Introduction

Velocifiretech, or simply Velocifire henceforth in this review, is a relatively unknown company based out of China looking to make its presence in the global keyboard market in 2019. They set about by establishing a retail channel with global e-tailers, including Amazon.com, and have been contacting the press media to get the word out on their brand. If you have been following my keyboard reviews, you know I like to take a look at as many different brands as I can, so I was curious when they got in touch with me. They proposed I take a look at a MacOS-centric keyboard first, which was quickly shot down. Their next recommendation seemed to be a good idea, however, with wireless mechanical keyboards getting into the budget-friendly range lately. So here we are then, and thanks again to Velocifire for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp.


At first glance, there is not much to see here, and perhaps that is a good thing given what we do see is a formula that works. Indeed, a two-piece plastic case for a TKL keyboard with the logo displayed above the arrow key cluster (or is it? More on this later on) reminds me of the Cooler Master Rapidfire TKL keyboard in many ways, down to the indicator LEDs and general case design. The TKL form factor enables most of the functionality of a full-size keyboard while still retaining some space efficiency for when you want to have the mouse closer for ergonomic reasons. The Velocifire TKL02WS is, as the name suggests, a wireless keyboard based off their older TKL02 wired mechanical keyboard. We will go over the product in more detail, beginning with the specs below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

Velocifire makes no qualms about appealing to the more value-oriented market, which  means we have to expect toned down packaging and accessories. The TKL02WS arrives in a bare cardboard box thus, which is different only in that there is no wrap for aesthetics, but, rather, printing in black for the company logo on the front, along with a generic description for the keyboard rather than the product name itself. Perhaps, it is so they can recycle the box with similar products later on. But then we turn over to the back, and the product name makes an appearance after all, along with the company website and a notice letting us know this was made in China. More logos are on the sides, along with product stickers for inventory management and a double flap in the center to help keep the contents inside in place.


Opening the box, we see the keyboard itself in a thin foam wrap, kept in place between two thicker, shaped pieces of foam. This adds protection to help ensure the keyboard arrives in perfect condition during transit, although the top surface is still only protected by the cardboard box packaging, in addition to the thin foam wrap. All the accessories are found underneath the keyboard, including a multi-language manual that provides useful information about the onboard functionality of the TKL02WS keyboard. There is an online copy of the manual here, but note that it contained inaccurate information (or, rather, outdated information) about the backlighting color and switch type. Velocifire told me they will be updating this, and indeed, they already have done so recently as far as the online version goes, with subsequent retail units getting the updated printed manual as well.


The other accessories come in a plastic pouch and include a 1.5 m black cable to charge or use the keyboard in USB/wired mode. The cable has a male USB Type-C connector on one end and a male USB Type-A connector on the other. This hints towards the use of a Type-C port on the keyboard, which is nice to see on what should be a more budget-friendly product. We also get a plastic ring-style keycap puller, which can scratch the sides of keycaps, but is still better than nothing. Finally, we see a small USB dongle for the 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity.