HAVIT HV-KB378L Gaming Keyboard Review

HAVIT HV-KB378L Overview

Once out of the packaging, we see that the HV-KB378L is a full-sized, 104-key keyboard.The overall aesthetic of the keyboard is a black and brushed aluminum design, which looks pretty good for the most part. The body of the HV-KB378L features a single brushed aluminum panel that sits atop a molded plastic backside. The brushed aluminum panel gives the keyboard a bit of a high-end look to it, while also providing a little extra strength to the keyboard as a whole. The ends of the aluminum panel curve down towards the table top, and their angled shape is a nice variation from the standard straight edges found on most gaming keyboards.

HV KB378L Main e1507564045217

Spanning the top of the keyboard are two pieces of plastic that each feature three LED light bars that glow blue when the keyboard is plugged in. Unfortunately, these blue lights can not be disabled, which might bother some users, as they might be distracting or clash with a setup’s color scheme.

HV KB378L Top

Along the bottom edge of the keyboard are three molded plastic wrist rests, each of a different shape and size. All three pads feature a hexagonal texture pattern, with the center and right pads also featuring a few angled indentations that add a bit of flair to this normally boring area. While this is definitely a unique design choice, we question how practical three separate wrist rest sections is. Three separate sections introduces two large gaps between the pads, which can be uncomfortable, or a bit awkward at the least. With no option to remove the wrist rest, you are stuck with HAVIT’s non-standard design choice here.

HV KB378L Wrist

As we mentioned earlier, the HV-KB378L has a 104-key layout, with the standard 12 Function keys along the top of the keyboard. A full number pad sits at the right side of the keyboard. The mechanical keys used by HAVIT on the HV-KB378L are Gaote Outemu Blue switches, designed to function similar to the more popular Cherry MX Blue keys. These switches each feature RGB lighting at the top of the key, which then illuminates the attached key caps.

HV KB378L Switches

When flipped over, we see a basic plastic base with an angular design. Two adjustable feet allow for a bit of height and angle adjustment, and a few rubber feet help keep the keyboard in place.

HV KB378L Bottom

One thing we would have loved to see on the HV-KB378L is a USB pass-through port. Being able to plug in your mouse, headset, USB flash drive, or other peripheral, is an awesome feature that is found on most current gaming keyboards. This feature would surely increase the production costs of the keyboard, but adding that extra connectivity would have been great.