I’ve over two dozen mechanical keyboards, and my day by day driver is an Angry Miao Cyberboard R4. While that exact keyboard is not designed to be moveable — it weighs 7lb — I’ve a good variety of Bluetooth-enabled keyboards that I normally hook up with the iPad Pro to put in writing when I’m not at my desk.
Most of those keyboards are inclined to have 65% or 75% designs, and whereas I normally want full-size switches, they are typically cumbersome. That’s why I used to be intrigued when Cherry introduced it was making low-profile mechanical switches; the Corsair K100 Air was a terrific showcase, and Lofree’s Flow continues to be top-of-the-line choices on this class.
The Willow Pro is a brand new entrant on this section, providing a novel full-size design that’s noticeably narrower than its rivals. Wombat is a sub-brand of KSI Keyboards, and the Willow Pro is an fascinating alternative because it combines low-profile switches with a customized full-size design. The keyboard prices $144 on Amazon, and it’s accessible through Wombat’s web site as nicely.
As at all times, let’s begin with the design. The Willow Pro has a gray colour scheme that contrasts nicely with the dual-tone white and gray keys, and the yellow spacebar and arrow keys makes the design stand out a bit. The keyboard makes use of an aluminum high plate and a plastic base, and there aren’t any points with the construct high quality itself. There’s no flex to the chassis, and after 4 months of use, there is no seen put on.
The key speaking level is the distinctive configuration; the Willow Pro has a tall design that sees the features and system keys positioned on high, with the quantity pad to the correct. This means you get a full-size design with out the keyboard taking over as a lot room in your desk, and whereas it’s taller than most keyboards, it’s the identical width as most 75% designs.
That stated, the positioning of the system keys is not ideally suited. I normally attain the Delete key with my little finger because it sits to the correct of the Backspace button, however on this occasion, you get the quantity pad as an alternative. Barring that annoyance, I did not see any points with the design, and it’s a novel technique to cram all of the keys right into a smaller profile.
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What I like in regards to the design is that the rubber ft on the backside are magnetized, so you may simply modify the angle. I normally want a six-degree angle, and whereas the keyboard does not go to that degree, there is a four-degree angle with the ft raised, and it makes utilizing the Willow Pro that rather more handy.
I used a number of low-profile keyboards with mechanical switches, and the Willow Pro will get so much proper on this space. The keyboard makes use of Gateron’s Red low-profile linear change, and it is without doubt one of the greatest choices you will discover right now. The change has a 50gf actuation with whole journey of three.0mm, and it does an ideal job mimicking the tactility of a full-size change.
It is nice in day by day use, and it supplies all the advantages of a linear mechanical change with out taking over as a lot room. The sound profile is first rate, however you get a hollowness to the sound that is right down to the plastic backside case. Given what the Willow Pro prices, Wombat ought to have used an all-metal enclosure.
Other than that, there aren’t any points with utilizing the Willow Pro. The PBT keys are sturdy, and so they have clear legends. There is vibrant RGB lighting, however because the legends do not shine via, you get subtle lighting as normal. Like different low-profile keyboards, the change is soldered.
You can use the Willow Pro with Windows and macOS, with further keys included within the field. As the keyboard has Bluetooth connectivity, you may pair it to an Android telephone or pill as nicely, and in my utilization, I linked the keyboard to my iPad Pro 13 2024 more often than not.
Wombat has its personal software program utility, and you may customise macros with relative ease. I might have most popular VIA integration as an alternative because it permits better flexibility, however Wombat’s software program is not as clunky as different manufacturers I used, and it has a good degree of customizability.
The solely drawback with the keyboard is battery life; the Willow Pro has a 1000mAh battery, and that is on the decrease finish of the dimensions as this stuff go. With RGB lighting enabled, the keyboard does not final a full day of use, and whereas I used to be capable of get it go two days between costs by disabling RGB results, that is nonetheless not adequate.
Overall, the Willow Pro has an excellent design and construct high quality, and whereas full-size keyboards are an outlier as of late — significantly with low-profile switches — it is good to see a producer catering to that area of interest. If you do not thoughts the battery constraints, this can be a nice general alternative.
Wombat Willow Pro Mechanical Keyboard
The Willow Pro combines a terrific low-profile change with a novel design. If you want a keyboard with a devoted quantity pad and mechanical switches that does not take up a lot room, this can be a first rate possibility.Â
