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Tech Reviews

Epomaker x Aula F75: An Honest Review

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Disclaimer

Mechlands sent me the Epomaker x Aula F75 with the LEOBOG Reaper switches to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. Make sure you check out my reviews for the Mechlands Vibe 99 and the Vibe 75 V2.

What’s in the box?

  • Epomaker x Aula F75 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard
  • 2.4G Dongle
  • USB-A to USB-C Cable
  • Key/Switch Puller
  • User Manual

Features

Epomaker and Aula have reunited to bring us a stylish and fordable solution to gaming. Whether you need a budget keyboard for work or play, the F75 promises to bring enough utility for any occasion.

The Keyboard

The keyboard has a modern clean design with well manufactured parts and clearly printed PBT keycaps. This 75 percent keyboard measure 143.2mm by 322.7mm for usable form factor experience. The 80 keys that make up the keyboard all are all lit with a beautiful south-facing RGB profile for that coveted gaming aesthetic. The switches are blubbered and as easily hospitable as the keycaps. The keyboards gimmick is the smooth volume dial that also controls the media.

Comfort and Design

The F75 has a very desirable typing angle for a comfortable typing experience out of the box. This angle can be adjusted for a more tailored experience. The prelubbed switches come in three different styles: Crescent, LEOBOG Reaper, and Ice Veign. Each designed to provide users a unique experience, the only questions is what sound and level of actuation you prefer. The five-layer padding design helps dampen the sound, while keeping a bit of that Typing ASMR alive.

Sound Test

Utility

The F75 supports three connections: 2.4G wireless (with included dongle), Bluetooth, and wired. These connections can be swapped easily with a flick of a switch. Both wireless and Bluetooth settings a fast, low latency connection ideal for most gaming environments. The included high quality cable can pick up the slack for anything else. But fast wireless connections are worthless without a strong battery supporting them. The F75 features a respectable 4000 mAh battery that is more than enough in most cases. User experience varies, especially if you’re going crazy with the RGB effects.

Review

As far as budget keyboards go, the Epomaker x Aula keyboard is a solid contender. The features and quality keep it from being a luxury upgrade, but it does enough to be worth the price price tag.

Quality

At first glance, users will be impressed by the design. Everything looks clean and the printing is clear. Picking up the keyboard doesn’t raise too many flags. The keyboard has a good weight for home and travel use, and the construction feels sturdy. I didn’t notice any concerning flex with my unit. Actually using the keyboard is where the cracks start to show.

Unfortunately, the keycaps are cheap, and they feel cheap the more you use them. They feel sharp and harsh to the touch, and they produce the ugliest typing sound. If you’re looking for good typing ASMR, you might have to swap out the caps or switches, but that defeats the purpose. If you’ve never used good keycaps or need something affordable to throw around, this doesn’t matter. They’re good enough.

Comfort

Despite the cheap keycaps, I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the F75 actually is. The typing angle out of the box is fantastic and the switches are solid. Although the keycaps are harsh to my fingers, the switches were soft to my joints. The don’t trigger my repetitive stress injury like other cheap keyboards do, and that is a huge win for me. While I wouldn’t say it is an ergonomic keyboard, it is an ergonomic enough design to keep my hands functional after prolonged use.

Performance

The F75 gets the job done out of the box. The switches all worked and were responsive, and the connection was stable. I didn’t notice any ghosting or faulty switches through my tests. This is a keyboard that is very easy to install, and even easier to tweak if needed. The preprogrammed shortcuts were all easy to find and incredibly helpful. I like the little cheat sheet included in the box. Most importantly, the battery life is great. I got about eight hours of continuous use off a single charge with the RGB on. This is enough for most cases.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a keyboard at this price range, it doesn’t get much better. With the F75, you are getting a cool looking keyboard with comfortable switches and enough keys for most work flows. The media nob is a fantastic gimmick, especially if you like working while listening to music. The Switches may feel cheap, but I never got the impression like they would fade or start to look ugly. If this is your budget, get the F75.

You can pick up the Epomaker x Aula F75 on the official Mechlands store, or through Aliexpress.

Tech Reviews

Tech Review: Kinesis Freestyle2 Ergonomic Keyboard

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Last post I wrote about the Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB Keyboard, an ergonomic gaming keyboard that is nice but expensive. Know that if you are purchasing the Freestyle Edge, you are paying for the luxury of RGB backlighting. You can see my full review of the Freestyle Edge here. For a more affordable option, consider the Kinesis Freestyle2.

Before I begin, I would like to mention that I am not a doctor, and this review is based on my personal experience. For medical advice, always consult a doctor. This is not a paid review, but I will be using affiliate links to the products. If you choose to purchase anything I recommend, I get a small commission if you buy using my links. It isn’t much, but every little bit helps.

The Kinesis Freestyle2 is a wired split keyboard designed for ergonomics. The keyboard comes in a nine-inch split and a 20-inch split variation. I have the nine-inch split version, and I don’t feel like I need any more. Plan for your setup. I have wide shoulders, and the split design has allowed for a more comfortable position.

All images are from the amazon Product page.

