Best Compact Keyboard? Cherry K5 vs Corsair K65 vs Logitech Pro X60
Compact keyboards can be found on more and more people’s desks. They don’t take up much space, are easy to carry and many separate configurations are sold in this size. A somewhat hip keyboard does not have the standard layout with over a hundred keys but reduces that number to a maximum of three-quarters. We tested three keyboards in the compact size, each with special switches under the keycaps. The least special of these are the new Cherry switches that we found under the keys of the K5V2. From Corsair we received the K65 Plus with Corsair’s own MLX Red switches and from Logitech, we received the Pro X 60 Lightspeed, with optical switches. And as a bonus, we tested the Corsair keyboard with extra luxurious switches with the appealing name ‘Holy Panda’. Spoiler alert: if we were to hand out a chef’s kiss, it would be for one of these keyboards.
We found these three keyboards interesting enough to discuss together, even though they are not completely identical in size. The K65 is the largest of the trio, with its 75% size, or 75 keys, plus a rotary encoder. The Pro X 60 is a 60% keyboard par excellence, with exactly 60 keys, plus a volume wheel and a game switch. The K5V2 Xtrfy from Cherry is in between; with 67 switches (and no volume wheel or encoder) it is a 65% keyboard according to the specs, although strictly speaking you could also get away with 67%.
Cherry Xtrfy K5V2 Compact
Positives
Compact but nav cluster
Lubed stabilizers and switches
Sound-dampening material in housing
Everything adjustable via keyboard
Negatives
Keycaps are cheap and abs
No extras such as rotary or wireless
No settings software available
Buy Cherry Xtrfy K5V2 from Amazon.com
Cherry has created a pretty no-nonsense keyboard with the K5V2, both in terms of form, functionality, and extras. The keyboard has a standard tray mount, but it does have an extra cover around the steel plate. This means that the keys are somewhat recessed, in a way that is slightly reminiscent of Leopold keyboards.
The K5 has red Cherry MX2A switches, which in this case have three legs in the PCB. I deliberately don’t write ‘stuck’, because the switches are very loose in their hot swap sockets. When taking the keyboard apart (after testing of course), only 17 switches remained in the sockets after handling the keycap puller. This is partly due to the fairly loose ‘fit’ in the sockets, but also largely due to the keycaps. They are very tight on the Cherry cross, so you have to make quite an effort to pull them loose, even with a loose switch. And pressing them back on is just as difficult: you’re almost afraid you’ll break the fragile-feeling pieces of plastic during the process.
Corsair K65 Plus Wireless
Positives
Switches are quiet and stable, without wobble
The attack makes a nice clicking sound thanks to PBT keycaps and sound insulation
Excellent software
Lubed switches and space bar stabilizer
Negatives
Keycaps are not translucent
Only the spacebar stabilizer lubed
Buy Corsair K65 Plus Wireless from Amazon.com
The Corsair K65 Plus keyboard feels more solid than the Cherry: the weight is almost a quarter of a kilogram higher. The manufacturers’ specifications are not entirely correct: Cherry in particular has simply specified the specs of a full size. Like the K5, the K65 is made of a plastic bottom shell, into which the top plate is screwed together with the PCB. Just like the Cherry board, there is a plastic edge that serves as a top shell to make the board look a bit more luxurious and to hide the ‘floating’ keycaps from view. But that plastic edge is screwed to the plate-PCB stack on the Corsair, instead of clicked into place on the K5. Unlike the K5, the switches are plate-mounted instead of PCB-mounted, so all switches remain neatly in their socket when removing the keycaps.
These keycaps are standard PBT keycaps, single-shot dye-sublimated with a thickness of approximately 1.3 to 1.4mm, and have fewer visible and tactile ejector points of the mold. You can leave these keycaps alone because they feel a lot more comfortable and fortunately Corsair has not chosen an ugly font to appeal to gamers.
However, some markings are a bit small and vague, especially on the row with numbers. You can’t see those markings very well in the dark: the legends are not made of translucent material but are simply white(ish) opaque. If you want to see the lighting through it, you will have to choose different keycaps. For extra cushioning, the space bar has been given some small foam inserts.
