Review: Using the Epomaker Luma 100 as a travel keyboard

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Those that know me know that I am a bit obsessed with finding the perfect keyboard. Why? It’s because I dual OS (macOS/Windows) and I also game – so I’m on this relentless search for the sweet spot of keyboards that is great for the office but will also excel when I am playing Helldivers. Of late, I’ve been a little obsessed with Epomaker as they are affordable and feature packed for the price. I used to use Logitech (MX Keys), but they have become increasingly expensive, and I’ve also found it harder to justify buying a Corsair or Razer keyboard for the same reason. Also, the battery on my Logitech that I used for travel died and Epomaker have massive batteries… my old Logitech was 1,500mAh but the Luma 100 is 3,000mAh! but I’m getting distracted…

I recently decided I wanted a keyboard for when I travel. I already own a portable monitor (this one from ASUS) and have a cheap laptop stand for travel (this one) but a keyboard would help round out my go bag. I was looking at the Epomaker 84 but the Epomaker Luma 100 stood out because it’s a 96% keyboard that is relatively light (weight 0.73kg/1.161lb), has a numeric keyboard (required, I do a lot of spreadsheets) while staying compact 37.1 cm (14.6 inches) long, 12.85 cm (5.1 inches) wide, and between 2.55 cm (1.0 inch) at the ESC side and 1.65 cm (0.65 inch) at the spacebar side in height AND also it also comes with a travel wallet/pouch (purple and white). A travel wallet/pouch is mandatory for travel keyboards if you don’t want your keys coming off when it’s stowed in luggage.

I also liked that the Luma 100 has mechanical keys although I’d never before tried the Epomaker Mint switches. I liked the Luma 100 because it has real keys and switches, not chiclet keys that are normal the standard for travel keyboards. My goal is to have a mechanical keyboard I can throw in my carry-on luggage, and here’s my perspective on if the Luma 100 delivers.

Also, I’ll note that the Luma 100 is super new so there were no reviews on Amazon when I got mine but there was a coupon, so if you’re quick (at time of writing) you can score the Luma 100 cheaper than the Epomaker 84-series. I figured someone else might want a real user review of the Luma 100, so here we are!

Epomaker Luna 100 First Impressions

Design wise, the Epomaker Luma looks as premium as my old retired Logitech MX Keys that I had been using for travel. Maybe it’s the aluminum body or the shape of the keys, I’m not sure but there’s definitely a Deja vu feeling. My Luma 100 white, with purple accented ESC and horizontal and vertical ENTER keys. If the purple accented keys don’t take your fancy, there are plain white keycaps in the box. For what it’s worth, I prefer white keyboards and currently the Luma 100 is only available in any color you want as long as it’s white. So that’s a win for me. The keyboard has full RGB backlighting, you get a rainbow effect when you turn it on but you can customize the RGBs.

The Luma 100 is not height adjustable, it’s a flat low-profile design, with a very slight wedge. I mean very very slight. It’s almost flat. If you wanted to raise the height, you could use 2x of the rubber feet and place them at the top to give you a bit more tilt – which I ended up doing to get more comfortable.

In the Epomaker Luma 100 box you will find:

the Epomaker Luma 100 keyboard
a purple and white vinyl travel wallet/pouch
USB A to USB C grey-colored braided cable
2.4Ghz USB A dongle (hanging off of the cable in a lanyard)
additional white keycaps if you don’t like the purple ESC/ENTER keys
macOS keycaps
rubber feet x 4

Like most Epomaker keyboards, the Luma 100 is programmed using VIA, there’s a QR code in the box to get you started or you could just click this link. Thank me later…

Luma 100 Hands On: Pairing, Acoustics, Typing

Given I wanted to use VIA (more on that later) I paired initially using the 2.4Ghz dongle, which requires a FN + R keypress (thankfully the keys are labelled) and selecting the operating system mode FN + A for Windows or FN + S for macOS. The 2.4Ghz dongle paired smoothly and I was up and typing and doing my VIA config. After I was all setup on VIA, I switched to Bluetooth. You can pair up to 4 devices, 3 x Bluetooth and 1x 2.4Ghz. Pairing is fast, efficient, and I experienced no lag in typing on either the 2.4Ghz or Bluetooth connection.

The Epomaker mint key acoustics are pleasant, they’re not thocky or clicky, sort of a midway point. It’s definitely a cleaner sound than the Logitech MX mechanical it replaced. I like it.

In terms of typing, there is a muscle memory adjustment to getting comfortable on a 96% keyboard. The Epomaker Mints are linear switches, in practical terms they offer 1.2 mm pre‑travel, 3.2 mm total travel, and a 50 gf actuation force. What this translates to in real work experience is that they are fast, smooth, and typing feels light.

Using VIA, Customizing RGB Backlighting

The Luma 100 is fairly new, so when I tried CanIUseVIA I only got errors even though the 2.4Ghz dongle was detected. Seems the Luma 100 is so new that Epomaker haven’t committed the JSON to VIA’s Githhub. What’s this mean in English I hear you ask? Well, this means I had to head on over to Epomaker to download the JSON file (Luma 100 JSON file is on this page). Then, in VIA, load the JSON via the design tab… if this all sounds confusing, here’s a quick step by step guide.

