Wobkey Zen 65 review: premium looks with perfect results
The Wobkey Zen 65 mechanical keyboard has become a firm favorite of mine. Once I look past its weight, weird power switch, and lack of height adjustment, it’s easy to call it one of the best mechanical keyboards I’ve tried.
It’s incredibly comfortable to type on, and sounds great with a satisfying thocky sound that rivals its bigger sibling, the Wobkey Rainy75, which we think is the perfect keyboard for audiophiles — we said what we said. There’s a whole lot of customization available here too, with a mount that can switch from a gasket to a top mount with some quick mods. And there’s a good variety of connectivity options.
Wobkey Zen 65 review: Cheat sheet
- What is it? At 65% mechanical keyboard with a brass plate for satisfying sound
- Who is it for? Anyone who needs a comfortable typing keyboard with a thocky sound
- How much does it cost? $165 / £129
- What do we like? It offers a comfortable typing experience, great sounds, and heaps of customization
- What don’t we like? It’s super heavy, doesn’t have an accessible power switch, and doesn’t have adjustable height
Wobkey Zen 65 review: Specs
|
Specs |
Wobkey Zen 65 |
|
Price |
|
|
Switches |
HMX Violet or Kailh Luna mechanical |
|
Layout |
65% |
|
Number of keys |
67 |
|
Mount type |
Customizable |
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Keycap material |
Double-shot PBT |
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Keycap profile |
Cherry |
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Backlight |
RGB |
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Case material |
Aluminum |
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Supported operating systems |
Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
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Connectivity |
2.4GHz, Bluetooth, Wired |
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Battery |
6,000mAh |
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Polling rate |
1000Hz |
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Measurements |
12.4 x 4.5 x 1.3 inches |
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Weight |
3.34 pounds |
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Accessories |
USB-C cable, Key cap and switch puller, 6 Top Mount washers, 6 Top screws. 8 PCB Gasket Mounts, 6 Plate Gasket Mounts, 4 extra switches, PgDn key, carry case |
Wobkey Zen 65 review: The ups
There’s a lot to love about the Wobkey Zen 65. It’s a great compact-sized mechanical keyboard that is comfortable and easy to type on, giving me excellent accuracy. On top of the great performance, it looks good too, and its 65% size makes it great for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of desk space available. But the best part? This board is highly customizable for any use.
Tactile switches
The Wobkey Zen 65 is available in two styles: Lite or Ultra. Depending on which one you go for, you’ll get a different switch. The Lite version of the board uses HMX Violet switches, which have an actuation force of 45g and travel of 2mm. The Ultra version of the board uses Kailh Luna switches, which have the same actuation force of 45g but a shorter actuation distance of 1.8mm, making them a little faster and slightly less fatiguing on your fingers when typing for hours at a time. I found the keys nice to type on and reactive.
The Luna switches have a thocky sound that is dampened by the layers of foam and brass plate, creating a satisfying sound. Although the board comes with this type of switch, it’s hot-swappable with any three or five-pin switches, so you can switch out for different switched customize it however you want to get the best type-feel.
Great typing experience
The Wobkey Zen 65 is seriously a joy to type on. The combination of double-shot PBT keycaps, Kailh switches, and the softer default gasket mount (more on mounts later) makes it very comfortable for long periods of work. I’ve been typing on this all day long for work, and I’m amazed by the accuracy I can achieve. I’m hardly ever touching the Backspace key on this keyboard.
|
Keyboard |
Type |
WPM |
Accuracy |
|
Keychron C1 Pro 8K |
Mechanical |
64 |
95.21% |
|
Keychron B36 |
Scissor |
54 |
88.49 |
|
Redragon Galatin Pro K719 |
Mechanical |
56 |
97.54 |
|
Wobkey Zen 65 |
Mechanical |
60 |
99.67 |
|
Average |
Row 5 – Cell 1 |
58.23 |
94.62% |
As you can see from the table above, the Zen 65 has incredible accuracy while maintaining above-average typing speeds. The double-shot PBT Cherry keycaps cradle the fingers and have enough texture that I didn’t slip on the surrounding keys. Made from double-shot PBT, these keycaps are also more resistant to wear and tear than ABS keycaps, so they’re better suited to hardcore typists.
