Not wanting to stereotype here, but gamers can be a messy bunch, and sugary liquids on keyboards can be fatal.
To be fair, it’s not just gamers. Liquid around keyboards is a recipe for disaster, and any desk that ever sees coke, coffee, or any of those horrific, acidic energy drinks could probably do with a water-resistant keyboard.
Enter the Corsair K68, an IP32-rated water (and dust) resistant mechanical keyboard. You’ll notice that Corsair have been very careful not to refer to the K68 as waterproof, however. So how water (and dust) resistant is the K68?
In order to discern that, and ignoring for a moment the water droplets on the launch trailer (sorry, Corsair PR bods, we know you’re trying your best) we’ll have to turn to the IP rating that has been officially assigned to the keyboard.
IP, if you’re not familiar with things like industrial specs and outside electrical fittings, stands for Ingress Protection. Literally, how well does it protect against ingress from foreign bodies. And while the numbers do typically follow a ‘bigger is better’ pattern, there’s a little more to it than that.
The first digit refers to the protection offered against solid objects, from large objects like elbows and fingers down to dust and other particulates. The second digit refers to protection offered against water, from droplets equivalent to 1mm of rainfall up to high pressure jets and full immersion in water.
So IP32, according to the official IP standards, means:
- Effective protection against objects larger than 2.5mm, e.g. tools, thick wires, screws etc.
- Effective protection against vertically dripping water, equivalent to around 3mm of rainfall, when the keyboard is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position.
If you’re wanting a keyboard with protection against Doritos* dust or a two litre bottle of Monster Energy* poured straight onto it, then you’ll need to look for a higher IP-rating than IP32. If however you’re looking to protect against minor spills and mishaps, and require a mechanical gaming keyboard with Cherry Red MX switches and the obligatory RGB lighting, then the Corsair K68 should meet your needs.
The Corsair K68 is available now, and is priced at around £140 (including VAT), or US $120 (excluding sales tax).
*Other unhealthy snacks are available.
