I really enjoyed creating my Sandberg FireStorm Mechanical Keyboard review. I’ve reviewed several things from Sandberg in the past. They make some pretty epic power banks and their lightning charging cables are up there with the best of them.
I was hopeful that their FireStorm Mechanical Keyboard would live up to expectations. So, without further ado, let’s check it out.
Sandberg FireStorm Mechanical Keyboard Review
When the mail arrived I was really excited to see what this keyboard is all about. I’ve been really impressed with Sandberg’s branding and packaging in the past, so I had high hopes for the FireStorm.
If you’re a long time reader of the blog, you’ll know that I like to comment on how much plastic packaging is included in the box. And, you’ll be pleased to know that Sandberg have done an excellent job of not using an excess amount of plastic. There is work to do, but a good start!
I would have like to see a branded cable tidy included in the box. A lot of tech products are now shipping with the branded Velcro cable ties which is a nice touch and allows the brand to be uniform across all products. The FireStorm ships with a generic cable tidy which is fairly rubbish and adds to the single use plastic issue.
The unboxing experience is important and great packaging adds to the user experience, Sandberg have nailed it.
Ripping the packaging open I was greeted with a fantastic looking box with a background image that matches the name. The black and dark midnight blue colours matched with the image of the lightning storm looks brilliant. It’s easily some of the best packaging I’ve seen on a keyboard since starting this blog.
Before even removing it from the box, I wanted to understand what type of switches we’re working with so I tapped away at the keys. The FireStorm uses the rarer Outemu Blue mechanical switches. As it’s a mechanical keyboard, the FireStorm may not be every typists favorite because it’s really loud to type on, but I love it.
The tactile feedback you get, at least in my opinion is all part of the experience. So far so good then, but how well built is this thing?
Build Quality & Design
The FireStorm is really well built. I went straight for the twist test immediately after taking it out of the box. There is an ever so slight flex in the body but overall it’s really really strong. It feels as strong as something like the Filco Majestouch and honestly speaking it’s probably built just as well. And for those of you who know keyboards, that’s a huge compliment.
Part of that amazing build quality comes from the keyboards foundation. The FireStorm is built on a heavy metal base plate with fold-able plastic feet at the rear. These feet are really strong and have a rubber non slip coating. This will allow you to adjust the height and angle of the board to your tastes.
The FireStorm has 104 keys, which means it also has a full size number pad so, in that sense it’s pretty multi functional and can be used as an everyday keyboard too. All of the keys are backlit with RGB. A neat touch is that it also has some awesome lighting on the side and underneath the keyboard.
Another really good design touch is the exposed switch mechanism; it gives a really good utilitarian look to the side profile of the keyboard.
I do have one complaint though, I don’t really like the wrist rest design. You can’t remove the wrist rest but you can fold it away. I’d have preferred if it was removable as when you fold it under, the keyboard tends to move a little bit when typing fast.
To fix that you can get some non slip rubber that you can buy from Amazon, but I don’t want to have to buy other products to fix a bit of a slip. In the real world though, it’s not that big of a deal but in the interest of transparency it’s worth calling out.
Overall I really like the design of the Firestorm Mechanical Keyboard, it looks fantastic. One of the best parts of the design in my opinion is the chrome edging around the edges of the board. It reflects the lights of the RGB LED’s and looks really good with the other RGB peripherals on my desk.
Typing Experience
I said earlier that this keyboard is fairly loud and if, like me you are a fan of the louder keyboard switches you’ll love this one. My only concern would be that if you’re a streamer your microphone will definitely pick up the clicks.
I’ve never really considered if a keyboard is comfortable to type on before but due to a recent Football / Soccer wrist injury I noticed it more than I would normally.
I usually type on the Keychron K2 which doesn’t have a wrist rest. The included FireStorm wrist rest allows the typing experience to be a comfortable one.
If I compare this to the Corsair K55 the keys on the Sandberg offering are are well-spaced and makes speed typing a breeze. Another plus point is they have allocated a decent length of cable so you can position it anywhere you want which again, allows for a great typing experience.
Overall it’s a brilliant keyboard and typing on it is a pleasure. From a purely typists opinion, I can recommend this keyboard to both gamers and typists alike.
FireStorm Mechanical – The X Factor
The X Factor is the brand itself, Sandberg. They represent great value for money and they also represent amazing quality.
Most, if not all of their products come with a 5-year guarantee. I think that’s almost unheard of. It was to me, I’ve been buying PC components and peripherals for years and this is the longest guarantee I’ve seen which is really impressive.
Let’s talk about value for money again. If we compare the Sandberg board against similarly priced keyboards on the market I don’t think you’ll find something as good as this. If you do, please let me know so I can check it out.
Cost and Where To Buy It?
The FireStorm will cost you £65 which for such a solidly built keyboard is a bit of a bargain. Now, some of you may say that’s still quite a lot of money and it is, but for a keyboard with such a long feature list I echo my previous statement, it’s a bargain.
I can imagine most of the cost is purely to cover the cost of the raw materials. In part due to the heavy metal plate and high quality Outemu Blue mechanical switches.
You can buy the FireStorm Mechanical Keyboard from Amazon. Just hit the Affiliate link here.
Summary and Verdict
Score: 8.5/10
Overall, the FireStorm mechanical keyboard has impressed me greatly. I did have high expectations when I first started my review. Those expectations have been surpassed and I’m really impressed with it.
The Firestorm Mechanical Keyboard is worth every penny.
You can find all of the information you need on the Sandberg Firestorm keyboard and other products in their range over on their website. Hit the link here.
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Disclosure:
If you use any of the Amazon links in this article they are affiliate links. This means that if you go onto buy something from Amazon I may get a small commission. It won’t cost you anything extra but it helps me to pay for the running costs of the blog and allows me to bring you great content! Thank you so much for your support.
CodeWithMike is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to www.amazon.co.uk.
We were sent the Sandberg FireStorm Mechanical Keyboard in exchange for an honest review. The keyboard was retained by us.
