Glorious Aura keycaps review: Best pudding caps I’ve ever used

Glorious Aura Keycaps (Black)

professionals and cons

Professionals

• High quality doubleshot PBT construct feels costlier than it prices
• Cap thickness and end present a well-saturated however mushy glow
• $30 for any doubleshot PBT cap set, not to mention this one, is impressively low cost

Cons

• Area bar caught sometimes on one mannequin (Wonderful’s personal GMMK Professional)
• Legends require vibrant backlighting to actually be seen in vibrant situations
• Smoothness of the PBT used right here feels extra like ABS in some methods, which can hassle some

extra shopping for decisions

I will be sincere; I am typically responsible of being a kind of mechanical keyboard snobs I are likely to name out in my opinions and protection of the subject. One of many areas the place I am most frequently jaded is keycaps that appear low cost or overly flashy. For a very long time, I’ve included “pudding” keycaps in that checklist of issues I am not a fan of. They virtually all the time appeared to be of poor high quality, appeared skinny, and usually ruined what may need in any other case been a nice-looking mechanical keyboard. 

Whereas I all the time do every thing in my energy to enter a evaluation with a impartial outlook and clear slate of expectations, I felt I ought to nonetheless point out this was the mindset I might traditionally held when the Glorious Aura Mechanical Keycaps arrived for evaluation. These are Wonderful’ personal tackle the pudding style (named for its resemblance to multi-layered pudding cups when considered from the facet) and, to get proper to the purpose, the perfect pudding caps I’ve ever used. Learn on to search out out why. 

Really feel and sound

The very first thing that stunned me about these caps was that they had been made with thick, doubleshot PBT plastic. Which means that there are literally two discrete layers of plastic (one translucent and one in both black, white, or pink, relying in your chosen colorway) that match collectively so tightly there is no detectable hole. I did attempt to detect one, for the file, however no fingernail nor fingertip may sense it. Getting used to low cost, skinny pudding caps manufactured from one-layer translucent plastic, this was my first tip. It was time to sit down down and take discover. 

Additionally: Mechanical keyboards: A complete information

One of many different vital pudding cap drawbacks has traditionally been their tendency to let far an excessive amount of mild by means of. Even boards that had comparatively tame backlighting grew to become veritable beacons for those who slapped a set of pudding caps on them. Nonetheless, Wonderful’ Aura caps and their thicker PBT plastic present much better lighting than most rivals.

This does not serve to dam the sunshine to the purpose of creating it drab. It simply pleasantly diffuses it, giving every key a mushy however nonetheless very saturated glow that appears unusually high-end. 

The texture of the caps is surprisingly plush as nicely, particularly given the $30 asking worth for a 145-key set that ought to fill out almost any board, with the attainable exception of actually unique layouts. 

As the usually less-than-proud proprietor of a number of keycaps units that value virtually 10 instances that a lot, I can say the PBT feels about as strong as any I’ve used. I’ll observe that it is one of many smoothest PBT caps I’ve ever examined. If you happen to desire PBT for that just about sandpaper-like roughness it might probably have, these aren’t for you. 

Nonetheless, for those who prefer it for the thick feeling it might probably lend to keys and the sound-deadening properties it might probably present to assist cut back spring whine and different disagreeable pings, these are all current right here. 

Match and end

General, I discovered the end significantly better than its worth level would recommend. There have been no extreme tough spots on the underside sides, nor any outstanding sprue marks from the casting course of. I am going to additionally reiterate that the doubleshot layers match just about completely. 

The set wasn’t totally with out its flaws, nonetheless. There was one problem the place the spacebar needed to stay on one board (Wonderful’ personal GMMK Pro) however was positive on all others I examined (just like the Drop ALT). If you happen to’re questioning, I did double-check that it was the right dimension, and it was. It appeared to be a slight tolerance problem with the spacing of the area bar stabilizers.

This problem is one thing that might possible be solved with 5 minutes and a few sandpaper utilized to the stems, but it surely’s not one thing most finish customers can be too joyful to need to cope with. Out of the 5 boards that I examined the keycaps on, solely the GMMK Professional confirmed indicators of sticking. I am unable to make sure for those who’ll run into this, and I am unable to say for positive your particular area bar will not be positive all over the place, but it surely’s price noting. 

Additionally: 5 finest mechanical keyboards: From mini to macros

My solely different gripe applies to the legends. That very same thick, diffusing PBT that I praised for giving the edges of the keycaps a mushy glow dampens the lighting of the legends somewhat an excessive amount of. I needed to up the brightness on most of my testing boards to close their most with the intention to make out the backlit legends, even in considerably dim lighting.

It isn’t an enormous deal more often than not, particularly for those who’re an skilled touch-typist, but it surely might be problematic throughout these moments whenever you’re looking for an uncommonly used key on a vibrant day. They’re legible, simply not as clear as I might like. 

Backside line 

I already spoiled the ending, however I am going to say once more these are the perfect pudding caps I’ve ever used. Apart from the few minor match and end points I discussed, I’d undoubtedly think about using them myself in a board that I needed to ascribe to the RGB aesthetic that will present them off to their finest impact. 

Whereas I’ve paid for a number of stupidly costly keycap units, I on no account suppose they’re for everybody, nor do I believe they’re all the time the perfect. For instance, I nonetheless use a $50 set from Matrix Keyboards on one in every of my every day drivers, and I am nonetheless fairly happy with it. I’ve all the time been notably satisfied to recollect I paid solely $50 for it…after which Wonderful’ Aura keycaps come alongside at $35 and makes me really feel like I overpaid. 

Alternate options to contemplate 

HyperX’s pudding keycaps are very related on paper. They’re additionally doubleshot PBT and likewise promote for a cut price worth of $25. Nonetheless, they are a bit extra translucent and their font is certainly extra “gamery,” however that might be a very good factor for the appropriate consumer.

If you happen to like the thought of low cost ($30) doubleshot PBT however don’t need pudding keycaps, Razer makes a shine-through line of caps that use the identical supplies. These caps, which is able to match on any Cherry MX-compatible board and are available black, white, inexperienced, and pink colorways.

One in all my private favourite price range keycap corporations, Matrix Keyboards, makes their very own units of pudding caps. This distinctive keyboard units up the colour through the use of the corporate’s Peacock colorway on its translucent shells.