20 hours ago
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Keyboards come in all shapes and sizes, and if you've been part of the hobby long enough, you've heard about HHKB. The Happy Hacking lineup are legends in the community, featuring Topre switches and compact layouts. Even if you're not a professional or enthusiast, there's a lot of value to be had in these, and the flagship model, HHKB Professional Hybrid Type-S, is on sale for just $219 right now.
The Professional Hybrid Type-S gets its name from two distinct features: 'Hybrid' because it has Bluetooth, and 'Type-S' because it has silent Topre switches. Both of these are upgrades that combine to form the modern flagship in the HHKB lineup — one that usually sells for close to $300. Of course, many keyboards feature wireless connectivity these days, so it's actually the switches that are special.
Topre switches feature a rubber dome with a capacitive sensor at the bottom of the housing, and there's a spring in between. When you press a key, the spring compresses, giving you a more conventional travel, like an MX or Kailh-style switch, but it's still a rubber dome, so it feels soft. Bottoming out rewards you with the tactility of hitting the sensor and activating the switch. It's a satisfying and consistent loop.
Other than that, the layout is 60%, but it's a bit changed to accommodate programmers working in Unix/Linux environments. The Control key is swapped for Command, and the Backspace key says Delete instead. But, of course, all of it can be customized via software, and you can make your own keymaps that are stored on-device.
There are intuitive DIP (dual in-line) switches at the rear of the board that let you adjust settings like these on the fly, too. The build quality is excellent despite being plastic, and the white colorway looks very clean. There are two stages of adjustment possible with the built-in feet, and there's no rechargeable cell inside — it takes 2x AA batteries, which should be good for up to 3 months!
In our review of this keyboard, we called it very niche and expensive, and while that's still true, the discount certainly makes it look a lot more appealing. It unfortunately doesn't come with a USB cable in the box (since it's heavily advertising Bluetooth so much), and the Topre switches might not be for everyone if you're used to modern factory-lubed switches. But if you're after something unique, classy, and robust, the HHKB Professional Hybrid Type-S at just $219 is a fantastic deal.
If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.
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