Cherry is undoubtedly the most famous maker of mechanical keyboard switches, but I had never heard of the company’s own-branded keyboards until the recent launch of the KW X ULP. While I mostly associate Cherry switches with gaming, this is a keyboard for business and everyday use, and it actually looks super sleek.
I’ll admit, I really like the Cherry KW X ULP. The slim, low-profile design feels like any other compact keyboard, but typing on it feels super comfortable, and it’s pretty accurate and responsive. It also looks great, with its sleek design and metal frame, and with support for up to four devices, it’s really versatile.
However, this is not a cheap keyboard at $250. That’s a lot of money, and you’d still be missing out on some of the features people tend to love about mechanical keyboards, like swappable keycaps and switches. It’s certainly a good option if you want something sleek and comfortable, but you need to be ready to spend quite a bit.
Cherry KW X ULP
Great, but expensive
The Cherry KW X ULP is a slim mechanical keyboard with ultra-low profile switches designed for business and everyday use. It has a 10-stage backlight and supports multiple devices, including wired connectivity.
- Brand
- Cherry
- Wireless
- Yes
- Backlight
- White 10-stage backlight
- Media Controls
- Volume and playback buttons
- Battery
- 2800mAh
- Num Pad
- Yes
- Switch Type
- Ultra low profile machanical switch
- Replaceable Keys
- No
- Number of Keys
- 110
- Wired operation
- Yes
- Dimensions
- 17.32×5.24×0.63 inches (439.93×133.1×16 mm)
- Material
- Plastic chassis, anodized and milled aluminum plate
- Bluetooth
- Yes, Bluetooth 5.2
- Multi-device pairing
- Up to four devices (1 with 2.4GHz dongle, 2 via Bluetooth, 1 via USB cable)
- Charging
- USB Type-C port (Type-C to Type-A cable included)
- Keycaps
- Polycarbonate
- Wrist rest
- Not included
- USB Passthrough
- No
Pros
- Comfortable and accurate typing experience
- Premium slim design with a metal frame
- Multi-device connectivity, including via cable
Cons
- It’s way too expensive
- Keycaps and switches aren’t easily replaceable
Cherry KW X ULP: Pricing and availability
The Cherry KW X ULP was announced and launched on May 9, 2023, and it immediately became available for purchase on Amazon. Pricing is set at $250, which makes this a premium product with a lot of competition.
Design
It’s slim and feels great
First impressions are pretty important, and the Cherry KW X ULP feels pretty great right out of the gate. Mechanical keyboards tend to be pretty thick to accommodate the switches, but thanks to the ultra-low profile ones used here, Cherry could keep it thin. It’s also pretty light, coming in at a little over 600 grams, which surprised me somewhat. I recently tried the Logitech MX Keys S, which is a membrane keyboard, and this feels much lighter without feeling cheap.
In fact, it feels fairly premium. Cherry is using an anodized aluminum plate, though the bottom is made of plastic. The top of the keyboard has a black brushed finish, but the edge is polished aluminum, which looks and feels great. There’s also practically no flex to this chassis, so it all feels solidly built.
The bottom cover does feel a bit plasticky, but you’re not going to be touching it very often. Also on the back are three adjustable feet you can use to get some extra height and a more comfortable typing angle. A lot of keyboards have at least two-stage adjustment, so it’s a bit weird to only see one stage here, though I’d say these are the right height for my preferences.
It has a simple white backlight
Any modern keyboard that’s worth something needs to have a backlight, and that’s no exception here. The Cherry KW X ULP only has a white backlight, but it does have 10 stages of illumination, so you can choose what’s just right for your needs at any given time. It doesn’t adjust the backlight automatically, though, which would be a reasonable request for something this expensive. That said, the backlight does dim after a couple of seconds of inactivity, and it turns off entirely after that, so it does save some power.
While you can’t configure RGB lighting, some of the keys do have colored lights for status indicators. It helps keep the design super clean. Keys like Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Fn can all turn red when that specific feature is enabled. The F1 through F4 keys illuminate in green briefly to let you know what connection method you’re using, and the Cherry key can glow in orange to let you know the battery is low.
Connectivity
Up to four devices are supported at any given time
Another great aspect of this keyboard is the versatility of how you can connect it to your devices. Up to four devices are supported simultaneously, and you can easily switch between them using the F1 through F4 keys.
