Keyboard Builders' Digest / Review
Elytra review
The Elytra is a fancy split in a cool alu case. Pre-built, wireless, low profile, optimized for travel – from ElimKeys.
Published January 9, 2026
Within the keyboard hobby, many people are on the fence between traditional keyboards and fully ergonomic designs. The pre-built split Elytra, looking jaw-dropping in the official photos but even more appealing in real life, is exactly for them: a split with horizontal staggering.
TL;DR: The Elytra stuns users with its quality machining, sleek design, low profile, fancy bottom. Features: compact design, lightweight alu case with Bluetooth connectivity, nice POM Kailh Choc V2 switches (hotswap PCB and MX-compatible keycaps), Vial support, lovely hard-shell carry case. Very easy to customize – the perfect choice if you'd like to go split but don't feel like soldering and coding, plus would stick to a more classic layout and skip relearning typing from the ground. :) Available from just $159 (super early bird) to $249 (full bundle with wrist rest and tenting).
When I see the Elytra, this gorgeous wireless 60% split designed by ElimKeys, I can't help but think of and compare it to the Cornix, my favorite project in 2025. Although ElimKeys is a different team, Jezail Funder Studio does have its marks on this board as a manufacturing partner: the quality, machining, even the keycaps and switch choice.
While I'm more into true, columnar ergo splits, I saw a lot of potential in this board, so took the time and put even more effort than usual into testing the Elytra. If you're looking for a deep insight – right down to a full teardown with disassembly photos – check out the review below. There's also a photodump on imgur.
Disclaimer
- ElimKeys' Haobo Gu – creator of the Rust-based RMK keyboard firmware by the way – was kind enough to send me this review unit for free. As always, freebies may introduce all kinds of biases – both negative and positive in my experience. Take everything I write with a grain of salt.
- This is a Kickstarter campaign, however, definitely not from the shady render-only kind. With not just early prototypes in existence, but with beta units at testers, the product is ready to manufacture.
- That said, the final mass-produced version will be further improved compared to the beta unit in the photos below.
Variants
There are two color variants: a black and a silver one, both bead-blasted and anodized, with matching black and white keycaps, respectively. Plus there will be two switch options – a light linear and a silent one –, both Choc V2s. Backers will be able to choose color and switch type after the campaign.
As you can see in the photos, I received the silver version. It was a surprise, I haven't chose it deliberately, but I'm more than happy about it: no fingerprints at all, which I'm not sure would be true for the black variant.
Unboxing & Contents
The Elytra came in a simple, tiny, no-frills cardboard box, with no branding at all – this will probably change for the mass-produced version. Or not. It doesn't really matters, because inside the outer cardboard, there was the keyboard in probably the cutest hard-shell case I've ever seen:
Contents:
- The pre-built split Elytra keyboard itself with keycaps and switches mounted
- hard-shell case
That was it for the beta sample. I'd like to stress that this wasn't the full, mass-produced bundle, so that may be something completely different. The Kickstarter page lists additional items like:
- Manual/Card
- USB cable
- 2x spare switches
- 2x spare caps
- combined tool to remove keycaps & switches
- also replacement bottom insulating layer?
And for the more pricey bundles:
- wrist rest
- tenting legs
First impressions, design language
Again, when it comes to the design language, I can't help but think of the Cornix. Probably only because the Jiffy SP75 (coming soon) isn't out yet? That's another similar split by Jezail Funder Studio, with horizontal staggering just like the Elytra. But the Elytra was in part done by JFS as well (manufacturing partner, assembly and keycaps). The quality of the milled aluminum case give all these boards a very sophisticated look and feel – relatively uncommon in the niche split scene. In addition, the Elytra raises the stakes with the fancy "biomimetic" bottom – a la Holy60.
When in use, this is a clean and simple build visually, with no branding whatsoever. Only when you turn the board upside down, will you realise that the designer went crazy with the bottom. (A not too obtrusive branding is on the carry case.)
Specs (and ToC)
- Layout: 63 keys (classic horizontal staggering, just split)
- Keycaps: dye-sub PBT LAK profile (low-pro MX)
- Switches: two custom low-pro all-POM Kailh Choc V2 options
- Case material: CNC aluminum
- Mounting: Tray mounted
- Plate: FR4, matte black, no flex cuts (at the moment)
- PCB: hotswap, matte black, no flex cuts or per-key LED
- Tenting: no tenting for the beta unit, 6 and 10.5 degrees planned
- Software support: RMK/Vial
- Wireless: Bluetooth, 3 BL connections, 2x300mAh
- Height: 11.8 mm case, less than 2 cm with caps and bumpons.
