Oliver Haslam·

Vinpok Taptek Review: A Wireless Mechanical Keyboard Worth Checking Out

The world of the mechanical keyboard is an interesting one, and if you ever wanted to see a market that is full of more options and configurations than anyone should have to deal with, that is a great example.

The thing is, no matter how many options there are, they tend to lean towards the gamer. Mechanical gaming keyboards are all the rage right now, with LEDs making pretty patterns while gamers frag their friends in the latest online shooter craze.

But if you want something to write your latest book on, or if you’re a freelance technology writer like yours truly, you want something a little less….gaudy. Enter the Vinpok Taptek – what might be the best looking mechanical keyboard on the planet.

It’s also one of, if not the thinnest. Measuring just 16mm at its thinnest point, the Taptek is a gorgeous keyboard to look at, even when it’s turned off. Turn it on, and you get those LED lights that everyone seems determined to put into keyboards. With many, many different colors and patterns to choose from – 19 in total – I ultimately ended up with a boring white backlight reminiscent of a MacBook Pro keyboard, but if you’re on the hunt for something to blind you whilst you type, this will certainly oblige.

I’m not going to dwell on the lights because you can have them on, off, on and off or just about however your heart desires. What’s more important is the connectivity of the keyboard, and of course, how it types.

Let’s kick on with connectivity because Vinpok has things locked down here. With a switch on the back users can change the Taptek from wired to wireless mode, with a removable micro-USB cable all that’s needed to either charge the keyboard in wireless mode or connect it to a computer if wired is your jam. I used both modes and they worked fine, so no issues there.

While we’re around the back, there’s another switch for selecting whether you want the keyboard in Mac or Windows configuration, although that’s obviously not going to change what’s written on the keys. Oh, and those keys offer a typing experience that is apparently similar to cherry switches, although I’m far from a mechanical keyboard guru.

I liked them just fine, although they were a tad “keen” for me, with accidental key presses very much the order of the day. That may be more a failing of my typing style than the Taptek – I do tend to skim my fingers across keyboards and generally prefer the shallow travel of notebook offerings. But I digress.

While I could be blamed for the accidental key presses, there is one glaring issue that I can’t be blamed for. Vinpok took the decision to place a full-size UP arrow between the question mark key and a now smaller than usual, Shift key. That meant that I, far too often I might add, found myself pressing the UP arrow rather than shift. That gets old, fast, and I used the keyboard for a good few weeks and still didn’t fully adjust. Something to bear in mind, at least.

Conclusion

All in all, I do enjoy using the Taptek. There’s something to be said for the clicky feel of a good keyboard, but I just can’t use it reliably. When you type for a living it means you need reliability, and I just wasn’t reliable on this keyboard. That may be my failing, I absolutely hold my hands up to that, and I could imagine that if you’re a mechanical keyboard fan then this would be a great addition to your collection. I think it’s telling that I won’t be rushing to try another mechanical keyboard any time soon and that this review is being written on a 2015 MacBook Pro’s keyboard instead.

Would I recommend the Vinkpok Taptek? If you like your mechanical keyboards, then yes, absolutely. If you like gorgeous keyboards and think you could switch (pin intended!) to a mechanical keyboard, then yeah, give this some consideration. If you’ve never used a mechanical keyboard or have no particular affinity for them, then I’d say this might not be the keyboard for you. Which is a shame. because did I mention how great this thing looks on a desk?

If you do want to give the Vinpok Taptek a try, you can check out the keyboard’s new Indiegogo page here with prices starting at $89.

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