In recent years, mechanical keyboards are becoming less niche. The hobby is thriving with a wide variety of options, including cases, PCBs, switches, and keycaps. But what excites me most is the growing number of entry-level options: from Keychron to Glorious, there are plenty of promising mechanical keyboards you can buy to get your foot in the door.

One such keyboard is the Vissles V84 (starting at $99), perhaps my new favorite keyboard for my MacBook Pro. With RGB lighting, PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) keycap options, and the best I've tried recently The V84 is one of the best mechanical keyboards you can buy, especially for someone just starting out in this hobby.

Read our review of the Vissles V84 to see why this is the recommended keyboard for keyboard newbies.

The V84 can be purchased directly from Vissles; if you want PBT caps (and the best switches), you will need to purchase the more expensive V84 Pro model with Vissles VS II switches. At the time of this writing, this keyboard sells for $109, compared to the regular retail price of $119.

If you purchase the less expensive version, it comes preinstalled with black ABS caps and either red, brown, or blue switches. At the time of writing this review, these three variants are selling for $99 instead of the regular price of $119.

While cheaper entry-level mechanical keyboards exist, such as the Keychron K2, the V84 stands out as one of the better ones. It has a plastic body, but thanks to a large 3,750mAh battery, the board has a reasonable weight to it. Coupled with the optional magnetic feet, this keyboard has not moved at all since I started using it.

At 12.4 inches wide and 5 inches long, the V84 takes up absolutely no room on my desk. It has a 75% layout, with function rows, arrow keys, page up/down, home/end, delete, pause, and print screen. The latter is ideal for MacBooks, since the function row works with the macOS media keys.

The Vissles come with a removable magnetic bezel if you want a thicker look around the keys, but I opted for the slimmer look. Otherwise, the keyboard's appearance is very minimalist, but the RGB lighting adds a nice touch to the keyboard when powered on.

The V84 is not eye-catching, but it definitely gets the job done. Squeaks, flexes, and pinging noises inside the case are not a concern. The stabilizers seem fairly basic, but there is no discernible rattling and they sound decent enough.

The V84 comes in two flavors. The model I have is technically a V84 Pro, as it has white PBT keycaps and Vissles VS II linear switches. The regular V84 has black ABS caps and a choice of Oetmu Brown, Red, or Blue switches. These are alternatives to the Cherry and Gateron switches that are common on other keyboards. I have not liked Oetmu switches in the past and found them to be of slightly lower quality than Gateron.

The fact that you get PBT caps at this price is a nice, if rather modest, bonus. It is not shine-through, so the backlight is diffused around the bottom of the cap.

However, the legend is crisp and clear, and I like the slightly grippy texture on each cap. In my experience, PBT caps tend to withstand fingerprint oil for longer periods of time than ABS caps, so I'm curious how the V84 will hold up against my 8 hours of typing.

What I like most about the V84 is probably the VS II switches. I tend to prefer linear switches for gaming. This is because they bottom out without any hassle and make for faster responses in games. For typing, I strongly prefer tactile switches like the Holy Panda, Halo True, and TTC Bluish White. But the VS II is the first linear switch that I actually enjoy typing on.

With 52g of actuation force and 4mm of travel, the VS II is right in the sweet spot for my typing switches. It is light enough that (unlike the Kailh Box Blacks I use on my gaming keyboard) I don't feel like I'm moving my fingers through molasses. But the switches are also heavy enough that you won't accidentally touch-type them. Some switches seem to be activated by looking at the wrong one; the VS II is a great switch, especially at this price.

The V84 does not claim to be a gaming keyboard, nor does it use generic firmware like QMK or VIA. Instead, it is tied to Vissles proprietary software. Unfortunately, this is currently Windows-only, which is incredibly odd since the V84 comes with a Mac layout out of the box. Because it is locked out of the software, you cannot control the firmware if you are using macOS. I think this is in poor taste. However, you can control the RGB lighting pattern and brightness with hardware controls.

This keyboard is also hot-swappable, allowing you to use any switch you like. I chose not to mod the review unit because I wanted to evaluate the stock configuration, but it is nice to have the option; the PCB also supports 5-pin switches, so there is no need to cut out the switches you have to use on this keyboard.

The V84 is wireless with Bluetooth 5.1 support, but can also be used wired with a USB-C cable. Battery life is quite good, even on default settings right out of the box; I've been using the V84 full-time for over a week and it hasn't run out yet.

When configured with PBT caps and VS II switches, the V84 sounds soft and dull. The sock is a bit more on the muted side. the VS II is a very quiet switch, and with switch lubrication and an o-ring damper (if you like the spongy feel when typing) it might be a good candidate for a quiet board. according to Vissles, the VS II will be available soon Vissles says that the VS II will be available soon.

All of the above puts the V84 at the top of my recommendation list as an entry-level mechanical keyboard. While there are certainly cheaper alternatives, the V84 stands out for its solid construction and great battery life. It's also nice to see PBT caps and surprisingly good switches at this price point, and a wireless keyboard that works with a MacBook without hassle is always on board.

Hot-swappable keyboards are slowly becoming more popular, and I'm all for it. This feature gives me the flexibility to experiment with whatever switches I like on the V84. The performance is excellent for the price. It's a great entry point into the world of mechanical keyboards, and since it's Bluetooth, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for high-stakes competitive gaming, but you can always use it in wired mode if you prefer.

Vissles is going after manufacturers like Keychron, which is very exciting. Mechanical keyboards, as we all know in the hobby, can get very expensive, so it is exciting to see such a strong entry-level option.