Redragon Wyvern K689 Pro Keyboard Review
A Sneaky Good Office Pick!
Here is a perfectly good example of a cost-effective mechanical keyboard marketed for gaming that fundamentally performs better as an office keyboard. The Redragon Wyvern K689 Pro is a full-sized mechanical board made from a gasket and 3-layer noise dampening structure. While it’ll look and handle the gaming part just fine, a keyboard like this is a perfect avenue for work usage.
Disclaimer: Redragon sent us a unit free of charge to review, but all thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are our own and were not discussed with the company prior to publishing.
Retail Price: $44.99
Lots of Functionality
I love how quiet the K689 Pro is when typing. This is using a linear switch called a Custom Mint Mambo Switch capped by PBT keycaps. It emits out a muted click that reminds me of a printing press. The reason I find this to be an enjoyable keyboard to use for a workspace is because the sound is satisfying to hear as a mechanical keyboard, but not too pronounced to be an annoying distraction in a shared space. Redragon has thrown in multiple noise dampening foam layers to create a dampened reverb upon input of a key.
The K689 Pro in a Black Tangerine color theme
With 108 keys, the entire board stretches about as long as any full sized keyboard out there and that’s not a bad thing to me. All the keys are well spaced where the layout just feels extremely comfortable to type on in an everyday work setting. Redragon even throws in a section on the top right of the board for four extra shortcut keys. A toggle for switching between Windows and Mac layouts, as well as the connection mode lies right above the directional keys. One thing that was quite useful to me was the dual symbology on the keycaps that showcase both Mac and Windows on their particular layout, as well as the secondary FN combinations. You won’t need to guess what keys to press while holding the FN key to get a function running because the symbology of those combinations are clearly printed onto the PBT keycap.
There's just an abundance of functional options on here that make sense from a productivity standpoint. The only thing really missing on this full sized keyboard is a volume knob which I know would really bug my colleague Seri (who loves her wheels and knobs) as this large layout has everything else on it. The full sized layout of the board is accommodated by two additional typing angles that can elevate the board above the flat surface it resides on. For a combined 3 typing angles, I found the first propped position to be the most comfortable sweet spot to operate on and I’ve kept it on that since then. The board also doesn’t slide much thanks to five rubber pads strategically spaced on the rear of the body.
Connectivity
Like almost all of the other wireless keyboards out there on the market, the K689 Pro can either be plugged in with its little USB receiver that stores itself within the body on the underside, a straight Bluetooth connection to a device, or plugged in through the USB-C port on the top of the frame. That’s the only port on the entire frame of the board and it’s also how you charge the keyboard and its 4,000 mAh battery. With the RGB backlight on, it seems like the K689 Pro can last a good couple of weeks for me.
Weak rGBs
When I say RGB, I use that term lightly here because the PBT keycaps are so thick looking that you can’t even really see the colors illuminating from the typer’s position. Another factor to the weak RGB display is that the RGB doesn’t push through the symbology of the keycaps. In fact, they barely seep through the cracks between each key. It’s a whimpering aura that may as well not have been included.
The Wyvern K689 Pro looks completely fine standing on its own merit. The board prominently features three colorways that are often matched together by brands. In this case the company calls it Black Tangerine. Orange, black, and an off-white combination dominate the aesthetic identity of the Wyvern. I don’t personally think this has a gamer vibe to it, but that might be subjective based on the buyer. Regardless of opinions, the keyboard has a versatile look that can fit in easily with an office room. Like most Redragon keyboards, the Wyvern is made completely out of plastic. That doesn’t mean its poor quality as the mechanical board feels well built and quite solid to use on a daily basis.
A Matured Look
Not the most gamer-looking keyboard, but that’s okay
At this point in the company’s life, I think consumers know exactly what to expect out of Redragon. The Wyvern K689 Pro is another inexpensive keyboard from the gaming accessories maker and it has a similar product satisfaction to me as some of their other items in the catalog. I personally find this to be a terrific office keyboard that businesses can buy in abundance for their employees to enjoy using over the generic office membrane boards that circulate cubicles. For a long time, Keychron seemed to have a lock on the office-based mechanical keyboard market, but I like seeing boards like the Wyvern be able to appear competitive in that space. I probably wouldn’t consider using this as a gaming keyboard (although it is capable enough to be one), but I find it to be a highly functional mechanical keyboard for work that I enjoy using for hours on end.
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