Packaging and Accessories

English is not a first-language for Monstargear, which explains some of the language mishaps on the website and product packaging. It's easy enough to understand, however, so let's just acknowledge that and see if it plays a bigger role in the software section, where things are more important. The product box is quite clean with a monochrome color scheme and the company and product name, as well as salient marketing features below on front. On the back is a small ninja depiction with the company contact information. Interestingly, it lists the Korean website where we see far more products on offer, including Raijintek PC DIY parts and its own branded audio and watercooling parts compared to the global English website. On the side is where we see confirmation of the specific keyboard configuration inside, with a central double flap keeping things inside in place during transit.


Opening the box, we are immediately greeted by the keyboard kit inside a wax paper wrap for further protection along with the cardboard surrounding it. There is also a plastic dust cover on top of the kit, which comes in handy with the keycaps only. The accessories are alongside at the top or underneath, with Monstargear including a braided USB Type-A to Type-C cable in black, as well as really nice tools. The first is a metal wire keycap puller with the longest base and wires I have seen to date for multiple keycaps to easily be removed in one swoop. There is also an equally well-built and handy switch remover, which comes in handy because of the hot-swappable switch feature here.


Given the hot-swap option, Monstargear also threw in ten each of a couple of different switches, namely the NCR TTC linear switch and Durock Sunflower tactile switch. Both can be purchased separately from the Monstargear website, but are not retail options with the NINKA87BT at this time. Also in the box was an IPTIME BT50 Bluetooth 5.0 low energy, low profile USB dongle. This is an actual option users can buy with the NINJA87BT for $5 more to make use of the wireless connectivity option if your PC/laptop does not have a NIC supporting Bluetooth. Last and certainly not least is the product manual, which comes included by default and is only in Korean. Luckily, an online English version helps go over the pre-programmed functions aboard the NINJA87BT.


Remember when I said this can be bought as a kit if you already have keycaps you wish to use? For those who do partake in Monstargear's optional keycaps, they will ship separately in zip-lock bags, sorted into a TKL set in one and the rest in another bag. Both come safely packed in bubble wrap, which is also what the keyboard box ships in. The smaller set has the keycaps for the numpad as well as four additional keys for a 108-key unit, with volume control and media playback chosen as the options. What I have here are the popular Black-on-White (BoW) style PBT keycaps, which are also in the Cherry profile. The legends are dye-sublimed in black over the white base, and we will go over the keycaps in more detail on the next page.