Redragon K552 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, RGB Rainbow Backlit, 87 Keys, Tenkeyless, Compact Steel Construction with…

I used to be a big RedDragon fan when I first started PC gaming. Inexpensive peripherals that’s work great is probably the main reason why I used them until I started to venture out to other mainstream brands. Now here I am again, using this brand again and I’ll say, I’m not disappointed. It’s difficult to find a responsive mechanical keyboard for the price, but this one takes the cake. Button presses are quick but are unlikely to fat finger when gaming, key presses require a bit of a press to send the response but is still very quick on the response time. The small form factor make this keyboard great for portability, even though I do wish it had a detachable micro USB or USB Type-C cable. The body of the keyboard is kind of like a faux-metal/plastic material, which give the keyboard some heft to it, even though the body itself seems hollow as when you press the keys, there’s a slight echo of the switch. Overall, the keyboard is an absolute dream for light and avid gamers alike. Wouldn’t recommend for an office space as the switches can be quite noisy in a typing situation, but for a personal office I would say its great for typing documents and other office needs. I’d say, if you’re pressed for money but want an great bang for your buck, I say this keyboard is probably the best way to go.

I have been a prime member since 2009, I also normally dont write reviews, call me a bad customer. But after buying two of these keyboards and a couple mice for work and home. I gotta admit, this is definitely the best budget mechanical keyboard I have ever used. I mean its heavy, the keys feel great, you’ll literally just want to type for no reason just so you can type. When you hit FN + INS (Insert Key) it takes you through all the light modes. AND THEY ARE ALL AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! I mean give me some shrooms so I can get mushed (Mac Dre Lyrics) and just type on this keyboard all day in the dark. I am 100% surprised and satisfied with this keyboard. If China made more quality stuff like this… They would be making a lot more money. If you want a good non cheap feel keyboard and one that youll get a kick out of without breaking the bank.. Seriously get this and you will not be disappointed. I do not have any affiliations with this company. I am just really really happy to have come across this brand and randomly give it a try. In the last 2 months, I have shown this keyboard to a bunch of co workers. They all bought one and are still happy they did. I did not rate durability, because in my mind I have not owned it long enough.

This keyboard has clicky keys similar to Cherry MX Blue (not Brown or Red). It was a little too loud when I first received it, but that was because it only had two “feet” and even they were made of hard plastic (which is a great transmitter of sound). I added four little round rubber stick dots for “feet” (the kind you can buy at Home Depot) and the noise level dropped in half! It is now about as quiet as my Corsair K65 Cherry MX Red keyboard. That isn’t a typo, it is now about as quiet as my Corsaid K65 Cherry MX Red keyboard — and Cherry Red isn’t supposed to make any noise. That’s because the keyboard itself acts as a backboard for the keys themselves, so everytime you hit a key, it collides with the keyboard body and makes a loud clacking noise (on both keyboards). I’m sure if I bought a package of those rubber O-rings for Cherry keys, this keyboard would be even quieter still, the only noise being the Blue clickers, so this keyboard has a lot of potential with a minimal of work and cost — and still all for one third the cost of my Corsair K65 Cherry MX keyboard (or pretty much any other Cherry MX-like keyboard!The claim to fame for this Redragon keyboard (besides the low cost but still high quality mechanical keys) is that it is mildly spill-proof, while the Corsair one is not (this was bought as a replacement for my Corsair, after my bird spilled a cup of hot tea on it).I was worried that the keyboard looked like it sat too high, but I compared it with my Corsair and they were about the same, so the height is an illusion due to the “spill-proof” design.This keyboard uses very little power compared to my Corsair (which required two USB2 ports or one USB3), so if you use it with a battery powered laptop, you don’t have to worry about reduced battery life as much.It has no software to go wrong (my Corsair never could install the macro capability correctly, on either one of my two computers) yet it is still fully configurable via the Fn key. There are lots of presets that will work just fine for whatever game you want to play, and besides, I could never find a custom setting that worked for me even on the Corsair, so I’m not even going to try that option.It doesn’t have a million-plus colors but you and I can’t tell the difference between most of those colors anyways. This keyboard is free of hype so you get more keyboard and less feature-itis for your money.

