The Corsair K100 Air Wireless gaming keyboard is an excellent choice for those who want a durable and stylish keyboard that will last for a long time on a full charge. The keyboard has dynamic RGB lighting with lots of customizability, as well as strong wireless connectivity. It is also one of the best 60% keyboards we’ve seen this year.
The K100 Air Wireless is a mechanical gaming keyboard that appears to be an exact replica of the K70 RGB Pro from recently. It is thin and light, but it is more akin to a general-purpose office keyboard than a gaming keyboard. The transition to scissor key switches is not the best option for gamers who prefer a pleasant key press. Even though it has genuine tech appeal, the combination of it and a relatively expensive price makes it difficult to sell.
Design
The Corsair K100 Air Wireless is a low-profile keyboard that is barely above the surface of the keyboard case. The black aluminum chassis is only 0.7 inches thick, and the keycaps are made from low-quality plastic. The switches used on the K100 Air Wireless are Cherry MX, which contributes to its high price.
The K100 Air Wireless is a great keyboard that is smaller than most of its competitors and features a separate row of customizable keys above the number pad. The compact design is commendable.
The keyboard is simple to use, with a USB-C charging port and on/off switch. The back of the keyboard has several buttons, including a brightness control and Game Mode. The K100 Air Wireless looks great if you like low-profile keycaps, but how much you enjoy the design largely depends on how much you do.
Corsair K100 Air Wireless review: Keys
Corsair’s new Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile switches are the best low profile switches available. They offer a satisfying tactile feel with a long travel distance, making them great for keyboards that require a lot of travel. ..
The Razer BlackWidow is a keyboard that has a level of peppiness under the fingertips that makes it incredibly enjoyable to use because the tactile bump appears right at the top of the press. The keys actuate at 0.8mm, but because of their limited travel distance, bottoming out is all but certain. The ULP switches, which weigh 65 grammes, take more effort to activate than their Cherry MX Browns full-size equivalent. Only ten grammes separate them (MX Browns need 55 grammes of actuation force), but the difference is obvious.
The flat shape of the keycaps on the MacBook keyboard necessitates the extra force needed to reduce errors. This is similar to typing on a laptop, where using the keyboard has the advantage of having better key feel. Due to its thinness, the keyboard may either lie fully flat or tilt slightly by flipping its built-in feet. Since there is more space between each key than on most laptops, finger placement is consistent with that of other full-size desktop keyboards.
The keycaps on our keyboard are well made, but if you’re used to a full-height keyboard, there is a learning curve. The scoop on each keycap directs your fingers to the middle of the key. They feel fantastic to use when you’re in place and centered over the keys. However, their little height and lack of sculpting between rows makes it simple to land between the keys when you’re a little off, which generally results in an error. After a few hours of use, we naturally became more adept at this, although for a while, we felt sloppy as we frequently pounded the backspace key.
Software
Corsair’s iCUE software offers a variety of customization possibilities, including the ability to rebind any key. ..
We admit that while we often use the in-game settings to rebind game activities, we didn’t fully utilise the option to remap any key. We value having rapid actions on the top status bar of our Mac. Without opening the iCUE programme, we may modify profiles and other variables like the polling rate.
Corsair K100 Air Wireless review: RGB lighting
The Corsair K100 Air Wireless’s pre-configured RGB lighting is gorgeous, featuring vivid hues that cover the entire spectrum. Software-wise, the K100 Air Wireless includes a completely updated version of Corsair’s excellent iCue suite, which has also undergone a facelift to look more modern.
The Corsair K100 Air Wireless is a gaming keyboard that uses the same software as other gaming accessories produced by Corsair. This allows you to programme keys, check the battery life, build profiles for specific games and apps, and set up lighting patterns.
Connectivity
The wireless connectivity, which is offered in USB and Bluetooth varieties, comes first. The USB dongle supports numerous Corsair peripheral connections. This is helpful if you own more recent Corsair equipment, but it is incompatible with more traditional peripherals like the Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro SE gaming mouse. Additionally, the Bluetooth mode operates as promised and enables connections to up to three separate systems. So, if you have a desktop, a laptop, a game console, and a mobile device, you could theoretically connect the K100 Air Wireless to four separate devices across your home. ..
The Elgato Stream Deck is a software programme that allows you to create macros for use with streaming. Macros can be used to control aspects of your streaming, such as toggling between cameras or scenes. The keyboard also includes 8MB of internal memory, which can hold up to 50 profiles. This means that changing between profiles can be done without even using iCUE. ..
Corsair K100 Air Wireless review: Performance
The K100 Air is a wireless keyboard that operates well. The Cherry MX ultra-low profile switches initially feel strange, but they are tactile, quick, and clacky. Bluetooth never showed any discernible lag, but if you want to use the AXON 8000Hz hyper-polling, you’ll need to stick with Slipstream or the tethered connection. ..
Slipstream Wireless’ 2000Hz polling rate is more than sufficient for most gamers. The K100 Air seemed as swift and responsive as any wired keyboard when we were playing Destiny 2. However, when we jumped in a game, our thumbs could feel the space bar’s sharp edge. Regardless, we enjoyed playing both Deathloop and Assassins Creed Odyssey. Additionally, you can save numerous customizations and macros to the customized keys. Although it’s simpler in iCUE software, on-the-fly macro recording may be done on the board rather easily.
Battery life
The Corsair K100 Air Wireless keyboard has a 50-hour battery life when the RGB backlighting is turned on, but can last up to 200 hours if it’s turned off. A full charge can take up to five hours. This is acceptable as a daily driver for a wireless keyboard, but a docking mechanism that enables you to dock the keyboard for quick, simple overnight charging would always be appreciated. ..
Price and availability
But if you’re looking for a high-end gaming keyboard that can handle the most demanding tasks, the Corsair K100 Air Wireless is definitely worth considering. It’s more expensive than some of its competitors, but it offers features that make it worth the investment.
The Corsair K100 Air Wireless is a better value than the Razer Blade because it has a faster wireless polling rate, a longer battery life, a bigger-capacity onboard storage, and more customizations. ..
Conclusion
The Corsair K100 AIR Wireless is a 108-key keyboard that offers a low-profile typing experience. It is great for those who like tactile switches and want a less cluttered work space. ..
If you’re looking to change the look and feel of your keyboard with new key switches and keycaps, we suggest Kechror’s QMK series. The Q3 and Q5 boards are specifically designed for this purpose, offering a variety of customization options. ..
