The Colorway: Olive, Cream, and House Pride

This isn't a novelty set plastered with house crests. KeyCapUS took a restrained approach: the alpha keys wear a desaturated sage-olive tone that reads as neutral under most lighting, while modifiers shift to warm ivory-cream with dark emerald legends. The spacebar and escape key carry subtle serpentine line work in silver-grey, a visual nod that surfaces only on closer inspection. The result reads as "vintage academic" to the uninitiated, "Slytherin" to those looking for it.

For build coordination, the olive alphas pair cleanly with black, dark green, or e-white keyboard cases. Cream modifiers warm up silver or grey anodized aluminum without clashing. Avoid pairing with bright RGB underglow—the dye-sub PBT is opaque and will mute any backlighting.

Profile Options: MDA vs. Cherry

The set ships in four configurations. Choose your profile before sizing:

MDA sits between XDA and SA in height—taller than Cherry, shorter than SA's full spherical assault. The top surface is gently scooped, cradling fingertips without the deep dish of SA. Cherry profile, meanwhile, keeps fingers closer to the board with its cylindrical tops and aggressive row angle changes. Both use dye-sub PBT, so texture and durability are identical; the choice is purely ergonomic preference.

Build and Compatibility

Material is 1.4mm-thick PBT with a fine-grain matte texture. Dye-sublimation embeds legends into the plastic itself—no pad-printed surface layer to wear through. The 138-key base covers 60% through TKL layouts; the 158-key expansion adds compatibility for 96%/1800, full-size 104/108, and various compact nav-cluster variants (71-key, 64-key with split spacebar, etc.).

Total weight is 400g, substantial enough to avoid the hollow feel of thin ABS sets. Cherry MX cross stems; compatible with Gateron, Kailh, JWK, and most MX clones. Box switches fit, though the tight PBT stem tolerance may require slight easing on first install.

How It Types

PBT's natural grit gives a dry, sandy feedback under fingertips—distinct from ABS glide. Dye-sub leaves the surface texture uninterrupted; legends feel identical to blank keys. MDA's spherical tops encourage centered finger placement, reducing lateral slip during fast sequences. Cherry's lower height reduces wrist extension for flat-typing postures.

Both profiles develop a slight polish in high-use zones (ASDF, spacebar) after 6–12 months, but PBT's density prevents the glossy "shine" that makes ABS look worn. The 400g mass dampens switch resonance slightly compared to lighter caps.

What's in the Kit

• 138 or 158 dye-sub PBT keycaps
• Keycap puller (plastic, basic)
• Storage tray (cardboard, not a case)

No keyboard included. No artisan accent keys—the theme execution relies on color blocking rather than sculpted novelties.

Is This Set Worth the Discount Price?

At $79.99–$99.99 (33% off the $118 MSRP), the per-key cost runs roughly $0.58–$0.72 depending on configuration. That's mid-range for dye-sub PBT—cheaper than GMK ABS doubleshots, pricier than budget AliExpress sets. The value proposition hinges on the profile flexibility: most vendors lock you into one profile per colorway. KeyCapUS offering both MDA and Cherry in the same theme is unusual at this price tier.