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Sep 30, 2023

Cherry DW 9100 Slim Review

The Cherry DW 9100 Slim is a high-functioning, minimalist keyboard-and-mouse set perfect for general use, especially in a home office. At $99, it's reasonably priced for a stylish, reliable, wireless

The Cherry DW 9100 Slim is a high-functioning, minimalist keyboard-and-mouse set perfect for general use, especially in a home office. At $99, it's reasonably priced for a stylish, reliable, wireless keyboard with great keys. Plus, it comes with a matching wireless mouse that uses the same USB receiver, saving you a USB port. This keyboard offers some creature comforts that make it enjoyable to use for the long haul: a long-lasting charge via a USB-C cable, AES-128 encryption for security, a full number pad, and quiet, low-profile keys. It's an upgrade from the Cherry Stream Wireless Keyboard, our Editors' Choice pick for budget wireless keyboards, which only comes in black, has a more basic design, and uses removable instead of built-in batteries. Not everyone needs to replace both a mouse and keyboard at the same time, but if you do, the DW 9100 Slim is an excellent option.

You can choose from two trendy color schemes: white and silver, or black and bronze. Our review unit is the first option, which has white keys set on a silver plate. Inside the box, you'll find the keyboard, the mouse (with the wireless dongle stored in its base), instructions, and a USB-C to USB-A charging cord.

Before you go any further, note that this keyboard is not Mac compatible. It works only with Windows. (If you're a Mac user, check out our list of best Mac keyboards.) The Satechi Slim X3 Bluetooth Backlit Keyboard is the same price as this Cherry set, and it's similarly low-profile, minimalist, and is wireless. Cherry also has a Mac-compatible slim keyboard with a nearly identical look, but it's corded.

The keys have a soft, padded feel with just enough bite to satisfy hungry typists, unlike mushy laptop keys. Working or browsing for multiple hours at a time is comfortable and easy. This is no surprise, as Cherry is famous for its mechanical key switches, the infrastructure below the button that dictates how much effort it takes to press down ("actuation force") and how those presses feel.

These aren't mechanicals, though. This keyboard uses scissor switches, which are known for being low-profile, accurate, and easy to press. In comparison, some mechanical keyboards like the MSI GK71 Sonic require more force to press and make a heck of a lot more noise. The Cherry DW 9100 Slim is quiet, even when vigorously typing, and won't disturb those around you.

The keyset is comprehensive. In addition to the usual suspects—Caps Lock, Escape, Print Screen, Page Up/Down, arrow keys, and function row—there's a full number pad and six additional keys with some handy shortcuts. If you'd like to program your own key and mouse assignments, download the Cherry Keys software. You can only assign special keys and function keys, not all of them.

The keyboard has limited key-rollover support, only detecting three key presses at a time. Unless you're buying this keyboard for gaming, which would be unlikely for a productivity-focused keyboard, that shouldn't be an issue.

The keyboard is a bit wider than some competitors are, at 0.2 by 17.3 by 5.1 inches (HWD). In comparison, a keyboard with a more limited keyset, like the Microsoft Designer Compact keyboard, spans only about 11 inches. It also weighs more than some keyboards of similar length, clocking in at 1.5 pounds. The Apple Magic Keyboard, which also has a full keypad and is about 16 inches wide, is less than a pound. Still, it does not feel heavy whatsoever. The extra weight contributes to a sturdier-feeling board, if anything.

There's just one thing missing when it comes to the keys: backlighting. While Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, and Num Lock have tiny LEDs that light up when selected, the rest of the keys do not illuminate. This reduces visibility in low lighting and feels like a miss given the slightly elevated price. Compared with the Cherry Stream Wireless Keyboard, a budget wireless keyboard from the same brand that also does not have backlighting, adding the lights would be a great way to distinguish this as higher-end product. Other features do distinguish it, however, such as a rechargeable battery instead of using relying on disposable batteries.

Along the keyboard's smooth, white back, you can fix the included magnetic bar to raise the back by half an inch. The bar spans the entire length for stability, and it does not slip out of place too easily. It's a welcome adjustment that makes the keyboard feel much easier to type on. (If I wanted totally flat keys, I'd stick with my laptop.)