- Dimensions: 15.4x10.1cm (left) and 17.3x10.1cm (right)
- Weight: 420g
- Price: from $159
Layout
No steep learning curve. 63 keys, ANSI, classic horizontal staggering with B keys on both halves. Very close to the good old 60% layout, only split into two halves, with minor differences with regards to mapping of some keys.
The classic layout benefits newcomers to the split scene (easier transition from traditional layouts), but also serious typers who've mastered e.g. ANSI QWERTY and don't really want to relearn typing and retrain muscle memory to adapt to a fully ergo columnar arrangement.
63 keys may be considered already too many by hardcore split users typing on 36-42 keys (or even less). However, the Elytra is still very compact: lacking physical F-keys, numpad, and the classic arrow and navigation cluster. All you really have here beside alphas is the number row, modifiers, and the Elytra offers a dedicated arrow cluster as well, sacrificing the right mods.
Another small tweak is that the Esc key was mapped to CapsLock by default – actually, as it tuned out, this is Haobo's personal preference, and he forgot to change it back before flashing the samples. :)
In addition, the FN key occupies the spot for the right Shift. (According to the FAQ on Kickstarter, the UP key, right of the question mark, should be MT(RShift, Up), but it wasn't in my case.)
Build quality, structure, case
Excellent build quality. ElimKeys promises improvements in this regard, but why? :) My tester unit was flawless. Despite being very sleek, the whole thing has a healthy mass compared to much bulkier 3D-printed plastic cases. In addition, this silver variant looks absolutely fingerprint-resistant. By the way, both colors are bead-blasted and anodized aluminum.
Elytra is built from premium CNC aluminum, designed to feel solid yet impossibly light. We took inspiration from beetle elytra – the ultralight yet incredibly strong protective wing cases – and applied the same biomimetic idea to the underside of our CNC aluminum chassis – ElimKeys.
The screws are hidden, so to disassemble the Elytra, you have to remove a bunch of keyscaps first.
Honestly, more than half of the caps. This is definitely a prebuilt-first keyboard, aesthetics was more important than easy disassembly. Nevertheless, taking it apart isn't impossible either. At least it has all the screws in the same size and style – one screwdriver is sufficient.
Five screws to remove the top case, another five to remove the plate/PCB sandwich – for one half.
This structure is not the most optimal from the reviewer's point of view, but the majority of customers won't bother with disassembly anyway.
Structure & Mounting
Tray mounting, the plate/PCB sandwich is fixed to the bottom case by five screws. This design results in a more direct typing experience, no softness or extra cushioning like with gaskets and flex cuts.
Plate
Matte FR4 plate. No flex cuts at the moment, so the typing feel is very direct. That said, the final plate might have cuts to reduce the weight even more.
After the Cornix, this time not everything is 1U, so there are three stabilizers – for the spacebars and the left shift. Nice low-pro stabs.
PCB
This is a prebuilt keyboard so most of you won't need to get as far as disassembling it – prying the PCB off the plate plus switches. The 1.2 mm PCB features hotswap sockets but no LEDs, except the indicator LEDs of course. No flex cuts either.
Switches
The beta unit came with the already great all-POM Kailh Choc V2 White Rain switches, seen first in my LEGO split KBDcraft Israfel, but ElimKeys worked with Kailh to craft two custom low-profile switches for Elytra – CloudShell White (linear) and JZF Mist (silent). The final production units will come with these.
Both options are light linears, 40 and 37gf, respectively. Total travel: 2.8 mm.
If you'd like to experiment, feel free to use the most recent best-selling Choc switches, or your personal favorites. (Watch out for the stem though, while Choc V1 and V2 switches share the same footprint, you need different keycaps for them (MX vs Choc stem).
The point is: The PCB features hotswap sockets, so you're not restricted to the factory setup as you can easily swap switches without soldering.
Choc V2 means Choc footprint/pins and MX stem. The best of both worlds: low-profile switches with a much larger selection of MX-compatible keycaps compared to Choc ones. If you think that Choc switch selection is sparse, think again.
