The original Mountain Everest Max marked an impressive debut for the new company, bringing with it an innovative, modular design and fine attention to detail. It’s back with its latest release, the Everest 60, a 60% keyboard that includes arrow keys and enthusiast-grade features to improve both sound and feel. And, of course, modularity. Because we all need numbers or macros sometime, this new board allows you to connect a number pad to either side and complete the package. There’s so much to talk about with this new keyboard, so let’s not waste any more time:
The Everest 60 is one of the best pre-made 60% keyboards you can buy right now. Watch out, Ducky One 2 Mini, the Everest 60 has arrived.
Specifications
- Current Price: $139.99 (Mountain, Amazon)
- Color: Midnight Black
- Switch Type: 3-Pin Hot-Swappable MOUNTAIN
- Switch Socket: 3 & 5-pin compatible
- Stabilizer: Cherry (plate-mounted, lubricated and clipped)
- Layout: Custom, 64 key US-ANSI
- Backlight: RGB
- Key Rollover: NKRO over USB
- Polling Rate: 1000Hz / 1ms
- Keycaps: PBT double-shot with translucent legends
- MCU: Cortex M0
- Onboard memory: Up to 5 profiles
- On-the-Fly System: Through FN Function Key
- Connector: USB Type-C
- Interface: USB 2.0
- Product Dimensions: 115x307.2x46.44mm (LxWxH)
- Product Weight: 768g
- Materials: Aluminum top cover, ABS bottom cover, Foam, Silicone
- Software Support: Base Camp™
- Warranty: 2 years
- Included Accessories
- Keycap & Switch combo removal tool
- USB Type-A to C cable (1.6m)
- MOUNTAIN Sticker Pack
- Riser feet
Mountain Everest 60 - Design and Key Features
It’s clear right away: the team at Mountain have been listening to the community. The Everest 60 is a perfect example of what a second product should be. It refines the qualities people liked about the first, addresses the concerns people raised, and then ups the ante in new and exciting ways.
The biggest change is, of course, the form factor. The original Everest Max was a tenkeyless with a modular number pad that could attach to either side. The Everest 60 is an innovative 60-percent with a much smaller footprint. There is no function row or navigation and editing cluster, but with some smart changes to the bottom right side, Mountain has made room for dedicated arrow keys and a Delete button.
Like the Max, the Everest 60 also supports a modular number pad. This is sold as an add-on for another $50, which is steep, but is built to the same high standard as the rest of the keyboard and docks on either side. The integration here is very well done, with magnets and a retractable USB-C jack to connect to the board without needing an extra cable. Once it’s in place, it’s solid and doesn’t wobble, worryingly torquing the port. RGB also syncs up as soon as it’s plugged in, so you don’t have to concern yourself with mismatched colors.
Returning to the main keyboard, Mountain has done an outstanding job of crafting a board that looks unique but that doesn’t fall into the garrish trends of gamer-chic. It uses a metal top plate to mount the switches and add stability. Around the top edge is a sheet of brushed aluminum to break up the uniformity of the plate and lend it a unique aesthetic. The keyboard uses the floating switch design which exposes the translucent tops of the switches for a cool RGB effect, but the dark color of the case keeps it more isolated under each keycap.
Sandwiched between the top and bottom half of the case is an RGB light strip that encircles the entire keyboard. This is recessed, so it won’t spill lots of light down onto your desk, but definitely adds more eye-candy to the package. This light strip is also customizable inside the Base Camp software suite.
Flipping the board around to the back, we find another neat innovation. Rather than use tilt feet, the Everest 60 applies stackable magnets to dial in the exact incline you would like to type at. I was initially concerned that these would shift if I slid the keyboard on my desk, but I didn’t need to worry. The magnets are strong and the final piece that touches your desk wraps around the magnetic disc beneath it. Likewise, the whole stack fits into a recess, so they’re just very stable and won’t move unless you physically detach them.
Around the back of the keyboard are not one, not two, but three USB Type-C ports. You can plug into any one of these to route your cable correctly for your setup (quite a thoughtful touch), but they won’t work for connecting peripherals. They have low power output and can trickle charge, but won’t actually allow you to connect a headphone or mouse, for example. That’s a missed opportunity and bound to be an early disappointment for many users.
