Mountain Everest 60 Review: ‘The Best 60% Keyboard I’ve Used’

60 percent keyboards are an ideal space-saving addition to any home office, becoming increasingly popular in recent years due to their portability and simplicity. However, their smaller stature also means that they’re missing out on a number of features preferred by enthusiasts; this is where the Mountain Everest 60 comes in.

Mountain’s keyboards have been impressively feature-packed — we previously reviewed the Mountain Everest Max which we branded the “Swiss Army knife” of keyboards due to its litany of bells and whistles. The Everest 60 aims to shove the features of a full keyboard into a condensed build, while also providing a great out-of-the-box experience.

Mountain of features

Mountain used the enthusiast space as the inspiration behind the Everest 60’s design, where hobbyists spend countless hours tinkering with every facet of their keyboard. Factory-lubed Mountain switches equipped with Cherry stabilizers make for satisfying clicks, while noise is additionally dampened by a layer of silicone that fills the bottom case. Layers of foam sit both beneath and on top of the circuit board to further improve its sound profile.

We were given a model with Linear 45 switches with an actuation force of 45g, a pre-travel time of 2mm, and a 4mm total travel time. Other switch options include Linear 45 Speed and Tactile 55, the former with a faster travel time while the latter has a heavier actuation force. Given that Mountain is trying to appeal to the custom crowd, five different keycap sets are also available to buy — Aquamarine, Dolomite, Obsidian, Quartz, and Wulfenite.

With a custom PCB, Mountain has also managed to shove more keys onto this thing than you’d typically expect from a 60 percent keyboard. Arrow keys are present and correct, which is typically a major gripe for those moving from a regular board to a smaller one. There’s also a full-size backspace and enter key, something I didn’t realize I missed so much with my old 60 percent keyboard until making the switch to the Everest.

All the small things

MMO players also have the option of buying a separate attachable Numpad, which is magnetized and easily clicks into either the left- or right-hand side of the keyboard. This Numpad was also an option with the Everest Max, and it’s a great addition if you have use for it. Being able to snap it to the left of the board is supremely helpful, and while I don’t play as much Final Fantasy XIV these days, those who do should certainly consider investing in it.

Like the Everest Max before it, it really is a collection of all the little things that make the Everest 60 such an impressive piece of kit. Small magnetized discs attach to its rear in the place of a traditional cheap plastic stand, letting you raise the keyboard as you see fit. There are three USB-C ports that its wire can be plugged into in order to help with cable management. And while not massively robust software, Mountain’s Base Camp helps you set lighting profiles, key bindings, and macros with ease.

However, with this being a 60 percent keyboard, there are naturally some compromises that have been made. Both media playback and lighting profiles can be controlled with the keyboard, though they require the Fn key and the hotkeys aren’t shown on the keyboard itself. This means that I was referring to the quick start guide for a little while — it would have been nice for the hotkeys to be discreetly included on the keys themselves. The aluminum base also makes the board a lot heavier than other 60 percent keyboards, which could be an issue if you were planning to carry it around with you.

But despite those minor inconveniences, the Everest 60 is the best 60 percent keyboard I’ve used. Considering Mountain was only established in 2018, the company has done an excellent job of carving out its own path in a crowded space, and now proving that it can still pack hardware with features even if said hardware is undersized. While enthusiasts might want to stick to creating their own board, the Everest 60 provides an excellent jumping-on point for those who are new to the hobby or, like me, want the benefits of a custom experience without the effort, hassle, and high expense.