Corsair K55 PRO LITE RGB Wired Membrane Gaming Keyboard (5-Zone Dynamic RGB Backlighting, Six Macro Keys with Stream Deck Integration, IP42 Dust…

This is arguably one of the best keyboards and a value for money purchase for both gamers and professionals alike.

Tip: Pony up a little bit more and go for the K55 RGB PRO, all the characters except media keys are backlit which makes a big difference in appearance versus having opaque characters and RGB backlighting. iCUE feature one of the best RGB lighting technologies on the market so take advantage of it

PROS
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1) Six separate macro keys to program practically any set of commands – you are limited to your imagination. One of the first macros I programmed was to bring up the Calculator app.
TIP: Use it to bring up webpages, chunks of text/code/data you need to repeatedly use – this can be very useful for coders (NOTE: There is a character limitation….1-2 paragraphs of text which should be enough for most people)…etc.

2) Corsair’s iCUE app allows a great deal of customization. Practically any key on this keyboard can be programmed with a macro for anyone who has an extensive number of macro functions they need quick access to. iCUE is available as a free download you can get from Corsair’s official website.

2) Alternatively, you can program in macros without iCUE using the circular M key but it’s more convenient to go through iCUE.

3) For anyone who cannot stand keyboards that alert your neighbours that you are busy using your computer, this is a great, quiet option. Types like a quality keyboard.

4) High-quality plastic backplate. Most keyboards use plastic backplates and Corsair has not compromised on Quality here. It feels nice to the touch.

5) Font used for characters on keyboard is not hideously aggressive so professionals can comfortably use this for work.

6) Yes, backlighting can be turned off if you wish.

7) 2 more RGB lighting zones versus the standard K55 RGB

8) Comfortable textured, plastic wrist rest.

CONS
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1) The Corsair logo and media keys are not backlit – I am nitpicking

2) No per key RGB lighting – be realistic, getting good per key RGB lighting at this price is very difficult to find.

FUN TIP: In case anyone was wondering, yes you can program that lock button at the top of the keyboard to lock Windows, not just the windows key but actually lock your Windows OS at the push of a button instead of hitting Win+L – for anyone who is not aware. Use iCUE to assign the Windows Lock macro to that button. Personally, I do not need to have the Windows key locked, so this is a better use of that key for me. You can program it to any key that you prefer.

It’s an amazing device for the price especially for a corsair device and it also includes 5 zone RGB lighting which is expected for the prize point. The only reason I took away a star and made it 4 star is cause I kinda wished that it had Mechanical Switches. Also the palm rest comes in handy in long gaming sestions. Overall good but Mechanical Switches next time.

My favorite, most used keyboard in my office is my Das 4 Professional Soft Tactile MX Brown Mechanical Keyboard. I mention this so that you could have an idea as to what I look for in a keyboard. Although Das does make an illuminated keyboard, Das Keyboard Prime 13 White LED Backlit, at $129.00 it’s a bit too steep for most of us. I wanted an illuminated keyboard for home use so I could use it at night without disturbing anyone by having to keep the overhead lights on.

I ended up buying 4 keyboards looking for the one that not only had good backlighting but also good typing action making it easy to see at night and easy to type on. I wanted to keep the price to around $50.00 – so here is what I bought in order:

Perixx PX-1100 ($59.99)

The keyboard has serious flaws that significantly interfere with it’s stated purpose. It is supposed to be illuminated so that it could be used in a dark room. It specifically states that it has key and letter illumination which it does but here lies the problem – the illumination is very uneven with some keys being very bright and others just an inch or two away being very dim. As an example, the left arrow key on my keyboard was very bright while the right arrow key was barely visible especially since the keys next to it were so bright! Another factor is the brightness surrounding the keys which in some areas is brighter than the keys themselves which makes it more difficult to read them. This keyboard apparently has “zone illumination” meaning that it has just a few LED’s lighting up the keys and in some places, near the edge of the zones, there are dim areas – very dim areas, even with the brightness at maximum. If you’re buying this for the illumination to make it easier to read in a dark room, look elsewhere. If you want a cool looking, colorful keyboard that has relatively good good typing action this is your keyboard, it is heavy, well built, has good typing action and poor lighting. This was the first one I bought and I was very disappointed with it, hence the mediocre rating.

Azio – Vision Large Font Keyboard ($29.99)

This keyboard has large font: letters, numbers and symbols making it very easy to read in a darkened room. The lighting is even throughout the entire keyboard, there are no bright or dark areas and you can easily change the color of the keys for the entire keyboard or within the 5 lighting zones. For people with vision impairments, this is your keyboard. It is easy to use, set-up and change colors. The typing action on it is very unsatisfying for me as the keys are larger than standard keys so my fingers are not used to the spacing. Also, the height of the keys is somewhat shallower than standard keys and the resistance when you type is “mushy” at least for me. That said, for visually impaired people who are used to the common $15 to $20 keyboard this will be fine for you and at $30, it is a bargain.

