OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro mechanical keyboard review

Oct 23, 2023

REVIEW – I’ve been having a lot of fun reviewing mechanical keyboards this year and although I see no end in sight for new keyboard reviews, I have to say that I may have already found my favorite. Not to let the cat out of the bag with this review in the first two sentences, but wow, wow, wow, the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro mechanical keyboard is nice! Let’s check it out!

The Keyboard 81 Pro mechanical keyboard is a collaboration between OnePlus (the makers of smartphones like the OnePlus 11 and the OnePlus 10 Pro) and the popular mechanical keyboard maker Keychron.

Bluetooth 5.1 or wired connectivity1-3 Bluetooth connectionsLayout – ANSI (US)Compatible system – Mac/Windows/Linux/Android OS/iOSBattery – 4000mAhBluetooth working time (RGB) – Up to 100 hours (Lowest brightness)Charging time – Around 5 hoursCharging port – USB Type-CBluetooth operating distance – Within 10 meters (open space)Height – 33.83 cmWidth – 15.05 cmThickness – 4.73 cmWeight – 1887g(±20g)

There are two versions of the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro mechanical keyboard which is available in 2 versions. I received the Winter Bonfire version and a Summer Breeze version. The differences are in the color of the keycaps and the switches. The Winter Bonfire version has mainly dark grey keycaps and optimized tactile switches while the Summer Breeze version has mainly light grey keycaps and linear switches.

When I first received the sample, I couldn’t figure out why the box was so heavy until I opened it. Then I opened the box and realized that the frame of the Keyboard 81 Pro keyboard is made of aluminum which is what gives it the heft (4.16 lbs/1887g). This is actually a good thing because this keyboard will not move when you place it on your desk.

If you flip the keyboard and look at the bottom, you’ll see that it has small rubber feet and an adjustable chrome bar that allows you to adjust the height of the back edge of the keyboard.

Rotate the bar as you see in the image above to raise the back of the keyboard to the maximum angle.

Or continue to rotate the bar to lower it further. This looks cool and provides quite a bit of adjustment if you’re into maximizing your ergonomics.

The back edge of the keyboard has two switches and a USB-C port for charging and wired connectivity. The largest switch lets you toggle between wired and Bluetooth modes and the other smaller switch toggles between Windows and Mac modes. There’s also a tiny status LED next to the USB-C port that lights up to show the charging status.

The OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro keyboard has 81 keys with PBT keycaps that have a nice curve to the tops which makes them comfortable to type on.

I love the Keyboard 81 Pro keyboard. has a dedicated row of function keys and special function keys for media control and other functions like the Mac OS launcher (in Windows mode, these keys can launch File Explorer and Task Manager). I like how the ESC and Enter keys give the keyboard a cool pop of red. The red woven cable looks snazzy too.

You can also see that there is a knob and an extra row of 3 keys on the side. The clear knob’s default function is to adjust the volume. Pressing it will toggle mute on and off. The buttons below the knob will let you scroll up and down half a page at a time. The Home button scrolls to the top of a page.

If you’re into reprogramming your keyboard, you’ll also be happy to know that you can do so with this keyboard using QMK and VIA.

The OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro keyboard has a double-gasket design which is supposed to give the keyboard a great all-day feel. The red tactile Winter Bonfire switches are really really nice. They feel great while typing with a strong rebound and a wonderful thonky sound. Check it out in the video below to hear it and also see the various RGB lighting effects.

Notice the phone in the background with the digital display? That’s my iPhone running a sound level meter app called NIOSH. It shows a decibel reading so you can tell how loud the keyboard is while I’m typing. I have the iPhone upside down so that the microphone is pointing up.

As I mentioned in the first paragraph of this review, I’ve found my current favorite mechanical keyboard. The OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro keyboard has a luxurious look and feel that makes it enjoyable to type on. This is definitely one to check out if you’re into mechanical keyboards, OnePlus, Keychron or all of the above!

Price: $219.00 – $239.00Where to buy: OnePlusSource: The sample for this review was provided by OnePlus.