I know the question you’re thinking: Why would we, a gaming site, review something like the Kensington KB535 EQ Rechargeable Multi-Device Keyboard? This thing is clearly designed for office use first and foremost. It doesn’t even have lights for the keys! What gamer in their right mind would use a device that doesn’t have lights?!? All I ask is that you bear with me because this keyboard kinda rocks.
Yes, it’s not the most stylish piece of kit you’ll buy, with its very corporate silver and very corporate black keys. The extremely low profile also doesn’t pop when it’s on the desk. My first impression is the same as I’m sure many of you are having: This is the kind of soul-sucking device that belongs in sterile cubicle environments, with their white walls, where “casual Friday” when you’re allowed to wear jeans, is about the highlight of the week.
I do understand why Kensington might want to source reviews from outside of the office culture space, though, because AI’s replacing all those jobs, and AI doesn’t need keyboards…
But I digress. Yes, the device looks soulless, but there is an upshot to office equipment – historically, the focus with these technologies has been on pragmatic usefulness and, critically, ergonomics. If you’re going to be typing for 10 hours straight (because no one actually gets a lunch break any more), you’re going to want a keyboard that doesn’t give you cramps by the end of it.
This thing is so comfortable to actually use. The low profile of the keys provides no resistance whatsoever, making typing both fast and pressure-free on the hands. As scissor-switch keys, they’re also extremely quiet, as you would expect when the main environment for the keyboard is a busy office. Can’t have clacking distracting co-workers on phone calls. And the comfortable width and light weight of the keyboard also make it ideal for picking up and taking with you to meetings, using on the lap from the lounge and anywhere in-between.
The lack of lighting for the keys does, at first, feel like what you’d expect from a boring, corporate company making boring, corporate office supplies. But there’s method to Kensington’s madness, and it’s hard to be too critical that they’ve done away with flash for substance. The keyboard’s battery never seems to die. Other keyboards need charging almost daily thanks to their little screens and flashy strobes with every keypress. Those might be fun features, but all of that drains power, and quite quickly. Putting aside the superficial, the only benefit of having those lights in keyboards is that they allow you to type in the dark, which might be important in esports arenas, but under just about any other circumstance, you can just turn a light on.
Kensington does recognise that people like using their PCs for games, too, and where it makes sense to have gaming-friendly features, the KB535 does have them. In addition to the keys being super-responsive to press down on, the keyboard offers 2.4GHz wireless to eliminate lag. This is an indulgence purely for the sake of gaming, as it is overkill for most offices. There is also a Bluetooth option for a more standard wireless connection (and even longer battery life). There are also an impressive 16 programmable keys, which is a good number that will meet the demands of almost any game. The wireless connection is even protected by 128-bit AES encryption, which is always welcome (and too frequently overlooked).
It also supports multiple devices, which makes it good to connect to tablets and whatever else away from your main work device. You may need something a little more “professional grade” for the most competitive esports titles, but for most people, who just want to unwind with their favourite MMO or strategy game after work, this keyboard does the job admirably.
Last but not least, the keyboard’s price is very reasonable, at under $AUS100. Given that, short of being an esports professional, the KB535 has the flexibility to cover you for work and play, which’ll save you the cost of multiple keyboards for different applications. Because it’s built for all-day typing, you just know that Kensington has designed it to last, too (and indeed it comes with a three-year warranty).
So, yes, the Kensington KB535 EQ Rechargeable Multi-Device Keyboard isn’t the flashiest keyboard I’ve ever used. But the more I used it, the more I realised that, humble as it was, it was both a very good keyboard and fundamentally enjoyable to use for long periods of time. I can’t think of a better definition of a “good keyboard” than that.
