Wombat Pine Professional: Two-minute review

Where it matters most, the Wombat Pine Professional truly delivers. This mechanical keyboard may be from a brand keyboard philistines are unfamiliar with, but it shows the rest of the big-name manufacturers up – and in such a massive way, I’m surprised that it hasn’t made in on everyone’s best keyboards list yet (believe me, it’s making it on ours).

It does so in three parts: this full-sized keyboard has a slimmer, less bulky form factor and a design that Mac users, especially iMac 24-inch owners, can appreciate; it delivers a reliable, stable, and comfortable typing experience that even the most exacting keeb enthusiast can appreciate; and it’s got a whole bunch of features, many of which you’ll be hard-pressed to find on better-known keyboards. All that makes this a truly impressive piece of kit.

Not that it’s flawless. Wombat has skipped backlighting here, which means that those who haven’t quite mastered the layout may struggle to find the right keys in the dark. And when in wireless mode, it takes a split second after waking before working again.

But those hardly matter, especially with everything else that’s going for this keyboard.

I appreciate the Wombat Pine Professional’s form factor, first of all. While still retaining that full-sized 108-key footprint, it’s not as bulky or as heavy as other keyboards in its class (perhaps with the exception of the Logitech MX Mechanical, which is probably as low profile as a mech keyboard can get). It doesn’t scrimp on build quality either, using PBT keycaps that will last a long while as well as a high-quality aluminum top case. 

I do have to admit that the floating keycap design is a little strange, seeing as there isn’t backlighting or RGB lighting in sight, which would have been a nice addition, especially considering the price point. But it also doesn’t take anything away from the keyboard so that’s all I have to say about that. 

Wombat also makes up for that by making the Wombat Pine Professional available in different colorways – the same, though not all, colorways that the iMac 24-inch and MacBook laptops are available in. That tracks since this keyboard is designed specifically for Mac users.

Not that it’s only for those folks either. It’s not trying to be weird and exclusive like the Magic Keyboard. On the contrary, it’s compatible with Windows, Android, Linux, and iOS devices as well. It even has a separate Windows mode that lets you use the same hotkeys available for macOS on your Windows computer. That makes it a boon to all users, including those like me who use two different systems.

Speaking of different systems, the Wombat Pine Professional boasts multi-connectivity as well. Aside from having a wired USB-C connection, it also has 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity and allows up to five devices to be connected simultaneously. If I didn’t love collecting keyboards and rotating my small collection, I’d probably be very happy just using this one for my iMac 24-inch, my Alienware gaming laptop, and my PC build.

Is it appropriate to be used as a gaming keyboard? If you’re not gaming competitively, it’s not too shabby. I’ve tried it with games like Hogwarts Legacy and Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and it wasn’t like I was struggling. It was business – or, in this particular case, pleasure – as usual. 

Plus, it’s got four special function keys, whose secondary job (via the Fn key) is to increase the keyboard “speed” (I’m assuming that pertains to its polling rate, but Wombat doesn’t really say) for, in Wombat’s own words, “gaming purpose.” And, there’s also on-the-fly macro recording, allowing you to program up to 10 macros to specific keys, as well as full-key N-key rollover so it can register simultaneous presses without a sweat.

The Wombat Pine Professional is, however, first and foremost a productivity keyboard. It even has special features that help increase your productivity. There’s the number pad having a simulated mouse mode, with each number representing the different directions the cursor can move. There’s also the special function keys whose main job is to give you quick, one-press access to the calculator, calendar, browser, and voice assistant (if set up). And, finally, you’ve got the Function keys, which moonlight as the settings, media, app, and emoji menu quick access keys. 

For the fun factor, it also comes with a keycap puller and four extra keycaps with different wombats on them.

In short, you’re getting A LOT for your moolah.

Of course, the Wombat Pine Professional’s performance and comfort can’t be beat either. While Wombat doesn’t officially give its 1000mAH battery a proper rating, it’ll certainly last you a while at full charge. I tested this keyboard for a week wirelessly, and I didn’t have to charge once – although it’s likely it’ll last longer than that.

