The HHKB Pro2 – an honest reviewAlmost 2 years into the mechanical keyboard world, it was time to go balls deep, it was time for Topre, it was time for the HHKB Pro2.
This is my diary.
Day 1Dear diary,
I just received my HHKB Pro2 and it feels light. So much lighter than I expected. It is made completly out of plastic, no aluminum, no steel, just plastic, high quality plastic though. The rubber feet are a joke. They don't hold the keyboard in place at all. The port of the detachable cable is nice. It isn't located on the underside of the board like on my QFR which makes it very easy to access. I like that. The 2 additional USB Ports are cool, even though I don't really need them.
The keycaps are fine, but nothing special to be honest. They are thin PBT with a rough texture, which is nice, but you can have thin PBT with rough texture (MX) from aliexpress for around 20 dollars. The only thing which gives the keycaps some worth is the dye subbed lettering.
The stabilisers are great. Especially on the spacebar.
Let's talk about the switches. Oh my god. Are you serious? This feels exactly like the dome with slider keyboard I recently sold for 5€. This feels like rubberdome. Yes, like a high quality rubberdome, but still … rubberdome is rubberdome.
My first impression is: Wtf is going on … why does this flimsy keyboard with rubberdome feeling get so much hype? Anyways, the people on the internet said, I have to give it time. That`s what I'm going to do.
Day 2Dear diary,
I don't know what people mean with „like typing on clouds“ or „buttery smooth switches“. For me it just feels like a rubberdome. You press on it, the dome collapses and down goes your finger. It goes so fast, I cannot even feel if the switches are smooth or not because it is just collapsing dome – bottom out – collapsing dome – bottom out. The bottom out actually hurts my fingers a bit. No comparison to my Gateron blacks on which I never bottom out. I am not impressed.
The layout is actually pretty cool. The new position of backspace is so much better.
I do have to admit: This board looks classy. It has a presence on the desk which I have never seen before. It is polarizing. So clean, so smooth looking. Truly eye candy.
Day 3Dear diary,
I want to go back to my other mechanical keyboards and I occationally do. The HHKB hasn't got me yet, I still enjoy my other mechanical keyboards, but the internet says it needs time … and I am going to invest it.
Day 4Dear diary,
everytime I look at my desk I feel proud. I am part of the HHKB Topre elitist circle. I have something truly unique, something not everybody is willing to invest in. This is a great feeling. Why don't my fingers feel that way when I type on it (yet?)
Day 6Dear diary,
today I traded my black printed keycaps for some white printed ones. Black case, white caps - that's going to be dope! But wait … why am I getting caps for this board …. I don't even like it so far … or do I? I am confused. I feel sad that I cannot type on the HHKB anymore until my new caps arrive, but why?
Day 10Dear diary,
I don't think of rubberdomes anymore when typing on the HHKB. It grows on me. My fingers aren't strained anymore by the bottom out. The lightness of the plastic case, the crappy rubber feet, the rubberdomy feel … it all doesn't matter anymore. I just type. This keyboard has some kind of magic to it, an aura. I don't know why. It is just a well rounded board. On my other boards I constantly think of ways to improve them, maybe an aluminium case? Other keycaps? Maybe some O-rings? Not with this board. It is just whole. Nothing you would want to do to it. It is meant to be used, not to be modded. It doesn't need mods.
Day 15Dear diary,
the look on the faces of my friends, when trying to use my HHKB is absolutly hilarious. This alone was worth the purchase
Oh and by the way, I bought a PBT spacebar ...
Day 20Dear diary,
I remember day 1. I remember how frustrated I was when I first held the HHKB Pro2 in my hands. This is all gone now. I kind of like it. But I like it just as much as my other mechanical keyboards. I don't think the hype this board gets is deserved. It is a damn good board, hands down, I enjoy using it, I really do, but will I sell all my MX stuff for it? Hell no! You honestly cannot compare Topre to conventional switches. Topre doesn't feel like a mechanical switch. That is because Topre just is not a mechanical switch. It is using a rubberdome. Let that sink in. It's okay guys. You are using a rubberdome. I am using a rubberdome. But that's fine, because it's an incredibly good feeling ruberdome!
I also recommend Thomas' (chyros) review of the HHKB, because I can now confirm, that all he's saying is pretty accurate.
Day 25Dear diary,
I took the HHKB with me on a business trip. The light weight makes it a perfect travel board. I also just ordered a custom Topre Enter cap for 16$. I never would have thought I would spend 16$ on a single cap … this board made me do it. And I'm not even mad.
It just looks so beautiful, so sophisticated on the desk beside my laptop.
Now that I think about it, I might have found the answer to why this keyboard is so controversial.
This keyboard doesn't convince you with build quality. It doesn't convince you with extraordinary switches. It convinces you with its' appearence, with its' functionality and with its' own unique charm. This is why it is such a love it or hate it thing. Either you are intrigued by it or you are thrown off by it's rather (compared to other MX boards in this pricerange) low build quality and rubberdomey feel.
Day 26Dear diary,
I just bought another keycap set for my HHKB. White Blanks. Blanks on an HHKB are just looking too good. I don't know why I am buying so many caps for this board … Maybe it's a keeper. It probably is a keeper.
Conclusion:Don't expect the HHKB Pro2 to be your endgame. Chances are high that it won't be. Don't believe the hype. The board doesn't deserve the hype. I don't now why people are doing it.
The HHKB is a very solid, a very unique and a very polarizing keyboard. I encourage you to give it a try. But try it for at least a month. And again: Don't expect it to be your endgame and don't trust the hype or you will be disappointed. Buy it and try it without bias and see if you like it. Don't expect Topre to be better than your conventional switches, because it isn't better, it is different.
I really like the HHKB Pro2 and will probably keep it for quite a while, maybe forever, but it is definitly not my endgame. I still want to try out other switches and I will still use my other mechanical keyboards.
Thanks for reading and sorry for bad language, I'm not a native speaker.