Moving to the inside of the keyboard, we find a suite of upgrades that elevate the experience far beyond that of the original Everest Max. Frankly, what Mountain has done here is better than most other 60% keyboards, period, and it deserves major kudos.
So, let’s break it down, top to bottom. The keycaps are no longer cheap ABS. Mountain has swapped to thick, doubleshot PBT with backlit legends for gaming in the dark. They sound and feel better. Since PBT is a denser plastic, you’ll never have to worry about them wearing down and shining over time to make your keyboard look perpetually greasy.
Beneath those improved keycaps, we have vastly improved switches. These switches come pre-lubed for added smoothness and improved sound, and you’re given your choice of 45-gram linears (speed and normal varieties) or 55-gram tactile switches. I was sent the normal 45-gram linears, which align most closely with Cherry MX Red switches. These switches are great. They’re exceptionally smooth and sound good to type on. Without hesitation, they’re leagues ahead of Cherries and have no annoying spring ping to drag down the experience. If you want to change them, it’s as simple as pulling them out with the included tool. The Everest 60 features hot-swappable switch sockets, so you won’t need to break out the soldering iron if you find yourself craving a change in sound and feel.
Along with pre-lubed switches, Mountain has swapped to Cherry-branded plate-mount stabilizers. Unlike Cherry switches, the stabilizers still compete well in today’s market and are much better than the no-name stabs included on most gaming keyboards. Mountain has even gone so far as to lube these with Krytox 205g0 lubricant (an expensive but excellent community favorite among keyboard builders) and to put foam dampening pads beneath them for a custom bandaid mod. These are the kind of small touches that really make a difference to the overall typing experience — and they do. These stabs are some of the most silent I’ve heard in a production keyboard. They’re not clipped, however, so if you want a bit more clack, you’ll need to trim the feet yourself.
Below that, Mountain has added multiple layers of sound dampening material. There’s foam between the plate and PCB to dampen typing vibrations. Another layer of foam is applied beneath the PCB. Below that, the case has a silicone mat to eliminate and hollowness that might arise will typing. It’s an acoustically tuned keyboard, inside and out, and that’s wonderful to see.
Mountain Everest 60 - Typing and Gaming Performance
All of that adds up to create a keyboard that’s one of the best available in its form factor. Starting with typing, the shift to Mountain switches is transformative. On the original Everest Max, I enjoyed using it but longed for something other than a Cherry switch. Mountain could have gone with the standard Gateron or Kailh switches, but instead went their own route and delivered a switch that’s an absolute pleasure to use. The increased smoothness is immediately noticeable and there’s no drop in responsiveness whatsoever. The lube job felt consistent on my sample, with every key having a uniform slide and sound profile for its row. These switches are on sale on on their own, and I wouldn’t mind seeing them pop up on enthusiast storefronts so more people can experience them.
The switches are only one piece of the equation. The lengths that Mountain has gone to enhance the sound and feel of the keyboard pay off. The thicker keycaps feel more substantial under the finger and are more satisfying to use. The stabilizers are smoother and don’t need extra lubing out of the box (at least on my sample). The sound dampening material works exceptionally well, so there’s nothing hollow about the typing sounds. It’s solid, smooth, and substantial, and I love typing on it.
Gaming is just as nice. Being able to connect the Numpad without needing to string another wire or swap keyboards is helpful and makes the Everest 60 a much more steady device on my desktop. The keys are fast and responsive, and there’s no noticeable lag to speak of. I was able to test Mountain’s speed switches, which were a bit too sensitive for my heavy fingers, but if you have a lighter touch, you could increase responsiveness even further.
The only drawback to this type of keyboard comes from learning its secondary keys. It’s not unique to the Everest 60 and is a staple of compact keyboards. Accessing navigation keys like Home and End, hitting Print Screen for a quick screenshot, all of these are accessed by holding the FN key and hitting a combo. They’re intuitively laid out, but there is a learning curve. Depending on the types of games you play, a fullsize or TKL keyboard like the Everest Max could still be the better choice, particularly if you abhor combos. Once you get used to the smaller form factor, however, it’s hard to go back.
Final Thoughts
In my years of reviewing keyboards, however, one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that, gaming keyboard or no, what really matters is that a keyboard is responsive and feels good to use. The extras come behind that. The Everest 60 nails the basics and adds innovation on top. At $139.99, this is a very solid buy and leaves me hoping for an Everest Max 2.0 that adds some of these new features.
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.
