Today’s double feature comes courtesy of the folks at Epomaker. I’m going to cover a prebuilt keyboard and set of new switches. If you’re looking for a new set of switches or even a new entry-level keyboard for your office space, this review should give you a decent idea of what to consider. Let’s get to it!
Epomaker DynaTab75 Review
Back in 2024, one of the first mechanical keyboard reviews I conducted was for Epomaker’s DynaTab75X. It is a massive hunk of a retro keyboard that looks absolutely wild because of its dot-matrix screen occupying the top-fifth of the unit. When it’s plugged in and on, it looks less like a keyboard and more like an otherworldly device out of the Star Wars universe.
The DynaTab75X’s design is what got me fully invested in Epomaker’s innovativeness at the keyboard level. Their dedication to taking bold swings and changing up the typical mechanical keyboard form factor got me interested in what else they have had to offer in the prebuild mechanical keyboard space. Since my first review of their keyboard, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how they’ve made every one of their keyboards unique.
Now imagine if the DynaTab75X did not have a dot-matrix screen at all. Imagine if Epomaker’s DynaTab75X had a slot for phones and tablets instead of a gigantic screen that occupied a chunk of the keyboard’s usable space. That, my friends, is the DynaTab75.
The DynaTab75 is just as much retro as the DynaTab75X, but tailored for utilitarian consumers who want to place their favorite mobile device at the top of their keyboard while still keeping the traditional retro-aesthetic that Epomaker captures with the DynaTab line of keyboards.
I have used the DynaTab75 for the past month for gaming and working. Like my original review of the DynaTab75X, the keyboard impressed me on most fronts. Its only drawback is its quality control in ensuring stability. That said, it’s an impressive mechanical keyboard for those who use an iPad or foldable phone as a day-to-day productivity device. Here’s why:
The DynaTab75 is clearly a keyboard for those who desire a retro aesthetic and want a mechanical keyboard that can be used with their mobile devices. While the keyboard itself is a large piece of plastic (like most 80s and 90s electronics), its wireless capabilities, colorful RBG LEDs, and slot for a mobile device makes it a perfect fit for an iPad or tablet user. For those who want to use an iPad as a second display for their iMac, the keyboard can very easily accommodate that, too.
Like the DynaTab75X, the DynaTab75 is a large and in-charge 75% keyboard, clocking in at 345mmx181mm with a height of 42mm. The adjustable feet on the backside of the keyboard can increase the typing angle for ergonomics’ sake. I have a wrist rest, so I used the smaller feet to add some height to the keyboard to meet my specific needs. However, if you lack a wrist rest, the keyboard can be used just fine without adjustment.
The keyboard is solidly built, barring one element. In my review of the DynaTab75X, I noted concerns with the removable plate in the upper right corner (which houses the keyboard’s 2.4GHz dongle) and how it can be easily removed to a fault. My DynaTab75 featured the same removable plate which felt just as weak, making me concerned about its potential use as a mobile keyboard. Aside from that, however, the keyboard does not bend or budge when putting heavy pressure on the keys.
The DynaTab75 comes in two colorways: a blue and white model and a red and white model. The red and white model features a design similar to the original NES while the blue and white model looks like the SNES without the purple. I was sent the Red and White to review, and I just love how the model oozes retro nostalgia.
[available switches]The DynaTab75 comes with one of four Epomaker switches: Sea Salt Silents, Wisteria Linears, Flamingoes, and Wisteria Tactiles. I’ve used all of these switches before, barring the Wisteria Tactiles. From prior experience, the Sea Salts are too mushy for my tastes, but they are quite the silent set of switches perfect for working in a quiet office. The Flamingoes, on the other hand, are some of the loudest switches that I have used from Epomaker, but they’re satisfying for both gaming and working. The Wisteria Linears are one of my most favorite linear switches from Epomaker, acting as a perfect middle ground for smoothness, loudness, and typing feel. Check out my thoughts on the Wisteria Linears in my original review of the Epomaker DynaTab75X.
Before I go on, I want to comment on tactile switches. Most prebuilt gaming keyboards I review come with linear switches because of their smoothness. When playing higher-intensity games, the average player is pressing a multitude of inputs in quick succession and need their switches to keep up with the faster pace. Tactile switches are different from linear switches in that they feature a prominent “bump” at the start of pressing down (rather than when the key bottoms out). That “bump” is usually right before or right at the point where the switch activates the input.
In multiple mechanical keyboard communities and amongst many users, there is little consensus on which type of switch (linear vs. tactile) is better for gaming. If anything, the most common response I see amongst users is that it’s up to user preference to decide which switch is best. If someone prefers the meaningful “bump” of tactile switches, then it makes sense for them to be preferred over linear switches. For me, my fingers tend to get tired far quicker when using tactile switches, so I err on using linear switches just so I can type for longer. I’m sure that if I was to use tactile switches full-time, I could build up the muscle memory needed for heavy use.
