This was my first foray into the world of mechanical keyboards. I am now a convert and will extol the virtues of mechanical keyboards all day, everyday.
This keyboard uses Romer G switches, not Cherry MX switches. So if you're a Cherry MX diehard fan then you can probably pass on this keyboard altogether.
You might be wondering why someone would buy a non-Cherry MX mechanical keyboard to start down the mechanical keyboard path.
The simplest answer is that I bought this on sale. Mind you, the sale price was still well over $100 dollars and one can easily find a decent mechanical keyboard for less than $100 these days.
The more nuanced answer is that I was looking at gaming-centric keyboards--which generally sell for north of $100--and have already bought in to the Logitech ecosystem so this felt like a natural fit.
This keyboard utilizes a Logitech software for all of its customization. It will work just fine without the drivers or extra software but you wouldn't have access to the added functionality like backlight customization and key binding options.
I own a Logitech gaming mouse and I use that Logitech software to customize the mouse buttons and other mouse functions. So a big part of the rationale when buying this keyboard was that I was already running the Logitech software and I wanted to avoid having another piece of software running for another peripheral. It was a matter of convenience over anything else.
So it's not the typical entry point for mechanical keyboards. Most folks will go with the far more popular, more widely available, and more user-serviceable Cherry MX brand of switches. But this keyboard nonetheless sold me on the concept of mechanical keyboards.
I don't know enough about Cherry MX (or any other) switches to make an accurate comparison between this product and the plethora of other mechanical keyboards. So I will compare this to the rest of the keyboard spectrum, the non-mechanical keyboards of the world.
First things first, these keys are not loud and/or clacky. They are no more wobbly than the keys you'll find on an
Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
. They do not produce much more sound than that MS keyboard either. That's not to say that they are totally silent but the keys on the Orion are by no means loud or distracting, certainly not any more so than a standard non-mechanical.
There is no tactile bump. These switches do not apparently feature any kind of bump or tab within their mechanics so there is no click to the keys, nothing that you can feel in your fingers or fingertips that tells you "no the key has not been pressed yet" or "yes, that was the point at which the key registers a press". I prefer it this way, I don't want anything potentially stopping me from pressing a key. I've also grown accustomed to scissor switches, like on any laptop keyboard, that require virtually no pressure to activate the key. So my weakling fingers can't accept a keyboard that requires any additional force. That there is no bump also contributes to the keyboard's overall quiet nature. The Romer G switches activate quickly. They bottom out pretty fast, which is to say that they reach their maximum down position pretty fast. I personally like this since, agian, my weakling fingers don't like to do extra work on the keyboard.
The keys caps themselves are quite nice. The convex shape cradles the fingertips nicely. The depth of that convex indentation also make it easy to identify individual keys without having to look. There's not much of a chance that you'll fat-finger these keys because they feel so distinct.
The chassis of the keyboard, that's the body upon which the switches and keys are installed, is nice too. It's no aluminum body but the build quality is rock solid. It's high quality as far as plastics go.
The whole thing is matte black, keys, body, and all. So it looks great most of the time. But as soon as it start picking up hand grease that matte finish quickly turns into a shiny finish. The contrast between the matte finish and the greased up keys/areas can be a distraction but in no way affects the utility of the keyboard itself.
The media keys and volume roller work well. The media keys click when pressed which is satisfying and also good feedback. You'll never wonder whether you pressed that button or not. I was hoping that the volume roller would spin with weight and momentum like Logitech mouse scroll wheels but, alas, it does not. That's not a loss but it would have been nice.
The per-key LED back lighting is pretty cool. I typically shy away from PCs and PC accessories that are festooned with LED lights and other junk like that. I find the trend tacky and useless. That said, I do like pretty lights in general and certainly don't mind the option. The Orion allows you to customize the color of each key or groups of keys. Or you can just let the Logitech software run a fun pattern on its own. I would advise against that since it can be really distracting but it's cool that the patterns are there. There's a little light leak coming from the keys but it's not bad at all. From what I understand light leaks on other backlit keyboards is more severe. If backlighting isn't your thing then you can just disable it completely from the Logitech software.
There aren't many downsides to this keyboard. The price may not be the best but that's more subjective at this price level.
The only real downside to this keyboard is that the USB cable is not detachable. This omission is glaring in light of the fact that most, if not all, of the most well-reviewed mechanical keyboards feature a detachable USB cable. This has everything to do with user-serviceability. Mechanical keyboards are generally geared toward users who want to disassemble the keyboard for cleaning or switch/key cap maintenance.
