Epomaker keycaps

Epomaker keyboards ship with high-quality keycaps designed to balance aesthetics, durability, and typing comfort across their diverse product lineup.

Stock Keycap Profiles and Materials

The majority of Epomaker keyboards feature Cherry profile keycaps as standard equipment—the most popular profile in the mechanical keyboard community. Cherry profile provides a sculpted, ergonomic typing experience with medium height (~9.4mm) that reduces finger travel while offering tactile landmarks for touch typists. Some models in the RT series (like the RT85) use Cherry profile, while others offer OEM profile as an alternative.

Epomaker strongly emphasizes PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) construction across their keyboard range. The TH99, TH99 PRO, RT85, Galaxy series, and HE68 all ship with double-shot PBT keycaps that resist shine, maintain their texture over years of use, and withstand heat better than ABS alternatives. The double-shot manufacturing process—where two separate plastics are injection molded together—ensures legends never fade or wear away, even with heavy daily use. Wall thickness typically ranges from 1.4mm to 1.8mm, providing excellent durability and a satisfying acoustic signature.

For users who want backlit RGB effects, Epomaker offers shine-through keycap variants made from ABS or ABS+PC blends with translucent legends that allow LED lighting to illuminate through. Models like the HE68 Lite feature shine-through PBT keycaps with 2-layer A-RGB backlighting for stunning visual effects without sacrificing the durability benefits of PBT material.

Special Keycap Features

Epomaker distinguishes itself through several keycap innovations. Many keyboards feature south-facing LEDs (rather than north-facing), which prevents Cherry profile keycaps from interfering with switch housings—a common compatibility issue resolved by thoughtful PCB design. The brand also offers side-printed legends on some keycap sets, where characters appear on the sides of keycaps rather than tops, creating a clean minimalist aesthetic while maintaining visibility in low-light conditions.

The brand's keycap sets frequently include comprehensive layout coverage supporting 60%, 65%, 75%, TKL, 96%, and full-size keyboards with both ANSI and ISO layouts. Sets typically contain 140-175 keycaps with multiple spacebar sizes (2u, 2.25u, 2.75u, 6u, 6.25u, 7u) and the critical 1.75u right shift required for compact layouts.

Replacement and Customization Options

While Epomaker does sell some replacement keycap sets through their website, these are limited to pre-designed colorways and themes with fixed legends. For true customization—creating keycaps that match your exact vision with custom colors, personalized legends, and unique designs—aftermarket options provide far more flexibility.

Compatibility

All Epomaker keyboards use standard MX-compatible stems (Cherry MX structure), making them compatible with the vast majority of aftermarket keycap sets from any manufacturer. Hot-swappable sockets on most models (3-pin and 5-pin support) mean users can freely customize both switches and keycaps without soldering. The combination of south-facing LEDs, standard stem compatibility, and comprehensive layout support makes Epomaker keyboards exceptionally friendly to keycap customization.

Whether you're keeping the premium stock keycaps or designing completely custom sets, Epomaker keyboards provide a solid foundation for keycap personalization. The brand's commitment to PBT material, standard MX compatibility, and thoughtful layout design removes common barriers to customization, opening the door to truly unique keyboard builds.

Epomaker was founded in 2019 in New York City with a clear mission: making mechanical keyboards accessible to everyone. The name "Epomaker" is short for "Epoch of Makers," reflecting the founders' belief that they were entering a new era where keyboard enthusiasts could become creators rather than just consumers. The founding team consisted of gamers, software engineers, product designers, and mechanical keyboard enthusiasts who wanted to share their passion with the world through feature-packed, affordable keyboards.

Unlike traditional keyboard manufacturers, Epomaker established itself as an Internet-first platform connecting mechanical keyboard users with quality products at accessible price points. The brand's philosophy centers on four core principles: customizability, creativity, productivity-boosting features, and high standards—goals that guide every product decision.

