If it felt like I was grasping at straws when writing the cons list above, I was. I will happily start off by saying I am a fan of the Hexgears Impulse and what it offers at the price point, including this RGB version at $90. It ticks off a lot of boxes on my personal list, as well as one I believe will fit many people's needs. Good build quality combined with some fantastic switches and lighting optimization via the pudding keycaps and the side lighting makes for a sub-$100 keyboard that offers more than many big market brands do. Indeed, the svelte metal frame and doubleshot PBT keycaps also promise longevity of operation despite the lower single-year warranty in comparison.

Onboard controls over lighting and functions is a double-edged sword. To many, it will be plenty enough, especially so when it is easy to store the settings on the device and not worry about any software or OS compliance. But it does have an inherent limitation in what you can do, which shows in the macro recording and backlighting options. The latter allows you to toggle through several preset lighting effects and also have some form of per-key control, but nowhere near as much as the hardware allows. It is one reasons Hexgears is able to offer the entire package at this pricing, and also because they are targeting a market that favors good value for money and different switches from the norm. In that regard, this is a success, and I hope others new to the brand go through the entire review as well to see if this is something that tickles their fancy too!