While my fastest typing result remains my trusty Keychron C1 Pro 8K ($54), which I use every single day, the Wobkey is close behind, and that’s down to how comfortable I am on the board. My fingers can comfortably stretch across the entire board without needing to move my wrists much.
Since I don’t use a number pad in my daily job, the lack of one here is perfect for me. It means my mouse can be closer to the keyboard while I work, so I can move between the two more easily. The 65% layout is also great for gaming, letting you place the keyboard exactly where you need to on your desk, and giving more space for mouse movement.
Delicious sound
Need a keyboard that’s going to make everybody else in the office insanely jealous of you because it sounds that good? Yep. This is it. The Wobkey Zen 65 sounds great as it utilizes multiple layers of foam to dampen sound. But where it differs from other keyboards I have used is the brass cavity plate (which weighs a staggering 8.5 ounces). This sits below the main plate and acts as a damper, absorbing vibrations in the board so you don’t get the sound of each key bleeding into the next.
In all honesty, keyboard resonance had never stood out to me until I used this board. Each key press feels more deliberate. I’m not sure I can go back to a regular keyboard and enjoy it quite as much. All of this noise dampening creates a lovely thocky sound, like one of our favorites, the McHose GX87 ($109). The Wobkey Rany 75 Pro also sounds great, and this Zen 65 is a worthy follow-up.
Good looks
The Wobkey Zen 65 keyboard comes in a variety of different colors — there really is an option for everyone. Across the Lite and Ultra range, there are 10 colors to choose from, and they all look great, from Pink to Black to Red.
I tested the Ultra White Gold model, which has an ivory case and soft blue and pink keys. It’s not garish and fits in well with my home office setup. The south-facing dynamic RGB also looks good and appears a lot brighter than the lighting on other boards I’ve tested, like the Keychron K8 Max ($124) or the Keychron Q3 HE ($239), which are both south-facing. For the most beautiful lighting, though, you’ll want to check out the NuPhy Halo75 V2 ($129).
Customization
The Wobkey Zen 65 is probably the most customizable board we’ve ever come across at Tom’s Guide. The board comes with four different mount structures that you can easily swap around yourself. It comes with PCB Gaskets, Plate Gaskets, Top Washers, Top Screws, and Positioning Board Gaskets. The board didn’t come with any instructions for this, but after some Googling and YouTube tutorials, I got the hang of things. And besides, this deck is aimed at serious modders.
This even beats highly customizable boards like the NuPhy Gem80 ($169), which comes with extra washers and foam inserts, but nothing as serious as changing the mount style.
Naturally, the Zen65 is hot-swappable, and the aluminum case uses the quick-release mechanism we’ve seen on other boards like the McHose GX87 and Chilkey ND TKL. I’m not very strong and have long false nails, and I still found opening the case very simple. At this point, you can unscrew the brass Wobkey logo and replace it with a PgDn key if you want to.
The keyboard runs QMK firmware and is compatible with VIA, an open source QMK configuration web app, so you can make changes to the board’s macros without needing to download any third-party apps. I’ve used this with Keychron boards in the past, as using it with the Wobkey was just as simple.
Mount styles
The customizable mounting is probably this keyboard’s standout feature. You don’t get this level of customization with any other boards by Wobkey, so this is a real win.
The Zen65 comes with a Gasket Mounts setup, which gives the most amount of cushioning under your fingers, increasing comfort and reducing sound. You can switch between PCB Gasket Mounts and Plate Gasket Mounts to vary the rebound, cushioning, and sound, depending on the effect you want.
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For the most accurate typing and gaming performance, you can swap to a top-mounted setup, which essentially screws the plate directly to the case. This makes the board feel stiffer and removes most of the flex in the middle of the board, although there is still a little wiggle. This is by far the most fiddly customization option and took me the longest to make the changes, as you have to insert a screw and a washer and try to balance the board so they don’t fall apart, but it’s not too difficult.
