Having used KiiBOOM mechanical keyboards, I assure you they always provided outstanding quality. Where the Phantom series, with an eye-catching acrylic design and robust construction, is a million-dollar OEM distillation, the Loop lineup features high-effect aircraft-quality cardboard sandwich pages. What shines, though, is their switches — tough enough to withstand heavy use and provide an appealing, resonant sound. I’ve recommended KiiBOOM boards to friends looking for colorful, “thocky” keyboards, and all of them have been impressed with their purchases.
Now, let’s talk about the star of today’s review: the Kiiboom Moonshadow V2. Built to last like the Loop series, this keyboard prioritizes functionality without sacrificing style. Its clean, cohesive design is visually appealing, and the 75% layout smartly balances compactness with practicality, housing nearly all essential keys alongside a sleek aluminum volume knob—a welcome upgrade.
The Moonshadow 81 was previously a DIY enthusiast’s kit, shipped without switches or keycaps and requiring assembly. The original model also forwent a volume knob and had a much cleaner profile. The V2, on the other hand, improves on this with a prebuilt layout (switches and keycaps included), you get a dedicated “End” key through a slightly modified layout, and you trade the polycarbonate plate for an FR4 one, which is sturdier. It’s much more approachable without sacrificing the crease factor that drew KiiBOOM so many fans in the first place.
The Kiiboom Moonshadow V2 comes as a surprise with an extra PC plate included in the box for more customization options, something that isn’t seen often when it comes to the prebuilt keyboard market. Many prebuilt boards don’t even present a choice of plates, let alone allow you to swap one out on your own. KiiBOOM deserves credit for letting users switch between a flex-cut FR4 plate and a polycarbonate (PC) option. I’d love to see other brands get inspired by this approach and let users customize their typing experience.
Changing out plates is delightfully simple. In a matter of minutes, the that’s slightly brighter and crisper FR4 plate can be swapped out for the deeper, mellower PC plate. Due to the screwless design of the keyboard, you can pop off the top case — after pulling off the knob, of course — to gain access to the internals. Personally, however, as someone who leans towards FR4 plates for their signature marbly, high-end acoustics, I found the overall sound experience to feel more premium compared to the PC variant that I tested. But having both options is a victory for tinkerers. It’s great to see a prebuilt keyboard offer this level of customization, something beyond dumb hot-swappable switches. Here’s to hoping KiiBOOM sets a precedent for other brands prioritizing modular design.
Design
The KiiBOOM Moonshadow V2 comes in Silver, Black, and Pink sleek finishes. The silver and black versions have a tough anodized coating, while the pink one sports a distinctly smooth electrophoretic finishing. All versions have the same strong 6063 aluminum chassis, which makes the keyboard feel premium and rock-solid. I reviewed the silver model, and the matte finish under direct lighting complements its rugged design—no wobble even under furious typing sessions. I appreciate an aluminum keyboard’s reassuring weight; they don’t skitter around your desk, and if you make the Moonshadow V2 a permanent fixture, it will feel like one.
To counter what many describe as aluminum’s natural acoustics (which can exacerbate sound), KiiBOOM stuffed the inside with several layers of sound-dampening material. In their terms, it uses “sound-improving materials” consisting of PORON sandwich foam, IXPE switch pads, PET acoustic film, and much specialized bottom foam. These elements combine to dampen the pitch of keystroke vibrations, turning the standard metallic ping into a warm, deep tone with a pleasant marbled thock—a sound profile that mechanical keyboard enthusiasts will instantly associate with high-end boards.
The Kiiboom Moonshadow V2 comes pre-greased with removable dye-sublimated PBT keycaps that resist shine and wear. On the silver model, the keycap palette — a classy blend of light gray, charcoal gray and seafoam green accents — complements the aluminum frame perfectly. The legends are nice and legible, and I just really like the reserved design language at play here. It’s a practical keyboard with a clean, modern aesthetic, so it will look as nice as it sounds.
