Glorious GMMK Pro review: easy mode for DIY keyboards

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There was a lot of excitement when the GMMK Pro was announced over a year and a half ago. It was easy for newcomers to get into the hobby because of the custom and sleek 75 percent keyboard that was here. The parts could be ordered from the same company and assembled without any skill required. It came with a design trait that has been copied widely since.

The Keychron Q1, which doesn't have the same vibe but offers similar features and designs for a lower cost, has been succeeded by the GMMK Pro. We thought it was a good time to check out the GMMK Pro and see how it does after a year of hype.

The main appeal of the GMMK Pro is a do it yourself experience without the headaches. It is possible to build a custom keyboard that mimics the look and feel of the GMMK Pro, but it requires a lot of research. You may have to go through multiple vendors to assemble the components. It is possible to order everything for the GMMK Pro from the same page, which is guaranteed to fit together.

The amount of choice you have when putting together a custom keyboard can be intimidating, but Glorious and the GMMK Pro are doing a good job at introducing the uninitiated to the do-it-yourself market. You can order all your parts from a single vendor, which makes the process of building your own keyboard much less frustrating. A streamlined process is needed to get all the necessary components from the base board itself. Additional fees can be paid to knock out grunt work. This process accentuates how expensive this hobby can be.

The model I have here is relatively standard, with Kailh Speed Silver switches, a matt black chassis, black PBT shine-through keycaps, and an additional USB-C aviator cable that came in at just under $300 before shipping. If you pull out all the stops, you can easily spend upwards of $600 if you choose to. It's worth noting that you can get a complete keyboard for as low as $240, or all the way down to $169.99, if you just want the board itself without any caps or switches.

The keyboard itself doesn't come assembled, so it's important to consider that when looking at the GMMK Pro. You put everything together yourself, instead of being shipped the equipment. Having everything laid out in front of you before you put it all together allows you to install aftermarket mod without having to break anything down. Getting everything up and running in about 20 minutes is possible thanks to the hot swap PCB, which lets you plug in switches without needing to solder them. The process for anyone looking to get into the hobby is provided by doing so.

The first impressions of the keyboard are that it looks good. I have to admire its clean aesthetic even though it has an all-black chassis and accessories. The underside of the keyboard has a logo on it, but it doesn't have any branding on it. The GMMK Pro has lighting that is applied tastefully. There are two light strips on the side that run along the PCB. It's not possible to apply multiple themes to a single set of keys because there are so many preset lighting effects.

The overall look of the keyboard is top-notch and obnoxiously good-looking, making everything around it look better than it actually is.

The body of the GMMK Pro is very heavy for a keyboard. This is mostly due to its metal frame and lack of plastic componentry. It's nice to have a keyboard that won't slide around your desk, and it feels like it could last a long time. This is by far the heaviest keyboard I have ever used, weighing in at 3.3 pounds. The chassis is particularly resistant to flexing and wobbles. There is no feet to angle the keyboard. This isn't a big deal since the Chassis angles upward at a slight angle. There is no way to change that without using something to prop the keyboard up.

The 75 percent layout is something I like, and as a person that only uses full-size keyboards, that's saying something. The layout keeps the function row and five additional keys that are used for navigation. The layout is an excellent compromise between form and function.

The typing experience of my Kailh Speed Silver and PBT keycaps build was good. I was surprised by how well everything fit together, and it made the GMMK Pro even more impressive. I wouldn't say that it's the best keyboard I've ever used, but the GMMK Pro is definitely up there.

The stabilizers are pre-lubed with heavy-duty grease, and the GMMK Pro comes with sound-dampening foam. The acoustics of the keyboard are improved by this. Whatever they use on the space bar stabilizers gives them a surprising amount of resistance, and the key can sometimes be slow to return to its normal state after being pressed. The sound leans more toward the clacky side, despite the solid acoustics. I was expecting something a little more subdued. The sound when I bottomed out my keys was a bit hollow, but it wasn't that bad.

The screw-in stabilizers that come with the PCB are not the best. The plate has very tight tolerances and some stabilizers might not fit, so anyone looking for aftermarket options might run into some challenges. The GMMK Pro is advertised as having a gasket mounted design, which is intended to provide some flex to the keys for a softer typing experience. Everything fits together so tightly that there is no flex at all.

When the GMMK Pro was first announced, it was one of the first boards to include a rotary knob in its design, which has become one of the hot trends in mechanical keyboards since. By default, this is used to control the volume on your PC and play media when pressed, but can be reprogrammed to virtually any function. The side of the knob is not rough and the top is smooth. The knob has a satisfying click when pushed in. If the default black isn't your style, Glorious sells optional knobs in various colors.

The software used for changing lighting and programming is easy to use, but if you want a keyboard with more complex RGB patterns, you should use a different software. The GMMK Pro isn't specifically geared toward the audience that finds that aspect important. Only two sets of shine-through keycaps are offered by Glorious, but nine of them are either solid colors or gradients.

The software uses a system that allows you to quickly swap between keyboard layouts by pressing or holding a specific key. The system is not as intuitive as the ones found in the software for the Dygma Raise or Hypershift. The software is basic but functional and doesn't tax system resources when not in use. I only tested the GMMK Pro with the first-party glorious software, but anyone can use tools like QMK or VIA to create and flash their own custom firmware onto the board.

Is this keyboard worth the price? It depends. The GMMK Pro is a well-built keyboard with an impressive amount of customization options and offers a unique service for anyone that is willing to pay a premium for a custom product.

The majority of what you are paying for is the convenience and time it takes to put it all together. Unless you love the aesthetic of this keyboard, you might be better served by buying a less expensive keyboard with similar features or building your own keyboard from scratch.

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it. It is impossible for us to read and analyze all of these agreements. We started counting how many times you have to agree to use devices when we review them.

• The Glorious Core software has an End User License Agreement that you must accept but is only visible before installing the software.

If you want to build your own keyboard from scratch, you can do that without spending a lot of money. Since the launch of the GMMK Pro, hot- swap PCBs have become more common, allowing you to put together your own keyboard easier than ever. You can get all the parts you need for less than $150 if you shop around on sites like KBDfans.com, or AliExpress and wait a few weeks for shipping. The keyboard that Antonio G. Di Benedetto used was only $135. You will save a lot of money if you do it yourself, as it isn't as streamlined as ordering all of your parts from the same place.

The Keychron Q1, which can be purchased fully assembled for just a few dollars, is a keyboard that is ready to use out of the box but also receptive to after-market upgrades.

The GMMK Pro is a great keyboard. Since its release a year ago, it has been surpassed by the mechanical keyboard market. It is easy to jump into a custom board with the system provided by Glorious. It feels like the GMMK Pro is marketed to an audience that would rather pay someone else to do something for them than to do it themselves.

Alice Newcome-Beill is a photographer.