Keyboard Builders' Digest / Review
KBDcraft Lilith & Lilin
Lilith and Lilin are two LEGO-compatible keyboard models by KBDcraft, working together or on their own.
Published October 22, 2024
I finally managed to put together these awesome keyboard kits from KBDcraft: the Lilith is a 60% model, and the Lilin is either its extension to add some extra columns to the flanks, or an independent ergo split macropad/numpad if you will – everything is LEGO-compatible, so the only limit to the possibilities is your imagination and creativity.
TLDR; Both the Lilith and Lilin offer the great building experience and versatility KBDcraft keyboards are known of. Hotswap, gasket mounting, Vial compatibility. In fact, building a brick keyboard is hard to compare with building any other standard keyboard. No soldering, no screws, the guide is like the instructions for a LEGO set. It's really a fun and unique experience. That said, the board is relatively high, despite the new 5.5 degree typing angle introduced with the Lilith.
Compared to fellow community member Boyu's first project, the similarly 60% Adam, the Lilith reflects a slightly more refined design and appearance, and also a 5.5° typing angle. The Lilith is available either in ANSI or ISO layout (different PCBs or "Cores" in the KBDcraft nomenclature) and can also be purchased with or without switches and a special keycap set.
While Lilith does share some components with Adam, we added unique and playful features that embody Lilith's distinct characteristics – Boyu.
Disclaimer
The Lilith and Lilin you can see in the photos were sent to me by KBDcraft. I'm not paid to write this review, but receiving a free sample can still introduce various biases – both positive and negative in my experience. So, take everything I write with a grain of salt.
Lilith specs
- layout: 60%, 64 keys, ANSI or ISO (different PCB options)
- hotswap
- switch: S² Engine Gen.2 (optional)
- gasket mounting
- POM or FR4 plate
- brick platform
- plate-mounted stabilizers
- completely screw-free build
- QMK/Vial
- per-key RGB
Lilin
- layout: 20%, 17 keys
- white FR4 plate
- adjustable angle
- split numpad layout, no 1U options beneath the 2U caps
Unboxing & Contents
The boards arrived in the familiar cardboard boxes, but the packaging design has been improved a bit since my Adam, Adam0110b and Addams numpad.
The full bundle with switches and caps includes quite a few items, such as a variety of alternative keycaps, allowing you to create different color combinations.
The switches are the new S² Engine Gen.2 ones, which were introduced at the launch of the Lilith, and have since become the standard switch for all KBDcraft keyboards. The package also includes stabilizers, instructions, and a nice coiled cable.
Interestingly, the red coiled cable was a USB-C one for the Lilin, and a USB-A for the Lilith (host side). No problem for me, I'm sitting on heaps of cables, but this is something worth paying attention to.
Layout
The Lilith's layout is the classic 60%, and the Lilin is 20% – like a numpad chopped into two halves.
The benefits of 60%? Apparently, the reduced width. Function keys are available on a separate logical layer, and I find this arrow arrangement a bit cramped. No problem if you implement SpaceFN.
Building the Lilith/Lilin
The instructions are clear, building these boards was a breeze. Everything went smoothly, no tricky parts this time – unlike my experience with the original Adam, where I encountered issues like bending of the base plate.)
I started with the smaller Lilin, and I found its instructions to be a bit more straightforward. The booklet is likely newer and updated compared to that of the Lilith.
I hoped that the Lilin can be used as a 20-key split keyboard, but it doesn't quite work that way. It indeed features a numpad layout split into two halves, with the 2U caps concealing a single switch. Additionally, the default building orientation is the opposite of what you would use for a monoblock split. Since this is LEGO, you can, of course, build around the PCBs however you like, but this orientation suggests that the original idea was not intended to be a LEGO split. :)
What else? I especially loved the "embedded" cables – with LEGO bricks around the wires. Both for the USB and internal ones. Very clever.
Keycaps
The Lilin comes with multiple keycap sets, you have these BLOCK/Doys/Mobop style caps in three colors, but also a white sculpted set. (The former is referred to as DSS at kbdcraft.com, but I'd prefer to reserve that acronym for the sculpted version of DSA, which was designed by Signature Plastics in the 1980s.)
The Lilith comes with plenty of keycaps too: a huge set with white and purple options. KBDcraft calls this "physical pixels" or Keymoji.
Switches
The full kit includes S² Engine Gen.2 switches, but the keyboard is hotswappable, allowing you to use any switch you prefer.
The S2s are nice, light linears with POM stem. The also look pretty good.
- MX
- linear
- 36gf operating force
- POM stem
- pre-travel: 1.5mm
- total travel: 3.8mm
- pre-lubed
If you go with the barebone kit, feel free to check out the recent best-seller lists or community-favorite switches.
PCB
The PCB, or 'Core' as KBDcraft calls it, is a component shared with the Adam. It's a hotswap PCB with per-key RGB, capable of supporting peripherals like the Lilin and Addams. The boards come with plate mounted stabilizers, but the PCBs have the holes for PCB-mount ones too.
Sound dampening
The gaskets are made of poron, the feet are rubber, and there's also an optional sound pad system for improved sound quality. That said, the typing experience can't really compared to that of an aluminum keyboard.
RGB
Lots of effects and colors, but there's a preset which matches the purple keycaps very well.
Ball joints & minifigs
The orange LEGO pieces in some of the photos are ball joints to "easily and flexibly connect external decorative or functional parts".
E.g. the random mini figures you receive with the bundle. I got these two LEGO figures, but you can put anything else on the keyboards.
Portability
Well, the Lilith is a 60% keyboard, so given the relatively small footprint, moderate weight and overall dimensions, transporting it in a backpack is absolutely possible. However, if portability is your main concern, there are probably better options out there.
Software
These boards are Vial compatible, either individually, or – even better – combined too! I forgot to test them separately before building the combined monstre Lilith with Lilin macro columns, but after connecting the three separete PCBs with the supplied cables, Vial recognized it as one unit – almost perfectly. (Reconfiguring the right part worked as expected despite Vial displaying it as a full numpad.)
Making basic changes to the keymap (e.g. swapping alphas) is easy, so I could set up my custom keymap on the base layer. Reproducing SpaceFN should work fine too, I implemented a basic SpaceFN arrangement for this test, putting arrows, navigation, and numbers on a separate logical layer to have these below my fingertips.
Conclusion
Boyu's Lilith and Lilin, two new LEGO-compatible keyboards, are smartly designed to complete a diverse product line when combined with each other or other members of this series. No need to solder, no screws at all, "building" in this case really is like putting together a LEGO set. While the final typing experience is hard to compare to other boards, especially aluminum keyboards, features of the Lilith (hotswap, brick structure, optional sound dampening, etc.) make it perfect for customization.
Pros
- design & LEGO-compatibility
- modularity
- hotswap
Cons
- The split scene deserves an updated Lilin PCB with all-1U switch footprints! :)
Availability
The Lilith and Lilin are available as barebone or full kits from $104 and $29, respectively. Use the KBDNEWS coupon code to claim these prices with a 5% discount. (The code works for all the KBDcraft products).
Published on Tue 22nd Oct 2024. Featured in KBD #177.