K580 PRO

My wants for a perfect keyboard were "manual light control", "softer and quieter key switches", "good quality", "decent backlighting", "easy to read keys" and an attached palm rest that was worth a darn. So looking for a "gaming keyboard" with a decent palm rest, is like looking for a famous unicorn fart. All the supposed "gaming keyboards" that are on Amazon with a built in palm rest are complete garbage or so freaking expensive as to be out of my reach. So I had just given up. But then I found this keyboard by happen chance after watching Jayztwocents show a couple of cool keyboards and it renewed my desire to look for a better keyboard. I love that fact that it has the brown switches and you can manually set the colors without some crappy software. But it doesn't have a palm rest you say! Yes your right, it didn't : ) But I took a chance and purchased the NPET WR30 Keyboard Wrist Rest Pad here on Amazon with this keyboard and hoped for the best. I had an idea, but I didn't have a plan. You see, I type with my keyboard on my lap. And I absolutely have to have a palm rest when typing. So when it got here today, I took them both out and instantly knew that I was going to make this to work. Went digging around all the left overs from the garage and found some old plastic wall file holders and the fix was in. These were the older plastic type with a smoked color and around 1/8" thick. Took me three times to get the cuts right, but in the end, I had what I needed. A platform to hold my keyboard and wrist rest together without any bulk. Scuffed it up and gave it a paint job, and with some Gorilla double stick tape, the new set up was finished. I took off the rubber pads from the wrist rest and applied them to the new base and walla, an awesome keyboard with an awesome wrist rest. I'll be honest, this is the first day. But I already know I will not be sending this baby back. It blows my other "gaming keyboard" right out of the door and the brown switches are so nice. The biggest sell for me though was the fact that they used a font that is so easy see. I can type pretty good, but the dang symbols on the top row have always been a bugger for me. So now I can see the right symbol when I need it. Typing on this thing is a dream. The added wrist rest is just the icing on the cake. Super comfy and at the perfect height. So if your looking for a good typing, er I mean "gaming keyboard" with the ability to add a really nice wrist rest super easily, then this is your keyboard and wrist rest combo. Super sturdy and it didn't add hardly any more weight to it. There is also a guy on Youtube that did a nice video explaining every light setting and macro setting walk through that I highly recommend titled "Redragon K580 Vata RGB controls Tutorial". Over all, the build is super nice. I did take the top cover off initially just to see what I was dealing with as far as space for fasteners (none). The internals are top notch, and with the aluminum top deck making a very sturdy keyboard for a very affordable price. I would highly recommend this keyboard no matter what keys you choose. Very well made, and well worth the money.

This Red Dragon Vata 580 keyboard is exceptional. Five stars! It's awesome and the RGB, build quality, switches and keys are all great. Hot swap for customization. Great price. The blue switches are clacky and loud, and the browns were also nice switches , although I prefer blues or reds. Looks great. Buying a second one for use with my laptop. Did want to point out that the RGB effects on the wired version of this keyboard are waaaaaaaay brighter and more exciting than the ones on the wireless board. Which was a bit of a disappointment as I'd love the ability to go wireless but missed the settings on the wired board. Good as a starter board, but would recommend some of the newer gasket style Red Dragon boards like the Antonium if you want a more refined sounding board with dampening foam and south facing RGBs. This board can be a bit pingy because of the aluminum base. Though I find that I like a clicky keyboard for my graphic design work. It's hot swap so you can swap in some quieter switches. After a year I found the blue switches to be way too loud and put in some Box white pros. So now my board still has a nice loud sound but without the irritating metallic ping. I also just ordered some o-rings for the keycaps. OH BTW get a set of Cherry profile shine through keycaps for this board if you want to be able to type fast. I find the OEM caps it comes with to be sluggish. They were especially sluggish after i changed the switches to the box whites. Though, they have nice large legends that allow the RGB to really shine through. - So if you are comfortable with the OEM profile then I guess you can keep them. The RGB is fantastic on this board.

The keyboard itself is great. Very responsive and simple to customize. I appreciate the inclusion of replacement switches. The blue switches click so satisfyingly, it's superb. My only complaint is that the unit, which was meant to be like new, arrived in dismal condition. The USB port housing was completely folded in on itself, and had to be priced open, but after doing this the cable clicks in place firmly. It that seems like it was subjected to some extreme force down its centerline at some point during transit or storage, as the whole thing is bent into a curved shape (there is a clear seam on the actual box that matches the bend in the keyboard. However, despite this it still works wonderfully, and thanks to the support legs it doesn't actually wobble. I was told that these things were built like tanks, and it seems to be true, as most keyboards would stop functioning correctly if they were bent into a u shape. Given the extreme discount for the "like new* condition, I will keep it despite the damage. The curved surface actually is quite ergonomic, a fortunate accident.

