Verdict
The HHKB Studio is a fantastic , although niche , wireless mechanically skillful keyboard . It is one of the most expensive out there , but offers excellent build tone , smooth linear switches , and a master of ceremonies of enthusiast - course extras which help it justify the high-pitched outlay . It also comes with solid battery lifetime and convenient Bluetooth connectivity , although that eye - wateringly expensive monetary value is likely to put a luck of people off .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
One of the most innovative keyboard of the last thirty year has been the HHKB , or Happy Hacking Keyboard . The all - newfangled HHKB Studio is the late innovation and is n’t really a true HHKB at all .
That ’s because of two key differences – the add-on of a trackpoint , and the lack of the signature Topre switches . At first , this bemuse me off wholly , but it also intrigued me .
At £ 324.99/$329 , this is by far and away one of the most expensive mechanical keyboard available , outstrip other enthusiast - level option such as theKeychron Q6 ProandDrop Altby quite a margin .
The HHKB Studio therefore has to go up quite the mountain to become one of thebest mechanical keyboardswe’ve tested . I ’ve been using it for the last few weeks to determine out .
Design
As far as the price tag goes , the HHKB Studio is a supremely well - built keyboard , shoot after its more ‘ standard ’ precursor . It may be solely plastic , but it ’s a thick slab with minimum deck flex which count in at 840 g. The two - tonicity black and silvery colourway is also excellent and help the HHKB Studio to depend quite mean , for an office keyboard .
Its all - black top side looks great , although has the diminished issue of black legends on its thick PBT keycaps . This can make discernability a piece of an egress in non-white environments , as you ca n’t really see them . My personal Topre RealForce R2 PFU has the same issuing , but if you ’re a touch - typist , then you should n’t have too much trouble with darker legends . Otherwise , you are a bit stuck as the HHKB Studio is n’t propose in any other colouring material , or with any other keycaps , aside from blank ones . This is unlike other HHKB example , which are offered in black , white , or a two - tone pale gray and beige .
The most startling thing initially about the HHKB Studio is its queer layout . If you have n’t meet it before , the HHKB layout is its particular form of 60 percent layout , developed in partnership with the PFU Corporation , the Nipponese house that cook up this keyboard , and Japanese calculator scientist Eiiti Wada . The layout was designed by Wada to work with the range of different computers and operating systems he had to deal with during the mid 1990s , and has become a bit of a cult sensation ever since , being glorify by athletic supporter as one of the most well-off and sensitive cardinal layouts available .
As one of those supporters , I feel obligate to excuse as to why . The main difference here is the placement of the Control key , which has moved up to where the Caps interlock key normally sits , reducing the distance your fingers need to move to perform frequent functions such as Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V during productivity tasks .
Otherwise , the HHKB layout also take away the key between Backspace and Enter to make it easier to stumble both of them , and launch the Function key to a course above its placement on a traditional keyboard . This hold it a lot easier to get at the keyboard ’s function layer which , given the smaller amount of keys than a normal 60 percent keyboard , you will be using a mickle .
As much as I am someone who normally ca n’t get on with a smaller 60 percent keyboard for extended periods of sentence , using the HHKB layout in comparability is a breeze , with more sensible key placement . That goes specially for the motion of the Control key , as well as the Fn key being within easy reach for accessing the secondary stratum needed for arrow key movement with the straight wall bracket , semi colon , apostrophe and moved backslash key .
There is an adjustment period if you ’re add up from a standard UK ISO layout choice , although ANSI US layout users will feel a lilliputian more at home immediately with the individual height Enter Francis Scott Key .
In returning to the keycaps , these feel fantastic , with a thick PBT construction , although are not doubleshot - moulded , which is a footling surprising given the toll tag .
Instead , the keycaps here are dyestuff - sublimated , which involves a cognitive operation where heat evaporate a coloured dyestuff , which then soaks into the keycap ’s plastic . It ’s an especially forward-looking form of printing that is a lot more durable than domiciliation printing , although may still wear off with rather extensive use .
