The keys were initially all white, but I couldn’t help doing a bit of customization
Sometimes when I haven’t bought a keyboard in a while, an idea pops in my head. “What if I had a keyboard like X?” That ‘X’ could be anything! A 40% keyboard, an Alice layout, gaskets, wood, pink, Lego bricks, or even a silent Topre board. I asked myself, what if I had a Topre keyboard that was wireless and silent? I could use it in office spaces, cafes, traveling, anywhere! This idea will bounce around in my head for a while, as I save money and eventually cave and buy the thing.
In this case, an HHKB Pro Hybrid Type S.
It’s a silent Topre keyboard with Bluetooth and my favorite kind of battery system: BYOB. With just two AA batteries, rechargeable, of course, you can power this keyboard and use it anywhere.
But is it everything I wanted?
In This Article:
Specs
Specs aren’t listed on HHKB’s website, but HHKeyboard.com has the following details:
- Dimensions: 11.6in (294mm) x 4.7in (120mm) x 1.6in (40mm)
- Weight: 540g (without batteries)
- Switches: Topre rubber dome capacitive. 45g, 3.8mm travel
Typing Feel: 7/10
To me, the most important aspect of a keyboard is the typing feel. It’s why I don’t use linear keyboards. I need that bit of tactility. I like Topre keyboards because, surprisingly, the rubber domes give a nice snappy feel. There’s plenty of travel and you don’t necessarily have to bottom out either. While I typically prefer a good mechanical tactile switch, Topre does the trick.
The louder version of the HHKB Professional keyboard has a more tactile feel. It just feels snappier. Perhaps it’s the dampening on the upstroke of the much quieter Type-S. Either way, I definitely prefer the normal Professional for tactility. This isn’t bad. It’s still tactile, it’s still satisfying to type on, but I’m certain I’ll be upgrading the domes at some point. Something snappier will likely be louder, but a slight increase in volume would be worth it. After all, this is already a quiet keyboard.
Typing Sound: 9/10
The Topre switches with silencers in the Type-S are as silent as a membrane keyboard. Bring this in to the office, and no one will complain about the typing noise you’re making. However, it’s not my quietest keyboard. That honor goes to my keyboard with Boba U4 switches. Those are more tactile and quieter switches than the silenced Topre. I actually prefer them over the HHKB Type-S with stock domes.
The typing sound of the non-silenced HHKB is muted, comforting even. However, the space bar is a bit clacky out of the box, you can lube it and try to reduce this louder sound a little. On the Type-S, it’s just quiet. There’s a refined feel about that, but I’m not sure it’s worth the loss in tactility unless you’re sure you need quiet, like in the quiet car of a train, while your partner’s sleeping, or in an office. But if you’re going for quiet tactility, I say go for the Boba U4 switches and build a different keyboard yourself. I literally built the keyboard I have my U4 switches in. Get the HHKB Professional Type-S if strong tactility and silence aren’t your only qualifiers for a keyboard, like if you prefer Topre, want AA battery power, or like its Bluetooth options.
Bluetooth 6/10
I was surprised to find that, often, the Bluetooth has a bit of a delay. There can be a fair amount of Bluetooth interference by my desk sometimes, but it’s not a problem for all of my devices. Anyone who would care about a delay of a few milliseconds is probably gaming, and also probably knows well enough to use their keyboard wired. The real problem with typing would be when it would occasionally get an interruption, then spam the same character multiple times. I have since found this to be a rare issue, but it was one I initially noticed quite frequently when I first got this keyboard. However, my current desk configuration seems to have far less interference, likely due to using either a wired trackball or 2.4GHz wireless dongle instead of another Bluetooth connection.
The HHKB Professional Hybrid can connect up to 4 different Bluetooth devices. If you only use USB-C on your home setup, you could easily use it for 5 or more devices. This is great for switching between a work and personal computer, or when you prefer to use a tablet for focusing on writing. Many Bluetooth devices can only connect to 2-3, so it’s nice that they give you one more than expected.
If you’re a touch typist, you might notice the difference as you watch what you type appear on screen. However, most typists wouldn’t see the lag. If you’re gaming, definitely bring a USB-C cable.
