TechRadar Verdict
The Corsair K100 Air Wireless might have just blown away the likes of the Logitech G915 and Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro, which is saying a lot, and for not much more in price. This gaming keyboard is thinner, faster, better to type on, and comes with a lot more features.
Extremely satisfying typing experience
8,000Hz polling rate on an ultra-thin keyboard
A whole lotta features you won’t find in its rivals
More expensive than other low-profile keyboards
Not the quietest
USB receiver acted up
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Corsair K100 Air Wireless: One-minute review
The Corsair K100 Air Wireless is so thin, the brand isn’t calling it low-profile. Please! That moniker is forgaming keyboardsthat are over 20mm thick. No, at only 17mm at its thickest and 11mm at its thinnest, this fresh (and by that, we do mean both new and revolutionary) offering deserves that ULTRA-THIN title.
But, its form factor is actually the least amazing thing about thiswireless gaming keyboard. What’s really impressive here is that Corsair managed to pack practically everything – from the usual fully-programmable keys, dedicated media buttons, multi-device connectivity to rarer skills like up to 50 hours of battery life (that’s with the RGB lighting on), dedicated macro keys, enough onboard storage for up to 50 profiles and 20 lighting effect layers, and what else… Oh yes, a lightning-fast polling rate of 8,000Hz (via USB connection).
The K100 Air Wireless certainly beats the likes of theLogitech G915and the newerRazer Deathstalker V2 Proin many ways. It is a little more expensive than the competition, its price of entry at $279 / £279 / AU$479. However, it’s also one of those products you should absolutely get regardless of the price because it’s simply worth every penny.
Guys, this might be love at first type.
Corsair K100 Air Wireless: Price and availability
Layout:FullSwitch:Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile TactileProgrammable keys:Fully-programmable plus dedicated macro keysDimensions:17.3 x 6.15 x 0.67 inches (437 x 156 x 11 to 17 mm)RGB or backlighting:Yes
Absolutely, the Corsair K100 Air Wireless is expensive. At $279 (£279, AU$479), it sits in the premium market alongside gaming keyboards that cost $400 / £400. It certainly costs more than the competition, with the extremely popularLogitechG915 costing $249 / £229 and the highly-praisedRazerDeathstalker V2 Pro setting you back $249 / £249.
But, again, considering everything the Corsair K100 Air Wireless has on offer – compared to Razer’s low-profile entry, for example, it boasts a faster wireless polling rate, a longer battery life, a bigger-capacity onboard storage, and more customizations – it might actually be the better value for most people. Remember, you’re only paying an additional $30 / £30 for a more expansive feature set.
Though, if we’re being honest, the hardware alone is enough to convince us. Those keys are just so responsive and so satisfying, we’d almost happily pay that amount just to keep typing on them.
Corsair K100 Air Wireless: Design
It seems only yesterday when we were professing our love for other low-profile gaming keyboards before Corsair came in and showed us that we, in fact, know nothing and that love was merely the puppy kind.
We might be biased here, as we do love a good low-profile keyboard and we’re always excited about what else manufacturers can come up with in that genre. But, that also doesn’t change the fact that Corsair has done something revolutionary here — without really doing anything novel.
The fact is, many of the elements you’ll find in the Corsair K100 Air Wireless aren’t exactly new. We’ve seen keyboards with 8,000Hz polling rate before, low-profile keyboards have existed for a while now, and some features here you’ve already seen on other Corsair keyboards. Heck, even its design is very similar to Corsair’s signature style.
What’s different this time around though is that the brand essentially took all those elements and put them all together in a new, 17-inch thin package. And, so the K100 Air Wireless was born, touting a brushed-aluminum frame that’s reminiscent of the Logitech G915’s deck, Cherry’s ultra low-profile tactile switches, the hyper polling rate that the Razer Huntsman V2 first introduced into the world, and many of the goodies you’ll find in top Corsair keyboards.
It might just be the best gaming keyboard to come out of the brand’s line-up, especially with flourishes like hotkeys for cycling through different profiles and macro recording without the software, four dedicated macro keys that also moonlight as the connectivity keys, and a volume roller that’s just a pleasure to use.
As fun as it is to use that roller, however, it has nothing on those Cherry ultra low-profile switches that might just have sold us on tactile switches (we used to be clicky fans), and those low-profile keycaps that are decently-sized and subtly rounded inward to effectively prevent finger slippage.
Of course, the usual Corsair design elements are present and accounted for, including that light indicator section in the middle that makes this keyboard so easier to use — it’ll tell you, for example, how much battery you’ve got left and whether or not the keyboard is connected to the wireless receiver.
