The NPET K20 is a basic, full-size mechanical gaming keyboard. Although it lacks many of the features you normally find on higher-end keyboards, it does a good job for what it's meant for, and it's a good entry-level, budget gaming keyboard for people looking to try out mechanical switches for the first time. It's available with tactile Brown, linear Red, or clicky Blue switches, so you can get the feel you prefer, and the Brown switches on our unit are light to press. It's also well-built with a solid frame and ABS keycaps, but it doesn't come with a wrist rest. Sadly, customization is limited because it doesn't have dedicated software to reprogram keys or set macros. Also, while it has backlighting with different effects, it's only multi-color and not RGB, so you can't change the colors of the keys.
Our Verdict
The NPET K20 is good for gaming. It has light-feeling Huano Brown switches, and it's also available with clicky Blue or linear Red switches. It's well-built and has backlighting if you want to use it in a dark room, but it's multi-colored and not RGB. Also, it lacks dedicated software, so you can't reprogram any keys. While its latency is low enough for casual gamers, it's sadly too high for competitive gamers.
- Available with tactile, clicky, and linear switches.
- Has backlighting for use in dark rooms.
- Feels well-built.
- No customization software; can't set macros.
- Latency too high for competitive gamers.
- Backlighting is multi-colored and not RGB.
The NPET K20 is wired-only and isn't designed for use with mobile devices.
The NPET K20 is decent for office. It's a basic mechanical keyboard available with tactile, linear, and clicky switches, and the tactile Huano Brown switches on our unit help provide a comfortable typing experience. They're louder than other tactile switches but still quiet enough for most people. Sadly, it has limited ergonomics because it only has one incline setting, and it doesn't come with a wrist rest.
- Available with tactile, clicky, and linear switches.
- Good typing quality.
- Doesn't come with a wrist rest.
- Brown switches are a bit louder than other tactile switches.
The NPET K20 is okay for programming, but it doesn't have many features programmers are looking for. You can't reprogram any key, so you can't set macros, and while it has backlighting, its customization is limited. The typing quality feels good with the Huano Brown switches we tested, but as it's available with other switches, you can choose the switch types you prefer the most.
- Available with tactile, clicky, and linear switches.
- Has backlighting for use in dark rooms.
- Good typing quality.
- No customization software; can't set macros.
- Doesn't come with a wrist rest.
- Backlighting is multi-colored and not RGB.
The NPET K20 isn't designed to be a home theater PC keyboard, so it's bad for it. It's wired-only, so you have to connect it directly to the TV, and it lacks a trackpad to navigate the interface. On the plus side, it has backlighting so that you can see it in the dark.
- Has backlighting for use in dark rooms.
- Backlighting is multi-colored and not RGB.
- Wired-only.
- Lacks a trackpad.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the NPET K20 in black, the only color available, and with Brown switches, but you can also get it with linear Red and clicky Blue switches. The Brown switches on our unit are made by Huano, while NPET advertises the Red switches to be from Outemu and doesn't specify the brand of the Blue switches.
NPET sells a few similar full-size keyboards, but they're different from this one. The K10 has rubber dome switches, while the K11 is a wireless version of that one. The closest variant is the NPET K21, which appears to be the same mechanical keyboard, but is sold with a wrist rest.
If you have the NPET K20 and it performs differently from ours, let us know, and we'll update the review. You can see the label for our unit here.
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The NPET K20 is a good entry-level mechanical gaming keyboard. It offers good value for its cost, as it feels well-built and has good typing quality. However, it's meant as a beginner mechanical keyboard that won't break the bank, and it doesn't have features some slightly more expensive options have, like the macro-programmable keys and hot-swappable switches you'll find on models like the EVGA Z15.
Also see our recommendations for the best cheap keyboards, the best gaming keyboards under $100, and the best mechanical keyboards.
The Redragon Dragonborn K630 RGB is much better for gaming than the NPET K20, but they're different-sized keyboards. The Redragon is a 60% compact keyboard with more gaming features like full RGB backlighting and macro-programmable keys, while you can't set macros on the NPET. On the other hand, the NPET is a full-size keyboard, and it has better typing quality because the keys on the Redragon wobble. Each keyboard is available with tactile, clicky, and linear switches, but the Redragon is hot-swappable with Outemu switches.
The Drop SHIFT is a customizable keyboard that's better for gaming than the NPET K20, which is a basic entry-level mechanical keyboard. The Drop is available with a variety of switches, and it's hot-swappable, so you can choose whichever switches you prefer, and typing on it feels better than the NPET because it has stable keys with PBT keycaps. Latency is also much lower on the Drop, but neither keyboard has macro-programmable keys.
The Redragon K552 KUMARA RGB and the NPET K20 are both good entry-level gaming keyboards. The NPET is available with tactile, linear, and clicky switches, while the Redragon is only available with clicky switches, so the typing noise is louder. The Redragon features full RGB backlighting, while the NPET is multi-colored.
The Corsair K100 RGB is much better than the NPET K20. The Corsair is a high-end gaming keyboard with more features like macro-programmable keys and full RGB backlighting. The Corsair also feels better built and has better typing quality thanks to its PBT keycaps, but it's only available with linear switches, while you can get the NPET with linear, tactile, or clicky switches. The Corsair also has much better ergonomics as it comes with a wrist rest.
Test Results
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