My love for keyboards started when I was in school. I was the happiest when we had computer classes. That feeling of the warm, dusty smell of the TVS keyboard and typing the first few paras of an essay is still fresh in my mind. Years later, and being a tech writer, my love for keyboards has only gone stronger. I own at least 5 to 6 vintage keyboards and as a collector, I’ve always had eyes on classic ones. But lately, as I am back to travelling for work, I have started to develop a fondness for compact mechanical keyboards. They are made for typing, have a ton of customisation to tweak the look and feel, and are easy to repair as well. The latest mini-sized mechanical keyboard I recently tried was the Redragon Draconic K530 Pro. I'll tell you how my experience with the compact wireless keyboard went and whether or not you should also seriously delve into the world of mechanical keyboards. Here’s my review. Redragon Draconic K530 Pro price in India (as reviewed): Rs 4,490 What are mechanical keyboards and how are they different from a regular desktop keyboard? The basic difference between a mechanical keyboard and a regular desktop comes down to how each works. Membrane keyboards or regular keyboards use rubber domes inside. When you press the key on the keyboard, it hits the rubber dome and triggers a press. The rubber dome inside produces a more spongy sensation, leading to strokes that are less comfortable and reliable. Mechanical keyboards, on the other hand, use a spring-loaded mechanism to press a physical switch. Because mechanical key switches are more precise, typing feels snappier and each key press produces feedback. These switches beneath each key are more durable, easier to repair, and offer customisation options than membrane keyboards. However, mechanical keyboards can be noisy but they could last for years. Typing purists and gamers prefer mechanical keyboards. Compact layout and solid build The first and foremost thing that strikes you (assuming a lot of you are new to compact mechanical keyboards) is the size and layout of the Draconic K530 Pro. It’s portable and compact, as you can see in the photo above. It is unlike a traditional keyboard which you use in the office or at home—after all, this type of mechanical keyboard uses a space—saving 60 per cent layout with 61 keys. They have no function keys, no arrow or navigation keys, and no Numpad. As I have already mentioned, the layout of the keys on small-sized mechanical keyboards is different from most laptop keyboards. But on the plus side, smaller, more compact keyboards are as efficient as full-size keyboards, if you are ready to give up on function keys and a number pad. The Draconic K530 Pro is sleek and beautiful to look at. Its outer chassis is made of high-quality plastic, making it a premium-looking keyboard. The keyboard is super light, making it a haven for travel nerds like me who spend all day typing but also want one that’s easier to use and take anywhere you go. The K530 Pro has rubber feet on the bottom, as well as two extenders to allow for an angled position. They don’t adjust to different heights, unfortunately. The dongle, meanwhile, stores conveniently in a secure spot on the bottom of the keyboard. Fully customisable keyboard The keyboard is nicely built, with each key having crips legends printed on them. The legends—in the keyboard world, the letters, numbers, symbols, and functions shown on keycaps are called legends—are printed in bold letters for greater visibility. The K530 Pro also has multi-colour RGB LED lights, meaning they illuminate the keyboard from the front of each key. The backlight can be customised with different effects using the companion software. However, the software is hit-and-miss. Firstly, one has to be in wired mode to use the keyboard’s software. Secondly, the software is not very intuitive and it will take some time to figure out how it works. But once you figure that out, the companion software is very helpful. It has three main components: performance, lighting and assignment. You can create different game profiles, programme your keys, and switch between about 18 different lighting modes. Thankfully, you can also customise the keyboard manually without the software. Since the K530 Pro is also aimed at gamers, customisation and programming play a huge role. The keyboard is perfect for FPS, battle royale, and MOBA gaming. Typing experience Another component of the K530 Pro is fully customisable, hot-swappable mechanical switches. With the K530 Pro, you get the option of switch type manufactured by Brown. Also known as Brown tactile quiet, it is essentially a low-profile form of Brown switch, offering a shorter key travel with a noticeable bump around halfway down the key press. The keyboard supports mechanical switches, which are fitted into hot-swappable sockets. The K530 Pro’s switches are easy to pull out and replace using a Keycap/Switch puller included in the box. As far as typing is concerned, my experience has been fairly satisfactory. The keys offer a stable and pleasant experience to type on, and being a low-profile keyboard, typing has been less strainful. For me, though, the highlight of any mechanical keyboard is the excellent feedback and smooth keystroke when you type on it, which is missing on the standard keyboard. Typing isn’t quiet but that’s the fun part of using a mechanical keyboard. Observations The keyboard supports the Windows operating system, and can be connected via Bluetooth or the included USB receiver, which offers a more stable wireless connection. Technically, there’s no official support for macOS but I paired the keyboard with my 16-inch MacBook Pro and it worked perfectly fine with no lag. You can pair the keyboard with up to three devices using Bluetooth or use it with its Type-C cable. On the left side of the keyboard is a USB-C port, a switch to turn the keyboard on and off, and another physical switch that toggles between 3 wireless devices (2.4 GHz, BT 1, and BT 2) easily. The retail package includes the keyboard, four replacement switches, a key removal tool, a USB wireless dongle, and a USB-C charging cable. Should you buy it? For those looking for a compact 60 per cent layout mechanical keyboard that is fully customisable, hot-swappable, and can also be used for gaming for a reasonable price, the Redragon Draconic K530 Pro seems like a good choice. The keyboard is very compact, has a solid build quality and offers excellent wireless connectivity options, making it a great travel companion. Its rechargeable battery (via USB-C) is expected to last long, depending on your usage. But I feel the companion software is messy and needs improvement. That being said, Redragon Draconic K530 Pro is a mechanical keyboard for beginners and its entry-level price of Rs 4490 will allow more users to enter the world of fully-customisable keyboards.
