Royal Kludge L98 vs N80Southpaw or Low Profile
Choose the L98 for its left-side numpad, PBT keycaps, and larger battery, or the N80 for its low-profile 75% layout.
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from$89at Royal Kludge
from$89at Royal Kludge
Which one should you get?
Get the
Royal Kludge L98
Battery
Build quality in the top 25% of 96% boards under $100.
- 96% southpaw layout includes a numpad on the left.
- 8000mAh battery, with the vendor listing up to 310 hours with RGB off and 51 hours with RGB on.
- Gasket mount, PBT keycaps, and five sound-dampening layers, including foam, an IXPE switch pad, silicone dampener, and PET film.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
Get the
Royal Kludge N80
Build quality in the bottom 45% of 75% boards under $100.
- 75% low-profile layout with a listed 1.2-inch case height.
- Tri-mode connectivity, plus a 3750mAh battery.
- Low-profile Red and Brown switches are hot-swappable with RK low-profile switches.
- Low-profile switches and keycaps only. Standard MX keycaps will not fit.
- No numpad.
Pick the Royal Kludge L98 if a numpad, PBT keycaps, a larger battery, and broader switch compatibility are central to your setup. Choose the N80 if you prefer a 75% low-profile board and can work within its low-profile switch and keycap ecosystem. Both provide tri-mode connectivity, hot-swap support, a knob, and a display, so layout and keycap compatibility should drive the decision.
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.
Royal Kludge L98
Royal Kludge N80
Layout size
96%
75%
Battery
8,000 mAh
3,750 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Low profile
No
Yes
Ergonomics
Southpaw
Standard
Switch options
Linear, Silent, Tactile
Linear, Tactile
- Royal Kludge L98
- Royal Kludge N80
- Performance
- 7866
- Build quality
- 7663
- Productivity
- 8082
- Customizability
- 7372
- Portability
- 5979
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Knob
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The L98 is the more suitable fit for office work, programming, modding, and creator workflows that benefit from a numpad or switch choice. The N80’s smaller layout makes it the travel-oriented pick, though it weighs more than the L98. Gaming is a close call: the N80 has low-profile switches and a gaming-friendly top mount, while the L98 adds N-Key Rollover and broader switch options. Both support tri-mode connectivity and hot-swappable switches, but the N80’s switch replacement is limited to RK low-profile switches.
It's a tie
- Both keyboards offer Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz wireless, and wired connectivity.
- The L98 has N-Key Rollover and linear, tactile, or silent switch options.
- The N80’s low-profile Red switch has a listed 1.2 mm actuation point, and its top-mount design is described as gaming-friendly.
Royal Kludge L98 vs N80 specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
15 of 24 specs differ
Royal Kludge L98
Royal Kludge N80
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Low profile
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Connection
Battery
USB passthrough
USB-C
Case material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
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Royal Kludge L98 vs N80: your questions
The L98 is a 96% southpaw keyboard with a left-side numpad, while the N80 is a low-profile 75% keyboard with no numpad. The L98 also has PBT keycaps and an 8000mAh battery, compared with ABS keycaps and a 3750mAh battery on the N80.
The L98 has a numpad positioned on the left side of the keyboard. The N80’s 75% layout does not include a numpad.
Both keyboards support Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz wireless, and wired USB-C connections. The N80 vendor listing also specifies a 2.4G dongle in the box.
The L98 has an 8000mAh battery, while the N80 has a 3750mAh battery. Royal Kludge lists the L98 for up to 310 hours with RGB off and 51 hours with RGB on, and the N80 for up to 115 hours with RGB off and 25 hours with RGB on.
No. The N80’s compatibility rules specify low-profile switches and keycaps, and say standard MX keycaps will not fit.
The L98 vendor description says its hot-swappable PCB supports 3-pin and 5-pin switches. The N80’s listed hot-swap support is specifically for RK low-profile switches.
The L98 is the more direct fit if you use a numpad for numeric input, because its 96% southpaw layout retains one on the left. Its vendor description also specifies support for 3-pin and 5-pin hot-swappable switches.
The N80 has the smaller listed dimensions at 28 x 330 x 140 mm, versus 45 x 400 x 140 mm for the L98. It weighs 1200g, however, compared with 990g for the L98.
Both are listed as hot-swappable. The L98 vendor says it supports 3-pin and 5-pin switches, while the N80 is described as hot-swappable with RK low-profile switches.
Both product listings include a knob and a screen. The N80 vendor describes knob control for volume, connection modes, and RGB settings, and its screen can show items such as connection mode and battery status.
The L98 has south-facing LEDs, and its compatibility rules warn that shine-through legends stay dark and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED. The N80 uses ABS double-shot keycaps, but the listing does not specify that its legends are shine-through.
The L98 offers a silent switch option, and its vendor description lists five sound-dampening layers. The N80 offers low-profile Red switches described as quiet, with two sound-absorbing foam layers and a silicone bottom dampening pad.
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