From the beginning, Epomaker distinguished itself through aggressive community engagement. The brand describes itself as "heavily dedicated towards our community," noting that "without their feedback and suggestions, these keyboards would have not been a reality." This community-first approach shaped product development through direct feedback loops with users, a model uncommon among larger keyboard manufacturers focused on top-down design.

Epomaker's early growth came through successful crowdfunding campaigns and strategic partnerships with established Chinese keyboard manufacturers. Rather than building manufacturing capability from scratch, Epomaker positioned itself as a platform for Chinese keyboard brands—partnering with companies like Ajazz (highly regarded in 2015-2017 for budget mechanical keyboards) to bring their products to global markets with Epomaker's branding and community support. This collaborative model allowed rapid product diversification while maintaining quality control.

The brand's product evolution has been marked by steady expansion across form factors and technologies. Early successes like the AK84S and EK68 established Epomaker's reputation for delivering hot-swappable, wireless-capable keyboards with premium features (gasket-mount construction, PBT keycaps, QMK/VIA support) at sub-$100 price points—a value proposition that resonated strongly with budget-conscious enthusiasts.

The Galaxy series represented Epomaker's push upmarket, introducing CNC aluminum construction, full gasket mounting, and weights exceeding 1kg for premium stability. The Galaxy 100 and Galaxy 65 received praise from reviewers for "superbly made" build quality rivaling keyboards costing twice as much. This demonstrated Epomaker could compete not just on value, but on absolute quality.

The TH series launched with the TH99 in 2024, establishing Epomaker's signature productivity-focused 96% layout (1800 compact). The TH99 gained significant attention through positive reviews highlighting its "creamy" typing sound, double-shot PBT keycaps, tri-mode connectivity, and 8000mAh battery—all for under $100. The TH99 PRO upgraded this formula with a glass screen, volume knob, 10,000mAh battery, and refined gasket mounting. The TH108 extended the design to full-size, while TH87 brought it to TKL. The TH40 ventured into the 40% niche.

The RT (Retro) series represented Epomaker's aesthetic diversification. The RT100 became an "all-time classic" with retro-inspired design elements. The RT85 (75% layout, launched 2025) combined vintage gaming console aesthetics—rounded frames, integrated TFT screen, multi-function joystick—with modern functionality including 8000mAh battery and thocky gasket-mounted sound profile. Reviews praised its "nailing the sound" straight from the box without modding.

Hall Effect technology became a major focus in 2024-2025, positioning Epomaker competitively against gaming giants. The HE68 and HE68 Lite brought magnetic switches with 0.01mm adjustable actuation, Rapid Trigger, and 8000Hz polling to the $59-99 price bracket—substantially undercutting competitors like Wooting and SteelSeries. The HE80 extended Hall Effect to 75% layouts. Crucially, Epomaker's HE boards maintained MX stem compatibility, preserving keycap customization options.

Epomaker has also cultivated a robust aftermarket keycap business, offering standalone sets in diverse aesthetics (minimalist Urban, whimsical Moonlit Bunny, gradient AquaShift, ocean-themed Sailing) and materials (PBT dye-sub, ABS double-shot, silicone, translucent PC). These complement the keyboard business while serving the broader mechanical keyboard community.

By 2025, Epomaker had established itself as a value leader in mechanical keyboards—delivering enthusiast-grade features (hot-swap, gasket mount, VIA support, wireless, premium keycaps) at mass-market prices. The brand's community-driven approach, platform business model, and focus on accessibility over premium positioning carved out a unique niche in a crowded market. Epomaker keyboards appear consistently in "best budget keyboard" lists while earning respect from enthusiasts for genuine quality rather than corner-cutting.

The brand's presence spans Amazon, their direct website with worldwide shipping, and a growing global retailer network. With product launches accelerating (including recent entries like the HE30 one-handed gaming keyboard and TH33 numpad) and continued investment in Hall Effect technology, Epomaker shows no signs of slowing its expansion across form factors, price points, and use cases.