Low actuation and comfort are two compelling reasons to purchase a low profile keyboard. You can type much faster because your hand is closer to the keys, resulting in less fatigue. Because of its small size, a low profile keyboard is also much easier to store. Despite the numerous benefits, finding a low-cost low-profile keyboard is like looking for a needle in a haystack. They are difficult to find because there are not many of them around, especially low profile full size keyboards. Fortunately, Redragon has filled that market gap with the K618 Horus, a full-size mechanical keyboard with 4mm low-profile keycaps and switches.
The Redragon K618 Horus features black double-shot keycaps and a sleek metallic black frame. There are two feet in the back that allow the keyboard to be slightly incline. The primary keys are all backlit with full RGB, though some secondary functions are simply painted on in white and appear to be fading slightly out of the box. At the top right, there are several nice media control keys and a volume dial that feels nice and tight. There are also five macro keys in the upper left corner that can be set and controlled by software, as well as four profile keys and a macro record key, for a total of twenty potential macros.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]The 1-5 number keys have secondary functions for switching between the five different connectivity modes — Bluetooth 1, Bluetooth 2, Bluetooth 3, 2.4G, and USB Type-C. The keyboard’s battery can be turned on and off using a switch on the side. One of the more unusual design decisions made by Redragon was to place the USB Type C port on the left side of the keyboard rather than at the back. Overall, the K618 appears appealing, but the build quality is somewhat shoddy.
Because there are not many brands that make low-profile mechanical switches, it is not surprising that Redragon created their own proprietary linear red switches for the K618 rather than relying on another manufacturer. These are 12mm tall with a 1.2mm actuation distance. They currently do not manufacture any other type of mechanical switch, and the keyboard does not support the use of third-party switches, so clicky and tactile switch users will have to look elsewhere.