Review cover Klim Chroma Keyboard (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review

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Up next for our budget PC accessories review is the Klim Chroma Keyboard, a budget-friendly RGB membrane gaming keyboard!

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Membrane Gaming Keyboard, An Oxymoron?

The Klim Chroma Keyboard is advertised as a high performance keyboard, featuring a 2ms response time, anti-ghosting features, near-silent keys, “chromatic lighting”, and boasting a durable, waterproof design, all packaged into a standard 104 key membrane keyboard. Weighing only 460g (~1lb) and measuring at 16.06 x 11.3 x 1.14in, it's a fairly standard size for a fairly standard keyboard. Unfortunately, the build quality of the Chroma isn't the best. Made of rather flimsy ABS plastic, it feels like I could snap the keyboard in half with little pressure, and the USB cable used is quite thin and feels prone to breaking. Sounds like a pretty standard setup for a budget gaming keyboard, but what, exactly is the gaming part of it?

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The answer? Nothing, really. The first thing you’ll notice is the incredibly disappointing “RGB Chroma Lighting” they advertise on the box. For one, it’s not multi-color RGB, the LEDs are all static. That rainbow layout that the keyboard comes with is the only layout you get with this keyboard, there’s no customization, no optional color configs, it’s rainbow or nothing. Second, the LEDs used are incredibly dim. When looking straight down at the keyboard, you can clearly see what the keys are supposed to be and they’re properly lit up, but when looking at an angle (read: all the time), the LEDs used are so dim that the entire top row of the keyboard is barely lit up at all, and the number keys are only just seemingly lit. While this won’t be a problem for you veteran typists who never look at a keyboard while using it, for others this can be an incredibly annoying design flaw, especially when the keys are virtually impossible to see at all when the RGBs are disabled. After pulling some of the keycaps off, it’s immediately obvious why this is so: the “waterproofing” used by Klim for the Chroma blocks out a lot of the light produced by the LEDs. To waterproof their keyboard, Klim put a piece of plastic between the PCB of the keyboard and the membrane. The problem? They used a slightly opaque piece of plastic, which blocks out some of the LEDs.

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The second thing you’ll notice is, despite being a “gaming keyboard”, there are no extra function keys at all. No media keys, no macro keys, just the standard 104 key layout and that’s kind of it. But, ignoring that, it does function fairly well as a general use keyboard. The ultra quiet keys advertised are indeed incredibly quiet, even for a membrane keyboard. I’ved use two mechanical keyboards as my daily drivers for my gaming PC and work PC for 5+ years (the Logitech G910 and Rosewill RK-6000, respectively), so I’m used to some feedback and that typical mechanical click whenever I hit a key. But with the Chroma, you get virtually nothing in terms of feedback or noise. For some, this can be seen as a pro, but for myself I find this more as a con than anything; I like the feel and the sound of a key clacking away as I use it, and the absence of such feels...unnatural, to me. But to those who don’t like that CLACK CLACK CLACK of mechanical keyboards, or don’t want to wake the wife during your 3AM WoW raid, it’s a pretty decent feature.

Product Links

Official Product Page
Amazon.com US Product Page
Amazon.co.uk UK Product Page

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Super quiet keys.
  • Waterproofing, which could be useful if you spill your GAME FUEL.
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Static RGBs with no customization option.
  • Dim RGBs because of poorly designed waterproofing feature.
  • No extra function or media keys.
  • Feels a tad flimsy.
6
out of 10

Overall

The Klim Chroma is a super quiet, static RGB "gaming" keyboard that leaves a lot to be desired. With no extra function keys, RGBs that can't be customized and are too dim because of poor product design, it's hard to recommend the Chroma. If you're desperate for RGBs and want something quiet, the Klim Chroma keyboard might be for you, but otherwise you're probably better off buying any other $30, or cheaper, membrane keyboard.
Eh. I like backlights on my keyboards, but I'll take any single-colour backlight over being forced to use those static rainbow ones.
 
Huh! That was really interesting about the RGBs and waterproofing. Looks pretty alright, but I don't know how I'd feel about the top row being a bit hard to see.
 
What's interesting is Klim has another keyboard, called the Lightning, that basically fixes most of my complaints: It offers 7 uniform backlight colors, additional multifunction keys (albeit they're using laptop style FN combo keys), a metal frame, and a braided cable...for only $5 more. So I'm not quite sure what their target audience with this particular keyboard is, even if you're on a budget you could probably still spare an extra $5 for what sounds like an overall better keyboard.
 
What's interesting is Klim has another keyboard, called the Lightning, that basically fixes most of my complaints: It offers 7 uniform backlight colors, additional multifunction keys (albeit they're using laptop style FN combo keys), a metal frame, and a braided cable...for only $5 more. So I'm not quite sure what their target audience with this particular keyboard is, even if you're on a budget you could probably still spare an extra $5 for what sounds like an overall better keyboard.
I'm in the market for a new keyboard for my new gaming pc, and I'm not too terribly picky, so thanks to this review and your suggestion, I'll probably just get the one that costs $5 more lol.
 
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May I ask why the waterproofing is so nessesary >.>; I ask as a person who always has a drink next to their keyboard, I will say I once killed a old laptop because of this, but it's not something that should happen too often....
 
I'm in the market for a new keyboard for my new gaming pc, and I'm not too terribly picky, so thanks to this review and your suggestion, I'll probably just get the one that costs $5 more lol.
Hey, I'd recommend you consider a mechanical keyboard, you can get one for about the same price. Up to you of course.

I see one with cherry mx browns for people who want quiet for 36.99, I think if your willing to leave Amazon there's other good choices too.
 
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I use a Razer Ornata Chroma... This just seems, meh.

Mechanical Membrane is actually rather good. It feels and sounds just like normal mechanical keyboards, but is more cost efficient. Otherwise, I'll just stick with Razer or Logitech products.
 
May I ask why the waterproofing is so nessesary >.>; I ask as a person who always has a drink next to their keyboard, I will say I once killed a old laptop because of this, but it's not something that should happen too often....
I have installed a few waterproof keyboards in kitchens, places that needed to wash keyboards for hygiene reasons*, workshops and such like. I don't know what overlap those will have with those wanting a dubious quality "gaming" keyboard (or even a good quality gaming keyboard**) but that is a different matter.

*most hospitals will use things like a cover that can be swapped out and cleaned or something. However they are typically not very nice to type essay length things on as opposed to a few paragraphs of notes, and quick replies of "It'll be ready at 14:30". One of said waterproof keyboards then went into a restaurant that would have back of house/office staff still pinch in during a rush or something.

**those joysticks you see various crane/machinery operators use cost hundreds and are built like tanks as crane down means thousands lost (you are paying the operator to sit on their arse, and presumably what they would be doing is not happening or happening as fast, and your on time/early completion bonuses are evaporating before your eyes) so they get the good ones. If you ever find some ex stock or similar for such purposes it is worth snagging them.
A nice enough overview
 
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