Keyboard Builders' Digest / Review
KiiBOOM LOOP65 review
The KiiBOOM LOOP65 is an affordable 65% keyboard with a cool multi-color aluminum case. A relatively compact wireless board supporting VIA.
Published June 4, 2025
The 65% keyboard market is so crowded that it's hard to bring something new to the table. But KiiBOOM managed just that with the LOOP65. Its eye-catching CNC aluminum case – with its multi-part, multi-color construction – is genuinely unique in this price range, and both color variants look stunning. While I'm not a huge fan of gradient keycap sets in general, I have to admit this prebuilt board delivers an excellent out-of-the-box typing experience. Warning: Not for keymap wizards at its current state though.
Disclaimer
I received this review unit from KiiBOOM. As always, receiving a free sample can introduce various biases (both negative and positive, in my experience) – so please keep this in mind while reading this review. That said, I was not paid to write about this product.
Unboxing
The quality cardboard box is nice, its colors match the purple/pink variant better I guess. In the box there is the fully assembled LOOP65, a basic white USB-C cable, combined keycap/switch remover tool, hex key, manual, plus a dust cover – an often missing but handy accessory. (The coiled cable you may see in some of the photos below is not part of the bundle.)
Features
- 65% layout, ANSI, 66 keys
- KiiBOOM Matcha Latte 2.0 switches (MX, hotswap)
- plate-mounted stabilizers
- gasket mounting
- flex-cut FR4 plate
- plenty of sound dampening layers
- rotary encoder
- per-key RGB, south facing
- wired USB-C, Bluetooth, and 2.4G connectivity
- 4000mAh battery
- VIA/QMK
- 1KHz (wired and 2.4G) or 125Hz (Bluetooth) polling
- official dimensions: 322x114x45mm
- weight: 1.5kg
Variants
Beside the Black/Grey variant there's also a beautiful Purple/Pink one available. I could have chosen that one, but don't really have matching keycap sets. That said, it looks fantastic in my opinion.
Layout
The relatively small 65% form factor ensures compactness while retaining an extra column on the right for a partial navigation cluster or macros. ANSI only. 65% means you don't have the numpad, nor function keys.
I personally prefer an offset arrow cluster, but the small gap on its left helps too. That said, I would use Space FN – and not touching physical arrows keys too often this way –, however, layer tap functions doesn't seem to work with the spacebar in VIA.
A potential culprit is the VIA JSON file, which contains two layout variants, one with split spacebars. As much as I'd love it, I can't see any sign of a split spacebar support on the PCB. Maybe in a future revision or as a separate offer.
In addition, the LOOP65 sports a rotary encoder. A fancy feature, assigned to volume adjustment by default, but customizable with VIA. I'm not entirely sure about this, but the knob feels metal too – a bit wobbly though.
Keycaps
The keycaps have a subtle gradient effect, matching the particular colorway. Dye-sublimated, not double-shot of course. Sculpted cylindrical Cherry or Cherry-ish profile.
The neutral black/grey case of the LOOP65 makes it a perfect basis for keycaps in various colorways.
That said, I had SP's Blackest Black keycap set lying around, so mounted those to experiment with the hidden legends revealed only by UV light. FYI, these, despite being double-shot, sound just as good as the original KiiBOOM caps. Which means the LOOP65 is well-tuned, and the stock caps sound great too.
Switches
KiiBOOM sells a handful of their own branded mechanical switches. The LOOP65 comes with the 53g KiiBOOM Matcha Latte 2.0, offering a great typing feel, at least for my taste. I've been using lighter linears for years now, but these switches felt comfortable despite the higher operating force. (There are some inconsistencies in the specs and across product pages though.)
Here are some specs based on the KiiBOOM product page:
- 53gF actuation at 2mm
- 58gF bottom-out at 3.8mm
- LY stem, standard MX shape
- PC top and bottom housing
- light diffuser
- 5 pins
- 50 million keystroke lifespan
That said, purely out of curiosity, I replaced the switches with the tactile Akko Cilantros – now trending at multiple shops.