The brand sent me the Red Cherry MX version, which means I’m getting that linear key switch experience that I’m kind of partial to these days. I’ve been enjoying that non-clicky, non-bumpy actuation and bottom out – though if you prefer a bit of bump and a little bit of that clicky sound, it’s available with Tactile Brown switches as well.

Despite being just a little slow to wake, there’s really no noticeable lag when you’re in wireless or Bluetooth mode. The keyboard is responsive and accurate, which is what you need most during long hours of typing up work documents, emails, or in my case, product reviews and buying guides.

But Wombat doesn’t stop there. It fitted this keeb with a noise and vibration absorption mat and pre-lubed stabilizers, which improves your overall typing experience. The result is a quieter keyboard that is smooth and very stable to type on, with the keys neither wobbling nor rattling.

If Wombat was trying to impress enthusiasts, then mission accomplished. I know I am.

Wombat Pine Professional: Price & availability

• How much does it cost?  $159.99 (about £130 / AU$240) 
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Much like with other high-quality mech keebs, the Wombat Pine Professional’s price of entry isn’t going to be at the budget level. It’s not going to rob you blind, but it will still set you back $159.99 (about £130 / AU$240), which is something many people may find too steep for a keyboard.

If you want quality and great value though, the reality is that it usually sits around that price point. And, you’re getting a whole bunch of features here that you won’t find on other keyboards. It’s also a little cheaper than something like the Logitech MX Mechanical, which sells for $169.99 / £169.99 / AU$279.

•  Value: 4.5 / 5 

Wombat Pine Professional: Specs

Should you buy the Wombat Pine Professional?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Wombat Pine Professional: Also consider

How I tested the Wombat Pine Professional

• Used it for a week, testing its performance and features
• Tested it for work and some gaming
• Used it for writing articles and emails as well as to play a couple of games

I tested the Wombat Pine Professional for a week, noting its performance, its build, and the typing experience it offers as well as using its special features to see how beneficial they are for productivity.

I used it for writing my articles, comping emails, and other work stuff. And, because it has some gaming-focused features, I used it for playing Hogwarts Legacy and Kena: Bridge of Spirits as well.

Having been a product reviewer for years and now an editor in TechRadar's Computing channel, I have extensive experience testing peripherals, including keyboards. I am a keyboard enthusiast and modder myself and have a small collection of them.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2023 

Corsair K70 RGB OPX: One-minute review

The Corsair K70 RGB OPX can easily be considered one of the best gaming keyboards for its price and overall performance. It's a full-size board, complete with 105 keys and a dedicated media bar that plugs in through USB-C. 

Unlike some mechanical gaming keyboards, this version of the K70 opts for proprietary microswitches, which use a hybrid of mechanical and optical for a lightweight feel that's quieter than standard switches and far more accurate than membrane. 

With its high polling rate and Doubleshot keycaps, there's a premium feel to the Corsair K70 RGB OPX for its sub-$200 / £200 / AU$300 price point. It performs above its station as a gaming keyboard that looks a little different and feels substantially better than many others I've used over the years for a similar rate. 

Corsair K70 RGB OPX: Price and Availability

• How much does it cost?  $179.99 / £179.99 / AU$299
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, the UK, and Australia

The Corsair K70 Pro RGB OPX gaming keyboard aligns itself somewhere in the middle of Corsair's gaming keyboard range. At $179.99 / £179.99 / AU$299, it's far from one of the best budget gaming keyboards but isn't quite as expensive as the flagship models such as the Corsair K100 RGB, which retails around 20% more.

If you're solely interested in one of the best mechanical gaming keyboards then you may want to turn your attention to the similarly priced Corsair K70 RGB Pro, which is available with the standard click-clack you would hope for. The closest possible competitor for the Corsair K70 Pro RGB OPX would be the Razer Huntsman V2, which is available with a similar optical-mechanical setup for around $10 / £10 / AU$20 more. 

