Kinetic Labs’ keycaps are all themed with animals and the latest to join their list is the new Hippo PBT keycaps set. The Kinetic Labs Hippo PBT keycaps is designed by Hipyo Tech, which features light purple and pink palette with lots of novelties. The Kinetic Labs Hippo PBT keycaps retails for US$79.99, and will be an in-stock item.
Tech specs
| Manufacturer | PolyCaps |
| Material | PBT |
| PBT feel | Slightly textured |
| Legends | Dye-sublimation |
| Profile | Cherry |
| Compatibility | ANSI / ISO support for 60%, 65%, 75%, and 100% (full size), including WKL. Support for conventional Alice and split shifts, split backspace, and split space. |
Unboxing
Kinetic Labs Hippo PBT keycaps comes in a slightly longer box than the Seal PBT, with delightful Hippo art on the cover. In the box you’ll find 4 trays of keycaps and a keycap puller.
Keyboard layout support
Kinetic Labs Hippo PBT comes in one option of an “all-in-one” kit, like all other Kinetic Labs keycaps sets, but this kitting is more comprehensive than the rest. Hippo PBT keycaps will fit conventional keyboard layouts (60%-100%) that use a standard bottom row. It also supports ISO layouts, conventional Alice and split shifts, split backspace, and split space.
Keycaps quality
Despite being manufactured by Polycaps, the Whale PBT and the Seal PBT feel and look different. The new Hippo PBT is also different from both. It might be good if Kinetic Labs started to standardise the moulds they are using for their future keycaps sets. And if they do, I think it will be great if they use the moulds that they are using for the Hippo PBT.
One of the main differences between the Hippo PBT and the Whale and Seal PBT is that the Hippo PBT is that the legends are from a dye-sublimation process instead of doubleshot. Even though dye-sublimation is not as expensive of a process than doubleshot, the legends on the Hippo PBT still look very sharp.
Hippo PBT vs Whale PBT vs Seal PBT
Taking a look at the images below, we’ll find that the alphas on the Seal is the largest, followed by the Hippo, then the smallest being the Whale. When we take a look at the modifiers, all three keycap sets are different as well. The Hippo uses an Icon style, Seal uses Icon+Text style, and the Whale uses a Text style. My personal favourite is the Icon modifiers, so Hippo is my winner.
Texture and legends – Hippo PBT vs Seal PBT
Both Hippo and Seal keycaps are made from PBT plastic but they feel different from one another. The Seal PBT feels more textured and ‘rough’ while the Hippo PBT is smoother in comparison. As for legends, the printing on the Hippo PBT keycaps seems to be indented slightly below than a true top-left like the Seal PBT. Other than that, the legends on Hippo PBT are crisp and consistent across the board.
Another thing to note is the switch housing of the keycaps of the Hippo PBT seem to be tighter than that of the Seal PBT. So, if you’re using switches that have tight stem mounts, the fit on the Hippo PBT can be quite tight. The quality of the plastic on the Hippo PBT feels as thick as the Seal PBT.
Novelties
It is refreshing to see novelties included in the Hippo PBT keycaps kit. And there are actually a good variety provided for the modifiers and accents. The novelties are rather cute and give off a fun flair to the overall look.
Colourway & mounted on keyboards
If you are into pastel colours, the Hippo PBT keycaps are bound to interest you. I like how the blue legends complement with the light purple modifiers and the pink accents. The pink accents are quite close in colour to the light purple, so there isn’t a strong contrast, but instead provide a subtle blend.
Since I have mounted all Kinetic Labs keycaps on the Babypowder White OwLab Mr. Suit, let’s do the same for the Hippo PBT set. The light colours on the Hippo PBT looks really nice on a white board, and looks even cleaner if you’re using a light coloured deskmat.
I was curious to see what the set will look like if the accent colours are blue instead of pink so that there is greater contrast. To pique your interest, you can scroll the between the comparative image below:
Where to buy
As of now, you can only purchase the Kinetic Labs Hippo PBT keycaps directly from Kinetic Labs. The retail for US$79.99 which is slightly more than their current offerings, but I’d say it is worth it. You get novelties, a more comprehensive kitting, Icon modifiers, and a consistent legends printing. Kinetic Labs should consider producing keycaps with the same mould they are using for the Hippo PBT.
Shipping out of US on their site is typically expensive, so if you’re interested in purchasing do try to see if you can collate orders to split the shipping cost. Alternatively, you can try using freight forwarding services such as EzShip to reduce the shipping cost.