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HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB Review

HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB Overview

  • Outemu Blue mechanical switches.
  • RGB backlighting.
  • Media control hotkeys.
  • Metal backplate
  • Wrist rest

The HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB mechanical keyboard is the latest keyboard from Havit, makers of the HV-KB366L we reviewed here. HAVIT is another gaming PC peripherals company. I’ve had the opportunity to test out some of their previous mechanical keyboards and was delighted by the features, design, and build of HAVIT keyboards in general.

The HV-KB378L is a bigger, more stylized keyboard compared to the 366L. They both feature Outemu Blue switches and RGB backlighting. We’ll talk later about how these two HAVIT mechanical keyboards stack up, and which we’d recommend. See below for an in-depth review of the HAVIT KB 378L RGB mechanical keyboard and our hands on unboxing.

Looking for more backlit keyboards? Check out our best mechanical keyboard guide here.

HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB Unboxing

HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB box

The HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB comes in a pretty clean looking box. It’s a step up from what the 366L came in which was a bit confusing as it didn’t have the HAVIT brand mentioned anywhere. All the features are clearly listed on the box.

Unlike many other gaming mechanical keyboards, no keycap puller or any extras are included with the HV-KB378L RGB. We may have been unlucky, though. One of our readers had a keycap in the package.

HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB

The HV-KB378L is a full-sized mechanical keyboard with a built-in, non-detachable wrist rest. This is marketed as a mechanical keyboard for gaming. The small instruction manual guides you through changing all the lighting settings and using the various hotkeys on the keyboard.

HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB bottom

This keyboard’s bottom side is pretty standard, with no detachable USB cable or cable routing. It has two flip-out feet if you prefer an incline. The keyboard is pretty flat, as you’ll see in the next photo.

HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB side view

The ergonomics of this mechanical keyboard are great. You can also see from this angle the floating keys and clear switch housing which lets some more light spread behind the keycaps.

Havit HV-KB378L Keys and Switches

HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB switch

The HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB uses Outemu Blue switches. In our opinion, Outemu switches feel like the best of any of the Cherry MX clones made by Chinese manufacturers.

The keycaps are pretty standard fare. The font looks to be of HAVIT’s own design or choosing, definitely not a font we’ve seen on other keyboards. It has a strange almost stencil-like design as you can see in the pictures above.

Here’s a typing test of the HV-KB378L to give you a sense of how the mechanical keyboard sounds.

You control the RGB backlighting with the Fn key and the navigation keys. The backlighting modes are numbered 1 through 6, and you can adjust the brightness and change color direction with the arrow keys.

HAVIT HV-KB378L Backlighting

The HAVIT HV-KB378L has 5 different brightness levels. Some of the backlighting modes have 5 different speeds, though the difference between them doesn’t seem to be very great. You can also change the direction of some of the effects as well (top to bottom, etc).

With the effect modes that only utilize one color, you can adjust the effect between 7 preset colors (white, red, blue, purple, green, yellow, and teal).

HV-KB366L RGB backlight dark

Along the top of the keyboard, there are two black plastic pieces jutting out from the top of the keyboard, and each of them has 3 blue LED’s that can be turned off using FN + PAUSE.

HV-KB378L switch LEDs

One downside of this keyboard is the LED lighting is a bit disappointing compared to the HAVIT HV-KB366L RGB. With the 378L, the LEDs are recessed deep down into the body of the keyboard. This means the metal backplate is blocking much of the light, and not as much shine through.

With the 366L, the LEDs are above the backplate right on top of the switch, so you get maximum light dispersion. This design feature that got the 366L named one of our best RGB keyboards is sadly missing from the HV-KB378L.

HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB Mechanical Keyboard Overall Verdict

The HAVIT HV-KB378L RGB that has a lot of nice features – highly customizable RGB backlighting and a beautiful metal backplate being the main benefits. The wrist rest worked well for me, but some people may find it more of a waste of space if they don’t use it.

There are some drawbacks to this keyboard. The black plastic pieces and blue LED lights at the top of the keyboard feel like a forced design choice to me and doesn’t seem to add much to the design. The biggest upset was that the LED lights are recessed into the body of the keyboard – something we haven’t seen in a mechanical keyboard before. This serves no benefit and even makes the LED lights less bright which is a shame.

Conclusion

For the price, it’s still not a bad keyboard if the design appeals to you. We prefer the cheaper, more minimalist HV-KB366L RGB keyboard though. And that concludes our review of the HAVIT KB378L mechanical keyboard! Ultimately, buying this keyboard comes down to its unique and excellent design and aesthetics. Overall, a great mechanical keyboard to have.