Closer Examination

As we saw before, the Mistel X-VIII comes inside both a plastic hard cover and a wax wrap to keep it free of dust and pristine out of the box. Removing it, we get our first good look at the keyboard, and it is about average in size for a full-size mechanical keyboard. The two-piece ABS plastic case typically weighs about the same as an aluminium frame, and we have a steel plate and PBT keycaps to further add to the mass. But the lack of any RGB LEDs and associated hardware drivers cuts cost down in multiple ways. This specific version is the Glaze Blue with two sets of two-tone keycaps on a black case. The legends are in yellow with the base different shades of blue. Bezels are smaller than average, and we see four extra keys on top of the standard 104 keys for this US ANSI layout. Similar to a few other keyboards we saw before, these four keys are in the top-right corner with indicator LEDs underneath and for dedicated volume control and bringing up the calculator.

However, those indicator LEDs can potentially be misleading since they are common to both the wired and Bluetooth versions. My sample is USB-only, which makes the secondary functions for battery charging and Bluetooth pairing indicator lights on the last two irrelevant. Regardless, we see no visible branding in use—Mistel is basically stating that the keyboard with its own keycaps showcases the brand well enough. Speaking of the keycaps, we see secondary legends underneath the primary ones on the numpad, and it is the other way around in the alphanumeric section. All legends, including the single ones, are biased towards the left. There is no backlighting anyway, so this section is not as relevant for practical purposes. The legends contrast nicely with the darker base even with the lighter blue hue, although they could have been larger.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker in the middle, but placed lower than usual. Four rubber pads along the corners add friction against the resting surface, as do two sets of keyboard feet in the top corners that can be used to further elevate the keyboard. The feet have rubber pads on the bottom to go with the rubber pads on the case, which prevents slippage as well as scratches to the case and feet. They are also large and wide enough to support the keyboard adequately on even the smaller set.


A set of four dip switches are accessed through a recess in the back, marked numerically and set to off by default. Adding to the user experience is a label that actually immediately tells you what each does, which is really nice. Accessing the dip switches can be hard if you don't have a tiny pick or flat head screwdriver, although a sharp enough nail might do the trick too.


Speaking of recessed, the USB Type-C port on the keyboard is quite recessed but has enough space around it to actually fit some aftermarket cables, too. It comes out the middle of the side facing away from the user, with some nibs in the case to secure it just prior to the exit. The cable is black to match the case, the usual 6' long, and fits into a USB Type-A port on your computer, where USB 2.0 suffices for power and data alike. The connectors on the cable are gold-plated for corrosion resistance. I do not know if the BumbleBee limited edition gets the same or a yellow cable, however.


As with your average mechanical keyboard, Mistel uses an OEM keycap profile with six sculpted, angled rows. The included keycap puller works adequately enough, with the top having plenty of grip, but also the potential to scratch the keycap sides as mentioned before. The stock keycaps are quite good, with walls that are an average of 1.48 mm thick and made out of PBT plastic to resist shine from finger oils over time. As with the two replacement keycaps, the legends are doubleshot injected, and it all looks and feels great except for the lack of backlighting support, of course, which is a bit of a shame but irrelevant on the X-VIII that does not have any backlighting at all. The keyboard also has excellent third-party keycap compatibility should you want to customize it, but the stock keycap set is a major USP here, so I don't recommend buying this keyboard if you are planning to swap them out anyway.


There are five switch options for the Mistel X-VIII, all of which are Cherry MX switches in the form of the MX Red, Brown, Blue, Silent Red, and Speed (Silver). I have the MX Brown switches on my sample, which are the older style with the opaque housing in the absence of any lighting. The larger keycaps use Cherry stabilizers which are not factory lubed and unfortunately end up somewhat mushy, especially on the space bar key. On the plus side, the stock keycaps do help reduce the mushy feedback, and tolerance is tight enough to where it reduces that rattly sound experienced with some other keyboards recently.


Here is a look at the keyboard with the two replacement keycaps installed, which barely changes things. The novelty Esc keycap is the biggest difference visually, and the indented Caps Lock key is usually used if you hit it accidentally when hitting the A key next to it.