Not sure which keyboard to choose? Try the Keyboard Finder now!

Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

Chilkey ND vs Royal Kludge M87

Get the Chilkey ND for hall effect. Get the Royal Kludge M87 for the 7,500 mAh battery and knob.

KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Chilkey ND

Hall effect

Build quality in the top 10% of 80% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
  • North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.

Get the

Royal Kludge M87

Battery

Build quality in the top 35% of 80% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.

What actually differs

The differences that matter

Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.

Chilkey ND

Royal Kludge M87

  • Hall effect (magnetic)

    Yes

    No

    Adjustable actuation helps in games and not in normal typing

  • Battery

    3,600 mAh

    7,500 mAh

    A larger battery means fewer cables during the day

  • Mount style

    Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

    Gasket Mount

  • Knob

    No

    Yes

  • Display

    None

    LCD

    A case display rather than a typing feature

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Chilkey ND
  • Royal Kludge M87
Performance
85
65
Build quality
85
68
Productivity
89
83
Customizability
92
78
Portability
77
85

What they share

  • Layout size: 80%
  • Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
  • Hot-swappable
  • Switch options: Linear
  • Sound dampening
  • Keycaps: PBT
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Chilkey ND vs Royal Kludge M87 specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

11 of 27 specs differ

Chilkey ND

Royal Kludge M87

Typing & switches

Switch options

Linear
Linear

Hall effect (magnetic)

Yes
No

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Gasket Mount, Plate Mount
Gasket Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
Yes

Layout

Layout size

80%
80%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

No
Yes

Display

None
LCD

Media keys

No
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
—

Battery

3,600 mAh
7,500 mAhBetter

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum, Polycarbonate
—

Plate material

Aluminum, Polycarbonate
—

Keycaps

PBT
PBT

Weight

—
840 g

Dimensions

34 x 138 x 357 mm
41 x 157 x 41 mm

Typing angle

7°
—

Backlight

RGB, north-facing
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
No

VIA

Yes
No

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2024
2024

Where to buy

Compare prices

Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.

Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

Chilkey ND4 stores

Still torn?

Answer a few quick questions and the keyboard finder ranks 2,000+ boards by how you will actually use yours.