Page 4 - Conclusion
The MechLands Vibe99 is a great option when it comes to the 1800 layout. The packaging offered a good amount of protection and accessories to better your experience right from the start. The build quality is solid, even for an ABS plastic build. The appearance is coherent with some nice and simple black and gray tones, accented with a splash of red. The lighting on the Vibe99 is appealing, offering vibrant lights through reflections and diffusion. This gives us a bright and even spread when it comes to the LEDs. In terms of performance, the Cream Mint switches provide a nice “clack”. If the Cream Mint switches are not to your preference, you can easily swap them out, given the hot swap nature of the keyboard. This sound is only achieved through the proper utilization of the foam within the Vibe99. Inside of the case, we also find a solid gasket design. We have gasket sleeves on the edge of the plate, which offer a good amount of bounce when typing. The included braided cable will do a sufficient job in keeping the Vibe99 charged and ready to use. The wireless performance is a positive experience as well. I will say that battery life could be a bit better, only lasting about two days with the LEDs on and a bit less than two weeks with the LEDs off. The lighting control on the keyboard is acceptable, but if you want to go further and customize the screen, you will have to download the proprietary software. To put bluntly, the software feels unpolished, and the download does not help with that. That being said, the software does what it is intended to do, but I would avoid downloading it if you do not need to. At a price of $122 USD at press time, the MechLands Vibe99 is a good choice for anyone looking for an 1800 layout keyboard with wireless capabilities.
MechLands provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 7.2/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The MechLands Vibe99 is a great 1800 layout mechanical keyboard with excellent lighting and wireless capabilities.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. A Closer Look – Disassembly and Internals
4. Conclusion