The key caps can be removed easily which will make cleaning easy when that has to happen. And I assume, but have not tried, that the switches can be removed as well. But I can't disassemble the keyboard any further than that. This is a disappointment but not a deal breaker, I suppose. At least part of the underlying reason must be that the internals of the keyboard are delicate and, as such, cleaning should be a gentle process. No cleaning this keyboard in the dishwasher. No submerging the chassis in water. Again, not a deal breaker but more user serviceability would be preferred.
And the final, and probably most problematic, downside is that these are not Cherry MX switches. This keyboard uses Romer G switches which, as far as I can tell, you cannot buy separately. This, again, goes back to the lacking level of user serviceability. Who knows if/when these switches will die. If/when that does happen I do now know that I will have any repair options, I may just have to buy a new mechanical keyboard. It is possible that I haven't done enough research. Maybe the Internet is rife with Romer G switches but something tells me that the "exclusive" switches that Logitech and Romer G designed means that they are going to be impossible or very difficult to buy if the need should arise.
I recommend this keyboard to anyone looking to take their first steps in to the world of mechanical keyboards but only on the condition that you aren't looking for Cherry MX switches, that you don't mind having Logitech software running as a background process, and that you don't mind that user serviceability can be lacking in some areas.
This is a good solid keyboard for gaming or otherwise. Not too loud, not too much resistance to the switches. Good looks and a solid build.
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Brand: Logitech G
Recommended Uses For Product: Gaming
Item Length Longer Edge: Up to 9.9 in
Item Height Surface To Top: 1 to 1.9 in
Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous
Number of Keys: 82 to 92
Item Width Shorter Edge: 6 in & above
Keyboard Backlighting Color Support: RGB
Connectivity Technology: Micro USB
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Sustainability features
This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.
Carbon impact
Carbon emissions from the lifecycle of this product were measured, reduced and offset.
As certified by
Carbon Neutral Certified by SCS Global Services Carbon Neutral Certified by SCS Global Services enables companies to demonstrate carbon neutrality for their products by reducing carbon emissions throughout their operations and offsetting their remaining carbon footprint through the purchase of carbon credits. SCS Global Services is a global leader in third-party environmental and sustainability verification, certification, auditing, testing, and standards development. SCS is a chartered Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.
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Customer Review: My favorite gaming keyboard to date.
EposVox
Reviews with images
No consumer grade keyboard is perfect but this is darn close!
Nothing much to add to this product considering the vast number of positive reviews here. Here's what I like and what I think could be improved in the next iteration of Logitech's gaming keyboards.What I like:* The Romer-G keys: No pinging issues with mine (I have a soft extended mat under the keyboard if that helps), and the keys are super silent. Not mushy at all. I have a Corsair K70 Cherry MX Reds and this definitely takes the cake over that.* The Lighting: No colour spills which is welcomed. Some prefer the brightness of the Strafe RGB but if you prefer a more stealthy design that is further complemented by the overall look of the G810, then this will appeal to you. The colours aren't as bright but the lights stay secured within each key cap.* The aesthetics: I personally fell in love with the simplicity of the design when I first saw it via NCIX Tech Tips video (o.o). It's stealthy, and it's minimalistic. However, not a fan of the glossy sides (thank God it's not too visible) and the secured space between the "A" key and Caps Lock.* The Media Controls: I wouldn't have bought it if not for the extremely useful media keys, especially the large volume wheel. It's silent, no grooves and it's super handy.* The build quality: I personally find this almost as sturdy as the K70 which has an aluminium body. It's plastic but it's not cheap. At all.What Needs to Be Improved:* Overall Package: At this price point the G810 is competing with the Strafe and K70 and whatnot. Some may argue that paying this much nets you nothing, not even a wrist rest. Customers love it when tech companies surprise them with more than just stickers and lights. Logitech, please consider extras to value your customers for years to come.* Onboard Memory: Everytime you boot up your PC or shut it down, you will not keep your customized layout of lighting and whatnot. This is quite a letdown because 1) it's annoying and 2) you can't keep your settings if you move between computers with your keyboard.* Weird White Lights: As of this review the white colour is not displayed properly. Almost blue-ish and/or purplish.* USB Passthrough: Don't really mind it but come on! At this price point your customers will expect extras (as mentioned) and if you don't offer a wrist rest or extra keycaps, why not a dumb USB 2.0 passthrough to ease the lives of your customers (regardless if they need or not)? :DIf you worry about the Romer-Gs, or the lights, then my advice is to go for a safer alternative keyboard (like a Ducky, or the MX Silent on the Strafe RGB) but this keyboard is amazing for me, and I highly recommended it to those who are coming from rubber domes or want to try something different but functional, aesthetically pleasing and performs just as well!
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2016
Size: Full Size With NumpadColor: MulticoloredVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2018
Size: Full Size With NumpadColor: MulticoloredVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Leonel
Gran teclado mecánico, con la calidad de manufactura de Logitech
Reviewed in Mexico on August 5, 2018Size: Full Size With NumpadColor: MulticoloredVerified Purchase
101
An excellent choice for any an aspiring keyboard enthusiast!
