RK Royal Kludge H81 Hot Swappable Mechanical Gaming Keyboard 75% Layout

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1. Alek Strojek Verified Buyer – 2 March 2024

   I was waiting so long for this keyboard to arrive due to delivery issues and I do think it was worth it, feels amazing and very high quality for the price. Very solid build quality, responsive and clacky switches, durable and very nice looking keycaps. It comes with a range of various LED modes which are perfect for either gaming and having lots of colours or just simple colours for late night typing. One draw back is the lack of any software, while I have found this isn’t too much of an issue given there are plenty of features already on the keyboard it would be very useful.

   I can definitely see myself using this keyboard for a long time to come and the fact it is 5 pin hot swappable means even if i do somehow get bored i can mix it up with some different feeling switches.
   If you’re looking at the listing and contemplating whether to buy it or not i wouldn’t hold back
   

2. Himali Kiran Bhusal Verified Buyer – 20 March 2024

   As a tech enthusiast who frequently switches between Windows, Ubuntu, and macOS, I was excited to try the Royal Kludge H81 mechanical keyboard. It promised compatibility across all three platforms, a compact design, and hot-swappable switches for customization. However, my experience with the keyboard was far from ideal. Initially, the H81 worked seamlessly across all three operating systems. The keys felt responsive, the RGB lighting was vibrant, and the overall typing experience was pleasant. However, after a few days, I started encountering strange issues. Firstly, the keyboard combination for switching between Windows and macOS stopped working. This was a major inconvenience, as I often need to quickly switch between my personal Windows machine and my MacBook for work. Secondly, the command key on the keyboard started behaving erratically. It would sometimes act as the Alt key, and other times it wouldn’t register at all. This made using shortcuts in macOS extremely frustrating. The keyboard’s inconsistent behavior made it unusable for my cross-platform workflow. I’m disappointed that the Royal Kludge H81, which initially showed promise, turned out to be unreliable for cross-platform users. If you’re someone who frequently switches between different operating systems, I would strongly advise against this keyboard. The inconsistent behavior and lack of reliable cross-platform compatibility make it a frustrating and disappointing choice.

   

3. Meg Verified Buyer – 3 June 2024

   The sound of this thing is absolutely amazing the only problem I’m a little afraid about it my e key is flashing blue and it won’t stop, it can just be a user issue but other than that it is a magnificent keyboard. I haven’t had the chance to see how the wireless version works but i bet it is very good. This is the best keyboard ive ever bought for the price, i got it for 70$ and is my new favorite keyboard! Edit-so turns out it was just a simple error by me because I had it on the wrong thing but this keyboard is still great and i love it

   

4. Alex Castaneda Verified Buyer – 13 July 2024

   it’s a very nice and simple keyboard i’d recommend it to people who are just getting into customizing a keyboard it sounds nice doesn’t have a strong pinging noise or sounds too hollow

   

5. Michael Markley Verified Buyer – 24 October 2024

   Just a disclaimer, this is my first mechanical keyboard. This thing feels solid and types so smoothly, input for gaming is instant. I am using it in wired mode which would be best for gaming but if you want you can use Bluetooth or wireless connectivity for 3 devices. Just turn the knob to the number and it swaps over. The lighting is amazing, especially since I was using a single colored full size board before. Lots of modes and you can change between single colors and rgb. I’ll update if I have any issues but so far this is close to perfect. The space bar is louder than the other keys so I might look into an insert to dampen sound but that’s it.

   

6. Giovanni Verified Buyer – 5 November 2024

   I’ve had the same keyboard for 7 years, but needed to replace it. I spent days looking over hundreds of different keyboards until I landed on this one. I love the retro, boxy aesthetic and the wireless capabilities. I was stressed out of my mind that i would hate it because I use my keyboard every day for work and gaming. As soon as I got it, I was relieved and very much surprised at how much I fell in love with it. Fresh out of the box, the Ctrl keycap fell off, but it looks like it just wasn’t put on all the way. I was able to place it back on without a hassle and it’s been perfect. The LED lighting is pretty intuitive and can be changed on the fly, so that’s cool! I hate using 3rd party apps, so it’s nice that I can change it on the keyboard directly whenever I feel the need. I’ve recommended it to everyone I know! 1,000% worth it! I’ll give it 5 stars once I’ve used it for a few months~

   

7. Visham n. Verified Buyer – 22 November 2024

   Really well built keyboard and very aesthetically pleasing, the stock sound is also amazing.