• Value: 4 / 5  

Corsair K70 RGB OPX: Design

• Available in black and white 
• Comes with a dedicated wrist rest 
• PBT DOUBLE SHOT PRO Keycaps

My particular Corsair K70 RGB OPX review unit came in the white colorway that certainly stands out from the sea of black gaming keyboards available. It's a full-size gaming keyboard with a dedicated media roller as well as media keys on the top right. As expected, there's iCue RGB lighting that can be dimmed with a specific button to be as bright as you like when gaming. 

The aluminum frame is one of the stronger-feeling backboards so you should be catered to here if you're a particularly heavy typer or like to pound the keys when playing games. The keyboard connects through a braided USB-C cable, which doesn't drag or pull. 

The Corsair K70 RGB OPX has an 8,000Hz polling rate with Full-key anti-ghosting for smooth rollover. The brand describes its proprietary switches as "hyper fast key switches" that are unique to the board. There's an actuation distance of just 1mm and 150 million guaranteed keystrokes on the PBT Doubleshot Pro keycaps. 

There's also a generously sized magnetic wrist rest in the matching white colorway. 

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Corsair K70 RGB OPX: Performance

• Quiet operation 
• 8,000 Hz polling rate 
• Dedicated media bar 

I've been using the Corsair K70 RGB OPX as my main keyboard for work and gaming for around three months now. As my first experience with an optical-mechanical keyboard, after previously being dedicated to the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini, the initial difference in feel took a while to get accustomed to. 

You're getting the same level of precision and satisfaction with key presses, but losing the riotous thunder of a firm and tactile clickiness. If you want to keep your noise levels down when working, you'll love how this gaming keyboard feels. 

Gaming on the Corsair K70 RGB OPX feels great. Over the summer and winter months, I've played everything from Battlefield 2042 and Overwatch 2 to Cruelty Squad for my FPS fix. As someone who writes professionally for a living, having a high-end keyboard with satisfying action without the noise has been instrumental, and the hundreds of articles I've written with it are a testament to that. 

It's going to be difficult to return to a regular mechanical gaming keyboard, even when previously yellow and green switches were my ride-or-die for the better part of a decade. 

• Performance: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Corsair K70 RGB OPX?

Buy if... 

Don't buy if... 

Corsair K70 Pro RGB OPX: Report card

• First reviewed February 2023

How I tested the Corsair K70 Pro RGB OPX

I've been using Corsair K70 Pro RGB OPX as my main gaming keyboard since September 2022. In that time, I've played a vast array of different games and also written over a hundred articles with it, too. 

Read more about how we test

MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic: Two-minute review

 The MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic may be the best gaming keyboard for you, especially if you have a penchant for fast games and furious typing. This new mechanical keyboard from MSI is built for speed, staying true to its name, with a robust aircraft-grade top case, 1.4mm/45gf actuation, and no-nonsense software that gets right down to business. 

In a sea of keyboards, however, being great is no longer enough. Thanks to the many incredible models that have hit the shelves over the past few years, it’s getting harder and harder to set oneself apart from the competition. To stand out, you have to do something cooler than the others, which is why MSI throws in extra frills like the convenient dual-touch volume wheel and the X-shaped cable routing.

Not that the MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic needs those, as even its fast actuation is more than enough to recommend it to gamers. It can be a bit of a double-edged sword though, as even the slightest pressure can cause a key to register, resulting in accidental presses when your fingers are merely resting on the keys. It’s a classic case of great power coming with great responsibility. 

The MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic kind of reminds me of older-generation gaming keyboards, but with a touch of that modern look that newer-gen models have. So, in a way, it feels like a cross between the two, or something that came out during the transition period. 

It’s very much a new release, however, even scoring a CES Innovation Award at this year’s convention. You’ll even notice signs of modern innovations here. There’s the short 1.4mm actuation, naturally, which you’ll be hard-pressed to find in old gaming keyboards. There’s also that nice dual-touch volume wheel, which delivers a surprising touch of convenience I never knew I needed. 

