YUNZII YZ98
Compact 98% mechanical keyboard with a number pad, wireless and a soft gasket feel
Pros
- 98% layout with 99 keys keeps a full number pad, in a smaller frame than a full-size board
- Prime Audio Reviews scored it 4.5 out of 5, praising the PBT keycaps, the smooth pre-lubed switches and the thocky, quiet sound
- Gasket mount with five layers of sound filling (PORON, IXPE, PET film and silicone)
- Wired, 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth 5.0, so it moves between a desktop and a laptop
- Hot-swappable switches with full N-key rollover: the Milk switches pull out and any MX-style switch goes in
- RGB on the front and the sides, and two acrylic badges in the box
Cons
- The case is plastic and flexes a little, which is Prime Audio Reviews' one complaint
- The keycaps are opaque, so the backlight lights the desk rather than the letters
- The settings software is Windows-only
- Battery life drops sharply with the lights on: Prime Audio Reviews got about a day, against the claimed 30 days with the RGB off
- The listing sells the black board; YUNZII also makes a white one and a Cocoa Cream V2 switch, so check which variant you get
Updated
Details and specs
The YUNZII YZ98 is a mechanical keyboard in the 98% size: 99 keys that keep a number pad, but in a frame smaller than a full-size board. It has the vintage look of a beige-and-black board with light strips down the sides, and it is one of the few cheap keyboards that gives you a number pad without a full-size footprint. It runs over USB-C cable, a 2.4 GHz dongle or Bluetooth 5.0, mounts on gaskets, and the switches pull out if you want to change them.
Prime Audio Reviews rated it 4.5 out of 5 and called the switches smooth and the sound thocky and quiet, which is a lot of keyboard for the money. The trade-offs are honest ones: the case is plastic and flexes a little, the keycaps are opaque so the backlight doesn’t reach the letters, and the software is Windows-only. Battery life is the big one, since the maker claims up to 30 days with the lights off and Prime Audio Reviews got closer to a day with them on. It launched at $89 and still costs $78 or more on Amazon, so the AliExpress price is the interesting one. YUNZII’s own sheet and Amazon’s spec table also disagree on the size and weight: 390 × 147 × 39 mm and 970 g against 38.5 × 14.5 × 2.85 cm and 1.06 kg.
- 98% layout, 99 keys
- Gasket mount, plastic (ABS) case
- Five layers of sound filling (PORON, IXPE, PET film and silicone)
- Hot-swappable switches (3- or 5-pin MX), N-key rollover
- YUNZII Milk linear switches, pre-lubed, 45 ± 10 gf, 4.0 mm travel; Cocoa Cream V2 linear switches (5-pin) also sold
- PBT keycaps, double-shot, Cherry profile, not shine-through
- USB-C cable, 2.4 GHz dongle and Bluetooth 5.0
- Up to 1,000 Hz polling over 2.4 GHz
- 5,000 mAh battery (YUNZII’s spec sheet says 5,000 mAh, the text on the same page says 4,600 mAh)
- RGB backlight and side lights, south-facing
- Windows-only settings software
- About 390 × 147 × 39 mm
- About 970 g
- Colors: black or white
- Released in 2024
