I’ve over two dozen mechanical keyboards, and my each day driver is an Indignant Miao Cyberboard R4. Whereas that individual keyboard is not designed to be transportable — it weighs 7lb — I’ve a good variety of Bluetooth-enabled keyboards that I normally connect with the iPad Professional to jot down after I’m not at my desk.
Most of those keyboards are inclined to have 65% or 75% designs, and whereas I normally favor full-size switches, they are usually cumbersome. That is why I used to be intrigued when Cherry introduced it was making low-profile mechanical switches; the Corsair K100 Air was a terrific showcase, and Lofree’s Move continues to be top-of-the-line choices on this class.
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
The Willow Professional is a brand new entrant on this section, providing a novel full-size design that’s noticeably narrower than its rivals. Wombat is a sub-brand of KSI Keyboards, and the Willow Professional is an fascinating selection because it combines low-profile switches with a customized full-size design. The keyboard prices $144 on Amazon , and it’s accessible through Wombat’s web site as nicely.
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
As at all times, let’s begin with the design. The Willow Professional has a gray colour scheme that contrasts nicely with the dual-tone white and gray keys, and the yellow spacebar and arrow keys makes the design stand out a bit. The keyboard makes use of an aluminum prime plate and a plastic base, and there are not any points with the construct high quality itself. There isn’t any flex to the chassis, and after 4 months of use, there is no seen put on.
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
The important thing speaking level is the distinctive configuration; the Willow Professional has a tall design that sees the capabilities and system keys situated on prime, with the quantity pad to the correct. This implies you get a full-size design with out the keyboard taking on as a lot room in your desk, and whereas it’s taller than most keyboards, it’s the similar width as most 75% designs.
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
That mentioned, the positioning of the system keys is not splendid. I normally attain the Delete key with my little finger because it sits to the correct of the Backspace button, however on this occasion, you get the quantity pad as an alternative. Barring that annoyance, I did not see any points with the design, and it’s a novel strategy to cram all of the keys right into a smaller profile.
Picture 1 of 3
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
What I like in regards to the design is that the rubber toes on the backside are magnetized, so you may simply modify the angle. I normally favor a six-degree angle, and whereas the keyboard would not go to that stage, there is a four-degree angle with the toes raised, and it makes utilizing the Willow Professional that rather more handy.
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
I used a number of low-profile keyboards with mechanical switches, and the Willow Professional will get quite a bit proper on this space. The keyboard makes use of Gateron’s Purple low-profile linear change, and it is without doubt one of the finest choices you will discover at the moment. The change has a 50gf actuation with complete journey of three.0mm, and it does an amazing job mimicking the tactility of a full-size change.
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
It’s nice in each day use, and it gives all the advantages of a linear mechanical change with out taking on as a lot room. The sound profile is respectable, however you get a hollowness to the sound that is right down to the plastic backside case. Given what the Willow Professional prices, Wombat ought to have used an all-metal enclosure.
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
Aside from that, there are not any points with utilizing the Willow Professional. The PBT keys are sturdy, and so they have clear legends. There’s vibrant RGB lighting, however because the legends do not shine by way of, you get subtle lighting as commonplace. Like different low-profile keyboards, the change is soldered.
You need to use the Willow Professional with Home windows and macOS, with extra keys included within the field. Because the keyboard has Bluetooth connectivity, you may pair it to an Android cellphone or pill as nicely, and in my utilization, I linked the keyboard to my iPad Professional 13 2024 more often than not.
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
Wombat has its personal software program utility, and you’ll customise macros with relative ease. I’d have most well-liked VIA integration as an alternative because it permits larger flexibility, however Wombat’s software program is not as clunky as different manufacturers I used, and it has a good stage of customizability.
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
The one drawback with the keyboard is battery life; the Willow Professional has a 1000mAh battery, and that is on the decrease finish of the size as these items go. With RGB lighting enabled, the keyboard would not final a full day of use, and whereas I used to be capable of get it go two days between costs by disabling RGB results, that is nonetheless not ok.
(Picture credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
General, the Willow Professional has a superb design and construct high quality, and whereas full-size keyboards are an outlier nowadays — significantly with low-profile switches — it is good to see a producer catering to that area of interest. In the event you do not thoughts the battery constraints, this can be a nice general selection.
Wombat Willow Professional Mechanical Keyboard
The Willow Professional combines a terrific low-profile change with a novel design. In the event you want a keyboard with a devoted quantity pad and mechanical switches that does not take up a lot room, this can be a respectable possibility.
