"First" mechanical keyboard (ISO needed)

[lilotus]

First of all, hello to everyone who reads this,

Since it's a new year and I get my paycheck in a couple of days, I want to get myself a new keyboard after 6 or 7 years. Currently, I am using a Logitech K520, I like the keyboard, but it's the one object that doesn't fit in my setup.

My budget is about 150-200€, I would love to have a wireless board and it being hot-swappable. And as you can read in the title, a must-have is having an ISO layout, because here in Germany it's the standard to use ISO and I am used to it. I wouldn't want to go smaller than TKL. I have looked at the Keychron K8 and swapping the switches for Kalih Box Browns, but a friend of mine recently (2-3 months) bought the board and since then the PCB is creating issues with 2 sockets not functioning.

I mainly use my PC for gaming but sometimes I have to do homework digitally and I have to do lots of writing. If you have any other recommendations than the Keychron K8, I would love to hear them.

Thanks!

[Yasu0]

Wait.. you're actually a human being?

[Muirium]

(Explainer: DT’s been getting a lot of reheated comment spam lately. I just checked your post wasn’t one of them, too!)

As for the recommendation… Anyone know what Ducky keyboards are going for these days? They were solid the last I tried them. Also Filco Majestouch, of course. The modern MX classics.

[hellothere]

Wireless, ISO, and hot-swappable is a bit of a stretch. While I have looked for two of those three -- I'd like ISO, but I don't have a requirement for it -- I did a quick Google and the answer is, "What kind of switches do you want in your Keychron K8?"

I have a K8, but the non-hot-swap, non-ISO, with aluminum plate and RGB version. Mine was bought used. Problem-free. It's built well. It looks pretty nice. It's within your price range. I don't know what the warranty on the K8 is, but if you decide on the ebay or Amazon route, you can always get an extended warranty.

[Muirium]

^ Someone who actually read the OP instead of running off to check if it was spam. I missed the wireless and hot-swap. Those really limit your choices.

[hellothere]

Keeping posters honest since 2020 . (I also checked to make sure it wasn't spam.)

There is a Royal Kludge model. Larger RK models with ISO seem to be sold out on German Amazon.

You also didn't mention if you wanted QWERTY or QWERTZ or if you needed the extra German letter keycaps. That might reduce your selection to the Royal Kludge.

[Findecanor]

... but a friend of mine recently (2-3 months) bought the board and since then the PCB is creating issues with 2 sockets not functioning.

Reliability issues are quite common with hotswap sockets. Unfortunately, pretty much all keyboards with hotswap-capability of MX-type switches have sockets of more or less the same bad design.

[Muirium]

Those sockets sound like a right royal kludge of a design, so to speak.

Stanley: wake up! I need a rimshot here!

[hellothere]

https://youtu.be/9CdVTCDdEwI

[stratokaster]

I don't know any keyboards that are both wireless and hot-swappable. (It doesn't mean that there aren't any, though.) But if you're willing to forgo the latter requirement, I'd recommend the ISO version of Filco Majestouch 2 Convertible. They are available in both full-size and TKL versions.