It’s a week of unique keyboards here at MMORPG and we have another for you today! The Epomaker Brick 87 allows you to build on it with LEGOs to make it truly unique. It also offers hot-swappable switches, smooth switches, and tri-mode wireless connectivity for an enhanced typing and gaming experience. It has some areas for improvement but is a decent option for LEGO fans.
Specifications
- Current Price:
- Size: TKL
- Keys Amount: 88 Keys
- PCB Type: Hotswap
- Plate Material: Precision-grade steel
- Connectivity: Type-C Wired, Bluetooth, Wireless
- Anti-Ghost Key: NKRO
- Backlit: RGB
- Battery capacity: 3,000mAh
- Keyboard dimensions: 317 x 150 x 50 mm
- Keyboard Weight: 900g
- Inside the box
- Keyboard
- Type-C Cable
- Keycap Puller
- Manual
Epomaker Brick 87 - Design and Highlights
The Epomaker Brick 87 makes a good first impression. It’s available in four different fetching colors, three of which are light and colorful, and the last is blacked out and sleek with translucent keycaps. I was sent the version in green, which uses a white frame, and a mix of white and gray keycaps with green accent keys. It’s also available in white and purple, white and red, and black.
The keyboard uses a tenkeyless layout with a retro aesthetic. It uses taller keycaps with rounded edges, similar to the tall SA profile keycaps found on old school computer terminals. The function row is angled upward, which reminds me quite a bit of the IQUNIX OG80 Wormhole we reviewed back in 2022.
The design has a couple benefits, though aesthetically won’t be for everyone. For gaming, it requires less reach, so they’re more readily accessible, albeit only slightly. It enhances the retro aesthetic, bringing to mind the angular decks of computers like the Apple II. It also allows you to clearly see the LEGO panel added to the top edge of the keyboard.
It’s this strip from which the Brick 87 takes its name. Note that it’s not LEGO licensed but the panel is compatible with all LEGO-type bricks. Here, you can build your own little scene, attach Minifigures, and make the keyboard your own. The angling works really well here and makes your creation feel more integrated than it would otherwise be if it was flat. It’s a bit disappointing that there’s not more available building space on the top or sides, but it’s a neat addition for LEGO fans nonetheless.
Another neat addition lies below the spacebar with the double thumb-rollers. These long knobs control volume and RGB brightness respectively. They work well and the positioning is surprisingly convenient. The palm rests I tried all blocked access, however, the front height is fairly low at 18mm, so I didn’t find it necessary, even if I do prefer to use one.
The keyboard also sports tri-mode connectivity. You can connect up to three devices over Bluetooth or take advantage of the high-speed wireless connection with the 2.4GHz wireless dongle. I found these connections to be fast and reliable, though it did take a second to pick back up after waking from sleep. For gaming, the 2.4GHz connection offers the lowest latency thanks to its 1,000 Hz polling rate. Using this, you are able to play wirelessly with a transmission rate that matches that of most gaming keyboards.
Battery life is only so-so. It features a 3000 mAh battery, which is good for about four or five days of extended play. You'll need to plug this keyboard in once a week if you do take advantage of its RGB backlighting. With backlighting turned off, it should last several weeks easily, though I didn't have it long enough to test this personally.
It also feels well built overall. The case is made of plastic but it feels sturdy and there's no worrying softness or creaking even when trying to make it occur. The keycaps are made from dye-sublimated PBT plastic and have thick walls. This lends them a deeper sound and a substantial feeling under the fingers. They should also be much more durable than typical gaming keycaps which are thin ABS plastic.
There are four switch options to choose from though they are all linear. In total, you have three from Epomaker proper — Peace Lily, Flamingo, and Wisteria — and Gateron Pro Yellow V2. I would recommend going with the Epomaker switches since they are better lubed out of the box and have a smoother feel and better sound. Everything in this hobby is subjective, however, and the Gateron Pro Yellow switches are also a good and reliable option.
Like most keyboards these days, Brick 87 is also hot-swappable. If you prefer to use your own switches, you can simply pull out the pre-installed ones using the included tool and press your own into place. This also gives the keyboard more versatility to upgrade its sound and feel over time if you need a change. It can also be a boon if you happen to spill something on your keyboard and have some of the switches die. Brick 87 is more repairable for having this feature.
Surprisingly, it doesn't go all in on the latest trends in mechanical keyboards. It doesn't use a gasket mounting system and isn't flexible at all under the finger. It uses a heavy steel plate that is totally rigid. There are a couple layers of sound dampening foam which help it's acoustics but this is only a keyboard you should choose if you prefer a stiff bottom out or don't really care about this quality.
It also doesn’t support QMK or VIA. In fact, as of this writing, the software doesn’t seem to be available at all yet. There are mentions of it on the product page but there are no links to download it and only a manual comes up when searching the Epomaker downloads page. It seems likely that this will come in time but, currently, macros and key remapping isn’t possible.
Epomaker Brick 87 - Performance
The Brick 87 is a decent mechanical keyboard but doesn’t go far enough in any direction to make it feel competitive at $110. The typing experience is good enough, if a bit stiff, but the switches are smooth and the stabilizers were completely rattle-free on my sample. Epomaker knows how to tune its keyboards and that definitely shows.
It’s also comfortable to use. The thumb-rollers, when not blocked by the palm rest, work well and feel genuinely more convenient to actually use. But the fact that any palm rest renders them unusable means that for some people, they’ll be actively inconvenient. Having to pull out the palm rest any time you want to adjust volume or lighting brightness isn’t efficient.
The ability to build on the top of it is pretty neat. I admit, I'm not a big LEGO guy anymore but my oldest son certainly is. He had a great time creating a battle scene with his minifigures on the top of the keyboard. I regret that I didn't snap a picture of it before it was taken down but it looked pretty cool. The ability to personalize the keyboard is one of its greatest allures in the mechanical keyboard hobby. This is a neat way to accomplish that without turning the switches and keycaps.
There is a good amount of personality in this keyboard. The colors are bright and fairly whimsical, and the black looks neat for the more sleek among us. The RGB only adds to the effect, even if its underglow effect isn't the brightest (the keycaps are not backlit).
The biggest issue I have with the keyboard is really that it doesn't do enough to justify its price. Not long ago we reviewed the Epomaker x Feker Galaxy80, which is currently only $6 more and is better in every way. It sounds better, feels better, comes with a metal case, and has nearly all of the same features but is programmable. The only advantage the Brick 87 offers is its brighter color palette and the LEGO strip.
Which means that the biggest reason to choose this keyboard is its looks and the ability to build on it. It’s not a bad keyboard by any means, and those are valid reasons to choose it, especially if you’re a LEGO fan. But in bang for the buck, there are better options.
Final Thoughts
The Epomaker Brick 87 is a fine keyboard for a particular type of user. It’s a solid choice for the LEGO fan in your life or if you want something that offers a bit more personality to your desktop. In sound and feel, there are better options, however, like the Galaxy80, which is also sold by Epomaker. Pick this one up for the Master Builder in your life, but if you’re just looking for the best keyboard for the money, you’ll need to keep looking.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Some articles may contain affiliate links and purchases made through this will result in a small commission for the site. Commissions are not directed to the author or related to compensation in any way.
