MechLands Blade101

SCORE

9.0/10

Pros

Superb build
Quality keycaps and switches
Hot-swappable
Large battery

Cons

No knobs
Heavy

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MechLands Blade101

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MechLands Blade101, the newest large-sized mechanical keyboard from MechLands.

We have reviewed several MechLands keyboards and, so far, none has disappointed in the value for money and performance department.

Throughout our review, we will see how the new MechLands Blade101 performs.

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MechLands Blade101 Review

Tests & Scores

ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING
⁴^_/5

The MechLands Blade101 comes in a better packaging than most direct competitors and including:

• Dust cover
• USB-C cable
• Keycap/switch remover
• 2x extra switche

DESIGN
^4.75^_/5

The MechLands Blade101 is part of the larger keyboards from the brand with a 1800 layout and 101 keys.

It is fair to highlight that 1800 layouts offer mostly all the benefits of 100% keyboard (like a full numpad, navigation keys and F number row) but with a significantly smaller footprint.

Aesthetically, the Blade101 is quite gorgeous (at least, the blue model that we have) with a refreshing pastel-centered color pattern and using blue, violet and white as the main colors.

The MechLands Blade101 might not have any type of knob, encoder nor display screen but it sports a 3-line lights section on the upper right corner that adds a nice design detail to the device. These 3 lines of lights are not only an embellishing piece but also are used a status indicators and info corresponding to Caps Lock, Num Lock, etc. – yet, there is no printed reference nor icons that make it intuitive to understand which light corresponds to each indicator.

As expected in a keyboard like this one, the unit does not have tiltable feet but comes with 4 silicone dot feet to avoid slippery issues – you might notice from our photos that the 2 bottom feet dots where out of place but as they are glued you can easily re-position them in the right place.

The bottom case is equipped with a large mirror-styled plate, while the back edge of the case holds the connectivity switch and a slot with the wireless dongle.

The MechLands Blade101 is available in 2 different colors:
• Blue
• Black Green

CONSTRUCTION & BUILD
⁵^_/5

From the exterior to the internals, the MechLands Blade101 is a superbly build keyboard.

Externally, the keyboard has a tank-alike, all-metal case with a hefty weight of 2.1kg. Of course, this will not make it a portable-friendly keyboard but it is build quality of miles ahead of a flimsy plastic keyboard.

Internally, the Blade101 has a hot-swappable PCB compatible with most mechanical switches on the market and a gasket-mount design.

Furthermore, the model has a multi-layer dampening and performance enhancing design with: sandwich foam, switch pad, PET film, sound pad and bottom foam.

KEYCAPS
⁵^_/5

The keycap set of the Blade101 match perfectly the spray painted, light blue of the case.

On top of that, the ergonomic profile and premium double-shot PBT construction make them excellent regarding durability and usability – worth noting, that the specs sheet from the brand refers to the keycaps as Cherry profile but they are, certainly, not Cherry keycaps.

The finish of the keycaps has a textured, mid-grit which we found nice to the touch while not being excessively rough.

SWITCHES
⁴^_/5

The MechLands Blade101 is offered with one type of pre-assembled switches: the MechLands Verdant.

This switches model are linear, with a very nice balance between travel and force that results in a bit heavier than some light linear switches but with a final effect that makes them an excellent choice for daily multi-tasks and phenomenal for typing.

MechLands Verdant Switch
Type: Linear, 5-Pin
Operating Force: 42±5gf
Bottom Force: 50±5gf
Pre Travel: 1.8±0.4mm
Total Travel: 3.8±0.4mm

CON

CONNECTIVITY
^4.75^_/5

This MechLands keyboard has tri-mode connectivity design that can be used either wirelessly through a Bluetooth connection, 2.4G wireless or through the USB-C detachable cable.

If being picky, we could say that we do not love the small switch used to select the connection mode but for the rest, the keyboard performed well without any connectivity issues nor hiccups.

Moreover, when used wired or through the 2.4G dongle, the MechLands Blade101 can reach 1000Hz of polling rate – if you are interested in latency, this keyboard can offer as low as 6.3m (wired)

LIGHTING
^4.5^_/5

The south-facing RGB LEDs and the light colored design of the Blade101 resulted in an attractive lighting effect with plenty of presets and brighter and evener diffusion of the illumination.

SOUND
⁵^_/5

Seeing all the premium components and build materials, the MechLands Blade101 certainly provided what we expected from this level of products; a premium sound profile.

Specifically, the Blade101 has a delightfully clean poppy-thocky personality with zero resonance and hollow-sounding issues.

On top of that, the keyboard never exhibited pinging and all the plate-mounted stabilizers came perfectly lubed from factory making them rattle-free and never mushy.

BATTERY
^4.5^_/5

The brand has equipped 2 batteries inside the MechLands Blade101, which is a neat decision by the brand to allow endless days of usage without having to worry about recharging the unit.

The specific capacity of the batteries is 4000mAh per battery, as there are 2 batteries inside, the effective amperage and capacity adds up to 8000mAh.

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MechLands Blade101 Technical Specifications

Model
MechLands Blade101
LAYOUT
1800
Number of Keys
101
Case Material
Aluminum
Plate Material
PC
Stabilizers
Pre-lubed plate mount
Mounting Structure
Gasket Mount
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4GHz Wireless, Type-C Wired
Battery
4000mAh+4000mAh
RGB
South-facing RGB
Hotswappable
Yes
Anti-Ghosting
NKRO
Polling Rate
1000Hz (Wired&2.4GHz), 125Hz (Bluetooth)
Latency
6.3ms (Wired), 8.7ms (2.4GHz), 13.4ms(Bluetooth)
Keycaps Profile
Cherry
Keycaps Material
Double-Shot PBT
Dimensions
400 x 130 x 39mm
Weight
Around 2.1kg
Inside the Box
• Keyboard
• Manual
• Keycap/Switch Puller
• Cable
• 2.4G Dongle