   

8. Kapil Baghel Verified Buyer – 21 January 2025

   ✅Great typing experience
   ✅Awesome typing sound
   ✅Battery backup is great
   ✅Different modes of connectivity work smoothly
   ✅Switching colours combo very easily using shortcuts
   ❌Battery backup check
   

9. icdeadpixels Verified Buyer – 3 February 2025

   My original review I stated this board was fantastic. Great stabilizers and switches included. The keycaps are thick and double shot, which is a step up from most dye sub pbt keycaps on go-keyboard.com. The wireless dongle connected instantly, and then the issue happened. I was charging the board, and had it “Off” for wired mode. PC wouldn’t recognize it. Windows kept saying the board malfunctioned. I tried troubleshooting the board in windows settings and still nothing. Tried different usb c cables and still nothing. I have a Gamakay board I took the battery out of and only use it wired and Windows never has this “can’t recognize” issue. Had to return it. Otherwise, the board is still solid if you don’t have this issue.

   

10. Goldie England Verified Buyer – 7 February 2025

    This keyboard is 100% worth the price, it is a great beginner keyboard, i literally couldn’t find a thing wrong to say about it. Going to change out key caps, switches, & get a coiled cable in the future.

    

11. A. E. Verified Buyer – 7 February 2025

    Almost everything feels just right about this keyboard. The dial is well-designed if you expect to be using multiple devices. Typing on this feels very satisfying and makes just the right sound. I also like the RK61 which has the same SkyCyan switches, but they feel even better on this board. RGB lighting and battery life are also fantastic. The only negative I can think of is the 3 buttons on the right side aren’t quite ideal. Pause seems like a less common key to need there. I’d prefer if Home and End were a bit more accessible. I believe you can tweak this by just changing out the keycaps with the included tool, then using software to remap the keys and save the change to firmware. Seems pretty easy to do. If you like the size and want to connect to multiple devices, I highly recommend the RK H81.

    

12. BaldCat Verified Buyer – 17 February 2025

    I have been through multiple mechanical keyboards varying from older Logitech keyboards and current redragon keyboards. I can officially say I am settled with this keyboard. Believe me when I say the weight of this keyboard is surprising.

    

13. Gabriella Masucci Verified Buyer – 1 March 2025

    Between the sound of the keyboard, the amount of RGB settings, the packaging, and everything that your order comes with. (extra switches, keyboard wire, keycap pullers) You’re 100% getting your money’s worth, if not better than other keyboards that I’ve been looking at. 1 YR. UPDATE: The lights, knob, wire and keys themselves have never broken or malfunctioned in 1 year of ownership. 100% worth the money.

    

14. Karim Sari Verified Buyer – 2 March 2025

    Love this keyboard! The size is nice, beautiful colors, feels very high quality, and its satisfying to type on it.
    

15. Atheer Verified Buyer – 5 March 2025

    من افضل الكيبوردات الي مستحييل تتسحف انك اخذتها خياليه وجودتها عااليه ولونها حلوو والصووت هاادي مساج للمخ حرفيًا، انصح فيها ١٠/١٠ ولا غلطة
    

