Packaging and Accessories

Don't get confused, this is an actual MOONDROP product box! There is no fancy banderole over the cardboard and, perhaps shocking to those who are familiar with the brand, no box art either. This is as practical a packaging as it gets with layers of corrugated cardboard used that don't feel great to hold on to, but certainly do the job—especially when you realize the keyboard box will come inside a larger shipping box with bubble wrap all around as was the case here. On the front is the product name and a simplified render of the keyboard with the salient features called out where they are located. Some of the product specifications are found on the back along with another, smaller render and a reminder that the DASH keyboard is designed, developed, and manufactured by MOONDROP. A look from the side reveals the layered cardboard approach employed here and there is a tear-out strip to allow access to the insides, effectively making this a box set for the recycling bin thereafter.


I will say that the unboxing experience may still end up disappointing some people given this is not the fanciest for what is a premium product, and also not as practical when it comes to actually retrieving the products out. The accessories came placed haphazardly in the gaps between the cardboard and the keyboard and they ended up moving around quite a bit as evident by the plastic bags getting scratched/torn out. It's also not the easiest thing to get the keyboard out from within those cardboard end pieces either, so perhaps MOONDROP could have used foam here instead. Thankfully this is the first of the updates being made wherein the cardboard inserts will have foam lining for further protection while also minimizing the potential of scratches and making it easier to get the keyboard out. There is no paperwork included here, at least on this unit, although we do get a nice metal wire keycap puller and a separate metal switch remover tool. The latter can be somewhat hard to use with switches on the edges since the metal is thicker than the usual thinner sheet metal switch removers and may not allow enough space to be fit under the switches, but it's the easiest such tool to extract switches everywhere else.


MOONDROP also threw in a nice coiled cable as part of the accessories for the keyboard and it even has fancier plug housings than usual. This is the second update being made wherein the new cable will be white and split with an aviator-style connector in the middle. The plug housings will also be MOONDROP-branded and, based on the photos I've seen, it will suit the DASH far better. Given the complex nature of USB inputs and outputs on the DASH, I do recommend sticking with the tested stock cable itself that goes from Type-A to Type-C connectivity as seen above. Rounding off the unboxing is a set of ten spare switches that are the exact same as used on the keyboard. This allows you to tinker with them for modifications or replace any switches potentially wearing out over time. The final version will also have five extra keycaps thrown in to further sweeten the deal.


Update: Seen above is the finalized cable that will ship with the DASH keyboard. It's now in white, sleeved in paracord, split in a premium Aviator-style coupling, and even has upgraded USB terminals on either end. This is a premium cable that most keyboard brands would sell separately for ~$50-75 so I am more than pleased to see it be included as a stock cable. Also included here are the five spare keycaps aforementioned.