The main keyboard is well made with keys that have very little wobble including a very stable spacebar. The characters on the keys are mostly easily readable with some odd choices in font for a few of them (I know it's trying to be "gamer" edgy) The switches I have are the browns which are smooth, quiet with a light tactile bump (they feel maybe just a smidge less tactile than the Cherry browns, but as far as I'm concerned not an issue) I read somewhere that the keyboard had a ring sound to it due to the metal case, however I cannot hear any ring noise and I think they may have updated the keyboard with some sound suppressing foam. The key caps easily remove with the provided tool, the switches themselves are harder (which is a good thing) to remove and feel secure. I like the full size which doesn't compromise key placement but is still more compact than my old keyboard. The LEDS are colourful and consistent across the keyboard with many options of setting them up. The removeable USB cable has USB C on the keyboard end USB A for the computer end. The cable isn't the nicest as it is just a standard plastic finish that hold the kinks from being folded, however don't forget you can replace it. The top row of keys (the programmable G1-5 and the media keys) are not the same as the rest of the keyboard (neither replaceable or anywhere near as nice also LED colour is set) not a deal breaker as they are not commonly used keys for me. I like the scroll/volume wheel on the top row but it does have an odd sound. If I have a complaint for the keyboard it would be the software which is all but useless, forget setting up LED displays and programmable keys as you are better off doing that directly on the keyboard using the rather esoteric key shortcuts. Overall I would highly recommend.

Ladies and Gentleman, I am NOT a paid advertiser. I bought this product for the first time. I am an extremely active computer user on a daily basis. I always get high quality key boards, mice, headsets, computers, due to my hobbies. This is the first review I have done on a keyboard. I HIGHLY recommend this keyboard to anyone that uses their computer for anything competitive or professional. This keyboard is a mechanical keyboard. If you don't know what that means, that is ok. It means it is a little louder but much more responsive and generally, a mechanical keyboard will last you for years due to the rugged design. This is absolutely the BEST keyboard I have ever purchased. I honestly can't rave about this item enough. I think I am going to buy a second one as a back up. This keyboard also has volume control. If you like micro set ups, It can save these things too. If you don't know how to set up the advanced features of this keyboard, just use chatgpt and it will guide you through everything you can do with this keyboard.

