Alright, it may not look like much to most of you, but what you see before you is the holy grail of keyboards for us geeks. The Happy Hacking Keyboard, or HHKB, has a cult following among keyboard enthusiasts, myself included. It was one of those keyboards that I saw on a forum a few years ago and wanted one, but at the time the price and the stuff were too expensive.

Fast forward to early 2023, and here I sit with the HHKB Professional Hybrid Type-S in front of me. It's been my daily driver for the past few weeks, except when I'm replacing it with a Topre Realforce R2 PFU. Well, definitely yes, but also no.

Let me explain: there are a few things that make the HHKB a unique keyboard and may take some getting used to. Chief among them is its odd layout: at a quick glance, the HHKB may look like a normal US ANSI 60% keyboard, but take a closer look. In particular, there is no Windows key, no secondary Control key, and no Caps Lock key; it's the Control key, and the Windows key is the only key on the keyboard that has a secondary Control key.

Now, the HHKB uses a layout first devised by Eiichi Wada (open in new tab) in collaboration with PFU (a large conglomerate that includes brands like Fujitsu and Ricoh), which manufactures the HHKB.

According to the story, Wada was not satisfied with having to use different and complex keyboard layouts for each operating system he used, and wanted to design a one-size-fits-all that would fit all platforms he used. He believed that the keyboard was an accessory that PC makers had neglected, when in fact it was one of the most important parts. With this philosophy in mind, he compared the keyboard and PC to the horse and saddle of the Wild West: "The horse was expendable, but the saddle was the interface their bodies were accustomed to. In the same way, the PC is expendable, but the keyboard is an important interface."

The important thing to note here is that the layout of the HHKB takes some getting used to, and I used it for about a week, but the placement of certain keys makes perfect sense. The single-stage Enter key directly below the backspace makes for fewer jumps when deleting characters, and the same goes for the Control key on the left side where Caps Lock is located. There is no need to reach down an extra row for a modifier key, keeping your fingers firmly where they belong.

Of course, it is the touch typist who really benefits from this, but even if you are a touch typist like me with only half a finger, this layout is perfectly usable and quickly became one of my favorites.

This tiny 60-key layout also helped make the HHKB Professional Type S one of the smallest keyboards I've ever had on my desk. 540g, it's so light that you might think it's cheaply made, but make no You couldn't be more wrong. Despite being constructed entirely of plastic, the HHKB's chassis is surprisingly sturdy, and the Ice White color I got this time is particularly attractive. The superior finish is also evident in the included die-sub PBT keycaps, which are gorgeous to the touch. This high-quality construction means that, unlike cheaper ABS keycaps with printed legends, you don't have to worry about the legend wearing off or looking shiny.

Apart from the layout, the HHKB also features interesting capacitive switches, similar to those found on the RealForce from Topre. This time last year, we did a feature on capacitive keyboards, and for those of you who don't know, capacitive keyboards work by having a plunger depress a membrane, which in turn depresses a conical spring, creating electrical contact and registering a keystroke. In short, it is not mechanical in the traditional sense, but it is given a bit of a free pass because of its great feel. [Typing on the HHKB Professional Type S is like typing on a cloud. While regular keyswitches can have a harsh, tactile feel, the HHKB has a soft, yet tactile feel, without the spongy or damp feel of a membrane keyboard. The feel of these switches are quite polar opposites. Avid mechanical fans will say they don't feel right, but to my fingers, they are among the best I've ever typed on, with the exception of the RealForce. Of particular interest is that the HHKB uses no metal plates inside, so the bottom of the key presses feel smoother and crisper than my RealForce, which uses the same switches but has a harder bottom of the key travel due to the steel plates. The HHKB also uses sound- and vibration-absorbing Topre switches, making it an excellent keyboard for those who work in a busy office and don't want to wake up the neighbors.

Back to the regular keyboard, this is a wireless keyboard that runs on two AA batteries; PFU says that one set of batteries will last up to four months. There is also a USB Type-C port for wired connectivity, but it cannot charge the HHKB's batteries. Personally, I think this is a bit of an oversight given the huge cost of getting the HHKB; a rechargeable battery with USB Type-C charging not only makes logistical sense, but also avoids the risk of the HHKB suddenly dying without warning.

This leads nicely to the big elephant in the room, price. A keyboard that doesn't come with all the keys, proper mechanical switches, single-channel Bluetooth connectivity, and a USB Type-C cable is $357/£300 at the time of writing. But honestly, if you're considering buying this keyboard, you won't need this review to convince you why you should buy it. [To be honest, I'm blindly in love with the HHKB Professional Hybrid Type S. Sure, its layout takes some getting used to, and having to consume and power a standard AA battery is a bit of a hassle, but it's an amazingly well-made keyboard and definitely offers the best typing experience money can buy. If this isn't worth your time, I don't know what is.