Batteries, Yay! (10/10)
I love that this uses AA batteries. Give me a battery I can swap out instantly and recharge on my desk any day over those built-in ones. What do you do if the battery, likely glued in your keyboard, starts to swell? You have to go through the painstaking and often risky task of removing it to dispose of it. You may even need to solder in a new battery as well. But for a device that takes simple AA batteries? Just recycle them once they stop holding a charge and start using another set. I have to do this task for my old iPods right now, but my old cassette players? They’re working fine, decades after they were manufactured. Replaceable batteries means longevity and safety.
One set of rechargeable AA batteries lasts about 15 days in this keyboard. I had tried to test the battery saver mode, but found it far too annoying. This turns off the keyboard after it’s unused for a certain length of time. It’s controlled by a dip switch on the bottom of your keyboard. However, I found that it shut down far too frequently for my tastes, and the only way to know if it turned the keyboard off or not was to try typing and find out if you had written anything yet. I’ll take charging my keyboard every 15 days of use though, especially since I mostly use it in wired mode at my desk. For me, Bluetooth is more for on the go or when I decide to work on my couch. Which, incidentally, I was doing as I wrote the bulk of this review.
You may be wondering if the batteries can charge while you’re using the keyboard in wired mode, and the answer is no. This is a good thing. Leaving rechargeable batteries charging all the time is a great way to ruin them and potentially create a risky situation. Better to buy a pack of rechargeable batteries. I have a universal charger that I can also use for AAA batteries or gumstick batteries, and find it convenient. This ensures you don’t overcharge the batteries while using the keyboard wired, so you can use themĀ only when on the go.
Customization 6/10
So, this is awkward. One of the key reasons to go for the Hybrid model of HHKB Professional keyboards is to be able to customize the keyboard. You can use the software to add arrow keys in a more traditional inverted ‘T’ shape, for example. Make WASD your arrow keys and your muscle memory will be intact. However… this wasn’t an issue for me by the time I bought this keyboard. At this point, I had already fallen in love with the HHKB layout. I now prefer it to even more traditional 60% keyboards! I’ve built a number of custom setups since trying out my first HHKB board with this layout, and I love it.
Can you modify the layout? Sure! There’s an app you can download and use it to modify the keys almost as you would for a web-based app like Via does for QMK firmware keyboards. But should you? That’s up to you! Personally, I think you should give the HHKB layout a try first, and see if you like it.
As for customizing anything else, there are surprisingly more options than you’d expect. The Ursa keycaps for Topre keyboards are nice enough that I’ve considered writing an article about them alone. There are plenty of rubber domes you can buy from Deskey to customize the precise typing experience. You can also use the onboard dip switches to do some quick customization to the layout and Bluetooth features, no software required. Topre keyboards aren’t as customizable as those with traditional MX-style mechanical switches, but there are far more options now than there used to be!
If only Alps switches had a similar rise in popularity.
Overall 8/10
This is a great keyboard, and it’ll be even better once I get the tactility dialed in. It certainly feels good to type on, but I just want a bit more firmness in the tactility. I like a good snap. That said, it’s exactly what I bought it for. It’s quiet, compact, has a decent typing feel, and it has the perfect battery setup for its wireless capabilities.
While I do find the tactility lacking for my tastes, you should know that I prefer a pretty strong bout of tactility. I even like Box Royals, which are often described as feeling like clicky switches without the click sound. My favorite switches include Boba, Kangaroos, Quinns, Holy Pandas, Zealios V2s, and “quiet click” Alps style switches. To most, this will be a perfectly tactile keyboard. Topre domes have a way of feeling a bit odd at first, coming from a mechanical keyboard, but feel natural quickly. Plus, even if I don’t replace the domes, they actually getĀ more tactile with age.
If you’re looking at getting an HHKB keyboard, I do highly recommend the Hybrid for the wireless features and customization capabilities. As for Type-S vs the standard version, I’d say go without the silencing if you’re not bothered by the louder sound. Otherwise, you gain far more silence than you lose tactility. This is much quieter than the unsilenced version, and only very slightly less tactile feeling. This is the keyboard I can trust won’t catch glares in the cafe or in the quiet car. It’s compact, comfortable, and a great keyboard overall. I’ll likely even continue using it at home at times when I don’t have to be quiet.
Plus, AA batteries!