I finally got my Mode Designs Tempo in Italy and here is the fastest way I did it

Why I needed the Mode Designs Tempo

I have been looking for a 60% layout keyboard that actually feels premium without costing a fortune in secondary market fees. In 2026, the custom keyboard scene is more crowded than ever, but the Mode Designs Tempo stands out because of its unique mounting system and that sleek, minimal aesthetic. I wanted a board that I could customize to my heart's content, and the Tempo’s lattice blocks and variety of plate materials made it a clear winner for my desk setup.

Start Your Buy For Me Request for Mode Designs 'Tempo' Custom Mechanical Keyboard

Merchant Mode Designs

Ship To Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin (French part) Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands

Your Email

Product Url ^*

Product Name ^*

Unit Price (USD)^*

EST Service Fee: $35.0 $17.5

Quantity ^*

Color

Size

Instructions

Submit your proxy shopping order now and enjoy 50% OFF the service fee.

Plus, get 10% OFF international shipping on your first shipment.

Submit Order

We all know the struggle of living in Italy and trying to get boutique US tech. Usually, we have to wait months for a local vendor to run a group buy or pay insane markups. I decided I wasn't going to wait. I wanted the Tempo on my desk as fast as possible, which meant I had to look directly at the source: Mode Designs in the United States.

The fastest buying strategy from the US

When I checked the official Mode Designs website, I realized that buying directly from them was actually significantly cheaper than any local alternative I could find. However, the biggest hurdle was the shipping speed and the potential headache of direct international transit. I found that the fastest way to get it was to use a tax-free us address to avoid US sales tax and then use an express service to get it to Rome.

I signed up for an account with comGateway because I needed a reliable parcel forwarding service that could handle high-end electronics. By using their Oregon warehouse address, I saved a chunk of change on the initial purchase. To make sure I wasn't going to be surprised by the costs, I spent a few minutes on their shipping calculator to get a clear picture of the total investment.

Shipping Estimates and Logistics

Before I clicked buy, I did my homework on the physical specs of the keyboard. You don't want to be caught off guard by a package that is unexpectedly bulky. Here is what I estimated for the Mode Designs Tempo shipment based on my research and actual package weight.

Volumetric Warning: The Tempo is a heavy aluminum kit, but the box is quite compact. I didn't have to worry about the box being light but large, which often happens with things like pillows or giant plushies. In my case, the actual weight was the deciding factor for the international shipping rates.

Battery Check: I opted for the wireless PCB version of the Tempo. Because this kit contains a lithium-ion battery, I had to be careful. I checked the support section to ensure I was following the PI967 shipping regulations. Most international shipping companies have specific rules for batteries, so I made sure my freight forwarder was equipped to handle it.

How I shipped it to Italy

Once my Tempo arrived at the US warehouse, the process was incredibly smooth. I followed the how it works guide on the site, which walked me through the consolidation and shipping selection. I chose the fastest express shipping available because I am impatient when it comes to new tech.

I was impressed by how transparent the shipping fees were. I could see exactly what I was paying for, and having the package repacked helped reduce any unnecessary bulk. If you are worried about the cost, I highly recommend checking the international shipping rates page to compare different carrier options like DHL or FedEx before you ship.

Handling customs in Italy

Now, let's talk about the part everyone in Italy dreads: the customs office. Since the Tempo is a premium item, I knew I would have to account for import duties and the 22% VAT. We can't really avoid these when importing from outside the EU, but being prepared makes the process much faster.

Check our guide on import tax if you want to understand how these fees are calculated for Italy. I made sure to have my invoice ready so that when the package hit the Italian border, I could pay the fees online immediately. This saved me at least three days of waiting for a paper notification in the mail. My parcel forwarding service provided all the tracking info I needed to stay ahead of the game.

My final verdict

My Mode Designs Tempo arrived in perfect condition just a week after it left the US warehouse. The typing experience on the lattice blocks is everything I hoped for, and the copper weight on the back looks stunning in the Italian afternoon sun. I found that by managing the logistics myself and using a freight forwarder, I saved time and avoided the frustration of waiting for local stock that might never come.

If you are looking to pull the trigger on a Mode board or any other US-based boutique keyboard, don't let the ocean between us stop you. I found that the "speed run" method of buying direct and forwarding the package is the most efficient way to keep my hobby moving forward in 2026. If you have questions about the process, their FAQ is a great place to start, or you can reach out to the help center for more specific shipping advice.