The Niz Plum Atom 68 is a 65% keyboard with electro-capacitive switches that many consider to be a budget option if Topre is outside of your budget.
Let’s take a closer look at the NiZ Plum and decide if this keyboard is worth the price and can be a decent alternative option to Topre.
The Verdict
It’s not too often that a keyboard surprises me with the amount of quality and comfort it brings to the table, but the Epomaker NiZ Plum Atom 68 did exactly that.
Coming with Topre clone switches, the electro-capacitive switches have a slightly tactility and low spring weight that makes the perfect combo for fast and accurate typing.
In addition, the PBT keycaps, multi-adjustment angles, the low (compared to Topre) price point, and a compact 65% layout make this keyboard a worthy competitor to Topre keyboards and even other mechanical options.
There are few downsides, such as hook-in Costar stabilizers and an awkward power port, but those can be overlooked in most situations.
At the end of the day, the Epomaker NiZ Plum Atom 68 is an excellent option for those looking to try something new.
In The Box
Along with the keyboard itself, you get extra additions that allow you to further customize the keyboard to meet your preferences.
The keyboard came with more add-ins that you usually don’t get making it a lot of fun to open.
Here’s what you get:
- Extra springs: A small bag of springs so you can increase the weight of the switches if the 35g resistance is too light. It looks like there is enough for the whole keyboard.
- Keycap puller: A nicely-constructed wire keycap puller is included in the box. An excellent tool to have on-hand.
- Modifier keycaps: If you plan on using this keyboard for Mac/Windows, there are additional modifier keycaps so it will be compatible with either operating system.
- Power cable: A white braided USB-C cable is also included so you can plug in the keyboard and get typing. The quality of the cable is top-notch with a braided design. It’s also quite long.
- Dust shield: To keep dust and other debris from falling onto your keyboard when not in use you get a plastic dust shield to protect it. Although I personally never use them, they are a nice addition to have.
As you can see, there are a ton of useful tools and parts included in the box. The springs themselves allow for an extra layer of customization that’ve I’ve never seen on another keyboard.
Build Quality
The build quality of the keyboard is nice but nothing special.
The keyboard comes packaged in a plastic white case that has soft rounded corners and a slight typing angle. The metal plate on the inside of the case adds lots of rigidity to the keyboard and keeps it from flexing.
On the backside, the power port is integrated into the body of the keyboard, making it possible to route the power cable to either the left or right sides with the channels.
This is nice for better cable management but at the same time makes it difficult to use a custom cable. I personally prefer a super simple power port that’s on the back of the case.
There are two adjustment angles that allow for different typing styles and preferences. It’s always nice to have more than one typing adjustment.
Overall, the build quality is decent. The only downside is the integrated power port that makes plugging in the keyboard a bit clunky and inconvenient.
The Keycaps
The keycaps are quite interesting, coming in a two-color design with a nice balance between gray and white.
They are constructed from PBT plastic which gives the keycaps a stronger durability and prevents them from building up a greasy look to them. In addition, the keycap legends tend to wear away much slower than on ABS keycaps.
The legends on the keycaps are laser-etched, which is not the best method of manufacturing, usually dye-sub or double-shot is better, but coming in PBT plastic is a plus over the standard style of keycap.
There are also sub-legends printed on the keycaps which show that you can operate the mouse on a lower layer along with other cool options. The NiZ plum logo is also printed on the spacebar.
The profile of the keycaps is very nice. They are very similar to Cherry profile, which means they are a little shorter than the typical OEM profile. This means you don’t need to raise your fingers quite as high when typing or gaming.
I really enjoy the aesthetic and feel of the keycaps. It looks like the unique design and shape paid off for this keyboard.
The Switches
The electro-capacitive actuating switches are the main selling point of this keyboard. Instead of the typical mechanical/optical actuating switches, these switches register through a no-contact system.
So instead of having the electrical pads touch, these actuate through an electro-capacitive force. Very interesting.
I found the feel of the switches to be very satisfying. The slightest tactile bump along with a low spring force makes my fingers glide accross the keyboard while making very few typing mistakes.
As a matter of fact, I set a new typing speed personal record with these switches.
And unlike Topre switches, these come with the Cherry stem so you can put any keys onto these switches. The sky is the limit when it comes to the customization.
Overall, I’m super impressed by the switches.
The Stabilizers
In my opinion, the biggest downside to this keyboard is the stabilizers.
While the larger keys do feel relatively smooth and stable, the style of stabilizers they use is quite frustating.
The hook-in style found on the keyboard makes it difficult to swap out the keycaps or install the extra springs that came in the box.
You have to fumble with hooking/unhooking the keycaps from the stabilizers and worry about losing the little components of the stabilizers.
The standard Cherry style stabilizers would have been much preferred in this situation, but if you don’t plan on ever taking off the keycaps this style won’t bug you too much.
Conclusion
The Epomaker NiZ Plum Atom 68 is a keyboard that brings a lot of great features and functionality to the table.
Coming with high-quality keycaps, a decent build quality, excellent electro-capacitive switches, and more, the keyboard is sure to rival a true Topre keyboard.
While the price point is still a bit higher than a mechanical keyboard, it’s quite affordable when compared with other Topre keyboards.
The only downside to the keyboard is the hook-in stabilizers that make it frustrating to swap out the keycaps or clean underneath the keycaps.
But if you don’t plan of taking the keycaps off too often downside can be overlooked.
At the end of the day, you’re getting a fun, unique, and efficiently-packed keyboard all for a competitive price.
Happy typing!