The lovely people at Redragon have very kindly sent me one of their OTIIM K729 Pro keyboards to try out.

The K729 Pro is an ANSI 87-key, 80% layout mechanical keyboard with a volume knob/dial. This is set into the back of the board, which does make it a little less accessible than your average vol knob, but only marginally so. It’s Windows and Mac compatible (a two-way switch on the rear, next to the USB port, selects the mode).

The K729 Pro connects via Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4Ghz wireless, or via standard USB Type-C. A three-way switch at the rear of the board allows you to switch between modes. It has an onboard 4000mAh battery.

The K729 Pro is available in two colourways: White & Grey or Gradient Black. I got the White & Grey. The keycaps are SA profile PBT, with black characters on the white and grey keys, and white characters on the black keys.

The K729 Pro comes loaded with Redragon’s own Custom Silent Peach Switches. These are really, really quiet. Surprisingly so. As you would expect, they are less tactile than your average mechanical switch, but once I got used to them, I actually really liked them. “Cushioned” and “Creamy” are words I would never use in a review, but that’s how Redragon describe them, and they’re not wrong. If loud, clicky keyboards are something you want to avoid, then this could be the keyboard for you. The switches are, of course, hot-swappable with any other 3 or 5-pin switches.

The K729 Pro has two separate, independently controlled sets of lights: south-facing RGB LEDs behind the keys, and sidebar lights to the left and right of the board. There are plenty of onboard presets for both sets of lights, and they’re further customisable using Redragon’s own software. There’s also another stripe of lights between the arrow keys and Del, End, Pg Dn – but these aren’t customisable.

The K729 Pro weighs 930g. So, it’s a pretty decent weight, but certainly light enough to carry around with you for on-the-go use. On the desktop, it’s sturdy and solid. Typing angle is adjustable with two-position flip-out feet, which have silicone pads. The angle feels great without any adjustment to me, but it’s always good to have that option.

The K729 Pro is gasket mounted. Equipped with 3.5mm PO foam, IXPE switch foam, PET sound pad, bottom socket foam, silicone bottom pad, as well as the silicone gasket. Basically, this is a very, very, very quiet keyboard.

Like the majority of Redragon’s boards, the K729 Pro is really aimed at the gamer market. These are the keyboards you’re supposed to be buying for your kids to use with their bedroom PCs. In fact, the high-sided design of the board is specifically so that gamers won’t bash their mouse into the keys when they’re playing. The K729 Pro is fully plastic, so it’s not a high-end, luxurious board, but it doesn’t look like a toy either. In fact, it has a little bit of a Model M retro vibe to it.

Sometimes when I’m testing out a board – which I do by just plugging it in and using it day-to-day for a week or two, typically – I’m actually looking forward to getting back to my “proper” keyboard when I’m done. That has not been the case with the K729 Pro at all, however. Even the switches, which I initially wasn’t sure I liked, won me over in the end. As I said, if you’re looking for a really quiet mechanical keyboard, this might be the one for you.

The OTIMM K729 Pro is available to order directly from Redragon for $65 USD / £69 GBP