Azio IZO Keyboard Review (Black Willow)

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Bottom line: The Azio IZO Black Willow is a 75% compact wireless mechanical keyboard that manages to be attractive without resorting to either the retro typewriter nostalgia Azio is known for or the RGB gamer aesthetic everyone else defaults to. The Gateron Red switches are smooth and quiet. The multi-device Bluetooth works. The design is genuinely distinctive. The keycap quality and the occasionally unresponsive control knob are the rough edges. For writers who want a compact mechanical keyboard that doesn’t look like every other compact mechanical keyboard, the IZO makes a reasonable case for itself.

Scribbright rating: 3.5 out of 5

→ See all writing tools and gear in the Scribbright reviews section.

What the IZO is

Azio built its reputation on keyboards that look like something: the Retro Classic line looks like a typewriter rescued from a Victorian drawing room and fitted with USB-C. The IZO takes a different approach. No wood veneer, no leather, no round keycaps invoking the ghost of telegrams past. Instead, a smooth matte black body with curved edges, a dark bronze metallic control knob in the corner, and two-tone PBT keycaps that create a subtle contrast between the cap surface and the legends. It’s modern and restrained in a way that most keyboards at this price point are not, and it earns attention without demanding it. If you saw it on a gallery owner’s desk, you wouldn’t be shocked.

The Black Willow colorway is the darkest of the IZO line: matte black body, dark bronze accents on the knob and select keycaps, white backlighting that reads as a tri-color effect against the two-tone keys. It’s a keyboard that looks considered. Whether it looks like something you want on your desk is a personal question, but it photographs well and sits well, which puts it ahead of most of the competition on purely aesthetic grounds.

Build and design

The IZO is a 75% keyboard, which means no number pad and a compressed layout that recovers real estate without eliminating the function row or navigation keys. For writers who live in a document and rarely use the numpad, the 75% form factor is the right trade: a smaller footprint, the same essential keys, no missing anything that matters.

The body is plastic with a smooth, matte finish that is pleasant to the touch and fingerprint-resistant, unlike glossy surfaces. The curved, edgeless design is IZO’s most distinctive physical characteristic: every corner rounds into the next, with no sharp transitions, the whole thing shaped like something that was slightly inflated from the inside. It’s unusual, and it works visually, though reviewers have noted that the plastic body feels undermatched for the price compared to the zinc alloy and genuine wood used in Azio’s Retro Classic line.

The control knob in the upper right corner handles media functions and backlight cycling. It’s a genuinely useful addition when it works, which is most of the time. User reviews note occasional unresponsiveness, particularly when pressed off-center, which is the kind of minor but persistent annoyance that shouldn’t exist on a premium peripheral.

→ Ready to put one on your desk? Find the Azio IZO Black Willow on Amazon.

The switches

Gateron Red switches: linear, smooth, and quiet. No audible click, no pronounced tactile bump, just a clean keystroke from top to bottom. For writers who work in shared spaces, open offices, or anywhere a clicky keyboard would generate complaints, the Red switch is the practical choice. It’s also simply a faster switch for high-volume typists who don’t need the tactile confirmation of each keystroke to know they’ve registered it.

The switches come pre-lubed from the factory, which smooths the keystroke further and reduces the minor scratchiness that unlubed linears can develop over time. On a custom keyboard build, this is something you’d do yourself, with a brush and a pot of Krytox and more patience than most people can muster. Azio doing it at the factory is a small but genuine value-add at this price point.

The PBT double-shot keycaps are a legitimate quality choice: harder and more durable than ABS, resistant to the shine that develops on cheaper keycaps over time, with legends that won’t fade. The gold accent keycaps included as alternates have drawn some criticism for feeling lower-quality ABS by comparison, which is a fair complaint when the rest of the keyboard is making a premium argument.

Worth knowing: earlier IZO variants used Gateron Blue switches. The Series 2 Black Willow (IK404), featured here, uses pre-lubed Reds. If you’re shopping across listings, confirm the switch type before buying.

Bluetooth and battery

Multi-device Bluetooth is IZO’s most significant functional advantage over Azio’s Retro Classic Bluetooth line, which pairs with only one device. The IZO supports up to three simultaneous Bluetooth pairings and switches between them via function key combinations. For writers who move between a desktop, laptop, and tablet, this is the feature that makes the IZO the more practical daily driver despite the Retro Classic’s superior materials.

Bluetooth connectivity is generally reliable, though some users have reported intermittent connection drops. This appears to be a unit-level issue rather than a systemic one, but it’s worth knowing the complaint exists before buying. The USB-C wired connection is always available as a fallback.

The 5,000 mAh battery delivers strong runtime between charges. Exact battery life depends on backlight usage: with 21 backlight modes available, writers who run elaborate lighting will drain it faster than those who turn it off and work. Charging via USB-C.