You also do n’t have much way for changing these keycaps out , particularly give the cutouts in the G , H and B key to accommodate something rather unmated in the center .
As well as the odd layout , the HHKB Studio also provide a feature not seen on a mechanically skillful keyboard from a big manufacturer for the good part of 25 age , even if it has been feature on options from the the likes of of Unicomp and Tex in recent years .
The humble Trackpoint has been a fixture of Lenovo ThinkPad laptops and IBM products since 1992 , and was patented by Lenovo in 1997 , although with its expiry , it has made its way of life into various other merchandise , the HHKB Studio included . It is , in meat , a pointing stick , which offer up a exact method of moving a pointer without the indigence for a dedicated mouse .
To go alongside the Trackpoint , the HHKB Studio also features button below the space legal community for left , halfway , and right click , as well as gesture launch area around the bottom of the keyboard to make acts such as scroll easier .
The interface of the HHKB Studio is simple , with an on / off switch and USB - C port on the back for wired connectivity . Otherwise , the bottom is domicile to the stamp battery compartment , which also houses DIP switches for configure some key routine , such as deepen the Backspace to be a Backspace key , as by nonremittal , it ’s a Delete key . There are also two - leg feet for raising the angle up if the default pitch is n’t too well-off for you .
Performance
Traditionally , HHKBs have been fitted with electro - capacitive Topre transposition , which are n’t mechanical in the traditional sense . They instead operate via a plunger which pushes down on a rubber dome . The noggin pushes down on a conical spring onto a PCB pad . When the resistance minify between the spring and the PCB pad , it registers an remark . It ’s not necessarily mechanically skillful in the same way as aCherry MX switchor the multitude of ringer out there , but given they make for some of the best switches in terms of tactility , they are give a bite of a flip .
or else , the HHKB Studio has ditched its Topre flip-flop roots in favour of a more standard mechanical frame-up . It utilises custom silent Kalih analog switches which are the furthest away from the tactile electro - capacitives find in other HHKBs .
The 45 g actuation force is light , while they offer a systematically quiet keypress , and were surprisingly fantabulous for daily study during examination . I preferred the electro - capacitives of my HHKB Professional Hybrid Type - S overall , but these soundless Kalih linears are a solid and quiet option , which make them excellent for use in busy environments where louder switches have the potential to annoy those around you .
The acoustics of the HHKB Studio with these soundless Kalih linears is fantastic , with a hushed and dampened , liquid sound . There is also no case rale or ping , or anything of the sort , serve the HHKB Studio to be a satisfying keyboard to typewrite on for lengthened periods .
If these understood Kalih linears are n’t your jam however , then the HHKB Studio is hot - swappable , meaning you could swop out the switches without any motivation for soldering .
This keyboard is handily compatible with standard 3 - pin or 5 - pin switch climb , mean choice from the likes of Cherry , Kalih and Gateron are all on the table .
For my testing , I slotted in some heavier Cherry MX Clear Top Blacks I had lying around , and swap them in was simple with a switch and keycap puller I had around , too . The mien of a first - party red-hot - swappable HHKB keyboard is quite a big deal , particularly given the comportment of the layout in the custom community , and it can be a first step to getting used to the layout if you are n’t too quick for the full - productive experience with Topre switches just yet .
Elsewhere , the HHKB layout was comfortable to employ for write reviews and other articles for several hours per day , while the front of the trackpoint was utile in the moments I did n’t desire to move my right hand from the keyboard . It ’s quite sensitive in a very scant quad , meaning you have to be precise to get the pointer to go where you need it to .
The dedicated black eye buttons were also convenient if you do n’t want to move your hands too far , while the motion pads are less convincing . While reasonably useful in isolation for scrolling precisely or control volume , it is an irregular method acting equate to a simpler dial , and it was n’t something I found myself returning to after a modest examination geological period .