Keycaps
The PBT LAK keycaps are already very usable, especially for something split: a uniform, cylindrical profile with relatively small top surface. Due to the uniformity, you can easily rearrange the caps to match different alternative layouts (except for the homing keys of course).
The stock caps come from JZF, however, the legends are different – cleaner in this case. Lowercase, and no secondary legends and layer indicators, in contrast to the original Cornix caps. In addition, the black caps look this classy stealth black on black, unlike the white on black set of some Cornix variants.
Actually, LAK is even better for the Elytra than it was for the Cornix. The huge gap and harsh edges made it less optimal for thumb clusters. With a single convex spacebar per half, you don't have to slide your thumbs across multiple keys, so there's no such problem with the Elytra.
That said, while I don't have a compatible MX Lamé set to test it, I'd probably swap the caps for something less edgy – but this may be only me and my taste. Anyway, due to the MX stems of the Choc V2s, you're not restricted to these or low-pro caps at all.
With regards to keycap compatibity, the 60%-ish layout should be widely supported. Legend compatibility may be tricky in the bottom right region, but profile-wise only the 1.5U backspace caused me some headache.
My only issue was that the long Cherry caps may be too heavy for the keys with stabs? All three stuck. (And for your interest: the Choc V2 White Rain switches had no chance against the Awekeys metal keycaps.)
Bottom & Weight
No fancy weight, but a cool milled bottom with those organic holes familiar from boards like the Holy60 ("biomimetic CNC").
The beta unit came with no insulation whatsoever, the PCB being exposed through the holes. When the product is released, it will come with a default insulation pad mainly to prevent short circuits. In addition, there will be a full-size replaceable insulation pad included, which can be swapped in to provide extra protection against moisture or water, and dust.
Tenting & Typing angle
No tenting by default, not what I could try out with the beta unit, however, there's something what looks like a fixed tenting solution in the "Ultimate Ergo Bundle", probably available as an optional add-on as well.
The plan is to provide 6° and 10° tenting options, which can be adjusted by swapping the side supports.
Sound & Sound dampening
Keyboard sound is not really a thing in the DIY split scene, is it? Well, the Cornix has shown that it can be, and the Elytra performs quite well in this regard as well. As it's fitting for a pre-built split in such a nice milled case. Definitely not the DIY split sound experience: it's relatively muted, but very clean and nice – despite the lack of any sound dampening layers.
Most of my other plastic and 3D-printed splits, occasionally with huge XDA caps, are much louder and rattly. Compared to them, the Elytra is a refined precision machine with much more sophisticated sound.
For your interest, while currently no sound-absorbing foam is included (to save weight), the plan is to survey backers after the campaign. If there's enough demand, the plan is to make it happen.
Lights & Indicators
No per-key RGB, decoration lights or displays, as it is usual for most wireless-first boards. But there are four tiny indicator LEDs on the front, two on both halves, facing the user, displaying info on mode, connection status, and warning about low battery level.
Wireless
The Elytra is wireless (Bluetooth), supporting three BL connections, and featuring 2x300mAh batteries. The left half is the main device, you can use that one as wired too, but the USB socket of the right slave is only there for charging and reflashing the firmware. There's no cable between the halves.
Regarding battery life, ElimKeys' testing suggests that the left side (central) lasts about 2-3 weeks, and the right one (peripheral) at least 1 month – with 8 hours of active use per day.
There are dedicated on/off switches on both halves for on the go, or when not in use (however, the board goes into sleep mode automatically). I was informed that these switches do actual battery decoupling, unlike the Cornix: when the switch is off, the battery is phisically disconnected. In this case, the keyboard is powered by the USB cable, but the battery will not charge. Nice! (Protects the battery.)
And this is important. The Elytra has all kinds of certifications: IEC 62133 and UN38.3 for the battery, FCC, CE, TELEC, and BQB for the wireless module – so it should be safe.
However, as a general warning: if you use your wireless keyboards permanently connected, please read this article about built-in keyboard batteries and how to avoid fire – for details, tips, and horror stories.
Basically, keeping wireless boards plugged in constantly (charging) leads to accelerated degradation of the lithium battery. You have to follow proper battery care practices.
That said, check the battery for swelling regularly.
