN while turning it and it switches to controlling the onboard screen instead. That screen shows keyboard status and the time, and it is where you adjust the RGB lighting. The maker also says it can display images and GIFs if that appeals to you.
The slot across the top of the case holds a phone or tablet, in portrait or landscape. If you work from notes on a second screen, or you keep a reference document open on a tablet while you write, that slot removes the need for a separate stand.
The backlighting is per-key RGB with south-facing LEDs and diffusers, which means the light points towards you rather than away, and it is softened rather than raw. Whether that matters depends on how you work. If you type at night, a mellower glow is easier on the eyes than a hard white LED.
Who this suits
Writers who spend hours at a keyboard and want the act of typing to feel like something. The uniform key height and concave caps mean your fingers find a consistent landing spot, and the wrist rest helps on longer sessions.
Programmers and students who work across more than one device. Three connection modes means one board can serve a desktop by cable, a laptop over Bluetooth and a tablet over the 2.4GHz receiver, with the receiver stored inside the case when it is not in use.
Gamers who want a compact board. Dropping the number pad frees up desk width for mouse movement, and the 2.4GHz mode is the one to use when latency matters.
Anyone buying a gift for a person with a tidy, considered desk. The retro look, the lever, the knob and the screen add up to something that feels deliberate.
It suits you less well if you need a number pad for data entry, if you work somewhere that frowns on any keyboard noise, or if you want the smallest possible travel keyboard. At 34.7 cm long and 5.7 cm high, this is a desk object, not a bag object.
How to choose, practically
Start with space. Measure the width you have between your monitor stand and the edge of the desk, then allow for the wrist rest sitting in front of the board. A compact keyboard still needs room to sit square.
Then think about switch feel. The board arrives with linear switches, which are smooth. If you have only ever used a laptop keyboard, linear will feel deeper and heavier at first. The maker describes the switches as factory-lubed at a 46gf mid-weight, which is heavy enough that resting your fingers will not fire a key. If you decide you want a bump, the hot-swap sockets make the change simple, and that flexibility is a large part of what makes this one of the more adaptable options if you are shopping for the best typewriter style keyboard rather than just a nice-looking one.
Then connection. If you only use one computer at a desk, wired is the simplest and most reliable setup, and the cable is detachable so you can leave it out when you do not need it. If you move between devices, Bluetooth is the easier option for phones and tablets, while the 2.4GHz receiver is the one to reach for when you want the lowest latency.
Finally, sound. Mechanical keyboards are not silent. This one has sound-dampening layers inside the case and linear switches, so it is on the quieter side of the mechanical family, but it is louder than a laptop keyboard. If you share a room with someone who works in silence, keep that in mind.
Looking after it
Keyboards collect crumbs, dust and skin oil. A quick clean every few weeks keeps it feeling right.
Power the board off first. Turn it upside down and give it a gentle shake, then use a soft brush or a puff of air to clear what is between the keys. Wipe the case and the tops of the caps with a barely damp microfibre cloth and dry it straight away. Never pour liquid onto the board.
Every few months, pull the keycaps with the included puller and wash them in warm water with a drop of dish soap. Let them dry completely before they go back on. While they are off, that is your chance to clear the plate properly.
Keep it out of direct sunlight, which can fade plastics over time, and store it somewhere dry. If you use the wireless receiver, drop it back into the compartment in the back of the case when you travel so it does not go missing in a bag.
The short version
This is a computer keyboard that looks like a typewriter, and it is honest about being exactly that. Eighty-three round keys, a return lever that works as the backspace, a hot-swappable board with Wisteria Linear V2 switches, per-key RGB, a rotary knob, a small onboard screen and a slot for a phone or tablet. It connects three ways and works with laptops, PCs, phones and tablets.
Buy it if you spend real hours at a keyboard and want that time to feel better. Skip it if you need a number pad or absolute silence. The maker doesn't give the weight or colour, so if either is a deciding factor for you, ask us before you order and we will check.