Introduction

I still remember when Drop, or rather Massdrop at the time, had just started out and was catering to different lifestyles and hobbies. This was at a time when there wasn’t much choice when it came to DIY keyboards, kits, and keycap sets. Drop ended up being a pioneer in this regard considering there are so many other niche-specific outlets today for various product segments. It was natural then that the company went from organizing and hosting group buys, which it still does, to developing products under the brand’s own name. It was late 2017 when I had first read about plans for the very first Drop keyboard. It is 2021 now, and the Drop CTRL has been out for a few years and sold over 5500 times, so what better way to introduce the brand to TechPowerUp than with a review of the Drop CTRL? Thanks again to Drop for arranging a review sample!

The Drop CTRL is a tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard that comes in two color options as it pertains to the frame, with the black one shown above to distinguish it from the “Space Gray” sample I have here. There are several switch options, too, including Kailh and Cherry, but also Drop’s Halo switches. This may open up a can of worms, however, with the Halo switches being a serious point of contention that led to some terminated partnerships, particularly one that involved Input Club. That’s a story for another time, so I won’t be considering any of that in the review of the Drop CTRL, which begins with a look at the specifications in the table below.

Specifications