Das Keyboard 4C TKL
The Das Keyboard 4C TKL will make you a believer.
Das Keyboard has a reputation for making a real typist’s keyboard, and the new Das Keyboard 4C TKL compact mechanical keyboard is a perfect showcase for why that is.
The comfort of the keys are obviously the most important feature of note, and the Cherry MX Brown switches have a soft bump response, giving satisfying tactile feedback without being obnoxiously loud. The PBT charcoal grey keycaps are the perfect blend of textured and smooth that helps your fingers fly across the keys while striking with accuracy.
The prominent bumps on the home keys anchor your hands and let your muscle memory do its thing. You’ll need it, too, since the black legend on each of the keys is easily lost against the charcoal backdrop. This is a touch-typer’s keyboard, without question.
We really can’t praise the design and construction of the Das Keyboard 4C TKL enough. With its compact, tenkeyless layout, the 4C TKL has a small desktop footprint, making it perfect for those without a lot of available space.
The black anodised aluminum keydeck is as durable as it is pretty to look at and allows the Das Keyboard logo over the USB hub along the left side to really pop. It also frames the charcoal-color keycaps brilliantly.
The black key legends make spotting an individual key more difficult, especially in less-thanideal lighting, so the 4C TKL is definitely not for the hunt-andpeckers among us. For the touch typer though, the two guide bumps on the home keys are perfect for anchoring your hands in the right position to type for speed without sacrificing accuracy.
The high-contrast-red, removable, magnetic foot bar tilts the back of the keyboard up ever so slightly and gives the 4C TKL an added, barely visible touch of character while the two-port USB 2.0 hub on the left side is a practical addition to a keyboard that we didn’t realise we were missing.
Anyone who types for a living, whether you’re a coder, a journalist, an analyst typing up reports all day, or a professional student, you’re going to feel the difference when you start typing on the Das Keyboard 4C TKL.
The Cherry MX Brown switches have a soft “bump” about halfway through a keystroke that provides satisfying audible and tactile feedback with every key press without being excessively noisy. If you’re sharing office space with anyone, they’ll almost certainly appreciate the more muted clickety-clack as you tear across the keys.
The 4C TKL also features N-key rollover (NKRO), which is a keyboard’s ability to correctly register all the keys that are being pressed simultaneously.
Most keyboards are limited to two simultaneous keys, or maybe six, but with NKRO, advanced key combinations are possible, which is great for gaming and shortcutkey mapping.
Between the quality of the construction, the comfort of the keys, and the added bonus of a built-in USB hub to charge your phone and power a mouse. The only thing missing is the numpad, and to be honestly we don’t really miss it that much.