Head to head · both bought and tested
Tessera TKL vs Vellum TKL
Both tested here, side by side: measured sound, latency and typing scores for the Tessera TKL and the Vellum TKL, and which one to buy.
The short answer
The Tessera TKL scores 0.8 higher overall and costs $84 against $68. Someone who cares more about how a board sounds than how precise it feels, and never remaps. Buy the other one if: someone who uses a default layout, never remaps, and wants gasket-mount feel cheaply.
Scores, criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Tessera TKL | Vellum TKL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build | 7.0 | 7.5 | -0.5 to Vellum TKL |
| Typing feel | 8.0 | 7.5 | +0.5 to Tessera TKL |
| Sound | 9.5 | 7.0 | +2.5 to Tessera TKL |
| Stabilisers | 7.0 | 7.5 | -0.5 to Vellum TKL |
| Software | 4.0 | 2.0 | +2.0 to Tessera TKL |
| Value | 7.0 | 6.0 | +1.0 to Tessera TKL |
| Overall | 7.5 | 6.7 | +0.8 to Tessera TKL |
Measured
| Figure | Tessera TKL | Vellum TKL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | 51.8 dB | 56.1 dB | 4.3 dB quieter to Tessera TKL |
| Latency, wired | 5.9 ms | 7.8 ms | 1.9 ms faster to Tessera TKL |
| Polling | 1,000 Hz | 500 Hz | 500 Hz higher to Tessera TKL |
| Actuation | 44.9 g | 56.1 g | -11.2 g — preference, not better |
| Case flex | 3.2 mm | 2.6 mm | +0.6 mm — softer, not better |
Specifications
| Specification | Tessera TKL | Vellum TKL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $84 | $68 | $16 cheaper — Vellum TKL |
| Layout | TKL (87-key) | TKL (87-key) | — |
| Switches | Linear — HMX Cloud | Tactile — Gateron Brown Pro | — |
| Hot-swap | Yes | Yes | — |
| Mount | Gasket mount | Gasket mount | — |
| Plate | POM | FR4 | — |
| Connectivity | Wired USB-C, 2.4 GHz dongle | Wired USB-C, Bluetooth | — |
| Remapping | Vendor software | None | — |
| Weight | 1,020 g | 900 g | — |
Shape and footprint
Tessera TKL
Vellum TKL
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. Tessera TKL · Vellum TKL