| Form Factor: 75% | Switch: Kailh Drift | Connector: USB, 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | Keyboard Software: Akko Cloud Driver (web) |
| Dimensions (cm) (W x H x D): |
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| Weight (Kg): |
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| Price: | £89.00 |
| RGB Lighting: | Yes |
| Hotswap: | Yes |
| Media Controls: | Yes (non-dedicated) |
| Macro Keys: | Yes (non-dedicated) |
| Removable Cable: | Yes |
| Windows Lock: | Yes |
| Keyboard Status: | Fully working |
| Other Notable Features: |
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The Akko Air 01 is a compact (75%), hotswap, low-profile mechanical keyboard. It’s programmable via the Akko Cloud Driver and costs £89.
It comes in Black or White and with four different switch options – Kailh Cloud (linear), Kailh Drift (tactile), Kailh Summer Mini (clicky) and Kailh Winter Mini (tactile).
This review will focus on the white model with Kailh Drift switches.
DISCLAIMER | Please Read:
This keyboard was sent by Akko for review and testing purposes. I received no payment for writing this review. Plus, impartiality will always be a top priority here at KeebWorks with this review included.
TL;DR
Not many compact, hotswap, low-profile mechanical keyboards exist on the market. And it’s even rarer to have one priced at just £89, especially considering how feature packed this keyboard is.
Its two closest competitors would be the Keychron K3 QMK (£104.99) and the nuphy Air75 V3 (£149.99) – both of which are pricier options. Although, all 3 keyboards have slightly different features between them, so it’s best to compare them and see which is the best your use case.
Build Quality: 9/10
Chassis: It features an aluminium top and bottom housing, which is usually only seen in higher priced custom keyboards. As a result, the keyboard barely flexes, and I’m confident its build quality will stand the test of time. It’s also extremely rare to see this configuration in a keyboard costing under £100.
Keycaps: The keycaps are dye-sublimated, PBT. This is a durable and very long-lasting printing method. In fact, it’s the same printing method IBM used in many of its Model M keyboards.
Cable: It’s a USB-C to USB-A cable. It’s unfortunately not braided, but it’s removable.
Stabilizers: They are essentially a low-profile version of clip-in stabilizers you’re all familiar with. They’ve been factory lubricated, which is nice. Other than that, they’re nothing special.
Overall, apart from not having a braided cable, this is one of the better Akko keyboards on the market. The essentials have been done correctly in my eyes, so it’s hard to go wrong with this one.
Features: 9/10
Standout feature: The fact that it’s a hotswap, low-profile keyboard – there aren’t that many on the market!
Other notable features include: per-key RGB, removable cable, 2.4Ghz, Bluetooth, Windows Lock, media keys (non-dedicated), n-key rollover, and programmable macros.
Missing features: a braided cable, dedicated media/macro keys, QMK/VIA compatibility, flip-out feet, and cable gutters.
Overall, it’s a very well-equipped keyboard. The one feature I wish it had was QMK/VIA compatibility. Akko has demonstrated in the past that it can do it, so I’m hoping that an update down the line will allow users to use it.
Daily Performance: 7/10
Positives:
It works with no issues out of the box, and if you’re a Mac user, you don’t even need to change the keycaps as they get shipped with them on as standard. Plus, the manual (despite half of it not being in English) is pretty easy to understand – it really doesn’t take more than a few hours to understand the essentials of the keyboard, including programming it to your liking.
Meh:
A lot of the default keys are in the “wrong” place… at least in Windows.
Firstly, the keyboard has the FN key programmed at the bottom left, where you would expect CTRL to be. I suspect this is going to be the first key people will swap around.
Secondly, there isn’t a dedicated Delete key. So, I programmed my Ins key to be my dedicated Delete key since I rarely use Insert anyway.
Lastly, I also tend to use the Menu key quite often. Again, this keyboard does not have a dedicated Menu key. So, I programmed the right Alt key to be my dedicated Menu key.
It’s a good thing the whole keyboard is programmable, as it otherwise would’ve been much harder to live with, especially if the FN key couldn’t be swapped!
Negatives:
While the keyboard is programmable, the Akko Cloud Driver is slow and clunky. I mean, it does the job, but it isn’t as sleek as or as user friendly compared to VIA.
Additionally, there aren’t any flip-out feet on this keyboard. So, you better be happy with its default typing angle.
Overall, it’s a pleasant keyboard to use once you’re up and running. Plus, you have the convenience of being able to connect via Bluetooth or 2.4GHz, and I’m happy to report that its wireless performance holds up in everyday use – I wouldn’t use it for competitive gaming, but it’s more than enough for most non-gaming tasks.
Reliability: 9/10
It’s built well, with durable keycaps, a removable cable, and with three ways to connect. Akko certainly had longevity in mind when they were designing this keyboard.
However, as with many modern hotswap keyboards, its hotswap sockets have a limited lifetime – so the more you swap out switches, the more wear you’ll put on the sockets.
Additionally, the LEDs for the RGB will eventually burn out, but this isn’t essential to the functionality of the keyboard, it’s just nice to keep in mind if you’re into your RGB lights.
Overall, there’s not much that can go wrong with this keyboard. I’m confident this will last a very long time.
Value: 9/10
There aren’t many hotswap, low-profile keyboards on the market, so it isn’t competing with a lot of keyboards.
Its closest competitors are the Keychron K3 QMK and the nuphy Air75 V3, priced at £104.99 and £149.99 respectively. The Akko Air 01, priced at £89, undercuts them both by a considerable margin.
Overall, I think the Air 01 is the better value of the three given its top-tier build quality and feature set. But, both the Keychron and nuphy keyboards have been on the market for much longer, so keep an eye out for a used one on eBay if you don’t mind buying used.
Final Score = 43/50 (86%)