This Das Keyboard 4 Professional for $110 from Das is an absolute steal
A great all-round typist's keyboard.
If you're in the market for a bit more of an interesting mechanical keyboard choice in terms of looks, features and switch type, I may well have the deal for you. At the moment, the sublime Das Keyboard 4 Professional, complete with Cherry MX Clear switches inside, can be yours for $110 from Das directly, giving you a saving of $50 on a fantastic mechanical keyboard.
At this juncture, I should say this is what Das calls a 'Certified Refurbished' keyboard, which are pre-owned options that have been certified to be 'free of defects', according to the website. In essence, it's likely to be a return that they've checked over, and is in full working order.
As for the keyboard itself, the 4 Professional is quite the veteran in the Das lineup, having been first introduced over ten years ago. It's a full-sized keyboard with a full complement of keys and comes with additional handy features such as a volume knob and media controls in the top right corner, as well as a pair of USB-A 3.0 ports for plugging in peripherals or even hard drives for reasonably speedy file transfer. You didn't see those features much when the 4 Professional first launched, and sometimes they can be a rarity today, so it's nice to see them here. As opposed to offering feet on the underside for raising the angle of the 4 Professional up, Das has employed a magnetic footbar on the back of the keyboard, which is clever. What's doubly clever is that it also functions as a ruler - that's not a function I ever expected to see, but it's a convenient one nonetheless.
It's inside the 4 Professional where things really count, however. The 4 Professional usually comes with either MX Blues or Browns, but this particular variant ships with the rarer MX Clears. These are essentially a heavier version of Browns, with a 65g weighting and a crisper tactile bump. I use Clears daily in a Keychron Q1, and I love them to bits. What's also quite interesting about Clears compared to other soft tactile switches is its 95cN force beyond the tactile bump. This means that once you've experienced the tactile bump and an input has been registered, pressing the rest of the switch down until it bottoms out is much harder. This is an intentional measure to prevent accidental keypresses, and means you have to almost let the switch push back against you beyond the bump. The heavier force takes some getting used to if you're more au fait with lighter switches, but it's a rewarding experience using MX Clears all day.
For the typists in the crowd who want a feature-packed keyboard with some great switches and all-round creature comforts, this Das Keyboard 4 Professional deal is not to be missed.