I’ve over two dozen mechanical keyboards, and my each day driver is an Offended Miao Cyberboard R4. Whereas that exact keyboard is not designed to be moveable — it weighs 7lb — I’ve an honest variety of Bluetooth-enabled keyboards that I normally connect with the iPad Professional to write down once 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 is 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 Movement continues to be top-of-the-line choices on this class.
The Willow Professional is a brand new entrant on this phase, providing a singular full-size design that’s noticeably narrower than its rivals. Wombat is a sub-brand of KSI Keyboards, and the Willow Professional is an attention-grabbing selection because it combines low-profile switches with a customized full-size design. The keyboard prices $144 on Amazon, and it’s out there through Wombat’s web site as effectively.
As at all times, let’s begin with the design. The Willow Professional has a gray colour scheme that contrasts effectively 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 are not any points with the construct high quality itself. There is not any flex to the chassis, and after 4 months of use, there is no seen put on.
The important thing speaking level is the distinctive configuration; the Willow Professional has a tall design that sees the features and system keys situated on high, with the quantity pad to the best. This implies you get a full-size design with out the keyboard taking on 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 mentioned, the positioning of the system keys is not perfect. I normally attain the Delete key with my little finger because it sits to the best 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 approach to cram all of the keys right into a smaller profile.
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What I like concerning the design is that the rubber ft on the backside are magnetized, so you may simply alter the angle. I normally want a six-degree angle, and whereas the keyboard does not go to that stage, there is a four-degree angle with the ft raised, and it makes utilizing the Willow Professional that rather more handy.
I used a number of low-profile keyboards with mechanical switches, and the Willow Professional will get loads proper on this space. The keyboard makes use of Gateron’s Crimson low-profile linear swap, and it is likely one of the finest choices you may discover at the moment. The swap has a 50gf actuation with whole journey of three.0mm, and it does a terrific job mimicking the tactility of a full-size swap.
It’s nice in each day use, and it supplies all the advantages of a linear mechanical swap with out taking on as a lot room. The sound profile is respectable, however you get a hollowness to the sound that is all the way down to the plastic backside case. Given what the Willow Professional prices, Wombat ought to have used an all-metal enclosure.
Apart from that, there are not any points with utilizing the Willow Professional. The PBT keys are sturdy, and so they have clear legends. There may be vibrant RGB lighting, however because the legends do not shine by means of, you get subtle lighting as normal. Like different low-profile keyboards, the swap is soldered.
You should use the Willow Professional with Home windows and macOS, with extra keys included within the field. Because the keyboard has Bluetooth connectivity, you may pair it to an Android cellphone or pill as effectively, and in my utilization, I linked the keyboard to my iPad Professional 13 2024 more often than not.
Wombat has its personal software program utility, and you’ll customise macros with relative ease. I might have most popular VIA integration as an alternative because it permits larger flexibility, however Wombat’s software program is not as clunky as different manufacturers I used, and it has an honest stage of customizability.
The one downside with the keyboard is battery life; the Willow Professional 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 fees by disabling RGB results, that is nonetheless not adequate.
General, the Willow Professional has design and construct high quality, and whereas full-size keyboards are an outlier today — notably with low-profile switches — it is good to see a producer catering to that area of interest. If you happen to do not thoughts the battery constraints, it is a nice general selection.
Wombat Willow Professional Mechanical Keyboard
The Willow Professional combines a terrific low-profile swap with a singular design. If you happen to want a keyboard with a devoted quantity pad and mechanical switches that does not take up a lot room, it is a respectable possibility.
