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Varmilo keyboard buyer’s guide 2023

You might be unfamiliar with Varmilo. Allow us to introduce you

Updated: Oct 19, 2023 10:50 am
Varmilo keyboard buyer’s guide 2023

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Outstanding

Varmilo MA87M Beijing Opera

Varmilo MA87M Beijing Opera 1

Size

80% TKL (Tenkeyless)

Switches

Varmilo EC V2 Sakura

Weight

1.8 KG

Varmilo has been a fan favorite in the custom mechanical keyboard scene for a few years now, primarily known for striking limited edition keycap designs and providing a broad selection of key-switch types. If you ever considered buying a quality mechanical keyboard you’ve probably considered Varmilo. Given how picky mechanical keyboard enthusiasts are, Varmilo does a good job of providing many different keyboard sizes and layouts.

Here at WePC, we’ve admired Varmilo for a while now so we figured it was finally time for us to put some of their excellent keyboards in the limelight so you can find out what they’re all about.

Varmilo VA87M

The Varmilo VA87M is one of the most sought-after keyboards by Varmilo. It features the ever-popular 87-key TKL form factor and is available with your choice of the most popular Cherry MX switches or Varmilo’s own electro-capacitive switches. Additionally, it comes in a huge variety of colorways ranging from the mountain-inspired summit to the Beijing Opera variant that we reviewed a couple of years ago. As with quite literally everything PC gaming-related there are RGB versions too, for those of you who need a vividly illuminated setup. For more details on this absolutely stunning mechanical keyboard, read our full Varmilo MA87M Beijing Opera keyboard review.

varmilo VA87M

Varmilo Sakura keyboards

Those of you with a penchant for pink peripherals will no doubt love the Sakura theme. ‘Sakura’ is the Japanese term that refers to cherry trees and cherry blossoms. Cherry blossom holds a very important place in Japanese symbolism, with some describing it as an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. We don’t know much about that, but we do know that this is one of the prettiest boards we’ve come across, and the symbolism only increases our admiration of this unique color scheme. They’ve also done a a collab with Ducky keyboards on a Sakura theme, for more info, read our full Ducky Varmilo Miya pro sakura keyboard review.

Ducky Miya Varmilo Keyboard

Varmilo keyboard customization

One of the best things about being a mechanical keyboard enthusiast is the sheer variety of different designs and upgrades available and increasingly accessible price points. As with some other premium keyboard companies, Varmilo offers an online keyboard configurator allowing you to pick everything from materials to switch type to keycaps. It’s a little janky, but functional enough to help you build the Varmilo keyboard you’ve been craving.

varmilo keyboard

It’s not the most intuitive webpage we’ve ever come across but after a few minutes of messing around you can get the hang of it, it also has a visualization of what the finished board will look like which is a nice touch for those unfamiliar with the ins and outs of mechanical keyboards. Additionally, you can get a custom engraving on the metallic plate on the underside. You’re limited to 15 characters, but that’s enough for a name, clan tag, or amusing in-joke, considering it’s on the bottom of the keyboard, it’ll have to be a very ‘in’ in-joke. We’ve checked, and it appears that you can indeed profanities, so, do with that what you will.

Varmilo Summit theme

One of our favorites and indeed a highly coveted keyboard design from Varmilo is the aptly-named ‘Summit’. It features a striking color scheme comprising a mixture of blue, teal, white and gray, echoing a vista of a snowy mountain peak. you might notice a recurring theme on the summit keyboards of a set of coordinates.

Varmilo summit keyboard

These coordinates, 61°38’12″N, 8°18’54″E, curiously enough, lead to the summit of Galdhøpiggen. This is the tallest mountain in Scandanavia, Norway, and Northern Europe overall. Despite some lengthy research, we can’t figure out why Varmilo chose this particular mountain, considering the Chinese origin of the company.

Varmilo keycaps

Varmilo does more than just sell pre-built keyboard of varying designs. They also offer somewhat artisan keycap sets so you can upgrade the look of your current board for relatively little extra cost. They have many different color schemes that cover all the major form factors. Additionally they offer fun individual keycaps here and there for very limited periods.

varmilo keycaps

These usually take the form of a cat’s paw or a tree etc. Its had to specific because they might have all changed in a week but we recommend checking out their website to see if they’ve got any that you like the look of. It’s worth noting here that, depending on your choice of form factor, some certain key cap colorways might not be available, so check twice before purchasing as the wrong set might not fit your keyboard, we’ve been there, it sucks.

Varmilo mousepads

As per usual with peripheral manufacturers, sticking to just one type of product is totally out of the question. Expansion is key and Varmilo has started an additional line of mousepads and desk pads. The range isn’t as big as their keyboard specific products, but there’s still some good stuff there, we particularly like the Summit desk pad. Additionally, the deskpads all come in two different sizes, which will help increase compatibility with your current setup.

varmilo desk pad

Varmilo keyboards: Final word

Varmilo really do make some stunning stuff. We’ve given you a brief rundown here but there’s too much to cover in just one page, remember to check out our full reviews of the Varmilo Beijing and Ducky x Varmilo boards. Additionally, check out their website so you can see for yourself what they offer.


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