Closer Examination

In contrast to what the name might suggest, the Keydous NJ81 does not have 81 keys. Instead it has 80 keys as with its predecessor the NJ80, and the incremental name is merely used to signify it is a newer version. A quick look at the keyboard shows this is a 75% form factor keyboard in that you have the alphanumeric section as well as the Fn key row, but then the entire arrow key column is truncated to only have a few specific keys. These are also pushed in together to an extent, although interestingly there's a tiny offset to the arrow keys which works well to identifying them for touch typists, and means the keys on the right side are modified from the standard US ANSI layout this is based on. Take the shorter R.Shift key, for example, or even the bottom row where you do not have R. Alt or Menu (Fn has replaced R. Win). There are no Print Screen/Scroll Lock/Pause Break keys either and the Ins-Pg Dn cluster also loses Insert and End while retaining the other four. The top right corner is occupied by the integrated OLED display which aims to be a unique selling point for the keyboard and this is also where you would see perhaps a volume knob on other recently released keyboards.

There are no indicator LEDs present and the keyboard uses a two-piece ABS case construction with average-sized bezels all around. The Keydous NJ81 also comes in two color options of white and black wherein I have the former here signified by its predominant use of white for the case and most of the keycaps. The black color version still uses the same white case although now has far more black keycaps in addition to a few green and red accents as opposed to the black accents used here. Given the lack of backlighting owing to the opaque keycaps used, I would have liked to see more uniform and centrally-placed legends as opposed to the current ones that are biased towards the top left corner on the top of the keycaps either way. Even here we see sizing discrepancy on keycaps that only have single legends and then those with secondary legends are located above the primary ones. The typeface used on the stock keycaps is otherwise quite clean and this is a keyboard you can easily use in a professional work environment just as much as at home.


Turning the keyboard around provides a closer look at the ABS plastic case which has Keydous branding present along with the model name and contact information for the company—surprisingly no certifications to be found here, take that for what you will! Four rubber pads on the corners help prevent the keyboard from sliding around on your desk in addition to two more located on the keyboard feet that can be raised up for an optional elevation step to the case.


I prefer to see a dedicated on/off switch for wireless keyboards and was happy to see one used on the Keydous NJ81 on the back courtesy an easy-to-use slider. The expected Type-C port for wired connectivity is on the left side of the keyboard and facing away from the user. It is placed in a recess to where there isn't great compatibility with aftermarket cables unless they are similarly low in profile as the stock cable. This cable is also in white to match the keyboard and uses a rubber sheath on top. It's the usual 6 feet in length and goes to an available USB Type-A port where USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB 3.0) is suggested for power and data alike owing to the 5 V/1 A asking requirements.


A look from the side shows the built-in elevation of the keyboard, which I would classify as medium profile by itself and can benefit from a palm rest here. The provided keycaps 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 Keydous uses OEM profile keycaps here with the six rows contoured accordingly. The base 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 as mentioned, meaning the LEDs present on the keyboard will be for accent lighting only.


There are several different switch options available for the Keydous NJ81 and unfortunately there does not seem to be any consensus on which vendors and NJ81 versions get which switches. All I can tell you is I have seen the keyboard sold with a variety of different Kailh, TTC, and Gateron switches and I have the new Kailh BOX Strawberry Ice Cream Pro switches used on my sample. These are a collaboration item between Kailh and Keydous although hilariously enough they are based off yet another collaboration in the form of the Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Cream Pro switches. The switches are placed in a north-facing PCB with the LEDs located to the top, and this can potentially affect keycap compatibility with lower profile keycaps (Cherry profile, for example). Note also the brass plate used on this version compared to the steel plate also available for slightly less. Brass is denser than steel and helps dampen keystrokes faster to make for a more pleasant sound with certain types of switches. 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.


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 provided increased compatibility with all such Cherry MX-style mechanical switches. Note also the Poron 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 BOX Strawberry Ice Cream Pro switch by itself, which is a linear 5-pin switch modeled after the BOX Cream Pro as previously mentioned. That switch in turn is based off the Cherry MX Red RGB switch and the Strawberry Ice Cream Pro version is lighter in actuation and less fatiguing.


Seen above is the white color version of the Keydous NJ81 with some of the replacement keycaps installed. These help make it an extremely clean looking and predominantly white keyboard with all BoW (black on white) keycaps should you wish to go this route. As as teaser I took this photo with the keyboard turned on so you can also see the OLED display in use which defaults to showing the Keydous logo first before continuously flashing NJ81 until it's connected in wired or wireless modes.