Redragon K582 RGB Mechanical Keyboard

Disclaimer: I have very limited knowledge when it comes to mechanical keyboards – I’ve only dedicated about 4 hours of my time researching on Reddit (you guys at /r/MechanicalKeyboards), where there are enthusiasts who would spend hundreds on highly customizable keyboards, whether it had high quality LEDs, unique key-cap designs, swappable switches, bread cable… all of the cool things that we, internal-geeks find awesome, even erotic. If you’re like me though, I name a price (typically a budget price…) and stick with it… It was $50… Now, some of you will claim that a sub-$50 mechanical keyboard aren't worth it at all – While I may have never had a mechanical keyboard before, I’ll admit that I would not the best person to be judging the product but I do hope my below review and pictures will help you decide whether you want to try a Redragon brand keyboard which is getting some attention as the cheap entry keyboard to mechanical keyboards on Amazon… I will be reviewing the Redragon K582 Surara (red switches) ($39 after coupon) based on the board’s quality / presentation, performance, noise, and features. All Pictures/gifs are found here. Just a heads up before we jump into each of the topics, I wanted mention that I was looking for a keyboard that had a number keypad. If I didn't want the number keypad, I would have gotten a smaller keyboard without the number keypad. I also decided to buy from Amazon based on the fact that I can return the keyboard for free, and therefore, this review is purely based on my opinion. Board quality / presentation (4/5): I am pleasantly surprised how sturdy the board feels. The plastic around the board feels thick and doesn't have the “bendy” vibe to the board as you press keys against the board. It certainly weights a bit which actually works very well with the “standing legs” on the back of the board as the weight presses the legs against the table. I had conceived an theory when I purchased this keyboard that the keyboard would slip back as I play CS:GO given that there is not a lot of rubber feet on the back of the board, but after 24 hours of gaming on this keyboard, it never once slipped. The key-caps are “alright” - they don’t impress me but they do the job just fine, especially with transparency on the letters allowing the LED lights shine through. When I take the key-caps off, I can see them being a little flimsy but while sitting on the red switches, I don’t find them flimsy. However, when I have my finger on the top of the key-caps, I can wiggle the key-cap ever so slightly in all directions, just barely touching other keys – it is not as sturdy as I hoped and therefore taking a point off. Switch Performance (5/5 gaming, 4/5 typing): After learning about switch types and quality of different brands (cherry, Outemu, etc) I was on the fence between the Browns and Reds switches since I knew I’d be gaming more often than typing (boring emails)… Ultimately went with reds after reading that they are great for gaming and that the browns may not be comfortable for gaming. After gaming and typing on this keyboard, I can see what others are saying about the difference between brown and reds… I would have found it annoying to have soft tactical feedback as I press the key during gaming but I think I would have appreciate the feedback for typing as it would be nice to know that the key registered without a second thought. For gaming, it has been amazing, I think I’ve noticed a up-tick of gaming performance but that could be due to… just playing a lot :) Never once I felt/thought like the keys didn't register but that's probably because I play with claw hand shapes pressing down harshly all the time. It is certainly a major upgrade from using membrane keyboards over the last decade. If you are looking for a keyboard that is more geared towards writing, definitely check out a keyboard with brown or blue switches… depending on your noise tolerance. Which brings me to my next part on noise. Noise (3.5/5): Blues have a reputation for being great for typing but can be noisy with its clacking sounds on each key-press so people tend to recommend browns. I was sure about buying the browns until I learned that the reds are quiet just like the browns without the tactical feedback. The reds still produce a clacky noise. I am not sure if its because I am not use to keyboards making noise but I can definitely hear every key-stroke on this keyboard – sounds like due to my fingers pressing the keys all the way to the floor of the keyboard. It’s not noticeable when I am listening to music or playing CS:GO. Features – LEDs (4/5): There aren’t many features that separates this keyboard from superior keyboards such as Ducky – it has all of the typical features that should come with keyboards by default. It has the typical plastic cable, nice see-through key-caps with… wait what? LEDs?! I’ll admit, I never really cared for LEDs on keyboards, let alone having the “gamers” theme that comes with the LEDs. After using this keyboard with LEDs, specifically on “solid color” lighting mode, I have grown to love it… it brings out the young me. That being said, I only have it on a “solid color” mode because all of the other lighting modes are very distracting. The colors are: green, Blue, deep purple, purple, “white” (comes off as very light purple), rainbow, red, orange and yellow. There light modes include the Wave, press-key, press-key wave, press-key “grid line”, “rainbow” wave… and many more than I could care to find out. At the end of the day, the solid color is my default mode as it is the least distracting to me. TL:DR; (4/5) For a mechanical keyboard in the sub-$40 category, it is a great product which I deem as a great entry keyboard for those who are testing the waters and “just need a keyboard that's better than membrane keyboards”. The quality of the keyboard is firm, the red switches feel great during gaming and ‘alright’ for typing, the noise is there but not annoying when headphones are on, and the LEDs is a cool feature to have. I would recommend this to a friend, unless they had a larger budget.