I loved typing on the LOOP75. KIIBOOM has demonstrated their commitment to making visually stunning keyboards that look and sound divine. Now that they have expanded the LOOP line of keyboards to include a 65% and 75% layout, players of multiple preferences can get their hands on the dual-colored aluminum goodness that KIIBOOM has to offer. It’s great for gaming and typing, too!
Full metal aluminum construction. A gradient design. Modular structure. Smooth typing. These are all terms that I used to describe KIIBOOM’s LOOP65 a short while ago. Despite my quibbles with it being a 65% keyboard, it won me over on how well it felt and sounded like a quality pre-built keyboard. Secretly, I wished that KIIBOOM had opted into making the LOOP65 a 75% keyboard instead, Function keys and all, if only so I could have a bit more breathing room when typing.
It was as if KIIBOOM heard my prayers and immediately responded with their announcement of the LOOP75. It’s virtually the same keyboard as the LOOP65 except for it having 12 function keys and a larger surface area on which to type. Seeing as this keyboard is the same, I’ll do my best as to not reiterate the same things as I did on my coverage of the LOOP65. Before continuing on, I would recommend that you take a gander at my assessment of the LOOP65 before reading my thoughts on the LOOP75.
Right from the top, the LOOP75 looks absolutely stunning. It comes in two variants: Red/Black and Blue/Grey. I was sent the Blue/Grey to review, which was my preference. The overall aesthetic of this keyboard looks like a powder blue, with a set of gradient keycaps that start at a deep blue on the left and end on a periwinkle blue on the right. The left-hand side of the keyboard has that powdery-blue color while the right-hand side has a grey color. KIIBOOM describes this dual color scheme as a modular construction thanks to it being comprised of two aluminum chunks that are slotted together. It’s a refreshing aesthetic departure from typical unibody color palettes that are utilized by most keyboard manufacturers.
As the LOOP75 is a hunk of aluminum, this keyboard weighs quite a bit – more than the LOOP65 (which shouldn’t be surprising). In my previous review of the LOOP65, I praised KIIBOOM for creating such a sturdy keyboard that held up well under pressure. Once I put it on my desk, it took quite a bit of effort to push it across my deskmat; it did not budge or bend one bit when I tried pushing down hard on the keyboard’s dye-sub PBT keycaps. The small quality concerns I had with the LOOP65 were not present on the LOOP75, thankfully. The aluminum side pieces did not feel loose or rattle when I ran my fingers across the frame.
Typing on the LOOP75 is nothing short of delightful. Paired with its multiple layers of foam and the Matcha Latte 2.0 switches (which I have reviewed before and also use on my daily driver keyboard), the keyboard produces a crispy poppiness even when typing at a rapid pace. These updated switches have a lower operating force of 45gf (from 55gf), meaning that the keys are slightly easier to press. Their total travel has increased to 3.8mm (from 3.6mm) and are also made entirely out of PC (instead of a hybrid mixture of Nylon and PC).
If you’re already familiar with the Matcha Latte switches from KIIBOOM, then you might not notice much of a difference between the older switches and the updated versions. In practice, a slightly decreased operating translates to the switches feeling smooth. When typing for long periods, a lower operating force yields less strain on the fingers. I personally prefer heavier switches (i.e., with greater actuation force) because of how I use ceramic keycaps in my daily driver keyboard, but a 45g force with the stock keycaps is great for typing.
As of writing, the updated Matcha Lattes are not yet available for separate purchase from KIIBOOM, but they remain an excellent switch to use when typing. I still use the older Matcha Lattes in my current daily driver thanks to how great they sound and feel when typing and gaming. There’s very little wobble, their acoustics pair incredibly well with my ceramic keycaps, and they offer the perfect blend of stability and force for my personal uses. I might not pair the updated Matcha Lattes with my ceramic keycaps, but they are great for regular PBT keycaps that most folks use these days.
