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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2 vs Varmilo APT87 Sea Melody

Get the PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2 for via. Get the Varmilo APT87 Sea Melody for sound dampening.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2

VIA

Build quality in the top 25% of 80% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
$119 at MonacoKeys

Get the

Varmilo APT87 Sea Melody

Sound dampening

Build quality in the bottom 50% of 80% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
$134 at MK

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.

PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2

Varmilo APT87 Sea Melody

  • Mount style

    Gasket Mount

    Plate Mount

  • Display

    LED

    None

    A case display rather than a typing feature

  • VIA

    Yes

    No

    GUI remapping without compiling firmware

  • Sound dampening

    No

    Yes

  • Plate material

    Aluminum

    Plastic

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2
  • Varmilo APT87 Sea Melody
Performance
78
76
Build quality
69
56
Productivity
73
80
Customizability
79
72
Portability
87
76

What they share

  • Layout size: 80%
  • Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
  • Hot-swappable
  • Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
  • Case material: ABS
  • Switch options: Linear, Silent, Tactile
See every spec side by side

Full specs

PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2 vs Varmilo APT87 Sea Melody specs

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

9 of 23 specs differ

PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R2

Varmilo APT87 Sea Melody

Typing & switches

Switch options

Linear, Silent, Tactile
Linear, Silent, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Gasket Mount
Plate Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

80%
80%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Display

LED
None

Media keys

No
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

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

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

Battery

8,000 mAh
—

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

ABS
ABS

Plate material

Aluminum
Plastic

Keycaps

PBT, PC
PBT

Weight

1,384 g
—

Dimensions

38 x 387 x 179 mm
—

Backlight

RGB, south-facing
RGB, north-facing

Firmware & software

VIA

Yes
No

N-key rollover

Yes
Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2026
2025

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.

PlayKeyboard Smurve80 R22 stores
Varmilo APT87 Sea Melody2 stores

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