At its low price point, the Drevo Calibur V2 is an awesome, highly customizable 65% keyboard packed with many great features.
It’s compact size and versatility make the Drevo Calibur V2 a top budget keyboard option- we ranked it as #3 in our best mechanical keyboard under $50 list.
Let’s get started discussing the different aspects that make this keyboard so great.
The Verdict
If you are looking for a great portable keyboard packed with insane customization potential, the programmability and lighting options on the Drevo Calibur V2 would surely impress you.
While the Drevo Calibur V2 has many shining qualities, the rough stabilizers make for a noisy typing experience. That being said, this may be a tough keyboard to use for those working in an office or near other people.
At its affordable price point, there are some areas where the keyboard is bound to fall short- we can see this in the laser-printed ABS keycaps, poor stabilizers, and lack of wireless capabilities.
However, the Drevo Calibur V2 has other incredible features that make up for the shortfalls: Mac/PC compatibility, software, side lights, a detachable USB-C cord, and other useful add-ins.
The Drevo Calibur V2 is available on Amazon if you want to check it out.
In The Box
The Drevo Calibur V2 comes with a surprising amount of additional pieces given its price point. The items that come with the Drevo Calibur V2 are:
Keycap puller: Its always nice to have a keycap puller included with a keyboard you receive. The one included with the Drevo Calibur V2 is made of wire, so it will not damage the keycaps when you remove them.
Magnetic keyboard feet: Some cool add-ins are two magnetic feet that allow you to give the keyboard some more height or a steeper angle. The feet have rubber spots on the bottom that prevent the keyboard from sliding around on the desktop.
USB-C cable: The Drevo Calibur V2 comes with a simple black USB-C cord, but if you purchase the white colorway you will receive a white cord. The cable is nothing fancy; its port is on the left side of the keyboard.
Dust sheet: A plastic dust sheet also comes with the keyboard to keep dust or hair from collecting when the keyboard is not in use. While not a necessary element, I appreciate it when companies include these.
The other items included but not listed above are a sticker and the always useful user manual.
Build Quality
With a strong plastic casing, the Drevo Calibur V2 has a pretty solid build. Often budget keyboards are not very sturdy and have a lot of flex, so it is nice that the Drevo Calibur V2 will sustain heavy typing without bending.
The keyboard also comes in a unique 65% size which makes it efficiently save on space without compromising comfort too much.
With a 65% keyboard, you don’t get the traditional number pad or navigational cluster, but you still retain the arrow keys.
There are two color options for the Drevo Calibur V2: black and white. While the options for the keyboard itself are very basic, there are countless ways to give the keyboard some personality with the RGB lit keycaps and eccentric side lighting.
The Drevo Calibur V2 has minimal branding (aside from the small logo on the spacebar), which I enjoy because it aesthetically looks very clean and professional.
The case is angled for more comfortable typing, but there are little feet included with the keyboard that offer more options for height/angle. These feet attach magnetically to the bottom of the keyboard, something unique to the Drevo Calibur V2.
The keyboard itself and the attachable feet have rubber on the bottom to prevent movement while typing.
The USB-C cable port is easily accessible on the left side of the keyboard. The Drevo Calibur V2 does not have wireless capabilities, so the USB-C cable must be plugged in during use.
This lightweight, small keyboard is super easy to pack up and transport, especially given that the USB-C cord is detachable.
The Keycaps
Sitting slightly within the casing, the keycaps on the Drevo Calibur V2 are made of ABS plastic.
Keycaps made from ABS plastic are likely to develop a sheen and attract dust/oils/grime over time (as opposed to keycaps made of higher quality PBT plastic).
It was only a few days into use that I noticed the keycaps on my Drevo Calibur V2 were getting quite oily and shiny.
The legends on the keycaps are printed with lasers, so with prolonged use they will begin to fade. I wish they were made from doubleshot plastic (where two pieces of plastic are molded together to create legends) so they would stay in good condition over time, but the price of this keyboard reconciles this lack of quality.
I enjoy the simple font used on the keycaps and how clear the RGB light effects come through.
The Stabilizers
One of the largest problems I’ve found with the Drevo Calibur V2 is the poor stabilizer quality.
Typing on this keyboard is extremely loud, so if you personally find that annoying or if you will be working around other people, this may not be the keyboard for you.
Poor stabilizer quality and rattling of the spacebar are highly common among budget keyboards, so these shortfalls were not surprising with the Drevo Calibur V2.
The Switches
There are a variety of switch options to choose from for the Drevo Calibur V2. You can choose from a series of Outemu switches, or you can opt for one of the Cherry MX options at a higher price point.
The Cherry MX options are:
- Cherry MX Red: Cherry MX reds are typically very smooth and have a normal noise level. If you are a light typer or a gamer I would recommend these.
- Cherry MX Brown: These have a large tactile bump and a medium noise level, so they would be good for both typing and gaming.
The possible Outemu options:
- Outemu Brown: These switches are tactile, not too loud normally, but you should consider the stabilizer quality on this keyboard and the effects it has on the sound.
- Outemu Blue: Clicky and tactile, Outemu blues are great for typing but not recommended for gaming. These will enhance the noise level of the already loud stabilizers, so this is definitely a bold choice if you plan to use anywhere near others!
- Outemu Red: Being linear switches, Outemu reds produce little sound and require a minimal press. These are great for gamers, but may not be suitable for heavy typers (easier to press keys = easier to make typos).
The Features
Lighting Effects
With budget keyboards, I often don’t expect much out of the lighting effects. The Drevo Calibur V2 surprises with its vast RGB lighting options.
The lighting presets are easy to go through, and the live programming of the keys using the DPC software makes for easy customization.
The Drevo Calibur also has lights on the sides of the keyboard, which I think is a really cool touch. You can cycle through the seven preset side-lighting options easily; there are many ways you can change things up to fit your preferences with this keyboard.
DPC Software
The Drevo Calibur V2 works with the (free) DPC software, which is useful for making changes to lighting, key functions, and changing the keyboard mode.
You can go through the different keys and assign functions via the visual interface on your screen. Useful to gamers, the DPC software has options for changing the keyboard to game mode.
I find this programmability to be an amazing quality of the Drevo Calibur V2- it isn’t often that keyboards at this price point have this capability.
PC/Mac Compatibility
The Drevo Calibur V2 is meant to be compatible with both Mac and Windows. The keyboard even has lower legends on some keys with Mac functions “option” and “command”. You can easily switch between PC and Mac (by pressing FN+Tab).
Conclusion
The Drevo Calibur V2 ranks so highly among budget keyboards for me because of its high-quality features and unique aspects that stand apart from the competition.
If you enjoy changing your keyboard aesthetic to your mood, to the task at hand, or even for fun, the lighting options for this keyboard are unparalleled. The ability to change the lighting and function of each key through the software is super helpful as well.
There are definitely things that could be changed to improve the quality of the Drevo Calibur V2 (most notably the stabilizers!), but you would be pressed to find a budget keyboard that is perfect in all areas.
This would be a great option for someone who is new to mechanical keyboards and wants to try out software, or someone who just wants to have a keyboard that visually looks different and fun.
If you think the Drevo Calibur is a good fit for you, make sure to check it out on Amazon for a budget-friendly price.