The right half of the Elytra is wireless only, so you can't remove or disconnect the battery. And while it's relatively inconvenient to get to the battery – removing some keycaps, unscrewing screws, etc. –, you can actually see the batteries, at least partially, due to the holes in the bottom of the case.
Software
Having RMK/Vial support is always nice. Easy remapping may be not that important for the target audience of the Elytra, at least compared to users of all-1U, columnar ergo splits with much less keys, but you may have to customize some functionality especially around the arrows, depending on the language(s) you use.
Fine-tuning your keymap is straightforward. The Elytra was instantly recognized by Vial, so setting up my custom keymap was a piece of cake. I can't really live without extra layers – activated by the two spacebars in this case, so the first thing I did was make sure if SpaceFN works as I'd expect. Spoiler: it works.
If you're new to layers, SpaceFN is this single logical layer, a real game-changer, putting arrows, navigation and numbers under your fingertips – accessible by combining tap-hold functions, e.g. for the right spacebar in my case:
But this is only a teaser: you have much more options with the Elytra. It supports tap-hold, tap-dance, macros, combos, etc.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is tricky, the Elytra is not perfect from an ergonomic point of view either, but balancing between a traditional layout and egro features, it checks a lot of boxes:
- When it comes to ergonomics, a split is always better than a one-piece keyboard: you can put the two halves at a comfortable angle and distance to open your chest, ensuring healthier wrist angle, alleviating ulnar deviation.
- Due to the low profile, wrist extension shouldn't be an issue.
- The full bundle has some kind of tenting (alleviating forearm pronation).
- What doesn't really work is: the classic horizontal staggering. While not the Elytra's fault, the classic arrangement of keys is botched inherently in many ways, especially for the left part.
- Finally, let me point out the split spacebar – it's a great improvement over a classic one-piece keyboard. Even if it offers less opportunities compared to a decent thumb cluster, it allows for easy access of two extra layers (tap-hold functions) – bringing often-used keys closer to the home positions, meaning less finger travel.
Portability & Carry case
The Elytra is a great board both for your desk and when mobility is an important requirement: it's compact and relatively light. Its wireless features make it inherently portable, no cables needed. In addition, both halves feature on/off switches, so no accidental keypresses and wakeups during travel.
Actually, the halves put on top of each other are about as high as a normal keyboard:
In addition, the Elytra comes with the cutest carry case I've ever seen. Like its big brothers, just a thousand times cuter. And with this super-nice plush cushioning inside.
All in all, the Elytra is perfectly suited for on the go.
Beta sample vs mass-produced version
As already mentioned, the unit you can see in the photos of this review was a beta sample. The final mass-production version will be slightly improved:
- Packaging: The full retail packaging wasn't ready yet, so this sample came only with the keyboard and the complimentary carrying case.
- Finish & seams: Allegedly, the production units will have tighter seams and a more refined surface finish. That said, I haven't spotted any flaws of the sample, no machining marks or gaps.
- Bottom insulation: The final version will include bottom insulation sheets (two options: segmented or full-sheet).
- Switches: The switches are still in sampling, this beta unit used Kailh's stock White Rain switches as a placeholder. The mass-production units will come with custom lighter switches, as described above.
Conclusion
The Elytra is an awesome pre-built split keyboard from ElimKeys – if you're into the classic, horizontal staggering, it's as close to the perfect low-pro split as it gets. Coming in a nice milled aluminum chassis, with a super-cute hardshell carry case, the team paid a lot of attention to achieving eye-catching design combined with great typing feel – not the usual priorities in the DIY part of the split scene. Featuring hotswap Choc V2 switches, low-profile PBT keycaps, and providing a great out-of-the-box typing experience. Vial support is the icing on the cake, for easy customizability. I can recommend this board to anyone who'd like to try a high-quality alu split, even though I tested a beta unit.
Pros
- exceptional build quality for something low-pro split
- highly customizable (hotswap Choc footprint, MX stem, Vial)
- awesome carry case
Cons
- a bit cumbersome full disassembly (needed e.g. to properly check battery health) – which could become important after a few years of use
Price & Availability
Originally, the Elytra was available through Kickstarter only, price starting from $159 (until Jan 15th). Now there's an Elimkeys site too.
Hurry up if you liked what you read in this review. ;)
- Elytra on Kickstarter.
- Elytra splash page at Elimkeys.
- Elytra manual
Published on Fri 9th Jan 2026. Featured in KBD #204.
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