If you just want to get to the bottom line, this is it: this keyboard is phenomenal for what you're paying. If you don't care about brand names and don't want to pay the high premiums that the industry standards charge, just stop thinking about it and pull the trigger. I've been wanting to write this review for awhile. I've had this keyboard for over a year, and I'm typing on it right now. I bought it when my previous keyboard, a Redragon Indrah, had started to deteriorate on me (the switches were fine, but the LEDs started to fail. I didn't take great care of it, so I pin that on me). That keyboard was pretty good; it had full rgb, switches were good and it had macros and media keys. However, besides what I consider a premature failure, it had a large footprint, and it's looks weren't exactly to my preference. After considering more established options from Corsair, Logitech, etc., I decided it was better to save the money and buy the Vata since it seemed like an overall improvement over the Indrah at more or less the same price. I do not regret my decision in the slightest. Let's talk switches and feel first, since that's the most important part of the product. They feel great. They're blues on this keyboard, which is how I like it -- good actuation force, tactile, and oh so clicky. I don't have an insane amount of experience on other keyboards, so I'm no expert on the matter, but I usually prefer my keyboard over other keyboards I've tried. The main, direct comparisons I can offer are to that of Logitech's and Razer's (both newer and older) blues, and I can say for certain that this keyboard is easily on the same level. Cherry clones have come a long way. In most cases I've seen their performance nearly indistinguishable, and the Outemus on this board is no exception. If blues aren't your thing, I know they have the Vata in optical browns, but I can't exactly speak for those. The keycaps are probably the low point in this keyboard, but by no means are they bad. They have a slight amount of wobble, which may annoy those who are used to more premium offerings, but I find that to be a nitpick -- I don't even notice it. They larger issue with the keycaps is that they're the generic type with this "gamer" style font that you see on a lot of budget keyboards, so they don't look too unique or appealing, but more on that later. Overall, the feel is great, and I have no complaints. Now let's review the feature set. I honestly find this to be just as important as the feel just because I really like having my media keys and shortcuts. A fleshed out feature set on keyboards in this price range is pretty rare, but this keyboard punches the ticket. It has media keys, most importantly a physical volume rocker, which is a huge plus in my book. It has macro keys, that honestly I don't use too much, but they work fine. They have some shortcuts too, but frankly the one I find myself using the most is the calculator shortcut. You'd think this isn't something that substantial, but I honestly use it every time I need to use a calculator and I appreciate its inclusion immensely. Really, the only feature omitted that I would LOVE see is a USB passthrough for my Xbox controller or headphones. The other criticism I have is that the feel of the macros are subpar. They are made of this hard rubber material, and have a membrane feel to them. As I said previously, I don't use macros too much anyways, but I have to mention it. They're not awful, just okay. The media keys on the other hand have this clicky feel to them, which is great, and the volume rocker is pretty good. Maybe the steps could be more outspoken, but that's not an issue at all. The extra features for the Vata are absolutely solid, and it's frankly what makes this keyboard, in my opinion, stand above the rest in this price bracket. The last thing I have to mention is the software. The keyboard is mainly advertised as being able to change its configuration through key combinations, but the keyboard does have software on the Redragon website. Unfortunately it's pretty bad. I can't speak on it thoroughly because I only recently found out about it, but you can configure the macros from there, which I haven't done, as well as the LEDs. I'm not sure if you can customize the individual switch colors (my inclination is no), but you can customize the overall color of each of the effects. I have my keyboard one solid color, so it works fine for that. I have to say the functionality is not all there and the user experience isn't great. Finally let's go over the looks and build. Let me open with the chassis: it has a plastic backing with a metal front plate, which makes the keyboard extremely firm. Pretty much absent of any flex, and it has a pretty decent weight to it too. The pads are good, and it has the adjustable back legs to raise the keyboard, which is how I prefer to type. The footprint is slim for a full sized keyboard, which is great. Not bulky in the slightest, but still firm and solid. In terms of looks, I'd say this category is respectable. The frame has a matte finish, which is my preference over anything glossy or brushed. The switch LEDs are great. Unlike the Indrah, none of them have failed on me and they color match my other peripherals on the tee, given the same RGB values. They even have a LED strip on the side of the board which doesn't look bad, but you can't really customize through the software like you can with the switch LEDs, which is a bummer. They aren't too bright either, so they just get a pass from me. The main detractor for appearance on this keyboard are the aforementioned keycaps. They just look okay, and the aggressive but generic font does it no favors. They don't look bad, but I've seen these caps on so many other boards that it's just disappointing. Also, the light passthrough isn't the greatest. I wouldn't be complaining if they had that generic Arial-like font that so many keycap sets have since that seems to be the industry default. I know they wouldn't have cost more than the caps equipped here, but I digress. You can always easily replace the keycaps if you want, unlike most other things on a keyboard. The build gets a full pass from me, the LEDs are formidable, but the keycaps are my major criticism here. At the end of this review, I have to come back to the price. At less than seventy dollars, this keyboard is criminal. Every time I window shop other keyboards, I can never find a full sized keyboard that at its core is worth it when an offering like this available, so I rarely ever think twice about switching. I love the feel of this keyboard, and the added features such as the media keys are something I can't be without. Rigidness of the chassis is also something to behold. My main points for criticism is the keycaps, the software, and the lack of USB passthrough, but honestly those three points are pretty minimal in my overall opinion here. The keycaps are probably the worst offense here, but I can't say they're bad and I can always replace them if I wanted to. The software is the equivalent of some cheaply made Chinese software, but it works for what I need it to and I don't like spending too much time in my peripheral's software anyway -- at least it seems lightweight compared to the other suites that I have installed like iCUE or G Hub. Finally, the USB passthrough is really just a nitpick, and is just a quality of life feature I would love to see. I write this lengthy review for the appreciation I have for this keyboard. My keyboard is how I connect to my computer, which is something I spend a lot of time on given my profession, and the Vata serves me well. I just can't get over the completeness of this keyboard at the price that it's at. Redragon is a brand that seems like a cheap Chinese brand, and while admittedly their product line seems a bit inconsistent, they do have solid offerings and this is one of them. As more time goes on, I notice they release more enticing keyboards, such as the wireless 60% they just came out with (though I can't actually speak on the quality of that product). I hope that people realize how competitive of a keyboard this is in its category. I also hope a Redragon representative or related reads this and releases a variation of the Vata with a USB passthrough ;). My perfect version of this keyboard would be a more subtle keycap set, with USB passthrough, maybe even with solid Bluetooth functionality. If they could release that at 90 or less, it's something I'd pick up in heartbeat.