The first method is using the custom wireless dongle, which you can attach to any device with a USB Type-A port. This has the benefits of being wireless, but it should have lower latency, and it bypasses the usual hassle of setting up Bluetooth devices. Two Bluetooth devices are also supported, so you can use a phone or tablet with it. Finally, you can use the included USB Type-C to Type-A cable to use a wired connection. And yes, it actually sends data this way. It’s not one of those wireless keyboards that have a cable but only use it for charging. I appreciate having that option, though I definitely stuck with wireless functionality for the most part.
Typing and usability
The Cherry KW X ULP is extremely comfortable
There’s a good reason why mechanical keyboards are many people’s favorites: They’re generally more satisfying to use than a membrane board. I had some doubts about this model using low-profile mechanical switches, but the fact is it feels extremely comfortable. Cherry rates these switches at 65 cN actuating force, which is fairly middle-of-the-road for a mechanical keyboard. It doesn’t take a lot of force to press, but it’s not overly light, either. I’d say this is just right for typing; it’s the perfect amount of force required, and it feels comfortable even when you bottom out the keys. The 1.8mm of travel distance is also very good for such a low-profile design.
Speaking of that design, this thin keyboard is made possible by Cherry’s Ultra Low Profile switches, specifically the tactile variant, which are most similar to MX Brown switches. These switches are just 3.5mm tall, or about 70% smaller than a typical mechanical switch. They may not be exactly like a typical mechanical switch, but they still feel great to use.
While you can barely tell at a glance, the keys are slightly concave, which also contributed to more comfort while typing. It’s not as prominent as on a larger keyboard, but you do feel it and it helps with precision.
I have to admit I’m very clumsy with typing, so while I did try a typing test, it’s not a very good measurement of what you can expect. If you’re curious, I got about 66 words per minute, which is in line with what I’d get with my full-size mechanical keyboard.
The switches and keycaps aren’t replaceable
While typing on this keyboard feels great, one of the big benefits mechanical keyboards have for enthusiasts is that you can easily replace the keycaps and, with some work, even the switches themselves. Because of this custom ultra-slim design, however, that’s not possible. Cherry explicitly warns you to not try to remove the keycaps, so it’s not something you want to do.
This is where the price tag of this keyboard starts to sting a bit more. At $250, you should really expect a premium keyboard in almost every way, and it feels like missing this capability is a pretty big flaw. That said, it’s not like you’d be able to find replacement switches or keycaps easily for this product, and the goal is definitely to provide something functional rather than something you can tinker with. In that endeavor, Cherry succeeded.
Cherry Keys software
Despite being a fairly premium keyboard, the Cherry KW X ULP doesn’t have a dedicated software package for it or any special customizable features. That can be kind of a good thing since these third-party programs can be annoying to use, especially if you have various peripherals from different companies with different apps.
What you can do, however, is use the Cherry Keys software, a small app that works with almost any keyboard, and simply lets you assign different functions to the function row on the keyboard. It can also replace the dedicated functions like the playback controls or the browser button, and even the Print Screen and Scroll Lock keys.
It’s nothing super advanced, but it does let you run a program, open a file, folder, or webpage, lock your PC, or even record a macro. You can even create a text block if there’s something you need to insert repeatedly, and you don’t want to type it all over again. I honestly appreciate how small this app is while still being functional. That said, you don’t need this keyboard to use the app.
Should you buy the Cherry KW X ULP?
You should buy the Cherry KW X ULP if:
- You want a great typing experience
- You’re looking for something sleek and slim for office use
- You have multiple devices you want to use it with
You should NOT buy the Cherry KW X ULP if:
- $250 is just too much for you
- You’re an enthusiast who likes to replace switches and keycaps
- You’re looking for something with RGB
Ultimately, the greatest downfall of the Cherry KW X ULP is its pricing. $250 is a lot of money, and it puts this well above a lot of other mechanical keyboards for productivity, like the Logitech MX Mechanical or the Razer Pro Type Ultra. Some keyboards can match this price, but they’re usually enthusiast boards that have fully replaceable keys and switches, on top of things like RGB lighting. However, none of them are this slim or sleek, and if you want something for office use, this is a pretty unique proposition. But you need some deep pockets to justify purchasing it. If your budget is lower, maybe check out the best budget mechanical keyboards instead.
Cherry KW X ULP
Great but expensive keyboard
The Cherry KW X ULP is a slim mechanical keyboard with ultra-low profile switches designed for business and everyday use. It has a 10-stage backlight and supports multiple devices, including wired connectivity.