The DynaTab75 keyboard is the first prebuilt Epomaker keyboard I have reviewed with tactile switches. As someone who has mainly used linear switches for gaming, writing, and other work, I personally prefer linear switches for their smoothness. However, the Wisteria Tactiles are just as satisfying as Epomaker’s Wisteria Linears. These switches feature a slightly greater actuation force (46gf) with a slightly shorter pre-travel (2mm).
In practice, the Wisteria Tactiles feel great when used in short bursts, but I personally encountered finger fatigue when attempting higher-intensity gaming and my usual 100+wpm typing speed. On the flip side, the tactile bump was sturdy to the point of outright omitting accidental inputs, meaning that I was able to type slightly slower but far more accurately than other linear switches. They had some wobble, meaning that they didn’t feel the sturdiest despite the noticeable bump associated with the switches’ tactility.
With the DynaTab75’s gasket mounting and internal sound dampeners (i.e., poron foam, IPEX padding, and sound-absorbing bottom foam), the Wisteria Tactiles manage to emit a decently loud clackiness. They’re not as loud as the Epomaker Flamingoes by any means, but they’re loud enough to be noticeable by other folks in the room.
The DynaTab75’s biggest feature is its 206mm-long device slot at the top of the keyboard. Epomaker claims that this slot is fit for an iPad or phone. I own a Pixel 9 Pro XL that’s encased in Peak Design’s EveryDay Case, and the phone perfectly fit in landscape and portrait orientation. In portrait mode, specifically, my phone was perfectly nestled into the slot without feeling too loose or too tight; it was the perfect fit. It was angled perfectly for video calls, too, meaning that I could use this keyboard and have my phone recording my face.
I personally don’t have a use for a keyboard with a device slot, but I can see the utility of having such a slot for content creators and/or folks who use their iPads for screen mirroring. I work from home 7-days-a-week and I am on my computer every one of those days. If I used a tablet or my phone for video calls, the DynaTab75’s slot would be perfect for my calls and screen extensions. However, I have a webcam and a second monitor, so I don’t see the need for using the keyboard’s slot.
It’s hard for me to not have the dot-matrix screen on the DynaTab75. As mentioned above, the slot served its purpose in holding my phone and tablet. However, as one who has owned both 75 and 75X, the space dedicated for the slot feels like wasted space when I see the leftover usable space once my phone is nested in the slot. Part of me wishes that there was a slot for Epomaker’s smart screen (found on their RT keyboard line) or even a miniature dot-matrix screen that shows something like the battery life or acts as an LED for Caps Lock. Heck, why not have some space dedicated for an emblem similar to Meletrix’s ZOOM line of keyboards? If I’m going to have leftover space on a keyboard, I’d want it to be used in some capacity.
At the upper-right hand side of the keyboard is a lightbulb button and a slider to control the keyboard’s connectivity mode (wired, wireless Bluetooth, 2.4GHz Bluetooth). The lightbulb button on the DynaTab75X is used to control the dot-matrix screen; on the DynaTab75, it simply turns the keyboard’s south-facing RGBs off and on. I can understand the cost-cutting measures of keeping the button present on this device, especially seeing the 75 and 75X’s sole difference is in the presence of the screen, but it would have been better to have that button serve another purpose or not to have it at all on the 75 model (without the screen). The keyboard already has a function to disable the LEDs (FN + another key press), so it seems unnecessary to have a dedicated button.
That said, the DynaTab75 has several features that come with most mechanical keyboards of today, such as the tri-connectivity (mentioned in the previous paragraph), battery, and hot-swappability of the keycaps and switches. The battery of the DynaTab75 is notable in that it’s 5000mAh (which can be anywhere from 10 – 30 hours of continuous use, depending on the enabled settings) and has fast-charging if the battery dies. I would recommend that you err on the side of using the wired option. Wireless keyboards tend to have a slight input delay because of the Bluetooth polling rates. In my testing, there wasn’t too much of a noticeable difference between the wireless and wired modes in moderate gaming, but for high-intensity games the wired mode was tantamount to my success.
The DynaTab75 is a great candidate for gaming, albeit a PC player who plays games of moderate and/or lighter intensity. The tactile switches on my keyboard weren’t the best for gaming, but I want to reiterate that every PC player is different. Some folks play better with tactile switches for meaningful inputs, while others prefer linear switches for quicker inputs.
Like most of Epomaker’s other keyboards, the DynaTab75 can be easily controlled and modified using the Epomaker Driver. It’s a very easy to change the keyboard’s LED colors and add custom macro functions using the Driver.
The DynaTab75 seems to have been out for almost a year at this point, but it doesn’t mean that it’s outdated. If anything, now is the best time to consider the DynaTab75 because of its price: The normal MSRP for this keyboard on Epomaker’s website is $89.99, but at time of writing the keyboard is on sale for $44.99. This is an unbelievable price for a mechanical keyboard of this quality and featuring the specifications. If you’re in the market for a new keyboard, or want an affordable entry point into the mechanical keyboard space, the DynaTab75 is an excellent candidate for your consideration. If you end up disliking the switches and want to use your own, you can very easily get a set of 100 switches from Epomaker or another manufacturer and swap out the switches that came with the DynaTab75.
