When you go looking around for a 60% mechanical keyboard, you will constantly come across three names. The DuckyOne2 Mini, Pok3r by Vortex, and the Anne Pro 2 by Obins lab. These are regarded as the top three 60% keyboard in the market. However, the other top options are well above the $100 margin which leaves us with just the Anne Pro 2.
Therefore, we’re taking a look at the Anne Pro 2 today to ascertain what makes this $75 keyboard compete with the market leaders.
Anne Pro 2: Packaging and contents
The Anne Pro 2 comes in a minimalistic white box which has the keyboard illustrated on the front with Anne Pro 2 written on the sides. However, regardless of which color you choose, the box will show the white version.
Please note that our box got damaged during shipping, so it does not reflect the actual packaging provided by the company.
On the back side, the features and other details are printed out along with the contact details of the company.
Anne Pro 2: Contents
Inside the box you’ll find the Anne Pro 2 itself wrapped in a cover. Along with it, you also get:
- Red Type-C Cable
- 12 Colored Keycaps (Yellow, Pink, Blue, and green)
- Keycap Puller
- A Startup Booklet
The additional keycaps are a nice touch but beware they aren’t PBT plastic and they have a rough feel to them.
Anne Pro 2: Design and Build
Body
The Anne Pro 2 comes in a high profile case which has slim bezels. Most people are accustomed to the low-profile design which exposes the switches and creates the well known mechanical keyboard look, however, with this the switches are hidden.
The Anne Pro 2 does not have flip-up feet like the DuckyOne2 Mini, but the gradual incline makes it a non-issue.
For the most part, the design profile remains the same compared to the Anne Pro 1. However, the difference can be seen underneath the keyboard where there are rubber feet to prevent slips. In addition to the physical ON-OFF switch for the bluetooth.
Furthermore, the Anne Pro 2 also comes with the Type-C port opposed to the Micro-USB present on the yesteryear variant.
The keyboard weighs around 630g, which is heavier than most 60% keyboard in the same price bracket but it is important to note that the Anne Pro is wireless; hence, it has a 1900mAh battery which contributes to the weight. Furthermore, it also has a steel plate opposed to the commonly found aluminum one which is considerably lighter.
It is important to note that those Anne Pro 2s that come with obinslab written underneath are from the early batches which had few issues. Therefore, try to get the version which has ANNE PRO written underneath. The example is provided below:
Keycaps
The keycaps that come with the Anne Pro 2 are double-shot PBT with a thickness of 1.2mm.
In most keyboards, the layer functions are printed on the top next to the normal letters. However, the Anne Pro 2 has all the secondary functions printed on the side in a red font which improves the aesthetic.
You also get 12 blank keycaps which come in different colors to spice up your keyboard if you wish. However, the material isn’t similar and the feel itself is quite rugged.
The Anne Pro 2 comes in two different fonts. Personally, I prefer the Type – B, which isn’t as gamer-esce as the other one. However, this is entirely subjective.
Switches
Kailh Box Whites
We got our unit with Kailh Box White switches which are loud clicky switches similar to blues by Cherry and Gateron. However, these switches have a significant difference in how they work as Kailh Box switches use a clickbar opposed to the metal jacket found in the Cherry switches. This provides a more satisfying click, however, these Kailh Box whites are definitely lighter than CherryMX blues.
Kailh Box White Specifications:
| Total Travel | 3.60 ± 0.3mm |
| Actuation Travel | 1.8 ± 0.3mm |
| Initial Force | 25 cN min |
| Actuation Force | 45 ± 15cN |
| Click Force | 55 ± 10 cN |
| Bottom Force | 60 cN min |
CherryMX Blues Specifications
| Total Travel | 4.0 ± 0.5mm |
| Actuation Travel | 2.2 ± 0.6mm |
| Initial Force | 25 cN min |
| Actuation Force | 50 ± 15 cN |
| Click Force | 60 ± 15 cN |
| Bottom Force | 60 cN min |
You can also get other switches for you Anne Pro 2. You have the choice to choose between
- Gateron Reds
- Gateron Blues
- Gateron Browns
- CherryMX Reds
- CherryMX Blues
- CherryMX Browns
- CherryMX Silvers
- Kailh Box Browns
- Kailh Box Reds
- Kailh Box Whites
The Stabilizers
The Anne Pro 2 is fitted with some decent stabilizers as the key-wobble is little to none. A majority of assert that the Anne Pro 2 has the best stabilizers among its competitors such as the Duckyone2 Mini and the Vortex Pok3r.
Software
The Anne Pro 2 has one of the cleanest softwares around when it comes to 60% keyboards. The software is known as ObinsKit which allows you to personalize the layout, RGB, and macros.
Layout and Layers
Having an intuitive layout and layer system is imperative for 60% keyboards due to their inherent design. The Anne Pro 2 excels in this regard which is one of the factors that puts this keyboard above the rest in the same price bracket.
The MAGIC FN
The left Caps Lock can also work as the Magic FN key which can be used to access either the FN1 or FN1 layer. This can be used to access the top function keys on the fly. However, you will have to unmap the arrow keys on WASD as it can become annoying when you’re typing and you need to use the CAPS Lock.
The primary layer is your standard keyboard layout which does not require any explanation.
The first layer accommodates all the important missing buttons which can easily be accessed by pressing Fn1 and the corresponding button.
On this layer, you will find the usual keyboard functions buttons such as lighting modes, Bluetooth hotkeys, among other items.
Lastly, the tap layer is by far the most helpful feature on the Anne Pro 2, as you can just tap on the FN1, FN2, CTRL, and Shift key to use them as dedicated arrow keys without having to press any addition button. If you press down on the button for longer, they will function normally.
You can easily personalize the layers through the ObinsKit software as per your own need and preference. I’m content with the original layout, so I just went ahead and added media keys on the FN2 layer which comes in handy.
If you require macros, you can easily set up a few through the Macro tab in Obinskit. I don’t have any macro myself, but I did test it out and it worked swimmingly.
The RGB
The Anne Pro 2 comes with a full RGB spectrum which provides a vibrant and accurate color profile (Except for pure white, which has a blue tint to it). The keyboard comes with a number of RGB presets on board, however, with the ObinsKit software you can choose from over 20 modes. Some of them include:
The In-built Steering Wheel
Yes, you heard it right. The Anne Pro 2 comes with sensors built in which allow you to use the keyboard as a steering wheel. In terms of practicality, you’re not going to be setting the fast lap times on Monaco, but it’s definitely fun to play with. You can turn it on by pressing F2 + 5, and you’ll see the number row lighting up in red.
Bluetooth
If wires are dragging you down or you need to use a loud mechanical keyboard on the go, you can connect the Anne Pro 2 to your phone or laptop via Bluetooth.
In order to turn on the Bluetooth mode, you would first need to flip the keyboard over and switch the button towards the ON side.
Thereafter, you are going to need to hold down FN2 plus 1/F1 for 5 seconds until the light beings to flash rapidly.
The keyboard should show on your device and from then you’ll just have to turn on the Bluetooth mode to automatically connect to the paired device.
Where to Buy?
We got our unit from Aliexpress. The delivery was fairly quick (3 weeks), and the keyboard came in a perfect condition (excluding the box).
You can buy it from HERE.
Check out our purchase guide on 60% keyboards
