W
hilethelikesoftheLogitechMX
CraftandMatiaskeyboardsontest
thismonthreducethedimensions
ontheverticalaxis,theKBParadiseV60takes
a differenttack.Thiskeyboardhasa ‘60per
cent’keylayout,whichreducesitsnumberof
keysfromthetypical 105 ofa normalkeyboard
tojust62,greatlyreducingitsfootprint.
Wherea normalkeyboardmeasuresinthe
regionof 45 x 12-17cm,theV60comesinat
just 29 x 10cm.Thissizenotonlymakesit well
suitedtoparticularlycompactdeskspaces,
butalsoallowsmoreroomforyourmouseon
theright-handside.Thisdoesn’tmakemuch
differenceforleft-handedmouseusers,but
forright-handers,it allowsyoutohaveyour
mouseclosertoyou,soyoucankeepyour
wristata morecomfortableangle.
Beingabletouseyourmouseina position
that’sdirectlyinfrontofyou,ratherthan
awkwardlyofftotheside,canmakemouse
movementsquicker,moreconvenientand
KBPARADISEV60/£95inc VAT
SUPPLIER keyboardco.commore comfortable. Sadly, though, actually
using this keyboard couldn’t be described
as quicker or more convenient. The drastic
reduction in the number of keys means that
even basics, such as the cursor and Del keys,
are consigned to secondary functions of
other keys. As a result, there’s quite a learning
curve to using this keyboard for even the most
rudimentary of operations.
Particularly egregious is the loss of the Esc
key, which is a secondary function to the Tilde
key in the top-left corner. Thankfully, though,
you can change this arrangement via the six
DIP switches on the bottom of the keyboard.
One DIP switch combination is dedicated to
this one swap, and it makes a huge difference
as it no longer takes a two-handed key
combination just to exit a full-screen video,
for example.
Elsewhere, the overall typing experience
can still be frustrating, especially if you
regularly use the mouse, as some key
combinations require two hands, so you can’t
just quickly snap to them with your off-hand.
The lack of a numpad means you can forget
about numerical data entry as well. The main
caveats here are gaming and pure text typing,
where you may only regularly care about
access to the standard alpha key cluster, which
is the same as any other keyboard.
In every other regard, the KBParadise V60
is a lovely keyboard. Build quality is excellent,
the two-tone red/blue (not RGB) backlighting
looks great and the compact form factor,
with its removable mini-USB cable (Type-C
would be nice) makes for a really convenient
keyboard for small spaces or travelling.The Cherry MX switches (our
sample came with Silver Speed switches) feel
as good as ever, and you can get a fun range
of keycaps including an attractive vintage
grey set. You also get a grey Enter key, a bright
pink space bar and a set of black Mac keys
included in the box. You can get the keyboard
with different switch brands as well, including
Alps and Matias switches. Meanwhile, the
aforementioned DIP switches on the back
allow for several key layouts, although you
don’t get software programmability unless
you opt for the V60 Type R.Conclusion
In terms of build quality, style, general
typing performance and comfort, the V60
is fantastic, and its compact form factor is
convenient in some ways. However, the
hugely reduced number of keys is likely
to be a stretch too far for many users,
and it isn’t cheap either. For most people
looking to cut down the size of their
keyboard,we’drecommend a 65 per cent
orTKL layout instead.VERDICT
This ultra-compact keyboard has a steep
learning curve, but it’s a well-built, decent
typingtoolif youwon’tneedthe extra keys.UTOPIA
+Tinyformfactor
+Fantastictyping
experience
+Great build quality
PARADISELOST- Steeplearningcurve
- Expensive
SPEC
Connection Wired, removable
Cable Rubber, 1.5m
Material Plastic
Switch type Cherry MX and other
mechanical options
Backlighting RB LED
Extras DIP switches for choosing layout,
backlight control dialDESIGN
20 / 25FEATURES
17 / 25OVERALLSCORE
74 %%
PERFORMANCE
20 / 25VALUE
17 / 25