iOne Xarmor U9 Plus

Manufacturer: iOne
Model: Xarmor U9 Plus
MSRP: $149.95
Check Lowest Price (Amazon)

We recently took at a look at the U9 and it really didn’t make our spine tingle and our mouth salivate. Don’t get us wrong, it’s a perfectly suitable mechanical keyboard, but at it’s price point there were other better offerings. Can the U9 Plus reinvigorate us?

Well for one, the U9 Plus uses Cherry MX Blue key-switches, which we love over here. Some of the details include a 2-port USB 2.0 hub, headphone jack, and microphone jack, and a detachable wrist pad. The top, sides, and the wrist pad are all covered in a rubberized matte material. The keys are rated for 50 million keystrokes and feel great.

The package includes a PS/2-to-USB adapter and even includes additional orange key-caps for the WASD gaming cluster, so you’re hands will never forget their placement.

Those looking to squeeze out the best performance with full n-key rollover, will want to skip the PS/2-to-USB adapter and just stick with PS/2. If you don’t understand why, please read What is the Difference Between PS/2 and USB Keyboards?

With a similar build, layout, and design, we can’t help but think that the U9 Plus is what the original U9 should have been. It feels comfortable, and the wrist pad is a nice addition. Even though the MSRP for the U9 and U9 Plus are very different, the street prices are very similar, so do yourself a favor and skip the U9, and head straight for the U9 Plus.