Closer Examination

As the name suggests the Varmilo VBS108V2 is a 108-key full-size keyboard which is classified as a 110% keyboard by the company. There are a few other such keyboards sold by Varmilo in different versions and this specific configuration uses mechanical switches and offers three connectivity modes. It only comes in the US ANSI layout and thus you get your standard 104 keys in addition to four others on the top right corner which are programmed as shortcuts to pull up default programs on your PC. The rest of the name—Crane of Lure—corresponds to the theme employed on this base keyboard to make it a more custom piece down to the use of a matching keyboard case itself. The design is in collaboration with the Chinese illustrator artist Li Huan and makes for one of the more catchy keyboards I've covered to date. The colors used are two traditional Chinese colors called Mountain Green and Xuan Paper (calligraphy paper) White, with the green seen on the case as well. The crane seen around the arrow keys also neatly goes over the keycaps and the case to make for a focal point, as does the space bar keycap and the four at the top right corner. The keycaps in general also use both English and Mandarin legends with the latter going for an older Shoujin script style from the Song Dynasty. The actual translations don't make much sense but it's a case of form over function owing to artistic license liberties. The two-piece case has indicator LEDs on the top left corner, relatively small bezels, and branding on the front placed on the bottom right corner.


Turning the keyboard around shows the theme does not carry over to the back this time round, although the bottom case panel gets the same off-white color as on the keycaps to help cement the design further. In the middle is the expected certification sticker. There are five rubber pads at the top and bottom to help prevent the keyboard from sliding around on your desk. We also get two sets of keyboard feet at the top for a total of three elevation options and these feet also have rubber pads at the bottom.


The Varmilo VBS108V2 supports three connectivity modes including Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless options. The latter comes in the form of a pre-paired 2.4 GHz low profile USB dongle which is safely stored on the back in a recess with a magnet underneath. You can simply plug this into your PC to get the keyboard working in wireless mode. There is no included battery though and, in a blast from the past which will interest many here who are tired of non-removable pouch batteries, Varmilo has gone with two battery compartments for a total of four AA batteries. The maximum capacity that can be consumed from the keyboard controller corresponds to 5000 mAh so I suggest going with four rechargeable 1250 mAh batteries here to prolong the life of the keyboard. These batteries also power the keyboard in Bluetooth mode and note that wired connection is not going to charge the batteries. There is an inset Type-C port for the stock cable with enough room for most aftermarket options if you want to go with something fancier—especially seeing how the stock cable is a basic black one and not matching the colors of the keyboard at all. It's the usual 6' in length, has five cable routing channels to choose from in the keyboard, and terminates in a USB Type-A connector where a USB 2.0 connection from your PC will suffice.


Here is a look at the keyboard placed on the matching desk pad. I mentioned before how a themed wrist/palm rest would have been nice since there is so much room on the desk pad and the keyboard itself is medium height in profile to benefit from one. Regardless, you can easily have other peripherals on the desk pad here including the matching mouse, a headset, a microphone etc.


A look from the side shows the built-in elevation of the keyboard, which I would classify as medium profile by itself as mentioned above. The provided keycap puller helps remove some of the keycaps for a closer examination, without scratching their sides as with the plastic ring-style cheaper keycap pullers others like to use. Varmilo is using OEM profile keycaps here with the familiar contouring of the six rows and the two-piece case making for a non-floating keycap implementation which also looks lower in profile given they are placed slightly inward too. The keycaps are made of thick PBT plastic (average wall thickness 1.3 mm) with dye-sublimed legends and designs on the top and sides for durability and longevity in addition to making some of those novelty keycaps look quite nice from any viewing angle. These are opaque and this explains also the lack of LEDs on the keyboard except on Esc and F1-F4 keys, which is why we have those five replacement keycaps that come with slits in the front to help shine light through as seen above.


There are five different switch options available for the Varmilo VBS108V2 Crane of Lure. Four of these are from Cherry in the form of the MX Red, MX Silent Red, MX Brown, and MX Blue to cover all three feedback mechanisms and also provide a silent switch option. But then we get something special in the form of a collaboration between Varmilo and Kailh to develop the so-called Kailh Crane of Lure switch, which has been shorted to simply Kailh Crane switch in some places. This is a linear switch which goes with POM composition, a round wall around the stem for added dust/spill resistance, and a green housing + off white stem to match the colors on the keyboard. Of course I went with this switch option for this review sample! The keyboard is unfortunately not using hot-swappable switch sockets so I can't take one of these switches apart, but I understand these are pre-lubed switches with a 20 mm long spring inside. These are certainly premium switches matched with pre-lubed, custom plate-mount stabilizers that Varmilo says are hand-chosen and assembled for a smooth and reliable operation. Note also the foam sheet around the switches to help dampen keystrokes. At this point I should also tell you that I tried my best to disassemble the keyboard but could not get it to come apart in a non-destructive manner. I am sure I missed something something but the time spent was not worth it for the potential returns. There is another foam sheet between the PCB and the case to prevent any reverberations in the case and further dapen keystrokes if you bottom out.