Logitech PROX60
Positives
First 60% Logitech keyboard with optical switches
Sturdy keyboard with some noise-dampening
Luxury carrying bag included
Negatives
Keycaps feel abs’er
The scroll wheel is too light
High price
Switches are not interchangeable
Buy Logitech Pro X60 from Amazon.com
It is difficult to determine exactly how Logitech builds its PRO X 60. The keyboard uses plate-mounted switches, which are mounted floating. For the first time for Logitech, these switches are not mechanical, but optical switches, which are available in two variants. We tested the GX Optical Tactile, in the traditional brown version, but linear GX Optical Linear switches are also available.
The switches are in hot-swappable sockets, but according to Logitech this is more useful for repairability than for actually being used by an end user. The working principle of the GX Opticals is of course the same as that of other optical switches: the voice, the cross, so to speak, that you press down with the keycap, causes a piece of plastic to emerge from the bottom of the switch. That protrusion blocks the light path between an infrared LED and photodiode on the PCB, causing the microcontroller to interpret it as a signal that a key has been pressed. However, the layout of the GX Opticals is somewhat different than that of, for example, Gaterons or Keychrons: with Gaterons the stem is hollow and the bulge extends into that cavity, and with the low-profile Gaterons a rubber rod is pushed out. The GX Opticals have a second ‘plunger’ that comes out to block the light. This is part of the plunger on which you mount the keycaps. The render hopefully clarifies this: the rear black or brown, somewhat flattened piece of plastic towards the left rear is what interrupts the beam.
Conclusion
A keyboard can partly be assessed objectively, but a subjective experience also plays a significant role in the final assessment. Therefore, before the conclusion, the following comments: at the office, I use a K3 from Keychron with red switches, and at home, I use various models, often full-size with linear or tactile switches. I have gotten used to clicky switches and to be honest, I make too many mistakes on keyboards with low-profile switches, such as the K5 with optical reds, to use them often. I rarely use super compact ones, smaller than 67/68%, which results in a (practical) bias against the Pro X 60.
That said, Logitech’s Pro X 60 keyboard is technically sound. The new switches click nicely; we tested the tactile variant, but a linear switch is also available. There is quite a bit of movement in the stems, which causes wobble: a movability of the keys that you do not want. The stabilizers and switches also do not appear to be lubed, although the latter may contain a minimal amount. The keycaps are said to be made of PBT plastic, but feel and sound more like ABS and do not do justice to a keyboard costing 230 euros. As mentioned earlier, I find using a 60% keyboard difficult, mainly due to the lack of a readily available navigation cluster and the ISO format also makes testing unpleasant. Apart from that, I think 230 199 euros ( * ) for the experience, especially compared to other keyboards, is too much money for this keyboard.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Cherry K5V2 keyboard. Although it bears the name Xtrfy, there are a few extras to be seen: no software for settings, no extra dials or other extras. The price also reflects this: at 139 euros, the Cherry is a fairly no-nonsense keyboard that has few pretensions. You have to add the price of a set of decent keycaps to those 139 euros because even with a set of a few tens of euros the keyboard transforms from almost okay to quite nice. Although Cherry has used standard switches, it does provide lubed or greased stabilizers and damping material in the housing. All in all, a fairly near-budget keyboard for the slightly more luxurious segment.
Finally, the Corsair K65 was a bit of a surprise. Let’s be honest: Corsair is often quite expensive for what it offers, but with the K65 you get a great deal. According to some, the keyboard would mainly be a Drop keyboard and slightly less a Corsair keyboard. In any case: for 159 euros you can buy a very nice tapping keyboard that produces a nice tapping sound and has a nice touch, thanks to nice and stable lubed MLX switches and ditto stabilizers. Thanks to foam and silicone, the sound has a pleasant ‘thunk’ and the excellent keycaps contribute to this. There is little to complain about on the keyboard, unless you like transparent legends on your keycaps: you can’t see much of that in the dark. Still, the K65 is highly recommended for a compact, but very usable keyboard thanks to the navigation cluster.
