On paper, the Epomaker TH85 is yet another 75% plastic mechanical keyboard from the Epomaker brand. But it is slightly different. The TH85 is almost like a TKL in terms of its keys layout, and now has support for VIA/QMK. Epomaker TH85 retails at US$80 it is relatively affordable.
Unboxing
Here is what you will find the box:
- EPOMAKER TH85 keyboard
- 2.4G Dongle (hidden in the keyboard)
- Type-C Cable
- 2-in-1 Keycap/Switch Puller
- Spare switches
- User Manual
Build quality and design
The Epomaker TH85 is available into three colour options – (1) Black White Blue, (2) White Black, and (3) Black White. The variant I have is the ‘Black White Blue’ colour option, which comes with a black case along with white keycaps accompanied by blue accents. The fonts on the keycaps looks the cleanest on the ‘Black White Blue’ model.
The design of the Epomaker TH85 caters more towards the “gamer aesthetic” with a running honeycomb-like RGB strip that runs across the front and sides of the keyboard. The is a blue plastic tab of EPOMAKER branding which feels a little out of place. It would have been nicer without it or if it used silver-like finish, like the one used above the arrow cluster. The way the RGB lighting is implemented is quite nice – it is diffused and not overly bright. As for build quality, the Epomaker TH85 is a plastic board and it feels very much like other plastic keyboards from Epomaker. The included keycaps are made of double-shot PBT plastic in Cherry profile.
The USB-C port is right in the center, with the one/off switch and Win/Mac switch on its adjacent. I thought Epomaker left out the 2.4GHz dongle in my unit, but I only realized after that they have design a very smart slot underneath the adjustable rubber feet to store it.
Typing acoustics & experience
Unlike the case colours, there are no switch options with the Epomaker TH85. The keyboard is built with Creamy Jade linear switches, which have 50g of bottom out force (45g operating) and 3.6mm of total travel. The plate used in the keyboard is a PC plate.
Epomaker TH85 uses a gasket mounting system, which feels less rigid and harsh compared to traditional tray mount keyboards. There are a total of 5 layers of sound dampening built into the board – poron sandwich foam, IXPE switch pad, sound enhancement pad, poron switch socket pad, and bottom silicone. The result is a creamy thock sound signature which is very similar to what you will get through a “PE foam” mod, very much due to the use of the IXPE switch pad in the built. The sound has less of the clack profile when compared to an aluminium board such as the Epomaker P87.
Epomaker TH85 is equipped with plate-mounted stabilisers which are pre-lubed and the stock performance is good. I did not observe any keys having rattle or tick sounds at all. The PCB is hot-swappable supporting both 3-pin and 5-pin switches, so it allows you to change the switches into something else in the future.
Connectivity and battery
Epomaker TH85 offers three modes of connectivity – (1) wired via USB, (2) Bluetooth 5.0, and (3) 2.4GHz wireless. TH85 is equipped with a 4,000mAh battery but there is no advice of how long the battery will last. You can check the battery percentage status of the keyboard by holding the Fn + Enter. If the keys from 1 to 8 light up it means that the battery is at 80% – it’s quite a nifty feature. For other functions, you can refer below:
I’m glad that Epomaker is starting to adopt the VIA/QMK as the customisation software. You can even make customisations for the TH85 on the web without needing to install a software. I hope Epomaker continue to go down this road instead of rolling out custom keyboard drivers.
Conclusion
If you’re not too fussed about having a typical 75% layout, then the Epomaker TH85 is a really good option within the 75% size. The fact that it supports VIA/QMK already makes it easy to recommend over other of its 75% boards. The design is done in good taste and acoustics wise it is also pleasant. For a sub US$100 keyboard, I think the Epomaker TH85 has done many things right and is a great option to consider.