16. Neal Verified Buyer – 8 March 2025

    (The photo of the board in the review is not the original keycap and switches.) Update: their customer service contacted me then solve my problems with the switches, so if you find anything that is not to your liking I have no doubt they would take care of you as well. the highlight of this board is the solution of multiple device selection, it is one of the better ones on the market right now, the knob is responsive and easy to use. but the lower capacity of the battery will limit your time of use without charging. the material used for the board is decent for its price, the plastic feels high quality and molded properly, and it has the standard sound absorbing sheets plus a nice set of onboard stabilizers, thus even is on the lighter side of things, it still has a good enough sound profile for its price while I would still recommend you change the cap/switch if you plan on using the board as a daily driver. its also very unfriendly to any enthusiast that wants to tinker with the board because the screw holes on the bottom are all behind the rubber feet, I just can’t wrap my mind around this design choice, it has no upside but all the downsides! another weird choice is to use the “pause” key as the last key on R2 — how many people actually use the “pause” key nowadays? isn’t “home” or “end” the better choice? not to mention you never gonna find a keycap set with an R2 pause key. the gasket mounting is a meh, it did provide a bit of wiggle room under higher pressure but I doubt anyone would type with such force, so if you dislike the stiffness of a plate mounting system this could be good for you, but if you looking for “the bounce” this is not it. the RGB and the FN are standard for a pre-build entry board, simple and easy but limited, you can’t customize the keys, only choose what is already been set. So my conclusion is: this is a great starting point if you are new to the mechanical keyboard scene and willing to buy better caps and switches plus the need to switch between multiple devices often. but if you already have other mechanical boards and love to tinker with them, there are many better choices.

    

17. Ethan Castillo Verified Buyer – 8 March 2025

    Amazing keyboard out of the box! The lubing on the keys are amazing and to be honest this is a great priced keyboard. Only thing I wish could be better is the stabilizers which are a little bit loud. Can’t wait to try swapping out the switches!

    

18. Tillman C. Verified Buyer – 12 March 2025

    I like how easy it was to connect to both of my pc’s. I’m very excited that all I need is one keyboard for both pc’s. It opened up more room on my desk. And the keyboard works amazing!!!!

    

19. C. Andrews Verified Buyer – 27 March 2025

    The tl;dr It’s a good board, with some minor flaws. The biggest compromise is RGB, but for the price it excels enough in other areas to compensate. The RGB: It doesn’t do yellow. Yellow is hard for budget RGB and this keyboard is no exception. The closest it comes is chartreuse. The keyboard was set to yellow in the picture showing the backlight. The software, though. Wow. Talk about sketchy. There’s no reference to software in the packaging, just a link in the product description. To a Google Drive folder. To an .exe without a publisher. Windows does not like this at all (it’s not macOS or Linux friendly). However, if you can get it installed, it’s exactly sufficient. You can change function keys and RGB just fine with it. The build quality: There’s quite a bit more deck flex than I’d like for a 75%. It’s not entirely unexpected at this price point, but I’ve seen budget keyboards with higher build quality than this. I’ve also seen a lot worse. It gets an “acceptable” for this one. I’m not going to complain and I am not dissatisfied. The style: This confuses me. It has nice, modern keycaps. Nice bright white with darker accents. Then the chassis is retro inspired. There’s nothing wrong with either one. The chassis looks well retro and the keycaps are nice, but together it’s an odd match. The layout: It’s a 75% layout. Pretty normal for one, which is nice if you want to get different keycaps, like ones that match the retro inspired chassis. A little more compact than a TKL, but decently bigger than a 60%. The switches: They’re fine. Light linear switches. Cherry style. I wouldn’t call them high quality but having used several “off-brand” switches, I can safely say they’re better than any Asus branded switches I’ve ever used. If you’re really into switches, I’d plan on replacing them almost immediately. I’m not, so I’ll just use the included ones until they get squishy. The keycap and switch puller is sufficient.

    