This keyboard is not the most ergonomic option on the market, though. Wrists hang freely while typing on the Cherry DW 9100 Slim, which offers essentially no support in exchange for a clean, minimalist design. But in fairness, it doesn't pretend to be otherwise. If you're looking to maximize ergonomics, check out the Razer Pro Type Ultra ($159.99), which comes with an included wrist rest.

You have two wireless connection options: Bluetooth, and the 2.4GHz RF dongle. There is no wired connection, despite the charging cord. If you toggle Bluetooth on using the control on the back of the keyboard, your computer should instantly detect the keyboard's presence within the 10-meter range. A popup will appear on the screen, which you can click to install the driver. After that, the Bluetooth connection works flawlessly. In the last few months of usage, it has not once failed to connect to my PC or my laptop in any room of the house.

To enable the 2.4GHz RF connection, you need to plug the dongle that's stored in the base of the mouse into a USB-A port on your computer. While both Bluetooth and RF work great, RF is traditionally considered a stronger, more secure connection. To secure your data as it passes through the network from the keyboard to your computer, the keyboard has AES-128 encryption. This is could be an important feature if you work with sensitive data in an open office environment. It prevents someone from hacking into your network and logging your data (like passwords) as you type.

On the top of the keyboard, next to the Bluetooth/RF toggle, is a USB-C port for recharging the permanently installed 650mAh batteries. This is a perk for anyone who considers regularly buying and installing batteries an inefficient hassle. When you plug in the cord to charge, an LED on the top lights up red until fully charged, at which point it turns green.

Cherry promises the battery lasts for "weeks of charge." There's also an Off button to conserve power. Personally, I have never turned it off and never charged it in the last two and a half months of use. (I promise I'm working, boss!) The long battery life is a major benefit. It may even make the keyboard worth buying in itself if you're not a fan of adding "turn off keyboard" to your to-do list, but you still want a wireless connection.

A big asset you're getting for the price of this keyboard is the accompanying wireless mouse. It matches the keyboard and has the same low-profile look and feel. It's great if you want a minimalist look and need to save space on your desk, but it's not particularly comfortable or supportive. If you're not looking for this type of mouse, the $99 price might deter you from this set. You cannot purchase the keyboard on its own. However, the mouse is available to buy alone in black.

Like the keyboard, the mouse wirelessly connects via Bluetooth or RF, plugs in via USB-C to charge, and offers a button to turn it off and conserve battery. For an RF connection, it happily uses the same receiver as the keyboard. That means you only need one USB-A port on your computer for the whole set. If your laptop or PC has a limited number of USB-A ports, this can be essential.

The mouse benefits from the system's overall superb wireless connection; the cursor is incredibly quick as it moves around the screen and scrolls up and down (using a wheel on the top). For any mouse, the DPI, or dots per inch, dictates the fineness of the tracking. This model has a switchable DPI setting. By pressing a button on top of the mouse, you can toggle among three presets, with a max of 2,400dpi.

Elsewhere on the body, the mouse has two buttons on the side and a total of six commands: right-click, left-click, scroll wheel, browser forward, browser back, and DPI switching. Using the Cherry Keys software, you can customize what the two side buttons and the top button do.

The mouse is small in the hand. It primarily fits in the fingers without being long enough to fill the palm area. In larger hands, it may feel exceptionally small. I recently tried the larger Logitech G403 mouse, which is "designed for comfort" (i.e. gaming), and it fits much more snugly and comfortably in the entire hand. The Cherry mouse rests at the top of my hand, more within the fingers than the palm.

The Cherry DW 9100 Slim is a good-looking keyboard-and-mouse combo with a reliable wireless connection, comfortable keys, and a long-lasting charge. At $99, it's the right price—especially if you're looking for an included mouse, rechargeable batteries, and sleek look, which are the main benefits of this set over other standalone keyboards on the market. Most of our top recommended wireless keyboards are more than $100, and they don't come with a mouse.

The most direct comparison to the Cherry DW 9100 Slim we could find elsewhere is the $60 Dell wireless keyboard and mouse set. Like the Cherry DW 9100 Slim, it comes in black and white and has programmable keys. However, it requires batteries. If that's a deal breaker for you, and you don't mind the extra cost for the Cherry—especially since you're getting some high-quality key switches—then you won't be disappointed.

The sleek, low-profile Cherry DW9100 Slim is a solid general-use keyboard and mouse set with a reliable wireless connection and long battery life.

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