Logitech K740 – Fullsize Illuminated Slim Keyboard ($59.99)

This keyboard is very slim in fact, the travel of the keys when you type is minimal and they are very shallow which I am not used to so I found typing on it unsatisfying. The keyboard reminds me of the one on my inexpensive, compact laptop which gets the job done when I’m traveling but is not designed for serious typing. The illumination however is excellent, bright white and very legible. Set-up is simple and adjusting the brightness is straight forward. If my “go-to” keyboard wasn’t so good, I probably wouldn’t have an issue with this one. Once you have typed on a quality keyboard with mechanical switches you get spoiled! At $60 on sale, I was underwhelmed.

Corsair K55 Gaming Keyboard ($47.99)
This keyboard basically met my expectations for typing feedback and illumination for the price but it’s far from perfect. When you first connect it to your computer you will be met with an over the top moving display of colors flowing across the entire keyboard which is very distracting and thankfully easily changed with just a few key strokes. You can make it all one color if you wish and choose the color you want or make each zone a different color. The keyboard is light weight like most cheap keyboards, lighter even than the non-illuminated Dell keyboard that it replaced but it gets the job done. The first thing I noticed is that the illumination is crisp and even throughout the keyboard. The letters and symbols are centered on the keys and a bit bolder in font than average keyboards. The keys are not individually illuminated but there are enough LED’s to give it an even appearance. The lighting around the keys is somewhat bright but not to the point of making them difficult to read as on the Perixx. Although the keys themselves are not mechanical, they feel somewhat mechanical giving it a nice tactile experience. The keys have the same height as one would find on a good standard keyboard and have about the same travel as well, so it is a good keyboard to type on or use for gaming or both!

There are many illuminated keyboards out there and I spent hours shopping on Amazon and reading reviews trying to finds one that would be right for me. For some people, the typing action may be secondary and so for them, the best buy would be the Azio Vision Large Font Keyboard which at $29.99 is a bargain. It is the easiest by far to read under any conditions and very easy to use/set-up. The Logitech at $60 is also very easy to read but it is twice the price of the Azio. That said, the keys are standard size and it is very well made. For me, the Corsair K55 was the best compromise; although the Azio and the Logitech are easier to read, the Corsair is also easy to read, they are just a bit better in visibility but when I considered typing feel and speed , the Corsair wins.

I hope this helps some of you make the right buying decision.

Art

Que buen teclado no me molesta que sea de membrana tiene teclas muy suaves, su rgb muy vistoso y lo configuras con el software icue de corsair y listo, no me molesta tampoco que no traiga ñ

The Corsair K55 keyboard is a gorgeous, RGB backlit keyboard. Plug it into a USB port on the back of your computer (also works on my 7-port USB hub), turn on the computer and the K55 immediately displays the “Rainbow Wave” lighting effect, which looks super cool. It has a plethora of lighting functions you can use, including “breathe” (some say “pulsing”), Rainbow Wave (you can control the speed and direction, left or right) and steady lighting in any color. The available colors are: Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Cyan, Purple, Orange, White and Off These colors can be assigned to the entire keyboard or each of the three zones (left third, middle third and right third); individual keys cannot be assigned colors. Although, at the faster speeds, the Rainbow Wave moves so smoothly across the keyboard, it gives the impression that each key is independently cycling thru each color. Of course, this is impossible with a 3-zone keyboard, but the Rainbow Wave effect is implemented so well that it fooled me at first. For a Fifty dollar keyboard, it’s quite impressive.

Fn 1 thru 6 assigns different steady colors to all three zones. Fn 7 turns Off all lighting and also acts as a programmable lighting key. Fn 8 assigns one steady color at a time to the entire keyboard. Fn 9 makes the keyboard breathe through all the colors. Fn 0 makes the entire keyboard transition slowly through all the colors. Fn – (minus) makes the keyboard “breathe” thru all the colors in each of the three zones, with a different color in each zone. Fn = (equals) gives you the Rainbow Wave.

Fn F1 allows you to assign a steady color to zone 1, Fn F2 allows you to assign a steady color to zone 2 and Fn F3 allows you to assign a steady color to zone 3. There are other options, but the thing to remember is that ALL these options are immediately available from the keyboard—no software required. Corsair’s icue software is available from Corsair’s website, but is buggy and interferes with the Fn (Function) key and generally screws things up, so I deleted it. Perhaps Corsair will fix it some day. In any case, it doesn’t provide much more functionality than the keyboard assignments do, so you aren’t really missing out on much.

The materials are all plastic, but all Corsair products are known for their high quality, so the K55 should stand up nicely under intense gaming. The membrane keys feel a little mushy and have little audible or tactile feedback, unlike mechanical keys. I would have easily paid an additional $50 for mechanical keys. The RGB lighting shines around and through the keys, lighting up the key characters, but only weakly, so typing in the dark is difficult and error-prone. If you have even slight vision impairment, typing in the dark is almost impossible. Maybe Corsair can increase the brightness some day.

