Varmilo APT87 Yakumo vs VPT87 Sea MelodyNorth vs South Facing RGB Comparison
Choose the APT87 for clicky switches and north-facing RGB, or the VPT87 for an aluminum plate and south-facing RGB compatibility.
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Which one should you get?
Get the
Varmilo APT87 Yakumo
North
Build quality in the bottom 45% of 80% boards under $150.
- Offers Cherry MX Blue clicky switches for a tactile, audible typing experience.
- North-facing RGB LEDs may provide brighter shine-through with certain keycap legends.
- Programmable via the Varmilo web application for key remapping and macros.
- Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
- North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
Get the
Varmilo VPT87 Sea Melody
South Facing RGB Comparison
Build quality in the bottom 45% of 80% boards under $150.
- South-facing RGB LEDs ensure compatibility with Cherry-profile and other sculpted keycaps.
- Features an aluminum plate for a more solid and consistent typing feel.
- Includes double-layer silicone sound absorption and a flex cut PCB.
- Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
Your choice depends on your priority for switch type versus build materials. Select the Varmilo APT87 Yakumo if you want the option for clicky switches or prefer the potential for brighter north-facing RGB. Choose the Varmilo VPT87 Sea Melody if you plan to use Cherry-profile keycaps or value the stiffer feel of an aluminum plate. Both are capable wireless TKL keyboards with excellent core features.
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.
Varmilo APT87 Yakumo
Varmilo VPT87 Sea Melody
Switch options
Clicky, Linear, Silent, Tactile
Linear, Silent, Tactile
Plate material
Plastic
Aluminum
Backlight
RGB, north-facing
RGB, south-facing
RGB for looks and low light rather than speed
- Varmilo APT87 Yakumo
- Varmilo VPT87 Sea Melody
- Performance
- 8383
- Build quality
- 5554
- Productivity
- 7978
- Customizability
- 7271
- Portability
- 7574
- Layout size: 80%
- Hall effect (magnetic)
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
- Case material: ABS
What will you mostly use it for?
The VPT87 Sea Melody is the more future-proof choice for modders and programmers due to its aluminum plate and south-facing LEDs. The APT87 Yakumo holds a slight edge for office users who prefer tactile, clicky switches. For gaming, travel, and general content creation, the keyboards are functionally equivalent, sharing core wireless features and the TKL form factor.
It's a tie
- Both offer a 1000 Hz wired polling rate for low latency.
- Both feature N-key rollover for simultaneous key presses.
- Both have the same TKL form factor, saving desk space for mouse movement.
Varmilo APT87 Yakumo vs VPT87 Sea Melody specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
3 of 20 specs differ
Varmilo APT87 Yakumo
Varmilo VPT87 Sea Melody
Switch options
Hall effect (magnetic)
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Backlight
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
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Varmilo APT87 Yakumo vs VPT87 Sea Melody: your questions
North-facing LEDs are positioned at the top of the switch, which can cause the switch housing to collide with the inside of Cherry-profile keycaps. South-facing LEDs are at the bottom, eliminating this interference and ensuring compatibility with more keycap profiles, though they may light top-printed legends less directly.
Yes, both keyboards feature a hot-swappable PCB. This allows you to change the mechanical switches without soldering, using switches with an MX-style stem.
The Varmilo VPT87 Sea Melody features an aluminum plate according to its specifications. The APT87 Yakumo uses a plastic plate.
Based on the provided switch type metadata and vendor listings, the VPT87 is listed with tactile, linear, and silent switches. It does not list a clicky switch option, unlike the APT87 which includes clicky switches in its metadata.
Both the APT87 and VPT87 support three connection modes: wired via USB-C, wireless 2.4 GHz with a dongle, and Bluetooth 5.1. The vendor pages confirm Bluetooth 5.1 for both models.
According to the vendor descriptions, the polling rates vary by mode. Wired connection offers 1000 Hz, the 2.4 GHz wireless mode offers 250 Hz, and Bluetooth offers 133 Hz. This is stated for both models.
No. The vendor characteristics for both keyboards explicitly state they are not QMK compatible and not VIA compatible. The APT87 mentions programmability through a Varmilo web application.
Both models include double-layer silicone sound absorption inside the case, as per the vendor descriptions. They also list a flex cut PCB, which can influence the typing sound and feel.
Yes, both the APT87 Yakumo and VPT87 Sea Melody come with thick, dye-sublimated PBT keycaps. This material is more resistant to shine and wear than ABS plastic.
Both are 80% size, Tenkeyless (TKL) keyboards with an ANSI physical layout and a US QWERTY logical layout. They have 87 keys.
Yes, both keyboards feature preset multimedia keypress combinations. They are listed with multimedia keys in their characteristics and extra features.
Based on the provided vendor data, the APT87 Yakumo is listed as in stock from at least one vendor. The VPT87 Sea Melody listing shows it as out of stock or available for pre-order, which may affect immediate purchase.
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