Closer Examination

From the front, the new CORSAIR K100 AIR certainly looks like it belongs with the vast majority of CORSAIR's K-series of keyboards that took over the short-lived STRAFE series, and now includes plastic and aluminium frame keyboards. The easiest way to tell where a certain keyboard is positioned in the product line now is by the numbers in the name whereby the higher the number, the more high-end it typically is. Given the K100 from two years ago was, and still is, positioned as the CORSAIR flagship keyboard, it would thus be fair to assume the K100 AIR shares a spot alongside with its full-size form factor brother, coming in at 437 mm long and 156 mm wide. You would notice right away that the K100 AIR does not have an extra column of keys on the left as with the K100 before or even three as with the K95 series. Instead, there are four extra macro keys positioned above the number pad which already have pre-programmed functions, in that they allow you to switch between connection modes on the Fn layer. I have the US ANSI version here, but CORSAIR is large enough a brand to produce the K100 AIR in a variety of different layouts and language versions, to better appeal to users tired of all the enthusiast keyboards only catering to 1-2 layouts today.

It is when you hold it in your hands or even view it from the side that you realize the K100 AIR is more than just a low profile keyboard. At 17 mm tall and 11 mm at the bottom, this is a keyboard which competes against the likes of other chiclet/scissor switch membrane keyboards that appeal to many who dislike taller keyboards. I certainly understand this thought process, given I use the Logitech CRAFT in my living room but (spoiler alert) the K100 AIR has since replaced it! This is a more balanced offering in terms of the feature set, even discounting the improved battery life, I also thought the thin brushed aluminium frame worked well here in combination with the large glossy acrylic cover over the central notification/logo area. The top bezel is thus larger than the side bezels as well as the beveled bottom bezel, and CORSAIR has added in more buttons on either side in the form of dedicated profile, backlighting brightness, Win lock as well as media playback and mute, to go with the volume scroll wheel all the way at the top right corner. There's also a tiny K100 marking at the bottom left corner matching CORSAIR's design language, overall this is a well laid-out keyboard, a stealthy flagship-class unit fitting work environments just as well as your gaming setup at home.


Turning the keyboard around reveals CORSAIR's triangles motif makes a comeback on the ABS plastic bottom case panel, alongside more CORSAIR branding on the bottom left corner. The usual certification sticker is offset to the top, and there are longer rubber pads at the top and bottom to help prevent this <800 g keyboard from sliding around on your desk or lap alike. CORSAIR also provides two sets of keyboard feet with a soft touch rubberized finish at the bottom, to allow for three elevation options for the keyboard.


Given the ultra low profile nature of the keyboard and "AIR" in the name, it's no surprise to see the keyboard supports hybrid wireless connectivity in the form of CORSAIR SLIPSTREAM wireless tech over 2.4 GHz, in addition to Bluetooth 4.2. The former comes in the form of a low profile USB dongle that slots into a receptacle integrated in the case on the back, with the other side having a dedicated ON/OFF switch for when you wish to use the keyboard purely in wireless mode. Wired connectivity, including to charge the internal battery, is provided via an inset Type-C port placed closer to the left side of the keyboard. The provided cable slots in and when in use, avoids conflicting with a potential mouse cable, for the average right-handed user. The cable itself is all black to match the keyboard, with CORSAIR branding and a fabric sleeving to take all 6' of length over to your PC, where an available USB Type-A port is required. CORSAIR recommends the use of USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB 3.0) for data and power alike.


A look from the side shows the relatively flat and ultra low profile nature of the CORSAIR K100 AIR, and I personally found the default profile to work best when used wirelessly on a couch, for example. Those on a desk will want to try the two optional elevation steps, courtesy the keyboard feet. The bottom end being ~11 mm off the resting surface also means there is no need to have a dedicated palm/wrist rest here. It is also quite easy to position hands hovering over the switches, for touch typing and improved ergonomics/typing efficiency. As with such low profile keyboards, CORSAIR is using a flat profile on the keycaps which also get a square top surface. Normally this would be the point where I would take off some keycaps for closer examination, but the company warned me against it. See, the K100 AIR uses Cherry's new MX Ultra Low Profile (ULP) tactile switches that have a wing mechanism to the metal stem. These keycaps are then pushed over and around the switches to where removing the keycaps might inadvertently damage them and the switches.

This is a very important point for interested customers to be aware of since it does mean keycap swapping is effectively out of the question here. That said, this is the norm with such low profile keyboards more often than not. CORSAIR is also using laser-etched ABS keycaps here which have been given a UV coating from what I can see, and this should help with durability as with the likes of other such offerings from Razer and Logitech. But I also can't speak for longevity, given I have only had this keyboard for ~3 weeks at the time of this review. These aren't dealbreakers for the target audience in itself given chiclet keyboards are basically having the exact same..quirk. Still, in the absence of switch samples from Cherry that unfortunately did not make it in time before I had to write up this review, we will have to make do with renders of the MX ULP tactile switch for now. This is also why I am unable to do a disassembly of the keyboard given I do not like to take apart anything that I can't put back together in a working order. At least we know the keycaps are backlighting compatible!