Today’s double feature review comes courtesy of KiiBOOM – a keyboard and a separate set of keycaps! If you’re looking for a new keyboard or want to make your keeb cuter with some custom keycaps, this review is for you. Without further ado, let’s get to it!
KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V3 Mechanical Keyboard Review
I have three keyboards that I rotate between on a constant rotation: Epomaker’s RT100 (that I have modded with custom switches and keycaps), Chilkey’s ND75, and the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2. I’ve talked about the former two quite a bit, but the Phantom 81 V2 has earned a special place in my heart because of how stunning it looks. It’s a crystal-clear keyboard that lights up while somehow ensuring that keycaps’ legends remain visible. It’s a stunning piece of acrylic that is a joy to type with thanks to its construction and its aesthetic. I’ve returned to this keyboard when I wanted to light up my desk and use something new. I have even gone so far as to gift a Phantom81 V2 to a good friend of mine. It’s a glorious keyboard.
My personal bias is coming through here, I know. I remain impressed with KiiBOOM’s offerings only because of how well structured and creative their keyboards end up being. Looking back at their Loop75, Loop65, and even their Matcha Latte Switches (who have since found a home in one of my keyboards), it’s clear to me that compromises are few and far between when it comes to how KiiBOOM manufactures prebuilt keyboards and offers accessories to mechanical keyboard fans.
Recently, KiiBOOM reached out and informed me that they have made some adjustments to the Phantom 81 in the form of the Phantom 81 V3. As someone who was already impressed with the Phantom 81 V2, I was curious to see what has changed. Before reading further, I would recommend that you review my prior review of the Phantom 81 V2 – the V3 is mainly the same with a specific set of adjustments that I will detail below.
Check out the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V3 by clicking here!
The biggest change to the Phantom 81 V3 is the keyboard’s height. KiiBOOM has adjusted the keyboard’s top case to have a slightly sharper angle than the V2, claiming that the V3 has improved ergonomics. Putting the keyboards together side by side, the V3’s angle is indeed sharper, with the bottom half of the keyboard being a half-inch below the top row of keys. When using the V2, I was able to use a wrist rest when typing and have a comfortable typing experience. For the V3, I was able to get by without needing a wrist rest thanks to the angle of the keys and not needing to have my wrists elevated for my thumbs to wrest on the bottom of a keyboard. If you currently have a wrist rest, you won’t need it if using the V3 unless you were to put something underneath the entire keyboard to raise the entire unit. That said, if you don’t have a wrist rest, the V3 will be very comfortable to use.
KiiBOOM has also adjusted the internal support structure of the V3, transitioning away from eight brackets to twelve support columns within the acrylic casing. In theory, this should make the keyboard more durable and stable through heavy use, but I am not 100% sure that this was needed. During my testing of the V2, I was able to put the keyboard through its paces and was thrilled with the durability of the unit. It had some give when pressing down on the keys, but the V3 seems to have made the keyboard more flexible. Here’s what I mean by that: When pressing down on all of the arrow keys on the keyboard, the bottom corner of keys (ranging from the Enter/Shift keys to the Alt/FN) would move a little bit. The keys wouldn’t activate, but they would slightly move down in tandem with the arrow keys. The V3 has a much greater give – pressing all of the arrow keys produces a noticeable movement.
I want to emphasize that the V3 does not feel any less stable. I interpret the flexing of the internals as there being some additional support and space for give without causing damage over heavy use. I’m sure that users who don’t test keyboards and rotate through keebs like me will have a longer-term perspective, but I am not worried about the internal flexing. When typing quickly, the switches retain their stability and there’s no issue of mistyping or anything like that.
On the underside of the keyboard, KiiBOOM has adjusted the weight and size of the polycarbonate backplate. They have also removed the USB compartment and repositioned the USB-C port. Finally, they doubled the battery life from 4000mAh to 8000mAh. I personally would not take this keyboard on the road, or use it wirelessly (given that I play videogames on my PC), but the larger battery life is a blessing for those wanting a pure wireless keyboard using the 2.4GHz mode.