I’ve enjoyed testing out the DynaTab75 because of its sturdiness, retro aesthetic, and the Wisteria tactile switches. At its price point, it’s a no-brainer of a recommendation for someone wanting an entry-level mechanical keyboard and/or a keyboard that can support their iPad.
Epomaker BlueBird Switches
Until today, I have not had the pleasure of individually reviewing Epomaker’s switches. Typically, I review Epomaker’s switches when they come in a prebuilt keyboard. Today is an interesting day, though, as I have a new set of Epomaker’s switches to share with you: Epomaker Bluebird Switches.
Epomaker describes its Bluebird switches as peaceful and soothing. Unlike their other bird-themed switches (e.g., Flamingo, Budgerigar), the Bluebirds are designed to offer users a quieter typing experience while still retaining the linear smoothness that others are used to. In my experience, these switches are indeed soft and subtle, but not entirely silent.
The Epomaker Bluebird switches are comprised of mainly harder materials. Its housing is a combination of PC and Nylon while the switch’s stem is POM. PC is a middle-of-the-road hardness while Nylon skews harder, so the combination of Nylon and PC result in the switches’ housing to feel durable and sturdy. The POM in the switches’ stem is far sturdier and more durable than PC or Nylon. From prior experience, the harder the switches’ housing and stems, the louder the switch. This is not the case for the Bluebirds thanks to how Epomaker formulated the housing materials.
When I think of bluebirds, I often think of bluer hues spanning vivid royal blue to periwinkle. Occasionally, I’ll see a periwinkle colored bluebird, but I’m usually associated deeper blues with the bird. The Bluebird switches mirror the bluebird of my mind’s eye for the most part thanks to its dark blue bottom housing and stem. The top of the switch’s housing is supposedly turquoise, but it looks more like aquamarine in some lighting.
Regardless of my color semantics, I just love the color scheme of the Bluebirds. The turquoise top housing perfectly compliments the darker blue bottom housing and stems, making the switch perfect for someone wanting a blue switch in their keyboard. The switch’s LED slot diffuses light just fine, too.
Let’s get to what is often the most important questions keyboard fans ask: How do the switches sound? How do they feel?
Let’s tackle the switches’ sound profile, first. Thanks to the harder materials, it would be safe to assume that the switch would produce a loud clackiness. This is surprisingly not the case. The switches produce a soft and muted clackiness with the slightest hint of a thock, but nowhere near true thock. In some keyboards, it would be very easy to modify the acoustics to emphasize the switches’ creaminess with additional foam layers and/or a PC plate. If you wanted to emphasize the clackiness of the switches, I would recommend putting these switches into an aluminum setup. Consider an FR or Aluminum plate, too. I tested these switches using a Meletrix Zoom65 and was pleased with the loudness of the FR plate, but I’m sure if I had removed some of the foam and changed the mounting style, I could have made the switch louder.
Do know that the Bluebirds are nowhere near as loud as the Flamingoes, though. So don’t expect these switches to be an annoying addition to your keyboard.
Onto the switches’ typing feel, I just loved how they felt in use thanks to their linear smoothness. They are medium-strength switches, requiring a moderate degree of actuation force of 47gf (+/-5gf). Interestingly enough, the switches’ pre-travel ranges from 1.1mm-1.5mm. By definition, the lower the pre-travel, the less distance one needs to press in order to activate the switch. It’s interesting for Epomaker to have a switch with such a degree of variance on the pre-travel side of things. I would usually expect a switch with 1.1mm of pre-travel to be on a magnetic switch to accommodate for additional features like Rapid Trigger, but a range from 1.1-1.5? That’s admittedly a large degree of variance. I can tell a difference between 2.0 and 2.5mm of pre-travel, so there’s assuredly a difference between 1.1mm and 1.5mm of pre-travel.
In my testing, it felt like the switches averaged out to a 1.3mm of pre-travel, which was still too sensitive for my liking. That said, the switches were perfect for high-intensity gaming like VALORANT, Back 4 Blood, and Counter-Strike 2. I could peek very easily in-game and make smaller movements by ever-so-lightly pressing down on the switch.
My biggest critique of the Bluebirds is of their sensitivity. While their actuation force is 47gf, their pre-travel ends up being around 1.2mm. This meant that I would need to ever-so-lightly press down on the switches to activate them and register inputs. For gaming, this is most certainly a blessing for those wanting a switch sensitive enough to compare to the supreme sensitivity of magnetic switches without needing to replace their PCBs. For me, though, the switches’ sensitivity led to me making far too many mistakes when typing.
If you’re curious as to how the switches sound, we included them in our most recent switch sound test on the Meletrix Zoom65. The Bluebirds are the bottom-most row. Notice how soft and clacky they are? I love how they sound!
I appreciated the Epomaker Bluebird switches’ aesthetic, construction, and feel. While they’re too sensitive for my personal tastes, their buttery smoothness and clackiness are worth your consideration.
