Realforce 45g or 55g? I have a HHKB 45g

[bruinfanfare]

As the topic says, I own a HHKB Pro 2 45g and I love it. I'm interested in buying a Realforce 87 for work to replace my Outemu Brown board. I've been doing research and there seems to be a lot of agreement that the 55g board is better for a myriad of reasons. However, I don't really have access to a physical store to try it (I bought my HHKB when I went to Japan last month). I do remember trying out the Realforce in Tokyo stores, but it's hard to recollect what they feel like now.

Should I just get the RF 45g as I'm used to the HHKB 45g? Some comments online say they don't actually feel the same and that the RF feels lighter. Or is the 55g just significantly better? I also worry about fatigue. I've tested Cherry MX Blacks before, and while I think they feel better than Reds, I didn't like them overall because I couldn't imagine typing a large block of text without getting tired.

For use cases, I'd be using the RF for work, so writing emails, excel spreadsheets, and coding.

[wobbled]

Get either a Realforce 55g or keep the HHKB 45g, they feel very similar.
45g realforce is much lighter than 45g HHKB.

[adhoc]

I found RF55G a little bit fatiguing in the long run and sold it. Fantastic board otherwise. I prefer HHKB.

[seebart]

I found RF55G a little bit fatiguing in the long run and sold it. Fantastic board otherwise. I prefer HHKB.

I agree, for longer sessions I prefer 45g.

[bruinfanfare]

I found RF55G a little bit fatiguing in the long run and sold it. Fantastic board otherwise. I prefer HHKB.

I agree, for longer sessions I prefer 45g.

Sounds good guys. Yeah, I love HHKB, it feels perfect in terms of weight. I now just get a bit confused when I use a regular keyboard due to the layout lol

[seebart]

I found RF55G a little bit fatiguing in the long run and sold it. Fantastic board otherwise. I prefer HHKB.

I agree, for longer sessions I prefer 45g.

Sounds good guys. Yeah, I love HHKB, it feels perfect in terms of weight. I now just get a bit confused when I use a regular keyboard due to the layout lol

While I do like 45g Topre in my FC660C I never liked the HHKB. I did own one once:

IMGP8354.JPG (975.43 KiB) Viewed 5121 times

[wobbled]

You owned a HHKB?

Who are you and what did you do to Seebart?!

[seebart]

You owned a HHKB?

Sure.

Who are you and what did you do to Seebart?!

d3d68cb0324a51ff397c6a8f2301c7ac--cat-stuff-funny-stuff.jpg (25.48 KiB) Viewed 5110 times

[czarek]

Be warned. My experience is a bit hardcore as I'm coding for ~10 hours a day, but 55G Topre made permanent damage in my right hand ring and little fingers after using it for nearly a year.

I can feel them hurt when I use heavier switches now, and honestly, 55G Topre feels the worst - hurts more than BS or stock MX Clear (which I dislike for many reasons). It even hurts me when I type on my HHKB for too long.

So I'm currently using weighted, silent Realforce 104US in white, as "black", or rather dark grey is coated using fading paint. And really, this board feels simply fantastic. I sometimes rotate for MX Browns or MX Reds, but quickly go back to Realforce.

Really the quality and typing comfort on this board is unmatched by anything. The only things I'd like to change in this board is to add a cable channel in center (it's only left or right), and to top it off I'd love properly labeled (or blank) keys for my bottom row and CapsLock/Control (which I know come with 87U, but they're windowed )

But the 55G, well they're enjoyable. Snappy, heavy, feel very substantial, but there is a reason they're only introduced in full board recently I think it's a bit of a gimmick, for someone who only uses this keyboard for couple hours a day max. Or someone who has very strong fingers.

[kekstee]

I'd be careful with heavy switches. My 45g stock HHKB is the heaviest Topre I own actually. The silenced one with stock sliders is a bit lighter, as are the variable weighted keys on my RF.

But I tend to go for light switches in general, I cannot use MX Black for a long time.

[Altis]

Realforce 55g is noticeably heavier than the HHKB, while the 45g is a bit lighter than the HHKB.

The comparison is a bit more complicated, IMO, because the HHKB has more of a 'pop' while the Realforce is a bit softer in tactility. They also sound quite different, with the Realforce being more quiet and less clacky.

I personally prefer lighter switches (MX Red, 45g Topre, even have 30g Topre) for daily use, even if the heavier ones feel better initially. I don't actually find the 55g Realforce to be much more tactile than the HHKB, and only a bit over the 45g Realforce... mostly just a bit heavier IMO.

Source: I have 2 HHKB and 3 Realforce (30g, 45g, 55g - all uniform)