UPDATE: After 30 months and a ridiculous 7,000 hours of clacking away, this keyboard is still the MVP of my desk. I’ve only swapped out one key switch—and that was because it got tired of my antics. The key caps are holding strong (they must secretly be indestructible), the RGB lighting could still double as a rave setup, and the macros have saved my bacon more times than I can count. On the downside, the keyboard is now a gloriously disgusting mess (seriously, is this crumbs or ancient artifacts?), but hey, it’s proof of its battle-tested reliability! Original review: These brown switches are VERY satisfying to type and game on, they remind me of my old 1980s IBM keyboard with how they feel and sound also there is no "clink" sound with the browns, they sound great but won't annoy your spouse as they try to read. I never used a brown cherry switch, I came from a Romer-G keyboard, so I dunno how they compare to cherry browns, but good luck even finding a keyboard with one, let alone with dedicated media keys and volume scroll and especially at this price. The keyboard itself feels premium, it's definitely metal, cold to the touch and has no flex or movement when typing. The cord is plenty long also. You can do EVERYTHING on this keyboard without software which is a huge plus. The Macro buttons are simple to program but are membrane, they actuate pretty quickly though. I personally use two for Task Manager and Steam Overlay, your mileage may vary. RGB setup is a little convoluted, but the manual made it easy, I saw everything it had to offer then made my custom layout in under 10 minutes. Sadly the top bar colors cannot be changed and will always be red, not a big deal if you plan to use red, but it clashes with my purple and blue, I wish they made them blue since blue goes with more colors than red (including red itself). The side RGB also can be customized and has different modes, but you'll never see it. My 2 biggest complaints are small ones. First the top bar color which I already said. The second is the lack of a dedicate mute button. It LOOKS like there is a mute button next to the media keys but that actually switches the volume wheel from volume to RGB brightness, this can also be done by pressing FN+up/down, mute is only FN+F4 I REALLY wish this was reversed, I much rather have that media button be mute. Speaking of the FN keys they have some cool ones like calculator, home page, search and email. Just be careful not to press home and email if you're doing something on a webpage it won't open a new one, I know because I had to rewrite this entire review when I went to see what the home button did. The rest are redundant media keys you'll never use except for mute. If it wasn't for those two small problems and if the macro keys were actual mechanical buttons this keyboard would be damn perfect. But this is a $61 keyboard that feels amazing to use, doesn't need software, comes with 7 replacement switch + the tools to do it, has macro and media keys plus a volume scroll wheel (which is also metal) at this price with the major companies are mostly selling a "gaming membrane" keyboard. This is a 5 star product from a company I never heard of before this. This keyboard feels like a $100+ keyboard, I can't stress how satisfying it is to use. If you're like me and want a brown switch, give this keyboard a chance. *This review was made using K580 VATA Brown.

At the price point, actually a pretty decent keyboard. Switches are a little wobbly, so I do recommend installing some Akko switches (a brand compatible with the 5 pin layout Redragon uses) in the hotswap sockets if key feel is important to you. It's made of plastic, but compensates by having what feels like a solid aluminum plate beneath the keys, which gives the keyboard a satisfying heft and prevents any serious deck flexing when attempting to bend the keyboard. Battery life is fine, a bit shorter than my other wireless keyboards. I get around 3 days on a charge of all-day work and play, so I may take the keyboard apart and install my own aftermarket battery for a longer cycle, if I can sort out the issue below. My only gripe with this keyboard is its wireless performance. To say it's terrible would be an understatement. It's atrocious. I have my dongle within three feet of the keyboard, and I consistently have to reposition and tweak the angle of my keyboard in order to get consistent reception, otherwise inputs are lost or repeated until the keyboard reconnects. 50% of the time, it works perfectly, but that other 50% makes it virtually unusable. I've wired the keyboard now, and am experiencing no issues. I live in the middle of nowhere. I don't have a 2.4 ghz router (All of my devices are on ethernet or use wifi 7, and I've disabled the 2.4 and 5 ghz bands on my router). There is absolutely nothing that could reasonably be interfering with the connectivity outside of the keyboard itself, so I can't bring myself to give this any higher than 3 stars. If Redragon can't manage to put a functional wireless transmitter or receiver in the box, this keyboard might as well be advertised as wired.