My one quibble with the Phantom 81 V3 relates to the KiiBOOM driver. I would have hoped that KiiBOOM would have updated its drivers to allow for users to change the color of the sidelight – as of November 2024, this is still not possible. The only way to change the color of the sidelight is to press FN+P to switch through a handful of colors. I know there are other modifications that can be done with other button presses, but it’s weird that I can’t set the color using the driver. Hopefully, KiiBOOM adds some additional features to the driver going into 2025.
For the sake of avoiding repetition, I’ll conclude this review with some comments on the Phantom 81 V3 as a gaming keyboard. The changes that have been made from the V2 to the V3 retain the Phantom 81 as an excellent candidate for a gaming keyboard, albeit one that is probably best for medium- and low-intensity games. High-intensity gameplay will work fine with the keyboard’s sensitive pre-travel, but I’m cautious to recommend this specific keyboard for competitive players.
The Phantom 81 V3 is an impressive keyboard, building upon the already-excellent V2 with double the battery life, more stability, and greater durability. I am once again thrilled with how the Phantom 81 performed in regular office work and gaming. It’s a stunning keyboard and a very easy recommendation for someone wanting a unique pre-built 75% keyboard for their desk.
KiiBOOM Sweet Paw Keycap Set Review
If you are to open up YouTube and look up “cute keyboard” or are well into the depths of keyboard forums, you will most likely see a cute keyboard shared every so often. When I say “cute,” I mean a pastel-colored keeb with custom keycaps that incorporate a softer font, images on some of the lesser-used function keys, and occasionally a complementary color to make the overall keyboard an aesthetic delight. I’ve personally struggled to see the appeal in a “cute” keyboard only because I view keyboards as being utilitarian over all else; if something gets in the way of utility, such as an image covering a keycap as to obscure its legend, it’s hard for me to see it as a worthwhile addition to my desk.
I am but one keyboard user, though. There are many who want that aesthetic!
KiiBOOM sent us a set of their Sweet Paw keycaps to review. They are, for a lack of better word, adorable. KiiBOOM calls them whimsical, adorable, playful, and heartwarming – all of those adjectives are apt in describing these cat-shaped keycaps. I’ve never thought that I would appreciate the creativity of keycap design in the form of adding cat ears to the tippy top of every single keycap, but here we are.
Check out the KiiBOOM Sweet Paw Keycap set by clicking here!
For the purpose of this review, I tested the keycaps on my Meletrix Zoom75 TIGA – I didn’t want to remove the existing keycaps from the Phantom81 V3 (as that keyboard’s crystal-clear aesthetic is worth maintaining), and my matcha-colored keyboard was a perfect complement for the Sweet Paw keycaps. It took around 15 minutes for me to put the keycaps on the keyboard. There were so many keycaps! Thanks to my keyboard being a 75% keyboard, I had quite a bit of extras to put on my keyboard.
The Sweet Paw keycap set is a massive set of keycaps, coming with 146-caps for any owner to modify their existing keyboard. Regardless if you have a TKL, Alice (split), or 100%, this set will have every single keycap you will need to transition over to full cuteness. You might have some leftover keycaps, too. As mentioned in the previous paragraph – I had some extras I could choose from to personalize my keyboard how I saw fit.
The Sweet Paw keycap set utilizes softer pastel colors, leaning into beige, soft pink, and off-white. The keycaps legends use a bolder Comic Sans font that is easy to read, even with some caps having little cats and other objects in the corners. For instance, the W key has a little blueberry. Some of the function keys have images that obscure the letters, though, like the Caps key being overshadowed by cat cherries and the Backspace key having a cat with a tomato positioned next to BACK. This shouldn’t be an issue, though – heavy users don’t look at their keyboard when typing.
I just love the entire aesthetic of the Sweet Paw set. They feel great, too. The keys feel uniform, the homing keys have a large curved line and perfectly “catch” my fingers when typing, and the keys themselves have a soft indent for fingertips to rest. KiiBOOM has succeeded in making a set of keycaps that feel great to use, are ergonomic, and are whimsical. If you’re a cat person or want to make your keyboard a smidge more feline, look no further than KiiBOOM’s Sweet Paw keycap set!