Reviewed in Canada on April 11, 2018Size: Full Size With NumpadColor: MulticoloredVerified Purchase
101
Reviewed in Canada on April 11, 2018
First things first, it looks amazing! The lighting is vibrant and super bright! The etched keys feature a large enough font to make it easy to read and see, plus it is a plain font with no particular style. The keycaps and base are made of a firm plastic that does not gloss over or attract fingerprints.
Well colour me surprised when I tested out the Romer-G switch and found myself loving it. Many people online compare it to the Cherry-MX Red, and to be honest I totally see where they are coming from. The Romer-G is much closer to a Cherry-MX Brown/Red hybrid of a sorts. Some may disagree with me on this, and that’s ok, but for me these switches have a clear tactile feeling, while also having a low actuation force. In other words very enjoyable to type on and play games with. As a side note, if you get used to the Romer-G you may find yourself bottoming out the keys less as I've found, since they don't require much force to register a keypress.
They keys are well balanced and don't wobble much, in particular the space bar is very well stabilized and has virtually no wobble. I can notice a bit of wobble in the shift keys but it never got in the way or was even really noticeable while typing.
The dedicated media keys are a hard click type of button that I really prefer to say a rubber dome like what is found on other boards, and the volume wheel works well.
This is how easy it was to get setup. I unplugged my previous keyboard, plugged in the G810, and boom done, it worked and could be used. Now add in the Logitech gaming software and you have more options, but that’s literally how easy it was to get this up and running. Which my I add, the software is super easy to use and very lightweight.
With the software installed you can change up and customize all your lighting profiles, set macro keys that are bound to the function keys and even enable a keypress heat map mode. Honestly more could be done with the software side of things, but if what they were going for was super light weight and ease of use, they get top marks for sure. *Also the software has to be downloaded from Logitech’s website, no disk included.
For those wondering unfortunately there is no USB or headphone pass-through, but as a result the single USB power cable is thinner and less stiff than some of the other keyboards I've used, making it easier to maneuver around.
It's worth mentioning that the adjustable feet on the back have two stages of slope, so you can angle the board to whatever is comfortable. Without using the adjustable feet the shape of the board is very flat, I mention this because some keyboard have a slight built in slope to the keys when they sit flat, and this one, is much more on the flat end when not using the adjustable feet.
Speaking of the feet, there are rubber pads on the bottom to prevent the keyboard from moving around. They have a good amount of grip, and even though this board is on the lighter side in terms of pure weight, it does not slip or move around at all.
So in closing I encourage everyone to actually go to a shop and test out a bunch of different keyboards and switch types before buying, because that's really the only way you will know what works for you. So far I really enjoy the G810, and will be using it as my daily driver from hear on out.
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Amazon Customer
The best mechanical gaming keyboard
Reviewed in India on January 15, 2017Size: Full Size With NumpadColor: MulticoloredVerified Purchase
Carlos Uriel
Una buena compra!
Reviewed in Mexico on July 5, 2018Size: Full Size With NumpadColor: MulticoloredVerified Purchase
Carlos Uriel
Reviewed in Mexico on July 5, 2018
Los leds del RGB son muy brillantes y se ven de calidad, los colores se ven fieles al color que marca el Logitech gaming software. Ademas es un teclado compacto que lo hace elegante y minimalista a la vez que funcional. Gran variedad de opciones para personalizar el led de cada tecla siendo posible que puedas crear tu propio perfil, sin mencionar que ya hay un montón de perfiles que son muy interesantes. Hay compatibilidad de perfil con algunos juegos que hacen que el teclado reaccione a ciertas cosas que pasan en el juego, por ejemplo en Battlefield 1 al morir todas las teclas se ponen de un color rojo, cuando te estas ahogando con el gas se ponen las teclas verdes, parpadea la tecla que tengas asignada al recargar cuando te estas acabando la munición, etc.
Pero también no me voy a segar por lo bueno que tiene el teclado y también hace falta destacar lo malo.
- La principal falta que tiene el teclado es la falta de un reposa muñeca, hay otros teclado que con un precio mas reducido si lo traen (Después de un tiempo ya te acostumbras no tenerlo).
- La iluminación RGB en el modo "onda de colores" el logo de logitech se desincroniza con el resto del teclado al pasar un rato.
- Otra pega que se le pueda dar es el precio que si pueden compárenlo cuando este alrededor de 2,000 pesos (100- 110 dolares).
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Five Stars
Reviewed in India on April 24, 2017Size: Full Size With NumpadColor: MulticoloredVerified Purchase
