Closer Examination

The Epomaker RT100, where RT probably stands for Retro, is not a 100% keyboard and neither does it have 100 keys. Instead, it has 97 keys (and a knob) in a 95% form factor wherein you have most of the keys from a standard 104-key US ANSI layout keyboard here but placed closer together to save space. There are obviously seven keys missing too in the form of Menu, Insert, Home, End, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause/Break—not bad as far as missing out on any critical keys. What will be less appealing to everyone is the color scheme used here with Epomaker adopting a retro theme in the form of a cream-colored keyboard case that has keycaps using cream, tan, and gray colors in addition to the glossy black on the knob itself. I can already see people rejecting the keyboard at this point simply because the color scheme doesn't match to their preference, although I suppose those who like Noctua products might want this keyboard! The "Need More Space" on the space bar also made me groan admittedly but it's not a deal breaker whatsoever. Note the larger keycap legends in a clean font, including wherever you have secondary legends too. This can be a good solution for those who dislike all the keyboards that have smaller legends, or even those with more experienced eyes. There are indicator LEDs placed between the alphanumeric key section and the numpad itself and the bezels are average-sized all around.


Turning the keyboard around provides a closer look at the ABS plastic case which has a bulge in the middle for presumably design more than anything else. There's the usual certification sticker here and five rubber pads on the corners help prevent the keyboard from sliding around on your desk. We also get two sets of keyboard feet at the top for a total of three elevation options and these feet also have rubber pads at the bottom.


I prefer to see a dedicated on/off switch for wireless keyboards and was happy to see one used here. There's a slider on the top right corner allowing you to switch the keyboard to wireless mode and then we see a second one allowing you to choose between macOS and Windows layouts that are pre-configured on the keyboard. The Epomaker RT100 features Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity on top of 2.4 GHz wireless. Helping with the latter is the already paired low profile USB dongle which can be found underneath the labeled cover on the top left corner. Simply slide it out to reveal the hidden storage chamber for the dongle and this is also where you will find the Type-C port that the smart screen plugs into. Be sure to align it and push it in all the way and now you can see how it looks on the keyboard. The viewing angle is quite good in regular use and the brown chassis also acts as a barrier to any ambient light affecting the display viewing angles from the sides. You can also move it elsewhere by using an Type-C extension cable, which can help minimize the RGB LEDs on the keyboard from being reflected in the display. The only issue is using the display prevents the use of the storage space for the dongle.


There is a second Type-C port located on the left side of the keyboard and also facing away from the user. This is for wired connectivity as well as to charge the internal battery and It is placed in a shallow recess to where it should be compatible with any Type-C cable out there. That said, I am happy to see a nice cable provided here which matches the keyboard quite well. The outer rubber sleeve is on the thicker side but feels plenty durable. The metal housings on either side are quite impressive too! The cable is the usual 6 feet in length and goes to an available USB Type-A port where USB 2.0 will suffice for power and data alike owing to the 5 V/380 mA asking requirements—ignore the typo on the sticker on the back that says 5 A/380 mA.


A look from the side shows the built-in elevation of the keyboard, which I would classify as medium-high profile by itself and can benefit from a palm rest here. The provided keycap puller helps remove some of the keycaps for a closer examination, without scratching their sides as with the plastic ring-style cheaper keycap pullers I usually see in the price range of this keyboard. Now we find out that Epomaker is using the rarely seen MDA keycap profile here with the six rows contoured accordingly. This is a set of sculpted top surface keycaps similar to the SA profile which allows for your fingers to be more naturally placed in the center of the keycaps for support and to minimize any wobbling when typing. It's not as tall as the SA profile though so I can see this being a good option for those who were curious about sculpted keycaps. The keycaps are made of thick PBT plastic (average wall thickness 1.35 mm) with dye-sublimed legends on the top for durability and longevity alike. These are opaque and thus the LEDs present on the keyboard will be for accent lighting only.


There are four different switch options available for the Epomaker RT100 in the form of the Epomaker Flamingo (linear), Sea Salt (linear + silent), Budgerigar (tactile), and Gateron Pro Yellow (linear). I have the Epomaker Sea Salt switches on my sample which are placed in a south-facing PCB with the LEDs located at the bottom to help avoid compatibility issues with lower profile keycaps (Cherry profile, for example). Note also the FR4 plate used here which feels more flexible and I might have preferred a more traditional steel plate instead. The larger keycaps go with factory lubed plate-mounted stabilizers that feel nicer than I expected going in—the lubing has a lot to do with this as does the part where they are quite securely installed.


The switch remover tool is handy to remove the hot-swappable switches off the PCB where we see the use of 5-pin hot-swap sockets allowing you to customize the switches on a per-key basis as needed while also providing increased compatibility with all such Cherry MX-style mechanical switches. Note the thin foam sheet placed between the plate and the PCB itself to help further dampen keystrokes. Removing a switch also gives a closer look at the Epomaker Sea Salt switch by itself, which is a linear 5-pin switch that has a clear top housing to aid with RGB lighting, a light blue opaque bottom housing, and a yellow cross-point stem that also has columns around it for added dust and spill resistance.