Corsair airs its finest board at an exorbitant price
I’m a Junior Analyst focused on reviewing computer accessories, laptops, gaming monitors, and video games. I’ve been writing, playing, and complaining about games for as long as I remember, but it wasn’t until recently that I’ve been able to shout my opinions directly at a larger audience. My work has appeared on iMore, Windows Central, Android Central, and TWICE, and I have a diverse portfolio of editing work under my belt, from my time spent at Scholastic and Oxford University Press.
Corsair's stylish K100 Air Wireless keyboard is packed to the brim with functionality despite its razor-thin frame, but it's almost $300, and its ultra-low-profile keys aren't ideal for gaming.
Corsair has delivered two of our favorite keyboards this year: the full-size Corsair K70 RGB Pro and the K70 RGB Pro Mini, the latter being one of the best 60 percent keyboards we’ve seen to date. With sky-high polling rates, excellent wireless connectivity, and comfortable, clicky keys, Corsair keyboards seem like they can’t do any wrong. The company's latest, the K100 Air Wireless ($279), is an ultra-thin mechanical gaming keyboard that seems to mirror the recent the K70 RGB Pro. However, as slim and light as it might be, it has more in common with a general-use productivity keyboard than a gaming one, and the change to scissor key switches is less than ideal for gamers looking for a comfortable key press. Couple that with a very high price, and it’s a tough sell, though it undeniably has tech appeal.
The K100 Air is a familiar sight for those who have tried any of Corsair's recent peripherals. Sharp corners give the keyboard a blocky, industrial look, complemented by a brushed aluminum frame. The top half of the board has a slight bump so that the media buttons and indicator lights sit just above the rest of the keys. The keys themselves are also perfect squares, reminding me of the chiclet keys found on laptops. From a layout perspective, it’s no different than the aforementioned K70 RGB Pro.
Under the hood is where the differences lie, and they might make or break the keyboard for serious gamers. The K70 RGB Pro makes use of the standard Cherry MX key switches you’d find in just about any premium gaming keyboard. But to reach the thin dimensions of the K100 Air, Corsair opted for the Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile scissor switches. The shallowest model in Cherry’s product range, the key switch has a 65g actuation force, 0.8mm actuation distance, and a mere 1.8mm of travel distance. This leads to very short response times per press, but I’m not a fan of scissor switches in general, especially in a gaming keyboard.
Scissor switches are normally found in productivity or general use keyboards. The most notable desktop keyboard to make use of them is probably Apple’s Magic Keyboard. These are fine for general typing, but they're not ideal when it comes to gaming. The keys provide a loud-enough click, but are noisier than expected, probably most similar to a Cherry MX Blue switch. The plus side? The unique design of the switch allows for an LED to be placed directly under the switch, evenly illuminating the key in the process. So while you lose the RGB lighting that normally leaks out from underneath the keys on a bulkier board, you’ll still be able to achieve rich colors through the translucent lettering.
The board's keycaps aren't hot-swappable like the K70 RGB Pro Mini's are. Removing the keycaps could result in accidentally destroying the switch. There are no other key options, either, a shame considering how pricey the board is and because there are other low-profile switch options, including a version of the Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile switches that are less noisy and don't result in a tactile click.
Zooming back out, the keyboard body is as wide as it is wafer thin, measuring at 0.67 by 17.3 by 6.2 inches (HWD). Size-wise, that puts it in the ballpark of general-use keyboards like the Satechi Slim X3. If you ever wanted a slimmer gaming keyboard, this is certainly the slimmest we’ve ever seen. However, for as slim as it is, it is surprisingly hefty at 1.7 pounds.
Underneath the board, you’ll find two feet with two adjustable height levels, and at the very top of the board, you’ll find an inset USB-C port, a power switch, and a place to tuck the USB dongle when not in use.
Corsair says the K100 Air uses a cutting-edge wireless chipset with a performance-optimized firmware stack to deliver super-high polling rates over a 2.4GHz connection—up to 8,000Hz. Most wireless gaming keyboards can only maintain between 500Hz and 1,000Hz without a wire. It's a welcome feature, but perhaps overkill for the average gamer, likely appreciated only by tournament-ready players. The board can also support three simultaneous wireless connections and features 128-bit encryption, a feature not often seen in gaming keyboards, but present in some productivity-focused boards, like the Cherry Stream.
Compatible devices aren't just PCs; this board works with a bunch of other products, too, including the Microsoft Xbox, the Sony PlayStation, and even mobile devices.
It’s true, Corsair has packed the K100 Air to the brim with a wide-ranging feature set, most of which can be customized in iCue, Corsair’s downloadable software. Key assignments, as well as the board’s performance and lighting effects, can be adjusted with relative ease. The K100 Air’s RGB lighting is more subdued than previous Corsair products we’ve seen, but the backlighting is quite nice. Even nicer are the 50 profiles that can be created and saved directly to the keyboard, thanks to the 8MB of onboard storage.
In use, you can expect up to 200 hours of wireless battery life, cut down to a fourth of that with RGB lighting enabled. Dedicated media keys sit beside a welcome volume roller, while a profile key on the board’s top left corner allows for fast profile swapping.
All of this would make for a compelling purchase, but arguably the biggest issue with the latest Corsair board is its price—a whopping $279, about $100 more than the K70 RGB Pro, which is already a pricey proposition. Considering how much of the functionality is shared with the K70 RGB Pro, it’s hard to recommend the K100 Air unless you absolutely have to have a thin keyboard.
The K100 Air works well in general use, while it’s packed with just about every innovation Corsair has introduced. It’s a top performer, even though the new ultra-low-profile switches might not be for everyone. But its trim profile doesn’t make up for its hefty price, which spoils an otherwise fine product. It's stylish, lightweight, and functional, but just too expensive.
If you’re in the market for a Corsair keyboard, we recommend the K70 RGB Pro or the K95 RGB Platinum XT instead. True, they are not as thin or light as the K100 Air, but they are packed with nearly identical feature sets and they go much, much easier on your wallet.
Corsair's stylish K100 Air Wireless keyboard is packed to the brim with functionality despite its razor-thin frame, but it's almost $300, and its ultra-low-profile keys aren't ideal for gaming.
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I’m a Junior Analyst focused on reviewing computer accessories, laptops, gaming monitors, and video games. I’ve been writing, playing, and complaining about games for as long as I remember, but it wasn’t until recently that I’ve been able to shout my opinions directly at a larger audience. My work has appeared on iMore, Windows Central, Android Central, and TWICE, and I have a diverse portfolio of editing work under my belt, from my time spent at Scholastic and Oxford University Press.
I have a few book-author credits under my belt—I’ve contributed to the sci-fi anthology Under New Suns, and I’ve even written a Peppa Pig book.
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