How to use the Luma 100 with VIA

In Via, click the settings icon, turn on “Show Design Tab”.
Click the Paintbrush Icon (Design Tab), click Confirm
Then upload the JSON , you will need to unzip the Epomaker Luma 100 file.
Ten re-authorize device.

Tip: the VIA programming all works using the 2.4Ghz dongle you can’t program VIA over Bluetooth.

Is this user friendly, probably not for anyone but hardcore tech enthusiasts like me. I hope Epomaker commit the JSON to the VIA repository to make this easier for others. But the above works, I know, I did it.

Why did I do all of this? Because while you can change the RGB and backlighting using keyboard commands (FN + \| for effects, FN + Enter for color, etc) which all work, I prefer to do this using VIA. There’s basically an infinite number of colors you can pick in VIA. I ended up settling on an aqua/turquoise backlight which helps the letters on the keys pop and is great for low light typing.

The RGB backlighting though is very good, it comes through the legends on the keycaps but also full surrounds the keys. I think it looks premium. I’ll post a photo in a few days.

Luma 100 Travel Usage

Ironically, not long after I got the keyboard I ended up not having to travel as much. That said, the Luma 100 does fit neatly in the included travel wallet/pouch although there’s no room for the USB cable. I would leave the cable at home, given the 2.4Ghz dongle is attached to it and doesn’t slot into the Luma 100 and when I checked, Epomaker don’t sell replacement dongles. So don’t lose the dongle! Given the large battery, you can pair using Blueooth, and it recharges using USB C – you don’t really need to bring the cable with you.

My Epomaker Keyboard Wishlist

After using the Epomaker Luma 100 for a week, it’s a great compact travel keyboard. I am more productive when not at my usual desk thanks to having a numeric keypad that helps me crank through spreadsheets. That said, I can’t help but think what would make my perfect Epomaker keyboard as there’s a lot about the Luma 100 I love, but I also still love my Epomaker TH80 V2. So, in case the universe listens, here’s my perfect Epomaker keyboard wishlist.

TKL: I prefer TKLs
Connectivity: It must be wireless, I always need Bluetooth with support for 3 devices and added 2.4Ghz when I game. If the 2.4Ghz dongle could support multi device pairing so my Click mouse could use the same dongle, that would be a win.
Switching Devices: I like the Luma 100’s FN Q, W, E, R for connectivity switching and FN A, S for Windows/macOS modes; this is better than a physical switch for rapid changes between devices. The Luma 100 wins over the TH80 in this area.
Height Adjustable: I prefer the feet on the TH80. The Luma 100 is a little too flat.
Switches: I prefer the Sea Salt V2 on my TH80 but I am also torn with the Mint switches on the Luma 100. Either is honestly fine… I’m seriously toying with taking the switches from the Luma 100 and testing them in the TH80 because the Luma switches sound good.
Keycaps: Dual MacOS/Windows keycap labels. I love that the TH80 V2 has keycaps that show both Windows/Mac keys on Win/Alt. Again, I prefer FN switching for OS type on the Luma 100 rather than physical switches like the TH80
Labeled shortcuts: the Luma 100’s Q, W, E, R, A, and S buttons are labelled with the FN switches for Bluetooth, 2.4Ghz, Win/Mac mode – love this! The TH80 doesn’t label the shortcuts, wish it did – another win for the Luma 100.
Screen: I actually like the screen and clock in the TH80 but wish you could have a Sans Serif font. Please Epomaker! this should be an easy firmware update. Please!
RGBs: I usually just go static and use the lights to backlight the keys, I prefer the no sidelight look of the Luma 100.

If anybody knows of an Epomaker keyboard that ticks all these boxes, let me know!

Actually, while I rant, the TH80 screen layout could be better. Ditch the seconds on the time, let me adjust the date format to MM/DD/YY, make the battery indicator less intrusive, and make the Mac/Win, connection type, and caps lock symbols bigger and easier to read. I’m surprised this isn’t better when it’s a full color LCD screen. Or give us tools to customize it! 🙂 I could write a whole blog post on my Epomaker screen wishlist! It’s super useful, just poorly utilized except for my occasional SouthPark Butters GIF.

Final thoughts on the Luma 100

I’ve probably ranted enough (ha!) but if you want a premium compact mechanical keyboard, the Luma 100 is a good choice. It has solid, sounds really good, and offers VIA customization if you’re so inclined. I wish the VIA was supported officially and not a manual .JSON import, but I am sure that will come with time. If you need something lightweight for travel get the Epomaker Luma 100, but if you’re after something for everyday desk work, I think my pick is still the Epomaker TH80. If the Luma 100 had kickstand feet though… it would be tougher to decide.

Hope this helps someone else!

PS. I just have to say, for some reason I kept wanting to call it the Luna 100 not Luma 100, probably my own personal Mandela effect.