And then, there’s the MSI ClearCaps keycaps that give the keyboard a faux floating keys effect that, in turn, allows that already vibrant RGB to dazzle even more. The keycaps themselves are not low-profile; they just have a clear bottom half to give them that look. If you want to switch out to low-profile ones, however, you’ll be happy to know they’re removable. The keyboard even comes with its own keycap puller.

The Vigor GK71 Sonic is full-sized, which means that it does take up a lot of space on the desk, especially if you throw the wrist rest into the mix. It also has some heft to it, as well as a robust build, mostly thanks to its aircraft-grade aluminum alloy top case. It doesn’t feel too bulky, though, probably because it isn’t as thick as other full-sized options. If you want to save some space, you have the option not to use the wrist rest. However, it’s nice to touch, plush, and considerably improves the keyboard’s overall ergonomics, so I’d recommend sacrificing that bit of space.

What I like most here are the multimedia keys – or rather the volume wheel, which not only doubles as a mute button but also has a dual-touch control that lets you adjust the volume from the top and from the side for convenience. Of course, the usual back, play/pause, and forward buttons are on hand as well.

Most of the keys on this gaming keyboard are macro-programmable and remappable, except for the Fn/MSI Dragon key, which lets you access a pre-programmed set of shortcuts, almost all of which are RGB-related. Such shortcut keys have been becoming increasingly popular among keyboards, even full-sized ones, and I’m glad to see it here. MSI even makes things more convenient for users by marking those shortcuts on the keycaps so you won’t have to memorize them.

A curious feature here is the X-shaped cable system that MSI has designed to protect your peripherals’ cables and keep them from cluttering your desk. It isn’t something I find particularly useful, sadly, as I prefer to direct my cables towards the back of my desk, out of sight. 

The MSI Center, which offers software support for the MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic for customizations, is impressive – and not because it’s extensive. On the contrary, it has a back-to-basics approach, covering only the more vital customizations. 

But, while it can feel a little rudimentary to gamers who are used to the more convoluted apps of competitors, I appreciate that it works incredibly well and as it’s supposed to. If you’re familiar with other gaming keyboard apps, you’ll know that the more complex they are, they less user-friendly they can be. That’s on top of the fact that they really only work half of the time.

My only issue with the MSI Center is that you don’t have immediate access to the tools you’ll need for customizations. You have to install some installable items the first time you use it. With the MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic, for example, you’ll need the Gaming Gear module for macros and the Mystic Light module to control the RGB lighting. 

The MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic has been out for a while but only in its red switches version, which require a lighter operation force but has a deeper pre-travel. This new version comes with the MSI Sonic blue clicky mechanical switches, which require ever-so-slightly harder presses but have a shorter actuation distance of 1.4mm. 

So short, in fact, that you run the risk of accidentally activating a key when you’ve got a finger resting on it. On the plus side, because it takes light presses, I find it relieves some pressure on my shoulders and fingers when I’m playing.

The switches themselves are also incredibly fast and responsive, whether I’m battling monsters in Kena: Bridge of Spirits or exploring the magical world of Hogwarts: Legacy. They’re also comfortable and satisfying to press, with a nice bottom-out. Meanwhile, the hybrid 6+N-key rollover ensures the keyboard isn’t missing any presses.

MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $129.99 (about £110 / AU$195)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Is the MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic a budget option? Not exactly. However, it’s fairly priced for a fast, well-made gaming keyboard of its caliber, and around the same price point as its direct rivals. At $129.99 (about £110 / AU$195), it’s also more affordable than the likes of the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro and the Corsair K100 Air Wireless – both of which are in the above-$200/£200 range.

To be fair, the Vigor GK71 Sonic is less feature-rich than those two, with MSI taking a more minimalist approach in terms of not only its features but also its software support. However, it also ticks a lot of things that gamers find most useful – such as the fast actuation, macro-programmable keys, convenient multimedia keys, and the vibrant RGB. That makes it a great value, even if it’s not what I would call cheap.

Should you buy the MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic: Also consider

How I tested the MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic

• Tested the MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic for a week
• Used it for a week, playing games and typing up articles and emails

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2023