Another truly-Corsair addition is its ability to layer different RGB lighting effects. Although you do need to program those layers via the iCUE software, this feature is among the most unique things about Corsair keyboards, and we’re really glad to see it implemented here. They just make the whole keyboard a little more dynamic and a lot more you. It’s just a little disappointing that the RGB here isn’t as vibrant as others at its brightest, but some people actually prefer that.
We also appreciate the fact that the power button is just the power button and doesn’t function as the switch for Bluetooth and wireless connections. The latter design is just a little inconvenient to use. Finally, there’s a Slipstream wireless adapter garage, because let those who haven’t lost a USB receiver before throw the first dongle.
Corsair K100 Air Wireless: Performance
Is the Corsair K100 Air Wireless’ 8,000Hz (2,000Hz when connected wirelessly via USB receiver) a bit of an overkill? For most humans, yes. A lot of people won’t even be able to tell the difference. But, it also ensures that you won’t ever worry about delays when gaming, even if it does mean that it takes up a little more of yourgaming PC’s resources.
The Corsair K100 Air Wireless, therefore, rolls out incredibly fast responses, even when you’re “slumming it” at 2,000Hz because you simply can’t add another cable to your messy setup. It also helps that the pre-travel here, according to Cherry, is 0.8mm, so even if there’s certainly a deeper key travel here of 1.8mm, your key presses are registering long before that. Although, we still wish that full travel is a tad shorter.
This keyboard proves to be incredibly responsive during games, whether we are battling it out on Doom Eternal or unwinding with Sable. The experience of using it is incredibly satisfying, and it’s just as great to use for typing. In fact, we’ve been using this keyboard for work for about a week now, and we can’t seem to bring ourselves to stop.
Modders might be disappointed about the fact that because the key caps are mounted differently, Corsair is discouraging the removal of them unless you’re experienced with thistype of switch– it has a scissor-like design, but both Corsair and Cherry are calling it a mechanical switch. But then again, there aren’t a lot of ultra low-profile keycaps for customizations – not that many of those aftermarket keycaps are going to be compatible with this new switch mounting anyway.
While Logitech’s and Razer’s low-profile offerings come with up to 30 hours and 24 hours of RGB battery life, respectively, the Corsair K100 Air Wireless gives you 50 hours with the RGB lighting on. Turn it off, and you’ve got a whopping 200 hours of gameplay.
Should I buy the Corsair K100 Air Wireless?
Buy it if…
You want it thin and you want it fastThis is one of the thinnest gaming keyboards on the market yet it boasts a polling rate of up to 8,000Hz and boasts sub-1ms wireless connectivity.
You hate charging all the timeFifty hours of gameplay with RGB lighting on is no joke. With it off, you’re getting 200 hours per full charge!
You love RGB lightingCorsair knows how to do RGB lighting. Luckily, their RGB lighting layers feature is implemented here, even if the learning curve in programming them on iCue is a little steep.
Don’t buy it if…
You want a compact gaming keyboardIt is ultra-thin, but it’s also a full-sized keyboard, which means it will take up desk space. If you want a compact option, we are lovingCorsair’s K70 Pro Wirelessright now.
You’re kinda brokeWe’ll honestly happily pay that steep price to take this gaming keyboard home, but if you’re really strapped for cash, one of thebest budget gaming keyboardsmight be a more appropriate pick.
Also consider
Logitech G915The low-profile gaming keyboard that really started it all, the Logitech G915 is still an excellent and appealing choice. It’s also slightly cheaper than the K100 Air Wireless.
Razer Deathstalker V2 ProWe absolutely love the Deathstalker V2 Pro. It’s one of the best gaming keyboards right now, and it’s also more affordable than the K100 Air Wireless.
Read our fullRazer Deathstalker V2 Pro review
Logitech G915 TLKIf you want something more compact to save space and still have that low-profile privilege, the G915 TKL remains to be one of our most favorite gaming keyboards.
Read our fullLogitech G915 TKL review
Corsair K100 Air Wireless: Report card
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Michelle Rae Uy is the former Computing Reviews and Buying Guides Editor at TechRadar. She’s a Los Angeles-based tech, travel and lifestyle writer covering a wide range of topics, from computing to the latest in green commutes to the best hiking trails. She’s an ambivert who enjoys communing with nature and traveling for months at a time just as much as watching movies and playing sim games at home. That also means that she has a lot more avenues to explore in terms of understanding how tech can improve the different aspects of our lives.
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