Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish keyboard review: one keeb to rule them all

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Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish: One-minute reappraisal

To paraphrase Tolkien, mech keebs are recovered successful improbable places. But, Drop isn’t 1 of those places. On the contrary, the marque has made rather a sanction for itself producing and selling enthusiast mechanical keyboards and modding parts (along with audiophile headphones). It’s go 1 of my go-to websites whenever I’m jonesing for a keyboard fix.

At this point, thing that comes retired of Drop is astir a guaranteed ace, including the taxable of this review: the Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish (opens successful caller tab), 1 of the 5 officially licensed LOTR keyboards the marque has connected offer. This one’s a stunner too. It’s astir apt the fairest of each these keebs, with its greenish and ivory colorway, the beauteous “faithfully-translated” Tengwar legends (I’m nary Tengwar publication adept truthful I cannot corroborate their accuracy) connected its keycaps, and the elegantly-etched trees of Valinor framing its arrow keys.

The Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish is besides incredibly comfy to benignant on, acknowledgment to those Holy Panda X switches that Drop co-designed with Gateron and are 1 of the brand’s best switches. Drop pairs those with its Phantom stabilizers to circular retired its satisfying tactile feel. 

So, portion it looks each inch a fancy keyboard an Instagram influencer would amusement disconnected connected their posts, it’s besides incredibly utilitarian, which makes it 1 of the best keyboards connected the shelves. It’s conscionable the happening to spruce up your bureau setup and spot you done those agelong days of typing up documents – particularly due to the fact that it’s clicky but not arsenic large arsenic different clicky keyboards.

Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish: Price and availability

• How overmuch does it cost? $199 (about £160.91 / AU$283.44)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where tin you get it? Available successful the US, the UK, and Australia

The Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish isn’t cheap. But past again, top-quality mechanical keyboards ne'er are. If you privation it, you’ll person to ammunition retired $199 (about £160 / AU$280). You’re not paying for conscionable its performance, aft all. At the clip of writing, however, Drop has it listed astatine $169, giving you a $30 discount.

That puts it successful the aforesaid terms scope arsenic different enthusiast keyboards similar the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 ($159 / £128 / AU$233) and somewhat cheaper than premium ones similar the Lofree 1% Transparent ($219 / £181 / astir AU$320). There are cheaper mech keyboards retired determination if you’re connected a budget. Keychron (opens successful caller tab) has a fewer connected connection for nether $100 / £100, and they’re beauteous fantastic arsenic well. Just carnivore successful caput that Keychron’s offerings are simpler and much restrained, design-wise.

Drop does vessel to the UK and Australia truthful you’ll beryllium capable to bid this keyboard if you’re successful these regions, arsenic agelong arsenic you’re good with longer shipping times. Apparently, it could instrumentality 2 to 4 weeks from the day of shipping.

• Value: 3.5 / 5

Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish: Design

• Robust physique and stunning LOTR details
• Comes with a tiny mod kit
• White backlighting only

The Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish’s physique prime is undeniably robust, its premium aluminum and integrative lawsuit feels similar it could withstand a batch of abuse. If you privation to, say, worldly it successful a suitcase and bring it connected a year-long travel astir the satellite oregon instrumentality it with you connected your regular commutes, it feels robust capable to survive.

This isn’t a travel-friendly keyboard, however. It’s got a spot of value to it, and being a TKL one, it isn’t that compact either. It’s truly much of a nestled-in-your-home-desk-setup keyboard, particularly with the adornment connected it.

Drop intelligibly took the LOTR taxable and ran with it. This keyboard is bedecked with Tengwar legends, elegant greenish and ivory keycaps, Sindarin phrases, and fashionable LOTR icons similar the shards of Narsil, the Ring of Power, and the Eye of Sauron. The marque claims that the Tengwar legends connected the keycaps are faithfully translated, but arsenic I’m nary Tengwar maestro and determination look to beryllium antithetic ways to constitute the English alphabet successful Tengwar, I’ll person to instrumentality Drop’s connection for it.

Don’t interest if you often look astatine your keycaps to marque definite you’re astir to property the close one. The keycaps from some kits travel with their Latin alpha sublegends and Latin modifier legends arsenic well.

To adhd adjacent much flair, Drop commissioned creator OSHETART to make a customized artwork depicting the Two Trees of Valinor, which framework the arrow keys connected the keyboard. It’s a bully touch, adding a interaction of quality to the keeb and counterbalancing the menacing Eye of Sauron and Ring of Power keycaps.

The Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish intelligibly comes with the Lord of the Rings Elvish Keycap Set, which you tin besides acquisition arsenic an add-on if you privation 1 of the different LOTR keyboards, but you besides get immoderate orangish keycaps from the Training Elvish Base Kit. That includes the orangish spacebar keycap that boasts the One Ring inscription: “One Ring to regularisation them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them each and successful the acheronian hindrance them.” 

You besides get a keycap puller truthful you tin easy power things up. There’s a USB-A to USB-C cablegram included too, though it’s conscionable a regular cable. If you privation a bully coiled one, Drop does person a fewer connected offer, but they’re not LOTR-themed, and volition outgo you extra.

Sadly, you won’t beryllium capable to swap retired the switches arsenic they are soldered. RGB fans mightiness besides beryllium disappointed to find that there’s lone achromatic backlighting here, but honestly, it keeps the full happening elegant. If you privation RGB lighting, determination are different options.

• Design: 5 / 5

Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish: Performance

• Keys are smaller but are concave
• Holy Panda X switches are satisfying with a tiny bump
• Clacky dependable that’s not excessively loud

The archetypal happening you’ll apt announcement astir the Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish erstwhile you presumption your fingers connected the keys is however tiny they feel. The keycaps are tapered truthful they are smaller astir the top, which mightiness consciousness a small weird for those with bigger fingers, but Drop tries to thwart digit slippage by giving the keycaps a deeper dip, which I find does assistance support your fingers successful place. 

Because they are smaller, however, it takes immoderate getting utilized to, particularly if you’re reaching for the arrow keys. Don’t worry; it didn’t instrumentality maine agelong to get utilized to them, and I ideate astir radical volition consciousness the same.

Drop fitted the Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish with its much-lauded Holy Panda X switches, which it co-designed with Gateron. The institution fundamentally took 2 switches (the Invyr Panda Linear power and the Drop Halo switch) and combined their parts for a superior power with reduced stem wobble and improved consistency. To forestall further wobbling, Drop has besides fitted it with its ain Phantom Stabilizers.

The effect is simply a creaseless and unchangeable tactile power that’s proven during my investigating to beryllium precise accordant and precise satisfying to benignant on, with a bully tiny bump connected each keystroke. I’m presently successful my linear phase, but I honestly emotion typing connected this keyboard, acknowledgment successful ample portion to its bottommost actuation. I besides presently similar the thock sound, but I don’t caput the clacky dependable of this keyboard astatine all, particularly due to the fact that it isn’t excessively loud.

• Performance: 5 / 5

Should I bargain the Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish?

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Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish: Report card

• First reviewed January 2023

How I tested the Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish

To decently trial the Drop + The Lord of the Rings Elvish, I utilized it arsenic my main keyboard each time for 2 weeks to constitute each my enactment emails arsenic good arsenic constitute my articles and buying usher updates. While it isn’t marketed arsenic a gaming keyboard, I did usage it connected a mates of abbreviated gaming sessions arsenic well, conscionable to spot if it tin support up with much rigorous use.

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