Aluminum keyboard under 1,200 CZK. One detail decides if it's for you

An all-metal mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable switches for less than 1,200 CZK sounds like a pricing error. You can now buy the Dark Project ALU with code ALZADNY25 for 1,118 CZK instead of 1,490 CZK – and with 94 reviews and an average of 4.7 out of 5, it’s one of the best-proven pieces in this category.

👍 Get it if you want a sturdy, quiet mechanical keyboard that you can customize over time, and US keycaps don’t bother you.
🤔 Hesitate if you need Czech diacritics on the keys – this variant doesn’t have them.
💰 Price: 1,118 CZK for an aluminum body, hotswap sockets, and switches with an 80 million keystroke lifespan.

A kilo and three hundred grams of aluminum

A weight of 1,300 grams sounds like a disadvantage, but for a keyboard, it’s actually a sign of quality – the high-pressure cast metal body doesn’t flex, slide on the desk, or produce that hollow sound you know from cheap plastic mechanical keyboards when typing. The construction is precisely the main reason why the ALU is so highly rated.

The switches are linear and silent, with an actuation distance of 1.5 mm (shorter than the usual 2 mm, meaning faster response in games) and a lifespan of 80 million keystrokes. Crucially, it features hotswap: you can replace the switches without soldering for any others, from clicky to even quieter ones, so the keyboard grows with you. The TKL format with 87 keys saves space for your mouse, and it also includes dynamic RGB backlighting, programmable keys, anti-ghosting, a detachable cable, and replaceable keycaps.

US keycaps might be an issue

This variant has US localization, meaning no diacritics (hooks and accents) on the keycaps. Of course, you can switch to a Czech layout in your system, and diacritics will work normally; you just won’t see them printed. For programmers, gamers, and anyone who touch-types, this is practically unnoticeable; those who look at the keys while typing will struggle for the first few weeks.

A second minor detail: the keycaps are made of ABS plastic, not the more durable PBT, so after years of intense typing, they might develop a shine. However, with a hotswap design and the option to replace keycaps, this is easily solvable. For 1,118 CZK, you’re getting an aluminum mechanical keyboard with features that usually cost twice as much – and ninety-four reviews confirm that this is no coincidence.

Would US keycaps bother you on a keyboard, or do you touch-type anyway?