Azio Retro Classic Backlit Mechanical Bluetooth Keyboard (Maple Wood)

When it comes to peripherals these days, there’s no arguing that there is a shortage of choice. Unfortunately, that means companies have to come up with different ways to stand out from the crowded market.

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  Luxurious looking vintage typewriter design, Use of real wood (or leather) for main surface, Dual use (USB or Bluetooth), Easy to setup and use as USB or BT keyboard, Nice clicky Kaihl Blue switches, Backlit, Decent battery life, PC/Mac compatible, Includes Mac specific keycaps

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  Could use a palm rest option, Keys aren't metal like the frame, Keyboard must be turned on to recharge the battery, May be a bit pricey for some but definitely worth it

Despite this technically being the fourth AZIO Retro-series keyboard review, it is actually only the second retail product reviewed with the previous one done late last year. The first two were either before the company switched over to using higher-end materials (leather, zinc, wood) or were...

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  High-end, fairly unique material choices available, Great battery life for a wireless mechanical keyboard, Excellent build quality and premium unboxing experience, Consistent white backlighting, even in BT mode, Windows and macOS support, including OS-specific keycaps and a quick toggle button

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  Extremely expensive relative to an average mechanical keyboard, Stock keycaps are mediocre at best and will wear out sooner rather than later, Actual typing experience was subjectively worse than with other keyboards

I love this keyboard, as this review makes clear—but this is a subjective call. It’s the best clicky, long-throw keyboard I’ve used in many years, probably since the Apple Extended Keyboard II. And in most ways I like it a lot more than even that lovely.

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  Loud, long-throw keyboard with backlit keys. Heavy, and a retro, steampunk sensibility.

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  Loud, long-throw keyboard with backlit keys. Heavy, and a retro, steampunk sensibility.

A mechanical keyboard has become a must-have for (most) PC gaming enthusiasts, and there’s plenty of brands out there to choose from that market to that demographic. Razer, Roccat, Corsair , HyperX, and about a thousand more manufacturers all sell mechanical keyboards.

This particular mechanical keyboard is simply beautiful, easy to connect, and a delight to use.For me, it conjures up many hours of typing during the late sixties and seventies. My fingers were immediately at home with this superb typewriter retro