Razer Ornata Chroma Keyboard Review

Final Thoughts

Price

I know Razer get a lot of stick from a few members of the gaming community about their prices. They’ve always marketed themselves as a premium brand and commanded premium prices, but I must admit that I was expecting the Ornata Chroma to be worth more than it is. At just £99.99 I think it’s one of the most competitive high-end mechanical (well, Mecha-membrane) on the market.

Overview

While it may not have the crazy features we often see on high-end gaming keyboards, the Razer Ornata Chroma actually feels a little more grown-up than the usual offerings from Razer. While it does have their Chroma lighting for all your disco-loving effects that look great when you’re showing friends your rig, or just picking your favourite shade of purple the rest of the time, everything else is quite reserved.

In terms of gaming performance, this keyboard is up there with the best on the market. The shorter actuation on the switches isn’t going to make you a pro gamer, heck it’s not even like I can perceive the minute difference in my response times; I was slow before this keyboard and I still am. What does matter while gaming is how easy it is to quickly trigger keys, the light action and the fast return rate go a long way to reducing fatigue and I found it remarkably comfortable to game on, even more so thanks to that luxurious padded wrist rest.

I love typing on this keyboard, and if you’re a fan of Blue or Green switch keyboards, you’ll recall that first time you typed on one and knew you had to have it. This keyboard has a similar vibe, it’s not quite like any other mech or membrane keyboard, but it’s nice to have a smoother feel while still getting that audible and a little tactile feedback.

The build quality is rock solid, and while I know Razer has had a few snarks about build quality on some products over the years (name a brand that hasn’t), I’m not seeing any issues here. The chassis is thick and strong, the key caps are of a good quality, the switches are promising an 80-million actuation life span, there’s a thick braided cable on the back, and the wrist rest is magnetic so none of those silly plastic clips to break.

It may be noisy, but the typing action is sure to leave a smile on your face and it’s great to see something a little different on the market.

Pros

• Great build quality
• Nice overall design
• Chroma lighting
• Braided cable
• Excellent switch performance
• Padded wrist rest included
• Great for work and gaming
• Competitive price

Cons

• None

Neutral

• May have one of the loudest clicks of any “mech” keyboard switch on the market

“Razer set out to create something new and exciting and that’s exactly what they’ve done with the Ornata Chroma. While it may be a little noisy, you won’t care once you start tapping out your emails or enjoying your favourite game, as the performance and tactile feedback are absolutely on point here. One of the best sub £100 keyboards we’ve seen in a while!”