Gaming features
The Wobkey Zen 65 is also a great option for gamers who want to mod their own board to get the best personalized performance. Since it’s a 65% board, you don’t have a number pad in the way of your mouse, it doesn’t take up too much space, and you move it wherever you need to on the desk. You can use the screws and washers to implement the top mount for the most responsiveness.
Since the board is hot swappable, you can swap the switches for something at require less actuation force and has short travel, so your fingers don’t fatigue as easily, and you can place commands faster. And faster commands being registered by the board isn’t an issue since it has a polling rate of 1,000Hz, which is great for casual gaming
Versatile Connectivity options
The Wobkey Zen 65 has lots of connectivity options, making it a good choice for any office setup. The underside of the keyboard has a magnetic cover which says ‘Wob Lab,’ and it houses a 2.4GHz dongle. This is admittedly a little tricky to get into, and at first, I doubted there was even anything inside.
You can also use the board with a wired connection using the included USB-C to USB-A cable. Or you can use the Bluetooth connection. The board is compatible with most devices, including macOS, iOS, and Windows. The 6,000mAh battery on the Ultra keyboard also means you can use the board wirelessly for weeks at a time without needing to charge.
Wobkey Zen 65 review: The downs
The Wobkey Zen 65 is lovely to type on, but it has some drawbacks that stop me from recommending it to everyone, namely the lack of an accessible power switch or adjustable feet, and its weight.
Awkward controls
When I say “no power switch,” that isn’t entirely true, because while there is one, it isn’t accessible unless you use the keycap puller. Some people may want to leave their keyboard on at all times (although the 6,000mAh battery means you could if you wanted to), but I always switch mine off — it’s a sort of ritual at the end of the day.
With my Keychron boards, I’m able to switch them to power mode, so it stops pulling power from the battery. But that’s not an easily accessible option here.
So if you want to access the power switch, you need to remove the Caps Lock keycap and manually flick it on or off before replacing the cap. Just extra hassle I don’t think the keyboard needs as the look wouldn’t be affected by having the switch on the back or side. The keyboard is then draining your battery unless you have a keycap puller to hand.
There’s also no toggle for modes, so if you want to switch between Windows and macOS operating systems, you need to use the Function button and the A key for Windows or the S key for Mac. The board doesn’t come with macOS or dual keycaps, which isn’t the end of the world, but it is frustrating.
Ridiculously heavy
Comically heavy is the best way to describe the Wobkey Zen 65. It weighs 3.4 pounds, which is quite the arm workout. But there are some even heavier boards out there, like the Keychron Q65 ($209), which weighs a whopping 5.3 pounds.
Now, while you don’t move a keyboard around much when working, it’s just inconvenient if you need to move your desk around quickly or even take it on your commute. The weight is heavily impacted by the 8.4-ounce brass plate, which makes the board sound good — it’s a trade-off you’ll need to weigh up for yourself.
No adjustable angles
What you see is what you get with the Wobkey Zen 65, as its height is set at a fixed angle. The Zen 65 is still pretty comfortable, but obviously that’ll totally depend on your existing setup, like the height of your chair or the angle of your desk.
I appreciate the ability to adjust my keyboard as I move from a sitting to a standing position throughout my day, and this means I need to alter the angle of my keyboard to make sure my wrists are as comfortable as possible. This is why I love using the Keychron C1 Pro 8K.
However, this is normal for metal-cased boards. In fact, the only metal board we’ve seen with adjustable feet is the Lofree Flow 2 ($149).
Wobkey Zen 65 review: Verdict
The Wobkey Zen 65 is a great mechanical keyboard that feels premium. The accurate typing is testament to the impressively comfortable design of the board, and the great thocky sound from the brass plate and layers of foam make for a satisfying typing experience.
My favorite part of this keyboard is the different mount options. It’s not only the switches that can be swapped out to make the board more customizable, but the mount can be set up exactly how you like.
It’s pretty heavy, doesn’t have much adjustment available, and has a frustratingly difficult-to-reach power switch. But, if these are things you can look past — and I know I can — the Wobkey Zen 65 will be perfect for you.
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