Head to head · both bought and tested

Ferrule 75 vs Tessera TKL

Both tested here, side by side: measured sound, latency and typing scores for the Ferrule 75 and the Tessera TKL, and which one to buy.

The Ferrule 75 scores 1.0 higher overall and costs $89 against $84. Almost anyone buying their first good keyboard, and most people buying their third. Buy the other one if: someone who cares more about how a board sounds than how precise it feels, and never remaps.

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Ferrule 75	Tessera TKL	Difference
Build	8.0	7.0	+1.0 to Ferrule 75
Typing feel	8.5	8.0	+0.5 to Ferrule 75
Sound	8.0	9.5	-1.5 to Tessera TKL
Stabilisers	8.5	7.0	+1.5 to Ferrule 75
Software	9.5	4.0	+5.5 to Ferrule 75
Value	9.0	7.0	+2.0 to Ferrule 75
Overall	8.5	7.5	+1.0 to Ferrule 75

Measured

Figure	Ferrule 75	Tessera TKL	Difference
Sound	54.6 dB	51.8 dB	2.8 dB quieter to Tessera TKL
Latency, wired	4.1 ms	5.9 ms	1.8 ms faster to Ferrule 75
Polling	1,000 Hz	1,000 Hz	level
Actuation	55.9 g	44.9 g	+11.0 g — preference, not better
Case flex	2.4 mm	3.2 mm	-0.8 mm — softer, not better

Specifications

Specification	Ferrule 75	Tessera TKL	Difference
Price	$89	$84	$5 cheaper — Tessera TKL
Layout	75%	TKL (87-key)	—
Switches	Tactile — Gateron Brown Pro	Linear — HMX Cloud	—
Hot-swap	Yes	Yes	—
Mount	Gasket mount	Gasket mount	—
Plate	PC (polycarbonate)	POM	—
Connectivity	Wired USB-C, 2.4 GHz dongle, Bluetooth	Wired USB-C, 2.4 GHz dongle	—
Remapping	VIA	Vendor software	—
Weight	940 g	1,020 g	—

Shape and footprint

Ferrule 75

75% — 82 keys, 16u wide. A real function row on top of the 65% shape — the densest layout that still has F-keys. Highlighted keys are what this layout adds over the next size down.

Tessera TKL

TKL (87-key) — 87 keys, 18.25u wide. Standard layout minus the numpad. Spaced clusters, so muscle memory transfers from a full-size.

Where to buy

The full reviews

Everything above is a summary of two longer reviews — including the flaws, the long-term notes and the photographs. Ferrule 75 · Tessera TKL