20. Tom Verified Buyer – 1 April 2025

    I’ll just say right off the bat: in the relatively short amount of time that I’ve been diving into the mechanical keyboard hobby (half a year or so), I think this is the best keyboard I’ve used so far. Before buying the H81, I originally purchased Royal Kludge’s RK61 (60%) model with the idea that I would be able to get used to not having dedicated delete, arrow, and F keys, which I realized after a while that I could not. I returned the RK61, though I was left with a very good impression, as it was the first RK board I’d ever purchased. I opted for the H81 as it’s replacement, and I’m glad I did. It has done nothing but impress me thus far. First of all, the layout is perfect for me. It has the aforementioned keys I missed on the 60%, and omits all the other dedicated keys I never use (scroll lock, home, insert, etc…), though they can still be accessed through other keys + the FN key for people that want them. Both that and removing the number pad leaves it at a nice compact size of less than even a TKL keyboard. The case itself has a good heft to it, and while it is plastic, it still feels high quality. Also, though it’s a preference thing, I love the fact that it has a thick bezel. I think thick bezels look a lot better than thin ones. The dust cover is also a nice touch. To be completely honest, knowing that the switches were Royal Kludge-branded, I was fully planning on replacing them with something else (the Royal Kludge switches on the RK61 I had were good, but could’ve been better), but as soon as I started typing I fell in love. They are completely free of scratchiness and sound absolutely heavenly thanks to them being pre-lubed. Usually factory-applied lube is not great, or at least not consistent, but in my opinion the Sky Cyan switches in this board feel and sound just as good as Gateron Yellow switches I hand-lubed. The description mentions that these switches are supposed to be like them, but I was skeptical. They definitely annihilated my expectations. The stabilizers are just as good. Buying boards in the past I’ve always had to re-lube the stabs, but I was pleasantly surprised that they sounded fantastic right out of the box, no rattling at all, and consistent across all of them. I am absolutely blown away at how nice this board sounds and feels at this price. It is buttery smooth and has a nice thocky sound profile. I’m sure the silicone in the bottom of the case also helps with that. Though I have replaced the keycaps that came on this board (as seen in my review photo), there is absolutely nothing wrong with the ones that come stock. They are good quality and they feel great, with the double-shot legends looking nice and sharp. I just had another set that I already planned on using before buying this board. Though I already have a keycap and switch puller, it is still nice that one is included for people that don’t have one. It’s also nice that a few extra switches are included. The only things I can’t comment on are the bluetooth and dongle connections, I’ve only used it wired. Other boards that I’ve had in the past were good, but I always wanted something more. I think I’ve finally found a board that I’m completely satisfied with. I don’t think you can find a better value in a keyboard for the price. Having had a Skyloong keyboard that sells for more than this one, I think the H81 is nicer. After hearing so much hype around the name Royal Kludge, and now after finally getting to try the H81 and (briefly) the RK61 out for myself, I can say I’m a fan. I’d say they definitely punch well above their respective price points. I typed out this review using this keyboard and it has been an absolute joy. Bottom line: I would definitely recommend this keyboard, especially if you want one that will sound and feel great right out of the box without having to do any modding.

    

21. Just Jason Verified Buyer – 6 April 2025

    One of the keyboards I owned the longest was a compact AT keyboard with a phone cord-style cable, but when it reached the point where I had to use a ridiculous combination of adapters to use, it was time to retire it. It was also very heavy for the size. This keyboard reminds me of that in styling. The off-white base, the different color keys, the big switch, the side vents. I’m a fan of Royal Kludge’s SkyCyan linear switches, I find them to be a very nice pre-lubed switch. I have other Royal Kludge keyboards and using the function key + QWE to switch between Bluetooth modes is convenient, but this big switch is more convenient, especially since it includes an Off option which is obscured on my other RK keyboards. If you’re going for a modern white setup, this keyboard won’t quite match as the white on this keyboard is not that bright. I included a picture of my RK84 Pro for comparison. Also, the keycaps do not shine through, so they are not as visible in the dark. Lastly, the spacebar seems really loud, I’ll probably have to mod it. Otherwise, it is a great 80% keyboard.

    

22. Mary Belmonte Verified Buyer – 8 April 2025

    The is just right because it sounds good and you can swap out stock switches as well. Easy to use and have not had any issues and I have not charged it yet since receiving the product. Though it freezes sometimes, where all keys just stop working even though the lights are still on.

    

23. Anonymous Verified Buyer – 12 April 2025

    Really like the look and design of this keyboard with the different slants & angles. The knob is so satisfying to use. The south facing rgb lights are quite bright. The linear switches are really smooth and sound good.