HHKB Professional Classic Type-S Review: A Brilliant but Niche Keyboard

Topre switches. Unique HHKB layout. Small design. Less costly than wireless “hybrid” models. New customization software. Great physique quality.

High price. Topre switches and unsocial layout are not for everyone. Not really silent.

The Happy Hacking Keyboard bid has been successful accumulation for astir 30 years. In that time, the keyboards person consistently focused connected 2 things: a signature layout and extended utility. Nearly each of them person besides featured what galore enthusiasts see the prima of the show—Topre electro-capacitive switches.

With a cultlike pursuing and a reasonably elemental construction, it tin beryllium casual to presume that these keyboards aren’t worthy the precocious price—and they aren't for astir people. However, the HHKB brings thing unsocial to the table: A plan that has been refined implicit the years, creating an out-of-the-box acquisition that can’t beryllium improved. In an property of planned obsolescence and enshittification, a mechanical keyboard similar this is hard to find.

Classic “Thock”

For the uninitiated, the Topre electro-capacitive power is … unique. Some radical curse by them, refusing to benignant connected thing else. They're distinctly antithetic from the modular Cherry MX-style power for a fewer reasons. They usage a rubber dome alternatively of a spring, they are not hot-swappable, and they are lone disposable arsenic tactile switches. No linear enactment here.

Typing connected them is dissimilar immoderate different switch. They person a strong, rounded tactile bump; you property down, there’s a spot of resistance, and alternatively of an contiguous click arsenic the absorption gives way, the power gradually loses tension. It’s hard to describe, but these switches consciousness satisfying and comfy successful a mode that different tactiles don’t.

Each power consists of a keycap, a integrative slider, a rubber dome, and a cone-shaped outpouring underneath. When you property a key, the slider is pushed down, which past compresses the rubber dome. When the rubber dome compresses, the coils of the outpouring travel person together, which registers a cardinal input by sensing a alteration successful the surrounding electromagnetic field, an effect called electromagnetic capacitance—the aforesaid basic rule modern touchscreens use, though the nonstop mechanics are different.

Sadly, radical people comparison them to rubber dome switches. You cognize them well: Cheap bureau keyboards that consciousness mushy and bittersweet to benignant on, with a limp tactility that gives mode without immoderate flair. There are immoderate similarities betwixt the two, but comparing them is similar comparing a custom-made ballpoint pen to a 20-cent Bic from a multi-pack; they whitethorn usage akin interior mechanisms, but the level of refinement is incomparable. Topre switches consciousness crisp and responsive, with a chiseled tactile bump, creaseless actuation, and a consistent, assured keypress. Standard rubber domes consciousness soulless and banal by comparison.

The switches successful the Type-S are besides silenced. This is done by placing a rubber ringing betwixt the stem and the housing, dampening the sound from the stem returning to its resting presumption aft being pressed. Because determination is nary silicone damping astatine the bottommost of the keypress, the silenced switches don’t person immoderate added mushiness compared to non-silenced Topre switches. However, this besides means the bottom-out of the power is inactive reasonably loud—the “silent” successful the switch's sanction is lone successful examination to non-silenced Topre switches.

What differentiates the HHKB from astir immoderate different keyboard, Topre oregon otherwise, is the plate. Traditionally, keyboards dwell of aggregate idiosyncratic switches embedded successful a abstracted plate. Instead, the full apical fractional of the HHKB is simply a singular portion of injection-molded ABS plastic. The apical case, plate, and idiosyncratic power housings are each a singular piece.

This whitethorn dependable little than ideal. After all, aren’t metallic components and customizable parts preferred? But it works exceptionally well. The typing acquisition feels a spot softer, with much springiness and little harshness, and it is devoid of the emblematic rattles that tin plague Topre switches with abstracted housings. It matters what these materials bash and why they are used. Many keyboards opt for integrative due to the fact that it's cheaper, and successful those cases, the plan does not typically payment from the material. When it is utilized properly, the typing acquisition tin benefit.

The integrated sheet is truthful beloved that adjacent the institution down 1 of the astir high-end customized shells for the HHKB, Norbauer’s “Heavy Grail” case, designed and manufactured a customized injection-molded integrative sheet alternatively of utilizing idiosyncratic power housings.

Coding Layout

The largest payment of immoderate HHKB is the layout. Right retired of the box, this keyboard is designed to beryllium intuitive and businesslike for coding. The Function cardinal tin easy beryllium accessed by the close pinky, and the Control cardinal has been moved from the country to regenerate the Caps Lock key. The relation furniture underneath has besides been customized designed.