The larger size of the LOOP75 meant that I had a greater degree of real estate to use when typing. I’ve complained quite a bit about how 65% keyboards feel cramped thanks to my large hands – the additional space gave me breathing room that I didn’t have on the LOOP65. I’m thrilled that KIIBOOM expanded their LOOP line of keyboards to include a 75% keyboard – doing so will make the LOOP75 a major contender for those wanting a high-quality aluminum mechanical keyboard.
Beyond everything I’ve said above, the LOOP75 has the same qualities and features as its smaller counterpart, from the unique oval cutout LEDs that diffuse the lights, south-facing RGBs, PBT keycaps with a gradient that matches the keyboard’s color scheme, and the multiconnectivity (that’s now standard on most mechanical keyboards). It also has VIA compatibility, albeit requiring the same finicky workaround that I’ve had to use to get the LOOP65 and Epomaker’s Tide75. I would have hoped that by this time there would be native support without needing to download .json files, but there may need more time before native support to come around to KIIBOOM’s keyboards. It’s not worth outright rejecting the LOOP75 because of it lacking VIA support, but…it’s disappointing nonetheless.
In prior reviews of 75% keyboards, I’ve talked about how keyboards of that size are good candidates for gaming and typing (barring some exceptions that lacked NKRO anti-ghosting and/or featuring switches with too sensitive of an operating force or actuation point). The LOOP75 is just as good of a candidate for overall gaming as any other. Thanks to the upgraded Matcha Lattes, inputs are easy to make but not so easy that there are false positives. In my testing, I was able to get by fine with the 45g operating force in most games, as it was a happy medium of a sensitivity.
I tested the LOOP75 in games of high-, medium-, and low-intensity. This is something I’ve done for my prior reviews, including the LOOP65, as it gives me a good idea of how the keyboard can perform under multiple circumstances.
Starting with higher-intensity games, namely VALORANT, Counter-Strike 2, Starfield, and Wild Bastards, I was able to get by just fine. Nothing too extraordinary, but nothing that would have hindered my gameplay in regular ol’ FPS games. I don’t consider myself a “pro” FPS player, so I can’t speak on how the keyboard performs in top-tier gaming. Then again, I wouldn’t consider the average reader of this site to be a competitive gamer by any stretch of the imagination. If you’re out there, I hope you get something of value from my reviews. I digress, the LOOP75’s key placement and switches’ average sensitivity made it so that I was not making false positive inputs nor missing inputs because of their actuation points.
Medium-intensity games like League of Legends, NINZA, Cult of the Lamb, and Kitsune Tails were a perfect fit for the LOOP75. Lower-intensity games performed well, too. Thanks to needing to press fewer keys, I could experience the excellent sounds that the Matcha Latte switches in tandem with the aluminum frame. As I mentioned in my previous review, lower-intensity games are more enjoyable when keypresses feel and sound meaningful; the LOOP75 was able to produce that satisfying acoustic sounds that I prefer when playing these types of games.
I feel like I’ve reiterated quite a bit about the LOOP65 in this LOOP75 review. It shouldn’t be surprising, as there weren’t that many stark differences between the two keyboards. I did my best to flag differences when I came across them, so I hope that this review helps you decide on your future keyboard.
The LOOP75 is available now and is priced at $169.99. That’s $10 more than the LOOP65, and it’s still an excellent price for what you get from a visually stunning and excellently crafted keyboard. The one caveat about the price is that it’s priced slightly higher than other aluminum 75% keyboards, namely the TIDE75 (~$139) and Chilkey ND75 (~$100). The modular construction and dual colors of the LOOP75 set it apart from most competitors, though, as it looks more similar to a premium keyboard you would expect to see from Meletrix or Wuque Studio.
I loved typing on the LOOP75. KIIBOOM has demonstrated their commitment to making visually stunning keyboards that look and sound divine. Now that they have expanded the LOOP line of keyboards to include a 65% and 75% layout, players of multiple preferences can get their hands on the dual-colored aluminum goodness that KIIBOOM has to offer. It’s great for gaming and typing, too!