Connectivity is either via Bluetooth on up to four equipment at the same time , while the HHKB Studio can also act upon via USB - C with its included cable . change between using it on both my Windows PC andMacBook Prowas uncomplicated with a key combination , while the fact that the HHKB Studio act on both Windows and macOS without a hitch is also excellent for power users .
As for battery lifetime , the HHKB Studio is rated to last for up to three month on its bundled AA batteries . That ’s excellent endurance , although the fact there is n’t a rechargeable cell is a flake of a shame give the high monetary value . On the bright side , there is a surplus exercise set of AA batteries in the box , meaning you get six months of runtime right out of the box . It seems odd to say this , but the fact you also get a USB - century cable in the box is also utilitarian , as the HHKB Professional Hybrid Type - S does n’t occur with one .
Software and Lighting
The HHKB Studio comes with extra software package , HHKB Studio Keymap Tool , for remapping headstone and adding functions to dedicated keys , such as enabling the gesture tablet with a modifier key .
you could also program keys on three different Function layers , as well as toggling the trackpoint , too . The computer software is slick and lightweight , while also being well-situated to use , although is n’t as hefty as the open - source VIA software used on other boutique brand ’ keyboards . It also has to be used when the HHKB Studio is stop up in , which is a snatch of a shame if you wanted to customize wirelessly .
There also is n’t any key backlighting to speak of with the HHKB Studio , which is a pain gift the lack of key visibility to begin with because of the black keycap and legend colouring material combination . It did n’t have to be full - blown RGB , as with theKeychron Q1 Pro , but a sassy , white backlight for illuminating the keys would have been commodious .
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Should you buy it?
There ’s a grounds why the HHKB has been such a pop keyboard for the last most 30 years , and if you want a unparalleled and comfortable keyboard , the HHKB Studio is antic .
The HHKB Studio ’s alone namesake layout is one of the odder option out there and if it is n’t for you , then you ’ll want to look at the vast swathes of other partisan - score mechanical options out there .
Final Thoughts
The HHKB Studio is a magnificent small form factor mechanical keyboard with oodles to like about it – a comfortable layout , as well as splendid acoustic with comfortable linear switches , and the benefits of the trackpoint . Bluetooth connectivity on up to four devices also makes it a boon for office employment , as well as its across-the-board software system tool for programming key .
For enthusiasts like me , it ’s a bit of a no - brainer , as it gives the tractability of the legendary HHKB layout in an arguably well - made human body with the playfulness of hot - swappable keys . That means if these switch are n’t for you , then you have a broad variety of options for alter them over . The trackpoint is also an interesting add-on , although if you ’ve already got the likes of aLogitech MX Master 3S , I ca n’t necessarily see why you ’d break up it in place of a dedicated black eye .
The decision to buy an HHKB Studio do down to the fact you have toreallywant to drop down this kind of money on a niche mechanical keyboard .
For some folks immerse in the sideline , that ’s a justifiable expense , but for most citizenry , it wo n’t be . There ’s no denying that this is a wondrous mechanical keyboard and it ’s one I rate extremely , but more mainstream choice with more received layouts such as theKeychron Q6 ProorDrop Altmay be better for most multitude . However , if you do want to test something different from a stigma who have been doing it for an tremendous foresighted time , the HHKB Studio is worth it . For more option , check up on out our list of thebest mechanical keyboardswe’ve tested .
Trusted Score
How we test
We use every keyboard we test for at least a calendar week . During that time , we ’ll check it for informality of economic consumption and put it through its paces by play a variety of dissimilar musical genre , include FPS , scheme and MOBAs .
We also check each keyboard ’s software to see how well-to-do it is to custom-make and set up .
FAQs
Yes , the HHKB Studio is wireless , and can unite on up to four equipment via Bluetooth .
No , the HHKB Studio does n’t have Topre switch inside . It comes with understood Kalih linear switches instead .
Test Data
Full Specs