The K55 has both a full number pad AND six programmable macro keys running down the left side—very unusual for a $50 keyboard and both handy and welcome. Some of Corsair’s most expensive keyboards don’t even have these dedicated macro keys. This is yet another example of the rich feature set of the K55 which also includes dedicated volume control keys, dedicated media keys, a Windows key lock out, a slightly rubbery-feeling plastic wrist rest and many other features.

Overall, my experience with the K55 has been very positive and I recommend it. Of course, the absence of individually lit keys, mechanical keys and dim key-character lighting could be deal-breakers for you. If, however, you’re on a budget and can’t afford a $300 mechanical RGB gaming keyboard, the K55 is the next best thing.

QUESTION ANSWERED:
No, this keyboard DOES NOT come with a key-puller. If you’re using key-pullers, the K55 is probably not the keyboard for you. As nice as this keyboard is for both gaming and typing, it’s relatively low-end and does not have interchangeable mechanical keys. Most mechanical keys have tactile feedback and do not have to be “bottomed out” like membrane keys to register a keystroke. Most membrane keyboards do not have interchangeable keycaps. Mechanical keys, however, can be quiet or have a somewhat loud “click” to reinforce the tactile feedback (to let you know your key press was acknowledged and sent to the computer). The construction of these mechanical keys is such that the keycaps are separate from their underlying switch and you can pry them off with a key-puller and replace them with another keycap. To learn more about mechanical keys, go to Tom’s Guide: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/mechanical-keyboard-switches,review-4154.html. This will guide you to the type of mechanical key you want (loud or quiet, light or heavy, etc.) My other keyboard is a Razer Blackwidow 2016, which has mechanical keys with rather loud feedback that some people find annoying, but that others love (like me). It reminds me of the old IBM Selectric typewriters, which were high-end, professional office typewriters. It also reminds me of the original 1981 IBM PC, which arguably had the best keyboard ever made (the “Model F”)—a heavy, mechanical switch keyboard that was an absolute pleasure to type on. As much as I like mechanical switch keyboards, the K55 has a membrane keyboard which I find pleasurable to use. It’s not as “mushy” as most membrane keyboards and despite its not having interchangeable keys, delivers a lot of cool features for the price.

 At first, I will say that, when I received this keyboard, it was not delivered in any amazon cardboard box, just a plastic wrap around the keyboard box. But it was not in a bad condition or anything, I am just saying 😅, if the seller wants to go green then it’s fine by me. “Save Environment”

I am giving this review after 2 weeks of usage, I will be updating this review after a year or so because I also want to see how this keyboard will hold for long term usage. I will be using this keyboard for little gaming and mainly for productivity purposes.

The keyboard feels sturdy and robust, even though it’s made of plastic. ergonomic wise it is also good but not that great I would say. The big keys have stabilizers and they don’t wobble. If you are switching from a keyboard with a price near Rs.300 to Rs700, this keyboard will definitely satisfy you.

The included wrist rest is OK and helps slightly, you will be fine even without it. If you seriously want ergonomics then I would suggest that you use it. It is made of hard plastic, no cushion also it has rubber feet so it will not shake or switch position.

Now let’s talk about RGB, it has a 3 zone lighting effect, it is properly visible in well-lit condition. You can change the lighting effects from the keyboard or from Corsair ICUE software (I have written about this in detail below). If you want to set the lighting from the keyboard press the “FN” key and press 1 to 10 for presets and for changing the zone lighting again by pressing “FN” and press F1, F2, F3, F4 to set individual zone lighting.

You can adjust the brightness of RGB from the dedicated button on the keyboard at the top left. There are a macro recording button and a windows lock button along with all media control keys at the top left corner. You can set macros either from the dedicated macro button or from the Corsair ICUE software. These are really helpful for productivity purposes or even for streaming purposes.

Corsair ICUE is really great software, but the problem I faced was different, I have a Logitech G502Hero mouse and to use it to the full extent I must have to install Logitech GHUB. Now Corsair ICUE and Logitech GHUB don’t run side by side properly, whenever I tried running them both they both don’t work and my mouse doesn’t work even the primary clicks don’t work, same for keyboard, it stopped responding. You have to close anyone to make the other one work properly.

Since I use my mouse a lot and also this keyboard has onboard macro recording so I had to uninstall the Corsair ICUE. But you won’t be able to launch an application with onboard macro, you will need ICUE for that. But for simple commands and shortcuts, it would be perfectly fine. If you don’t have any Logitech mouse that requires GHUB then in ICUE you can even program the media control buttons as well as any other keys as macro keys to use this keyboard to the full extent.

At last, I will say this keyboard is worth its price, and let’s see what happens in long-term use.