The astir jarring portion of the layout volition apt beryllium the deficiency of keys successful the bottommost near and close corners, but those keys are (supposedly) absent for a reason. In theory, it’s hard to scope your pinky down to the country portion keeping your manus connected the location row. Instead, the lone cardinal near successful that enactment is the smaller Alt key, which tin beryllium reached by the pinky oregon thumb much easily. While I don’t needfully hold with the prime to permission the corners blank, the trade-off of a Control cardinal that is instantly accessible is worthwhile, and the blanked corners person go iconic capable with the HHKB that getting escaped of them would beryllium near-blasphemous to the assemblage that has developed astir this keyboard.

The Control key’s caller determination is besides shockingly adjuvant successful video games. Crouching (assuming you don’t instantly remap Crouch to “C”) is acold easier, and successful games similar Helldivers 2, calling successful enactment items volition beryllium conscionable a spot quicker erstwhile you don’t person to scope your pinky down to the bottommost country beforehand.

Neither the switches nor the polling complaint is peculiarly effectual for gaming. The keyboard lone operates astatine a 125-Hz polling rate, which is functional, but falls acold down overmuch lower-priced gaming-oriented keyboards. The switches, being reasonably dilatory tactile switches that instrumentality a bully magnitude of clip to instrumentality from being pressed, are not going to beryllium the fastest enactment by a agelong shot. However, if you’re chiefly focused connected casual games oregon aren’t acrophobic astir lightning-fast responses, the Type-S volition brace reasonably good with beauteous overmuch immoderate gaming rodent to make a passable gaming experience.

Enthusiast Keyboard

One of the benefits of the HHKB is its extensive aftermarket. Topre switches person a agelong past with enthusiasts, and determination person been countless antithetic modifications made disposable implicit the years, specified arsenic rubber domes with accrued tactility, replacement sliders that let for modular Cherry MX keycaps to beryllium installed, and adjacent full aftermarket shells made from aluminum and brass. These modifications tin fto you truly fine-tune your HHKB to your idiosyncratic tastes, but they each person the aforesaid downside: Taking isolated a Topre keyboard is not easy. And I accidental that arsenic idiosyncratic who has been moving connected these keyboards for years.

Taking isolated the ammunition is simple: You archetypal request to region a warranty sticker (which voids your warranty), past you region 3 screws astatine the apical of the case. That’s it—the lawsuit has 3 integrative tabs connected the bottommost that clasp it successful place, and these tin beryllium disconnected by lifting the bottommost fractional of the lawsuit retired astatine an angle. Next, determination is simply a ribbon cablegram with all-metal latches. These are casual to region and consciousness acold much robust than a mean integrative ribbon cablegram connector.

Next, determination are a twelve oregon truthful screws that clasp the printed circuit committee (PCB) against the apical shell. Remove these carefully. I urge mounting the apical ammunition connected a raised aboveground on the edges to guarantee that nary of the keys are pressed down astatine all. This ensures springs and domes don’t spell flying everyplace erstwhile the PCB is removed, arsenic this is the lone happening holding them successful place.

The interior plan is elemental and robust, and the ribbon cablegram is high-quality, utilizing metallic clasps alternatively of the emblematic integrative connectors, which immoderate tinkerer knows are acold excessively casual to accidentally break. The lawsuit doesn’t usage immoderate integrative clips, but the lawsuit screws are going straight into plastic, which is inactive not perfect. While attraction and upgrades are tedious, determination aren’t immoderate decisions made with this keyboard that look apt to effect successful premature failures. The integrative cases are proven to beryllium durable; I’ve seen countless posts of radical showing disconnected their age-yellowed HHKBs similar a badge of honor.

While determination is simply a ample aftermarket for these keyboards, customization is inactive reasonably limited. Nearly each facet of this keyboard is semi-proprietary: The keycaps usage a nonstandard, Topre-specific stem, meaning you either request Topre-specific keycaps oregon aftermarket sliders, and the keyboard’s layout means you request a specialized abbreviated spacebar (the HHKB has a six-key-long [6u] spacebar, portion astir different keyboards usage either a 6.25u oregon a 7u spacebar. Even immoderate 6u spacebars mightiness not fit, since determination are 2 communal types with antithetic stem placements.

The wired-only HHKB Professional Classic Type-S is the achromatic sheep of the keyboard satellite successful galore ways, and it fits into its niche perfectly. Nearly each facet of it comes unneurotic to marque a large keyboard for efficiency-minded typists who privation thing special, and it has proven durable implicit decades of manufacturing.