Hi in this Idobao Montex Numpad Review we are going to unravel whether this mischivious looking fun little numpad is worth it? I am a heavy tech user and a programmer who have tested this to find out whether this is the right choice for you.
In summary it is really a solid macro pad with a few disappointments.
So let’s get started!
- What is Idobao Montex Numpad?
- My setup of Idobao Montex Numpad
- Idobao Montex Numpad Review
- Pros of Idobao Montex Numpad
- Cons of Idobao Montex Numpad
- Best Alternatives of Idobao Montex Numpad
- Summary
What is Idobao Montex Numpad?
The IDOBAO Montx is an external hot swap numpad that expands the exploitability of your mechanical keyboard. It does not affect your aesthetics or spacing. The Montex has both looks and functionality. It is made from top-quality, sandblasted aluminium with a powder coating in six colors.
To ensure easy access and quick action, the pad is set at six degrees. The PCB has hot-swappable Kailh sockets that allow you to plug and play your favorite switches. This Montex Numpad Kit, QMK-programmable has per-key white LEDs to increase visibility. It also connects via USB C to adapt to any setup.
My setup of Idobao Montex Numpad
It has a lot of interesting features. We’ll take a look at them all today.
This aluminum macro pad comes in many colors. I have the polished army-green version. If you are a member the purple id80 gang, you might be a bit disappointed that it doesn’t come with purple.
It has a nice, polished aluminum exterior. I think it’s a bit shinier that your standard id80. They sent me an acrylic base piece but it is not available on the website. As you can see, it’s an integrated plate design so it will be stiff.
I do a lot of typing on it, but i think that idabout should have some foam included as their integrated plates boards do a tremendous job.
The back plate can also be used for rubber feet on both the acrylic and metal versions. However, my prototype did not come with rubber feet so i cannot show it to you. I can however show you how to disassemble the board. To disassemble the board you will need a hex screwdriver.
It’s said to make you say “Wow!” every time. However, we simply removed the screws and used a suction cup to lift the metal back plate. The internal design of the id80 is the same as that of the id80. There’s a cutout in the plate. This is how they can save some money. Let’s have a look at it.
Pcb As you can see, these are kale hot switch sockets. I can’t fault their soldering skills here since this was an early prototype unit. To alleviate this problem, i took some stabilizers out of my id80. I lubricated them very badly to try to evoke the feeling.
We now have access to the pcb. The pcb supports screw and stabs but i’m using the clip and stabs because they were the idle bow. These are your standard numpad stabilizers such as your plus enter or zero key. However, you could bind them to something so that you could have a mini space bar cute.
I’ll be using stock derock pink linears, or durak L4s to build her. These are solid linear switches that come factory lubed so they don’t need to be lubed but it’s an option. To give you a stock experience when installing these switches, i put counter pressure on hot swap sockets to make sure they didn’t pop out.
You should be careful with prototypes like these.
I am a terrible at soldering, so the board should be supplied with spares in case you make any mistakes. We just add a bit of solder here and there boom! And congratulations!
It was a much more difficult job to solder the socket than Idabao did with other sockets so that’s a yay, but the real question is did it work the first time?
The acrylic bottom plates help to alleviate it even further. If you’re a pro player, the acrylic bottom plates are also how you see all the rgb. Now that she’s all assembled it’s time to add the keycaps. These keycaps are unorthodox and some might find it strange. I chose the kinetic labsx polycaps blanks 9009 blanks. This number pad is easy to fill out but you can still use all of the other keys.
It’s more difficult to fill out, especially if you want them say what you bind them too. This is why i chose to use blanks over with blanks. The profile that fits the profile will make it look super stealthy. I can bind any keys i want to at any time.
The base kit is free from kinetic labs, but the price is only 45 so it’s a good deal. Also, we built this board on stream. Let’s look at the rgb underglow. It’s only red.
It’s amazing that you can program every key individually and create macros, lighting effects, etc. Unfortunately, the final software isn’t available for you to see.
Idobao Montex Numpad Review
Idabo has not had any problems releasing via for their other boards, so i’m fairly confident that they’ll have the final release ready. However, the main selling point of this board is that it’s macro-based and i can’t show you the macroboard.
Capabilities. You’ll have to believe me that you can customize every key. I also set this up next to my id80 and it looks exactly the same. It’s only 69 dollars so it’s worth it.
You can use your board as needed and put it away when you don’t need it. Once the software is ready, i will be using it for stream decks.
It’s great for high-productivity stuff.
Although I love this macro pad, there are some issues I feel should be addressed. This is the latest version of the macro pad, which includes RGB lighting and hotswap sockets. It does not have an acrylic bottom, but that’s a bummer. I love the Idobao Montex and it suits my needs perfectly.
I need something tinier than my keyboard that can be used for both work and entertainment. This fits perfectly as a large macro pad. When I got the Montex, I was so eager that I plugged it in without any backhand knowledge about it. The row of numbers and upper left “FN”, row key didn’t work. The switches worked fine when I tested them.
I pulled the back off and found that two of the kailh gate had been removed. This was a common problem, I learned from Hipyo’s video. It wasn’t a big deal, I’m a handyman so I pulled out my soldering iron to heat treat the switches and carefully pushed them back in while bracing their sockets.
In a similar situation, you would brace every socket with a lot of force when socketing switches. Please learn from my mistakes. Even after flashing QMK, the keys didn’t work. (Why the discord link is necessary if you’re not an expert at QMK software.
VIA: If you choose the non RGB version, the guides may not be translated correctly. The problem was that the sockets that were removed also brought with them the PCB’s pads. Idobao will replace your board if you make this mistake.
Contact someone at Idobao to order a replacement board or refunded. Drop does not offer any refunds. This is not meant to scare anyone off. It is a beautiful piece of hardware that I cannot wait to use (unfortunately, I am) so be prepared or be cautious.
Idobao products are great. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about them keyboards. However, their build quality is not as good as other hobbyists. I know that they are working to improve it. Idobao’s people are kind and love their keebs. If I didn’t believe this product, I wouldn’t spend $40 on another board. They need to improve their quality control.
Pros of Idobao Montex Numpad
- Awesome built quality
- Matches perfectly with my main keyboard
- Finishing is great, brightness levels of RGB are high enough
Cons of Idobao Montex Numpad
- Due to some unknown reason the switch on it became non functional abruptly.
- I still have not figured out how to turn off the RGB lol
- Stabs quality are bad in the sense that there is friction in them
- My first package and some of the accessories were missing. Bad first impression Idobao, Ouch!
Best Alternatives of Idobao Montex Numpad
There are quite a few Numpad which can be considered as an alternative to the Idobao’s Numpad or even better. Here are some of the hot swap numpad :
- Darmoshark Mechanical Numeric Keypad – Buy On Amazon
- Magicforce Number Pad – Buy On Amazon
- Leopold FC210TP Black PBT Numeric Keypad – Buy On Amazon
- ROTTAY Mechanical USB Wired Numeric Keypad – Buy On Amazon
Summary
Overall I would say this numpad has won my heart except for some of the issues with the way Idobao delivers and presents its products.
This area, they need to improve massively.
So with that we end our Idobao Montex Numpad review.
Hope you enjoyed reading it!
