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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 2, 2026

Focus Lab CTRL87 vs Heavy shell Kira96

Get the Focus Lab CTRL87 for the 8,000 mAh battery. Get the Heavy shell Kira96 for hot-swappable.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Focus Lab CTRL87

Battery

Rules this board out

  • Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.

Get the

Heavy shell Kira96

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the bottom 20% of 96% boards under $200.

Rules this board out

  • Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.

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.

Focus Lab CTRL87

Heavy shell Kira96

  • Layout size

    87%

    96%

  • Hot-swappable

    No

    Yes

    Switch changes without soldering

  • Battery

    8,000 mAh

    3,500 mAh

    A larger battery means fewer cables during the day

  • Case material

    Aluminum

    Aluminum, Plastic

  • Display

    LED

    None

    A case display rather than a typing feature

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Focus Lab CTRL87
  • Heavy shell Kira96
Performance
81
49
Build quality
57
51
Productivity
57
66
Customizability
52
75
Portability
58
57

What they share

  • Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
  • Keycaps: PBT
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Focus Lab CTRL87 vs Heavy shell Kira96 specs

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

9 of 20 specs differ

Focus Lab CTRL87

Heavy shell Kira96

Typing & switches

Switch options

—
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

No
Yes

Mount style

Plate Mount
—

Sound dampening

Yes
No

Layout

Layout size

87%
96%

Layout standard

—
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Display

LED
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

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

Max polling rate

8,000 Hz
—

Battery

8,000 mAhBetter
3,500 mAh

USB-C

No
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
Aluminum, Plastic

Plate material

FR4
—

Keycaps

PBT
PBT

Weight

2,100 g
—

Dimensions

35 x 365 x 147 mm
—

Backlight

RGB
RGB

Firmware & software

Mac & Windows

No
Yes

Extras

Released

2026
2022

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.

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