Mac & PC compatibility

The IZO handles Mac and PC compatibility via hybrid OS keycaps that display both system icons simultaneously, alongside a function key toggle that swaps the Command and Option key behavior. It’s less elegant than the Retro Classic’s physical rear toggle switch, but it works without drivers or software and the hybrid keycaps eliminate the need to swap anything out. Both operating systems are genuinely supported rather than technically supported.

The limitations?

The plastic body is the IZO’s most frequently cited limitation in user reviews, and the criticism is deserved. At this price, the materials don’t fully match the design’s ambitions. The IZO looks like a premium keyboard and feels like a good, but not exceptional, one, creating a small but persistent mismatch between expectations and experience.

The control knob unresponsiveness issue is minor but documented. The gold accent keycaps are visually appealing and feel cheaper than the standard PBT caps. The USB cable included in the box is not braided, which is a detail that costs almost nothing to get right and that Azio gets right on the Retro Classic but not here.

None of these is a dealbreaker. They’re the accumulated small decisions that explain why the IZO reviews as a very good keyboard rather than an exceptional one.

Pros

• Distinctive design that doesn’t look like anyone else’s keyboard
• Pre-lubed Gateron Red switches are smooth and quiet; suitable for shared workspaces
• Multi-device Bluetooth (up to 3 devices) is a genuine functional advantage
• PBT double-shot keycaps are durable and won’t fade
• 75% form factor is the right layout for writers who don’t need a numpad
• Mac and PC compatible without drivers or keycap swapping
• 21 backlight modes; solid battery life

Cons

• Plastic body feels undermatched to the price
• Control knob occasionally unresponsive when pressed off-center
• Gold accent keycaps feel lower quality than the standard PBT caps
• USB cable not braided
• Bluetooth connectivity issues reported by some users

The verdict

The Azio IZO Black Willow is a compact wireless mechanical keyboard that earns its place on a writer’s desk primarily through design and connectivity. The Gateron Red switches are smooth and office-friendly, the multi-device Bluetooth is a practical advantage, and the 75% form factor is the right choice for writers who want real estate back without sacrificing essential keys. The plastic body and a few minor quality inconsistencies hold it short of the premium tier it’s priced near.

For writers who want Azio’s design sensibility without the retro typewriter aesthetic, and who need multi-device Bluetooth that the Retro Classic can’t deliver, the IZO makes a clear and honest case. It knows what it is. It mostly delivers on it.

→ Find the Azio IZO Black Willow on Amazon.

Michael Semer is a professional writer and editor with 40 years of experience in advertising, B2B content marketing, and digital publishing. He has used Azio keyboards extensively and assessed the IZO Black Willow through research and documented user experience.

→ More gear worth knowing about: Scribbright reviews writing tools, notebooks, keyboards, and desk essentials for writers who take the work seriously.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Azio IZO Black Willow? A 75% compact wireless mechanical keyboard from Azio with Gateron Red switches, a smooth matte black body with dark bronze accents, multi-device Bluetooth, and PBT double-shot keycaps. It’s the more modern, minimal counterpart to Azio’s retro-styled Retro Classic line.

Is the Azio IZO good for writers? For writers who want a compact mechanical keyboard with solid tactile feedback, multi-device Bluetooth, and a distinctive design that doesn’t default to gaming aesthetics, yes. The 75% layout suits writers who work primarily in documents and don’t need a numpad. The clicky Gateron Blue switches are not appropriate for shared office environments.

What’s the difference between Gateron Red and Blue switches on the IZO? Red switches are linear and quieter: smooth actuation with no audible click. Blue ones are clicky. The Amazon listing linked here is the Red switch version. The IZO Series 2 Black Willow uses Red switches. Confirm the switch type before ordering.

Does the Azio IZO work with Mac? Yes. The IZO uses hybrid OS keycaps that display both Mac and PC icons, and a function key toggle swaps Command and Option key behavior. No drivers or software required, and no keycap swapping needed.

How many devices can the Azio IZO connect to via Bluetooth? Up to three, switchable via function key combinations. This is a meaningful advantage over Azio’s Retro Classic Bluetooth line, which supports only a single Bluetooth connection.

How is the battery life on the Azio IZO? The 5,000 mAh rechargeable battery delivers solid runtime, with the exact duration depending on backlight usage. Writers who run heavy lighting will drain it faster. Charging via USB-C.

What are the main complaints about the Azio IZO? The plastic body feels undermatched to the price. The control knob can be unresponsive when pressed off-center. The gold accent keycaps feel lower quality than the standard PBT keycaps. The included USB cable is not braided. Some users have reported intermittent Bluetooth connectivity issues.

How does the Azio IZO compare to the Azio Retro Classic? Different keyboards for different writers. The Retro Classic offers premium materials (genuine walnut wood or leather, zinc alloy frame) and a typewriter-inspired aesthetic at a higher price. The IZO offers a modern minimal design, multi-device Bluetooth, and a more compact 75% layout at a lower price point. The Retro Classic is the better-built keyboard. The IZO is the more practical one for multi-device workflows.