I bought this about a week ago, as I needed a new keyboard that is more responsive for gaming. So far, it’s exceeded that expectation for me. The ability to customize the keys by swapping them out for a different set is a neat feature. I also wanted a new keyboard that would be well lit for night use. I’ve already piqued several friends into getting one. It’s also the most comfortable keyboard I’ve used, especially for fast typing. (I’m not kidding!) I’ve grown used to laptop PC keys, but I grew up typing on electric typewriters and some of the early PC models of the 1980s.This has the feel of the early IBM PC keyboards I used as a kid (mid 1980s). It’s also a great space saver, featuring all the functions one might need to run a PC. I’ve also paired it with a few of my Android smartphones/tablets, and two Raspberry Pi 3 series SoC boards (B and B+). It’s worked well so far in every case for me. I’ve used it in Windows and Linux with no issues. I’m fairly sure it should work with Macs, too. :)I’m using this with a laptop (Acer Aspire 7, 2018 edition), which itself has a lighted keyboard, but stuck in one color. This will come in handy during long gaming sessions, as the laptop keys can sometimes get hot to the touch, especially when playing intense, fast acting FPS and RPG games with the Nvidia GPU.I’ll see how durable this keyboard is over time, and update this review.

I bought this, the Razer Cynosa, and the Corsair K55 to compare as entry level KBs.To my surprise, the K552 wins by a considerable margin, assuming one can do without per key RGB and macro keys.Redragon K552 Pros:1) solid metal frame construction2) actual mechanical keys – Outremu Blues, a very good copy of Cherry Blues. Solid feel, very tactile, and (for better or worse) probably clackier than Cherrys.3) Clever lighting presets – 18 very useful and diverse patterns – gems sparkling, rain falling, birds flying etc. Maybe the largest number and most diverse set of light patterns I’ve seen on a KB.4) No software needed to use.5) excellent visibility and durability on the keycaps.6) Raised keys – show colors more prominently, easier to clean.Redragon K552 Cons:1) Not RGB – “rainbow” means each row has its own fixed color – those per row colors can be on or off in various sequences (or all on, all off) but the blue row cannot be made red or vice versa. Hence, no per key or even per zone changes are possible.2) non-detachable / non-braided cable.Compared to Corsair K55:1) No macro capability / designated keys.2) Corsair has worse keys – not as bad as Razer’s, but the RDs keys feel and sound far more mechanical.3) Corsair has 3 zone RGB lighting, not per key, but more flexible than RD “rainbow”.4) Corsair needs CUE software to configure custom functions.5) Corsair has fewer pre-set light modes, but can have zones configured by use of the moderately tedious CUE software.6) Corsair costs 20% more than RD.Compared to Razer Cynosa:1) RD has MUCH better keys. Razer scraped the bottom of the membrane barrel with the entry level Cynosa. Reminds me of a $20 1980’s era KB.2) Cynosa has per key RGB, but see below.3) Synapse software / site registration needed to use most functions on KB.4) Fewer pre set color modes than RD or Corsair, AND Synapse is the most irritating and painstaking software imaginable to use to create custom effects.5) Razer uses cruddy key caps, less visible light and less readability than Corsair or RD.6) Cynosa keys are deep set, unlike RD or Corsair, making them harder to clean, less aesthetically appealing, though that last view is subjective.7) Cynosa costs 20 to 40% more than RD (price for Cynosa fluctuates).TLDR: Like pretty color patterns? Don’t care about per key settings? Like actual mechanical keys and metal frame? Don’t need macros? Want to avoid software installs and learning curves? Want to save money? Get a K552.