The Cilantros made the sound a bit louder and more clacky. The Matcha Latte is more muted with a deeper clack, almost on the thocky side. The exact sound is quite heterogeneous because of the many flex cuts. It depends on what exact key you press.
Disassembly & Structure
Inherited from KiiBOOM's first full metal keyboard that utilizes the mortise and tenon structure – the KiiBOOM Moonshadow –, the LOOP65 uses a similar concept by using several metal pieces combined with gasket structure. This indeed provides a solid basis and soft typing experience, as promised.
Case
Six-piece CNC aluminum case: Two-part top and bottom cases plus one side panel on each side.
For the disassembly you have to remove ten hex screws, easily accessible from the bottom.
The core sandwich is mounted via gaskets:
It's made of an FR4 plate, massacred by numerous flex cuts, a thick plate foam, nice black PCB, bottom foam, plus some other thin layers here and there.
PCB
The black PCB with lots of flex cuts.
Below the PCB there's another thick foam.
Sound and dampening
The stock sound in my opinion is awesome. KiiBOOM haven't spared with sound dampening layers: top poron pad, PET layer, transparent isolation pad above the PCB, and a bottom pad with cutouts for the hotswap sockets and other components on the bottom.
Coming with the PORON sandwich foam, IXPE switch padding, PET noise cancellation pad, PORON bottom foam, and PET isolation bottom pad, the Loop 65 effectively eliminates the hallow sound/ cavity noise to the greatest extent while typing – KiiBOOM.
Lights
Per-key RGB with some familiar effects.
Wireless
The LOOP65 is a tri-mode keyboard, offering wired USB-C, Bluetooth, and 2.4G connectivity – with a 4000mAh battery.
That said, if you use your keyboard permanently connected, please read this article about Built-in keyboard batteries and how to avoid fire for ideas an horror stories.
Basically, keeping the board plugged in constantly leads to accelerated degradation of the lithium battery. You have to follow proper battery care practices, so you should remove or disconnect the battery if you don't need wireless functionality. Check the battery for swelling regularly, even when disconnected or removed.
Portability
While the 65% form factor is relatively small and portable in general, the hefty 1.5kg CNC aluminum case makes the LOOP65 less ideal for travel.
Firmware
The LOOP65 is VIA/QMK compatible. It was a bit surprising that the wired mode is not the default, I mean, after powering up the keyboard, LEDs lighting up, you have to press FN+T for the system to recognize the device even when plugged in.
It's a minor inconvenience. What's more serious is the issue with VIA: as already mentioned, I wasn't able to set up SpaceFN – couldn't assign layer functions to the spacebar key(s). In the VIA editor mode the split spacebar shows up even when selecting the standard spacebar in the settings.
Pros
- classy aluminum case with a unique touch
- popular form factor
- great out-of-the-box typing experience
Cons
- Firmware issue(?)
- Maybe the fontface of the main legends is not my cup of tea.
- The encoder is a bit wobbly.
- This quality keyboard deserves a fancy cable! :)
Conclusion
KiiBOOM's LOOP65 is a tri-mode wireless 65% keyboard in a fancy CNC aluminum case. It offers a great typing experience out of the box, however, you can easily replace keycaps or switches if you'd like to experiment. The stock dye-sub keycap sets match the two color variants well. Together with the KiiBOOM Matcha Latte switches, hefty case and lots of sound dampening, they provide an excellent deep clack. For $160 $152, the gorgeous-looking LOOP65 is definitely a model to consider if you'd like something in this form factor.
Those who would use it for typing in QWERTY/English can drop it straight into their shopping cart. More serious keymap wizards should wait for a firmware update or clarifications about the issues.
Availability
The LOOP65 is available at KiiBOOM. Use the KBDNEWS coupon code for 5% off:
- KiiBOOM LOOP65 product page at KiiBOOM
Published on Wed 4th Jun 2025. Featured in KBD #192 (source).
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