Review: HHKB Professional Classic Type-S

The Happy Hacking Keyboard series has been in production for nearly 30 years. In that time, the keyboards have consistently focused on two things: a signature layout and extensive utility. Nearly all of them have also featured what many enthusiasts consider the star of the show—Topre electro-capacitive switches.

With a cultlike following and a fairly simple construction, it can be easy to assume that these keyboards aren’t worth the high price—and they aren't for most people. However, the HHKB brings something unique to the table: A design that has been refined over the years, creating an out-of-the-box experience that can’t be improved. In an age of planned obsolescence and enshittification, a mechanical keyboard like this is hard to find.

Classic “Thock”

Photograph: Henri Robbins

For the uninitiated, the Topre electro-capacitive switch is … unique. Some people swear by them, refusing to type on anything else. They're distinctly different from the standard Cherry MX-style switch for a few reasons. They use a rubber dome instead of a spring, they are not hot-swappable, and they are only available as tactile switches. No linear option here.

Typing on them is unlike any other switch. They have a strong, rounded tactile bump; you press down, there’s a bit of resistance, and instead of an immediate click as the resistance gives way, the switch gradually loses tension. It’s hard to describe, but these switches feel satisfying and comfortable in a way that other tactiles don’t.

Each switch consists of a keycap, a plastic slider, a rubber dome, and a cone-shaped spring underneath. When you press a key, the slider is pushed down, which then compresses the rubber dome. When the rubber dome compresses, the coils of the spring come closer together, which registers a key input by sensing a change in the surrounding electromagnetic field, an effect called electromagnetic capacitance—the same basic principle modern touchscreens use, although the exact mechanics are different.

Sadly, people naturally compare them to rubber dome switches. You know them well: Cheap office keyboards that feel mushy and sad to type on, with a limp tactility that gives way without any flair. There are some similarities between the two, but comparing them is like comparing a custom-made ballpoint pen to a 20-cent Bic from a multi-pack; they may use similar internal mechanisms, but the level of refinement is incomparable. Topre switches feel crisp and responsive, with a distinct tactile bump, smooth actuation, and a consistent, confident keypress. Standard rubber domes feel soulless and banal by comparison.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

The switches in the Type-S are also silenced. This is done by placing a rubber ring between the stem and the housing, dampening the noise from the stem returning to its resting position after being pressed. Because there is no silicone damping at the bottom of the keypress, the silenced switches don’t have any added mushiness compared to non-silenced Topre switches. However, this also means the bottom-out of the switch is still fairly loud—the “silent” in the switch's name is only in comparison to non-silenced Topre switches.

What differentiates the HHKB from nearly any other keyboard, Topre or otherwise, is the plate. Traditionally, keyboards consist of multiple individual switches embedded in a separate plate. Instead, the entire top half of the HHKB is a singular piece of injection-molded ABS plastic. The top case, plate, and individual switch housings are all a singular piece.

This may sound less than ideal. After all, aren’t metal components and customizable parts preferred? But it works exceptionally well. The typing experience feels a bit softer, with more give and less harshness, and it is devoid of the typical rattles that can plague Topre switches with separate housings. It matters what these materials do and why they are used. Many keyboards opt for plastic because it's cheaper, and in those cases, the design does not typically benefit from the material. When it is used properly, the typing experience can benefit.

The integrated plate is so beloved that even the company behind one of the most high-end custom shells for the HHKB, Norbauer’s “Heavy Grail” case, designed and manufactured a custom injection-molded plastic plate instead of using individual switch housings.

Coding Layout

Photograph: Henri Robbins

The largest benefit of any HHKB is the layout. Right out of the box, this keyboard is designed to be intuitive and efficient for coding. The Function key can easily be accessed by the right pinky, and the Control key has been moved from the corner to replace the Caps Lock key. The function layer underneath has also been custom designed.

The most jarring part of the layout will likely be the lack of keys in the bottom left and right corners, but those keys are (supposedly) absent for a reason. In theory, it’s difficult to reach your pinky down to the corner while keeping your hand on the home row. Instead, the only key left in that row is the smaller Alt key, which can be reached by the pinky or thumb more easily. While I don’t necessarily agree with the choice to leave the corners blank, the trade-off of a Control key that is immediately accessible is worthwhile, and the blanked corners have become iconic enough with the HHKB that getting rid of them would be near-blasphemous to the community that has developed around this keyboard.

The Control key’s new location is also shockingly helpful in video games. Crouching (assuming you don’t immediately remap Crouch to “C”) is far easier, and in games like Helldivers 2, calling in support items will be just a bit quicker when you don’t have to reach your pinky down to the bottom corner beforehand.

Neither the switches nor the polling rate is particularly effective for gaming. The keyboard only operates at a 125-Hz polling rate, which is functional, but falls far behind much lower-priced gaming-oriented keyboards. The switches, being fairly slow tactile switches that take a good amount of time to return from being pressed, are not going to be the fastest option by a long shot. However, if you’re primarily focused on casual games or aren’t concerned about lightning-fast responses, the Type-S will pair fairly well with pretty much any gaming mouse to create a passable gaming experience.

Enthusiast Keyboard

Photograph: Henri Robbins

One of the benefits of the HHKB is its extensive aftermarket. Topre switches have a long history with enthusiasts, and there have been countless different modifications made available over the years, such as rubber domes with increased tactility, replacement sliders that allow for standard Cherry MX keycaps to be installed, and even entire aftermarket shells made from aluminum and brass. These modifications can let you really fine-tune your HHKB to your personal tastes, but they all have the same downside: Taking apart a Topre keyboard is not easy. And I say that as someone who has been working on these keyboards for years.

Taking apart the shell is simple: You first need to remove a warranty sticker (which voids your warranty), then you remove three screws at the top of the case. That’s it—the case has three plastic tabs on the bottom that hold it in place, and these can be disconnected by lifting the bottom half of the case out at an angle. Next, there is a ribbon cable with all-metal latches. These are easy to remove and feel far more robust than a normal plastic ribbon cable connector.

Next, there are a dozen or so screws that hold the printed circuit board (PCB) against the top shell. Remove these carefully. I recommend setting the top shell on a raised surface along the edges to ensure that none of the keys are pressed down at all. This ensures springs and domes don’t go flying everywhere once the PCB is removed, as this is the only thing holding them in place.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

The internal design is simple and robust, and the ribbon cable is high-quality, using metal clasps instead of the typical plastic connectors, which any tinkerer knows are far too easy to accidentally break. The case doesn’t use any plastic clips, but the case screws are going directly into plastic, which is still not perfect. While maintenance and upgrades are tedious, there aren’t any decisions made with this keyboard that seem likely to result in premature failures. The plastic cases are proven to be durable; I’ve seen countless posts of people showing off their age-yellowed HHKBs like a badge of honor.

While there is a large aftermarket for these keyboards, customization is still fairly limited. Nearly every aspect of this keyboard is semi-proprietary: The keycaps use a nonstandard, Topre-specific stem, meaning you either need Topre-specific keycaps or aftermarket sliders, and the keyboard’s layout means you need a specialized short spacebar (the HHKB has a six-key-long [6u] spacebar, while most other keyboards use either a 6.25u or a 7u spacebar. Even some 6u spacebars might not fit, since there are two common types with different stem placements.

The wired-only HHKB Professional Classic Type-S is the black sheep of the keyboard world in many ways, and it fits into its niche perfectly. Nearly every aspect of it comes together to make a great keyboard for efficiency-minded typists who want something special, and it has proven durable over decades of manufacturing.