This is my first Keycool product I have ever bought. So when I first saw the Keycool 87 PBT with Red Kailh switches on MK.com, I was quite interested in its basic, no-frills design. So I bought it on a whim and it arrived two days later.

UNBOXING:
The keyboard arrived in a simple brown box with Keycool logo on it. So far so good. The packaging does not have to be flashy or anything like that. It can be pretty simple like this one, as long as it protects the keyboard. The box itself is pretty tough, so no worries there.

When I took the Keycool 87 PBT (let's call it KC-87 from now on) out of the box, I realized that it was rather lightweight. At first I thought it is going to be flimsy since it is so lightweight, but apparently the keyboard is pretty sturdy. I did the flex test first to see how it holds up, and there is barely any creaks heard, while the board does not flex at all. Pretty impressive work so far Keycool!

DESIGN:
As mentioned before, the KC-87 has a simple yet elegant design. The entire plastic case is actually silver (I thought it was black from the picture), and on the bottom side of the board, you have cable routing channels for cable management, mini-B USB connection, and 6 rubber feets to keep the keyboard stationary while gaming or typing. The flip-out feet is sturdy, with rubber-coating at the ends to help it grip onto the desk better.

And here comes the best part. The keyboard's case finish. I always have issues with mechanical keyboards that have rubber-coating on its cases, since it tracks every single oils and fingerprints on it. So I really treasure mechanical keyboards that comes with either rough plastic texture, or straight up aluminium.

The KC-87 definitely has one of the best case finish among all the mechanical keyboards I have reviewed before. The silver plastic case feels like the rough texture of a PBT keycap, and it does not track any fingerprints or oils from your hands. Lightweight, sturdy case that does not flex AND does not track fingerprints and oils? Get out of here Keycool! XD

Honestly, the design of the KC-87 is simply impressive, and well-thought. It has everything I need (awesome plastic case, lightweight, mini-B connection, cable routing, lots of rubber feet, strong flip-out feet, great mechanical switches) and nothing I do not need (backlighting, fancy gaming design, etc.). Keycool, you have earned my utmost respect for such a great design. Well done folks!

GAMING/TYPING EXPERIENCE:
The Kailh Red switches is a linear-type switch with 50g actuation force. Meaning it should be slightly heavier than Cherry MX Reds and Cherry MX Browns. As I typed on it, I immediately noticed how smooth each and every keystroke was. Felt like it was a lubed up MX Reds; buttery smooth and crisp. When you type on it, it sounds a little bit different than MX Reds. MX Reds sounds crisp and clacky, while the Kailh Red sounds smooth and thocky.

Personally I love the Kailh Red switches, and would not hesitate to get a mechanical keyboard with Kailh Red switches again. I tested this keyboard by playing games such as CSGO, Dota2, Starcraft II, Overwatch and GTA Online, and happy to say that the Kailh Red switches are hyper-smooth, responsive and pleasant to game on.

For typing, Kailh Red offers an incredibly smooth typing experience. Since it is not as light as MX Reds (45g vs 50g), accidental keystrokes will not happen as often, and for me it is the perfect middle ground between MX Reds and MX Blacks. When typing, I really enjoy the feel of the switches and the sound signature.

Stabilizers used for this one is Cherry-style stabilizers, so it changes the feel of the switches just a little bit, and it does not make the longer keys like Shift and Backspace mushy. However, I had problems with the spacebar on arrival. As soon as I pressed it down, the spacebar sticks and does not come back up. I took the spacebar off and examined the switches and stabilizers, which shows no sign of damage. I swapped the stock spacebar with my PBT spacebar from Ducky, and it fits just fine, no issues whatsoever. The stock spacebar (upon closer inspection) is warped and damaged in the inner wall, so no big deal here. It happens to PBT spacebar all the time.

KEYCAPS:
The stock PBT keycaps are not too bad. The texture is rough (just like most PBT keycaps) and the color is off-grey. It is not that thick however, and I immediately swapped it with Ducky's Side-Printed Thick PBT Keycaps Set. Now the keyboard feels a lot better, and the spacebar has no issues whatsoever. The gaming and typing experience is enhanced even more when using thick PBT keycaps. It makes a deeper thock sound with thick PBTs.

CONCLUSION:
Overall, the Keycool 87 PBT is definitely a great TKL mechanical keyboard, with a simple yet functional design, and an impressive gaming/typing experience. The highlight of the keyboard for me is the super-nice plastic case, and the ultra-smooth Kailh Red switches. This keyboard comes highly recommended from me, and the Keycool 87 PBT now sits in my main five mechanical keyboards for gaming/typing, alongside my Leopold FC750R (MX Reds), KUL ES-87 (MX Browns), Vortex Pok3r, and Razer Blackwidow TE Stealth (Razer Orange).

Very nicely done Keycool and keep up the awesome work!
- Zar7MK, a loyal MK.com customer

It's a great keyboard. It's built quite well and has no flex to it at all. Keycaps are a decent thickness and made of PBT.

The only issue is that the spacebar is quite rattly. Furthermore, the stablizers on all of the stabilized keys feel a little mushy. Not a big deal.

The Red Kailhs are great switches, they feel about as smooth as regular Cherry MX reds.

A solid tenkeyless keyboard with PBT keycaps. Brown Kailh switches are somewhat close in their feel to Cherry MX counterpart, but maybe a bit "spongier" even with a higher actuation force.

Thus far the only complaint I have is that the spacebar was DOA. Maybe warped or defective, but it would stick to the pressed/bottom position and not reset itself back to the initial up position. I replaced it with a spare spacebar I had and that fixed it. Maybe a bit more of the quality control would prevent this from happening. Otherwise, recommended if you need a TKL PBT mech keyboard under $100.