Switches
Now let’s discuss the switches. The Kiiboom Moonshadow V2 comes with KiiBOOM’s Flick Switches: linear-style switches designed to provide a buttery/smooth acoustic experience. These provide a pleasing compromise of subdued softness and that already iconic “thocky” sound, while sitting on a typing experience that still feels frictionless. However, despite thei45 gf5gf actuation force rating, they feel much lighter in everyday use due to their pillow-y conformity. The 2.0mm pre-travel distance is moderate enough to work for gaming marathons as well as office productivity.
I’ve had mixed feelings after weeks of testing. On the other hand, the sound profile is heavenly. When paired with the FR4 plate and the keyboard’s integrated dampening, these produce a rich, marbled tone that’s more satisfying than obnoxious. For some of us who straddle that fine line between audio ecstasy and logical practicality (read: open-plan offices), they’re a home run.
But here’s the catch: they seem strangely weightless. The switch foam dampening or some spring design, typing on these gives me the sensation of squishing a semi-silent switch, there’s a vague mush under your fingertips. If you’ve ever used Epomaker’s Sea Salt Silents or Outemu’s Silent Lemon V2s, these would give you the same “walking-on-marshmallows” feeling, but loud. Whether you find this soft, pillow-like floatiness pleasant or not depends on your preferences found myself longing for the firm feedback I get with favorites such as Wuque Studio’s Black Arowanas.
That being said, the keyboard community has a wild range of preferences. If creamy acoustics trump tactile precision for you, then these might just be your everyday drivers. To be fair, that discrepancy of heavenly sound and underwhelming tactility, in my experience, prevents these from achieving “endgame” status, so your mileage may vary.
Battery and Connectivity
The Moonshadow V2 is VIA/QMK compatible, with the added caveat that to use that functionality, you’ll have to sideload a.. json file. I appreciate brands like KiiBOOM and Epomaker for being more lax in theirlocking downn of keyboard firmware, but having true plug-and-play VIA compatibility would’ve been amazing. I even attempted to connect the Moonshadow V2 to KiiBOOM’s config software out of curiosity — no such luck. Already plugged into the KiiBOOM ecosystem, so consider sticking with VIA for this board.
Spec-wise, the Kiiboom Moonshadow V2 ticks every modern mechanical keyboard box: a robust 4000mAh battery for wireless longevity, triple connectivity (2.4GHz, Bluetooth, USB-C), N-key rollover, and South-facing RGB. Nothing too ground breaking here, but nice to see these features becoming standard on prebuilt boards.
Once I adjusted to its unusual Flick switches, typing on the Moonshadow V2 was a pleasure. The slight mushiness threw me off at first, but within a week of writing plus coding daily, I was seeing 100+ WPM with 97% accuracy across the board. The satisfying thock gives it aural charm (if co-workers don’t give you the side-eye in quiet offices). For solo workspaces or home offices? Pure bliss.
Gaming performance falls somewhere in between. The cushiony feel of the Flick switches works against you, the faster the action, though, in FPS or rhythm games, where every minute input matters. Accidental key presses and delayed feedback lost me rounds in Valorant during testing, which is a dealbreaker for competitive play. Swapping switches might help, but that kind of defeats the “prebuilt ready” appeal. That said, casual gaming shines in this area. Slower titles such as Stardew Valley or League of Legends were similarly responsive, and each keystroke produced tactile satisfaction. Consider this a productivity-first board that has a casual second job as a laid-back gaming companion.
Verdict
The Kiiboom Moonshadow V2 is a surprising budget alternative to the more expensive Moonshadow 81 Kit.category) That makes it a great choice for keyboard lovers who want to try their hand at modding without the hassle of building every part from the ground up. Changing the plate was surprisingly easy — I removed the knobs/switches/top case/combo and done! For those new to keyboard customization, jumping into the deep end can be daunting, but the V2’s modular nature allows beginners to experiment with things like plate adjustments in a very low-stakes, accessible manner.
The KiiBOOM Moonshadow V2 was an absolute pleasure to use once I adapted to the softer, cushioned feel of its Flick Switches. The board’s construction and focus on creamy acoustics make it a clear choice for anyone after a top-tier prebuilt with that satisfying “thocky” sound profile. For those who want a good-looking, well-made board that is designed for a strong quality-to-price ratio, the Moonshadow V2 is certainly one to check out!
Read Also: KiiBOOM Breeze 75 Worth $149? A Comprehensive Review