Introduction

A couple of months ago we saw Razer get into the low profile mechanical keyboard market with its all new DeathStalker V2 line that made use of the company's own branded low profile optical mechanical switches. At 27 mm in height, it competed directly against other mainstream low profile options from the likes of Logitech and CORSAIR. The latter in particular has been a strong partner for Cherry, to where many of the German mechanical keyboard switch maker's innovations are first seen on a CORSAIR keyboard. This was true for Cherry's own low profile switch in 2018 that showed up in the CORSAIR K70 RGB MK.2 Low Profile keyboard, and who can forget the first ever RGB mechanical switch from 2013-2014 once again involving these two brands. When Cherry announced it was going further, with all new Ultra Low Profile (ULP) switches last year, I anticipated these would be restricted to laptops as with the likes of the Alienware M15 series with those ULP clicky switches in tow. Then came the Cherry MX ULP Tactile this past summer debuting with the likes of the CORSAIR Voyager A1600—a new switch, same ultra low profile footprint, once again used in laptops logically. I thought that was the end of it, until CORSAIR decided otherwise.


Early last month, CORSAIR sent out a press release about its latest and greatest entry to the mechanical keyboard market in the form of the K100 AIR Wireless keyboard. For the uninitiated, the original CORSAIR K100 released during peak pandemic times and broke the $200 barrier for full-size mainstream mechanical keyboards. It brought with it a lot of new features including CORSAIR's own rarely seen OPX optical switches, Elgato StreamDeck support, increased hardware playback and polling rates, as well as finally introducing standard keycap sizing for a CORSAIR keyboard. It's now been two years since the K100 was released, and CORSAIR has noted an untapped market full of keyboard users who prefer chiclet-style thin keyboards. The all new K100 AIR Wireless uses Cherry's new Ultra Low Profile tactile switches in a full-size keyboard form factor,bringing with it hybrid wireless connectivity, while still retaining the various hardware and software features of its predecessor. Thanks to CORSAIR for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp, as we aim to see how well the new K100 AIR Wireless handles in 2022.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

CORSAIR operates a web shop in the USA. However, this sample came from a marketing hub, so we begin with a look at the product packaging. I was surprised by the relatively petite shipping box it came in though, but this made sense once I had the keyboard box in my hands and removed the unnecessary plastic wrap covering it. As with recent CORSAIR products, I am happy to see the predominant sickly yellow color be banished to the shadow realm and we get a black base on the front with the company logo, product name, and a large render of the keyboard when lit up with RGB. We also see more specific information of the keyboard SKU inside, including language, supported systems, and the switch type employed. Marketing notes and technical specifications in multiple languages adorn the other sides and back, where we also see more renders and specific features advertised, in addition to contact info for the company.


Two seals on the side keep the contents in place during transit as seen above. Removing them, we note the use of a two-piece packaging system, with the lid easily lifting upwards and away to allow direct access to the keyboard - which comes with a plastic dust cover on top, useful when the keyboard is on your desk but not in use. It also ensures a dust-free unboxing experience with the various accessories placed in a bottom compartment. This includes a warranty guide and safety/disposal information note, with CORSAIR opting to go the QR code route for the product manual, accessible online after scanning. A cutout in this cardboard layer hosts the detachable keyboard cable that goes from male USB Type-A to male Type-C which hints towards the use of Type-A connectivity on the keyboard itself.