My only complaint about the Kinesis split keyboards is that they do not come with the optional tenting kit. Kinesis offers an optional tenting kit for all their split keyboards for a more ergonomic experience. I used the Freestyle2 without the kit, but I am so used to the tilt that I had to buy the kit for this one as well. Most people should be fine using the keyboard without the kit, but personally, the tenting kit makes long typing sessions a lot more comfortable. The Freestyle2 has two options for tenting, a 15-degree variant ($40 on Amazon) and a 90-degree variant ($200 on Amazon). I use the 15-degree variant and think it is perfectly fine, but the 90-degree is a solid option if you prefer a vertical keyboard. I don’t have any experience with the 90-degree version and can’t speak on how sturdy it is.

The main differences between the Freestyle Edge and the Freestyle 2 are the switches and backlight. The Freestyle2 is a membrane keyboard with no backlight and it honestly doesn’t need either. The key presses are soft and responsive, but they aren’t customizable. I have been using this keyboard regularly for two years and haven’t seen any visible signs of wear and tear. Unfortunately, Kinesis doesn’t offer keycap replacements keycaps or mac conversions for this keyboard. The Freestyle2 also comes with a few preprogrammed macro keys for productivity. I haven’t found too much use for these with my workflow.

I used to use a cheap flat keyboard for work that left my hands useless by the end of my shift. There were days when I couldn’t finish my work because the pain would be unbearable. Since making the switch to the Freestyle2, I haven’t had any issues with pain in my hands and wrists. I recommend taking regular breaks and looking into stretches for added comfort. My only other complaint about this keyboard is that there is no number keypad. I don’t really need one for my workflow, the number line works well enough, but the split design makes using numbers a slower experience. It isn’t unmanageable, but people who work with numbers should look into getting a separate keypad. Kinesis offers a Numeric Keypad, currently $35.95 on Amazon, but you can choose your presence.

If you are looking to make your setup a bit more ergonomic, consider the Kinesis Freestyle2 Keyboard, currently $89 on Amazon. This is the perfect option if you don’t care about a backlight, customizations, or key switches. I will be continuing this series with some gaming peripherals that have also helped save my hands a bit more strain. Stay tuned for more.

Tech Reviews

Tech Review: Kenisis Freestyle Edge RGB Keyboard

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I’ve done a lot of research to find an ergonomic setup that fits my lifestyle. I do a lot of typing and gaming on my computer, and I needed a keyboard that could transition from both seamlessly. I was using a cheap mechanical keyboard before that left my hands useless. I love mechanical keyboards and wanted to find an ergonomic version that also had a backlight. The Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB keyboard was my answer, but it might not be yours.

Before I continue with this review, I would like to take a moment to mention that I am not a doctor. This review is based on my experience. Please consult your doctor for any medical concerns. I will also be using affiliate links for the product. If you decide to purchase the product, I get a small commission, but these will be my honest thoughts on the keyboard.

The Kinesis Freestyle Edge is a split keyboard. The split design allows for more natural hand placement, ideally relieving unnecessary strain from your hands and wrists. I have wide shoulders, and the split design allows for a more ideal placement that better fits my frame.

As far as mechanical keyboards go, the Edge is on the quieter side. I did opt for the quieter brown switches because I wanted softer key presses, but you can get one with the louder and more tactile blue switches if that fits your style better. The brown switches aren’t completely quiet, and you do get some sound, but it isn’t as loud as some of the cheaper mechanical keyboards out there.

This keyboard comes with nine programable macro keys that can be easily adjusted on the keyboard or through the official software. You can save two different profiles, which is nice if you share a computer with someone else or if you need nine extra macro keys. I don’t have much use for the macros except for media keys at the moment, but setting them up was very simple. The RGB profile can also be adjusted easily through the software. Any changes you make to this keyboard whether it be macros, profiles, or RGB is saved to the keyboard directly. If you switch to a different computer, all your profiles and macros transfer with the keyboard. It’s nice to not have to have another account to access your preferences or lose them if your computer wipes.

I love this keyboard and have been daily driving it for nearly three years without any issues. My only complaint with this keyboard is that it doesn’t come with the lift kit. Kineses offers a separate kit which isn’t necessary, but I do recommend it getting one. I used the keyboard without the kit for about a week before giving in and buying one. There was nothing wrong with the flat setup of the keyboard, but I use my computer too much and needed the additional ergonomics. The lift kit offers a more natural position for your hands, and I honestly can’t go back to using anything else.

The keycaps are nice. They are very soft to the touch, but you can customize your keyboard with third-party caps if they fit MX switches. Be mindful of the measurements. You might have trouble finding spacebars that fit this board. If you have a mac, Kinesis offers a separate kit to change your command keys. Unfortunately, the kit is an additional $28, and you have to install it yourself. The installation is very easy, even if you have no prior experience.

The Freestyle Edge is an adequate keyboard for gaming. The keys are responsive and easy to press, but the function keys are a bit out of reach for me. I often had to stretch to hit these keys, and my performance suffered. Games where I needed to press these keys more often would also tire my hands out more quickly. This is possibly a personal problem for my short stubby fingers, but it is something to keep in mind. Games that don’t require the function keys are fine. I could play for a lot longer before feeling any discomfort. I still recommend taking regular breaks and doing stretches keyboard this won’t fix the issues completely. For people who play and work a healthy amount, the Freestyle Edge is a fantastic solution.

So is it worth it? Honestly, this keyboard is a bit pricey for what you get. I bought it because I liked the style and the RGB and didn’t mind the tax for both options. But if you are on a budget and only need the ergonomics, there are better options. The Kenisis Freestyle Edge has made a huge difference in my setup, and I do not regret my purchase. I understand that this keyboard isn’t for everyone, but for those interested, you can buy it on Amazon.