Mistel Sleeker Keyboard Review - a Mac Users PerspectiveTL;DRA Mac first, premium mechanical keyboard. If you love the aluminium finish of Apple keyboards but need some clicky goodness, the elegantly designed
Mistel Sleeker should be high on your list to try.
Keyboard BackgroundTo place this review in context, my previous keyboard experience is: Kinesis Freestyle, Ergodox (Cherry Red with PBT caps), Mistel Barocco (Cherry Brown with PBT caps) Matias Ergo Pro (quiet clicks) and the UHK (Kailh Red). I also used an AEKII back in the day. The Sleeker model that I’m using is Cherry MX Brown switches in an ANSI layout. I am also a died in the wool Mac enthusiast. Note: this Sleeker was provided by Mistel for an un-biased review.
Courting macOS UsersAs a Mac user with a passion for clicky keyboards, you often feel like a second class citizen. Not only are you lucky if you even see macOS (or OS X) listed as supported but best of luck with finding native keycaps legends on the keyboard. Either you’re hunting around for third party macOS keycaps, or just dealing with having an ugly Windows key on your board every time you look down. I know, first world problems, right?
The Mistel Sleeker is definitely a keyboard looking for a Mac user to love. From the first look at the box and the slow reveal of pulling out the close fitting inner section of the packaging, the Sleeker screams Mac minimalism. In a world of Windows gaming blinky-blinky LED keyboards, the Sleeker is a welcoming, calm experience.
The Unboxing ExperienceFrom the first moment you pick up the box, the Sleeker feels like it means business. The restrained graphics on the outer box give way to an inner cover with the Sleeker logo emblazoned providing a slow reveal for the keyboard within.
Inside, there is a keyboard bag, which I would describe as something to keep dust off your keyboard, rather than providing a sturdy method to transport your keyboard back and forth on a regular basis. But nevertheless, a nice inclusion for a well rounded set of accessories.
Tucked away in a small section of the box are the rest of your accessories. And there are a surprising number of them. A nice wire keycap puller is there along with 13 additional keycaps (more on this below in the Switches and Keycaps section).
A USB Type C white plastic (not braided) is right there along with a Type A adaptor and finally, some alternative extra metal feet. The only attachment option for these is at the back of the keyboard, so positive tilting is your only option here. Not necessarily a great ergonomic choice but if positive tilting is your thing, you are well taken care of.
Build QualityOne of the signature features of the keyboard is the construction of the case body. A solid piece of CNC aluminium and it really feels like quality. To call the body of this keyboard solid would be somewhat of an understatement.
The Sleeker weighs a delightfully sturdy 1350 grams. To put this into context, the diminutive Apple bluetooth keyboard weighs a slight 280 grams. To put this difference another way, the Sleeker could double as a charming keyboard
and a defensive weapon — should the need arise. Now how much would you pay?
This is not a keyboard which you should be planning on travelling back and forth to the office. Think of it as the kind of keyboard that would draw the right kind of attention from any setup picture you might post online.
My final observation on the case body of the Sleeker is that of the finish of the metal. The treatment of the aluminium does not feel like Apple’s keyboards. Rather than the
smooth brushed feel, the Sleeker is much more textured. When looking down at the keyboard, as the light reflects of the texture, you’re almost reminded of looking at the wood grain on a quality wooden wrist rest.
Switches and KeycapsThe Sleeker that I am testing has Cherry Brown switches. They feel, unsurprisingly, like Cherry Brown switches. The switches feel sturdily mounted on the plate and have a pleasant clack. It’s great that Mistel haven’t cheap-ed out with lower quality clones and are shipping with multiple Cherry options for your tactile pleasure.
PBT! Need I say more? Well OK, maybe a little. The low profile Cherry keycaps are nicely thick — to give you an idea in this picture, you can see a comparison of the relative thickness of the keycap walls (Sleeker, Signature Plastics and Leopold). There is very little warping on the shape of the keycaps. That classic ‘dry’ feel of PBT also extends to the space bar. As you run your thumb across the top of the space bar, you get that wonderful, slightly rough feeling — it’s so nice to have the whole keycap set being PBT.
The legends of the keycaps are set in Helvetica. Traditionally, Apple keyboard legends have been set in
VAG Rounded and now more recently, the new Apple custom font
San Francisco. As an aside, the Apple Extended II used Univers 57 Oblique. So to use Helvetica is a slightly odd choice until you consider the macOS brief dalliance with
Helvetica Neue. And as the saying goes, you can never go wrong with
Helvetica.
The legends appear to be vertically aligned, rather than using
visual alignment as Apple does with their keyboards. I find the difference particularly noticeable on the D key, where the legend feels right biased. But this is a very nit-picky observation and not a big deal.
Speaking of legends, the
Command key is right there out of the box either side of the space bar, just as
Susan Kare intended. I know this sounds like a minor thing to a Windows user but to a Mac user, this is the way I wished all mechanical keyboards looked. I know this is never going to happen but a man can dream, right?
A final welcomed touch for a Mac user is that the sequence and icon of the function/special keys is correct. Mission Control, brightness controls for laptops and native media playback for iTunes control are all right there, just where you would expect them to be. Should you want to use this keyboard with a Windows machine, Mistel thoughtfully provided replacement keycaps with the relevant legends.
Other DetailsWrapping up, there are four little details to discuss: Feet, LEDs, USB C and programability.
Let’s talk about feet. An oft overlooked feature on a keyboard but an important one — who wants their typing slipping all over the place? The Sleeker has four, large rubber feet on the base and those, along with the overall weight of the keyboard, really help to keep this keyboard rooted to your desk.
The Sleeker forgoes RGB LEDs fitting with the more minimal atheistic of Apple and just has plain white LEDs. These LEDs can be toggled on and off (with F13) and also put in a
breathing mode where they pulse on and off. Out of the box, the
breathing rate is a little on the fast side, more breathing after a quick sprint than after a gentle jog. Thankfully, this is customisable. Once in breathing mode, Fn + right and left arrows respectively will alter the rate. Confusingly, the right arrow slows the rate, while the left increase it. As you can see in the picture below, the keycaps are solid, so the LEDs shine
around the keycaps, rather than illuminating the letters themselves.
Since Apple made the switch on their newer machines to USB C/Thunderbolt 3, we have been living in a
dongle adaptor world. As with any keyboard looking to attract Mac users, USB C is obviously the way to go and Mistel have done the right thing. As you can see, even R2D2 is impressed by this future looking connectivity!
Finally, as to the programming functionality of the Sleeker: None. Well, OK, not strictly true; there are a few things you can remap:
- Remap the left Control Key to be another Fn key
- Remap Capslock to left Control Key
- Remap the layout to be a Windows layout (if you really have to)
ConclusionTruly, a Sleeker alternative (see what I did there?) to the aluminium keyboard Apple ships, filled with mechanical goodness. With Plug and play macOS support out of the box, your choice of Cherry switches and well made PBT keycaps, the
Mistel Sleeker really is a love letter to a Mac using mechanical keyboard enthusiast.
Pros:- Build quality
- Native Mac support out of the box
- PBT keycaps and Cherry switches
Cons:- Expensive
- Very little programability