Keychron K1

amazon Keychron K1 reviews

Despite possessing many very attractive features, this Keychron K1 wireless mechanical keyboard cannot meet a few basic needs. However, among the few mechanical keyboards for Macs, this one is almost perfect.

In recent years, mechanical keys have been developing very quickly and can be easily seen. If in the past the phrase “Mechanical Keyboard” was just a luxury and expensive product, today it is not difficult to find a mechanical keyboard at a more affordable price. Working in an office can now own one. However, these mechanical keyboards still focus on Windows users with the usual layout, and Mac users have to suffer from limited options.

Because it is one of the few mechanical keyboards was supporting Macs and a wireless mechanical keyboard, Keychron K1 is an interesting product. Launched as part of a fundraising project last year and specifically designed for Macs (a Windows version is available), this keyboard uses Bluetooth to connect to a computer. It can be connected to the computer up to 3 different devices at the same time. In addition to the Mac function keys, multimedia keys, Mission Control, and Launchpad, the K1 also has other special keys such as Siri, voice dictation, and screenshots.

K1 will have two layout options for you, including 87 or 104 keys, and there are two backlight options, including RGB LED or single color LED with four brightness levels. The switch of K1 is different from most mechanical keys on the market; instead of being thick and placed close together, the switch on K1 is a bit low, and the keycaps are flat without following the fingertips. At first glance, the K1 does not look like a mechanical key but like a laptop keyboard or standard keyboards for computers. The switch type on the K1 is Fraly Blue, a low-key switch with a knocking sound, with a height of 7.6mm, 3mm key travel, and 1mm trigger point. K1’s key is considered Tactile style because when pressing down on the trigger point, there is a feeling of crossing a step so you can feel that the keyboard has received the key without looking to see if the press is deep enough or not. Thanks to these low and slim switches, the total height of the K1 is 18mm, thinner than most mechanical keys today.

Speaking of features, the K1 lets you use a wired or wireless connection via the USB-C charging port and the ability to Allows switching layouts from Mac to Windows or Android when switching devices. The K1 doesn’t come with special keycaps for many layouts but fortunately still comes with a few unlabelled keycaps. Keychron says the 2,000mAh battery on the K1 is good enough for 15 hours with the single LED model and 10 hours of use with the RGB version.

Although there are many attractive features, K1 still has some problems that make the author of the article not satisfied. First and foremost is the switch option and keycaps, K1 currently only has one switch option, and the blue switch is quite picky for users. The blue switch makes a clicky sound when typing, which is very pleasing to some people, but to the author, he describes it as “millions of little mouse” every time he types. He also mentioned that he prefers the Linear key line to the Tactile because Linear does not have a notch, making typing smoother and less noisy.

Next are the keycaps, which are even worse than the switch because these keycaps are flattened and do not follow the fingertips. With the good hand tip, your fingers are not dislocated when you type, thereby making typing more accurate, but with the K1, it is flat, so typing the wrong key or typing many keys happens very often. The author also emphasizes that some of the laptop keyboards he uses even give a more accurate and better typing experience than the K1. As a mechanical keyboard, the K1 allows you to change keycaps, but the selection is also very limited due to its special keycaps.

The key layout also becomes a problem with the key’s RGB LED system. For example, the switch placement between 18 different light modes under the right Shift key and next to the left arrow key makes the author press the wrong button almost every time he wants to use the arrow keys. Pressing this button will change the keyboard color from a static color to a strangely repetitive blinking pattern that is very annoying. There is no software to configure the lighting; it’s all controlled by this key; even if you turn the brightness down then pressing this key resets the brightness level to default, there’s no way to turn off the backlight and turn it off, so it isn’t very pleasant.

The keyboard’s wireless connection is very stable with both the old MacBook Pro and the new MacBook Air. It helps authors get better than a week between charges; the dedicated screenshot key is a plus on a Mac keyboard, Siri key, voice dictation key are also quite good. Still, the author almost did not pay attention during use. The flexibility to switch between Windows/Android to Mac/iOS is a plus.

However, in the end, the keyboard is still just a keyboard, and the typing experience is the most important; for the author, the typing experience that K1 brings is not suitable for him. However, each person’s opinion is different, so if you like clicky clicks every time you type or feel when you press, K1 is not as disappointing as the author rated. But most importantly, the fact that K1 is almost perfect for Mac has created a hope that someone in the future will perfect this almost perfect keyboard for Mac.

where can you get a Keychron K1 online

Keychron K1 Bluetooth Mechanical Keyboards, Wireless Gaming Keyboard with Low Profile Gateron Brown Switch/White LED Backlight/USB C, 87 Keys N-Key Rollover for Mac,Windows PC Gamer-Version 4: Buy it now

Keychron K1 87 Key Ultra-Thin RGB Wireless Bluetooth/USB Wired TKL Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, RGB LED Backlit Low Profile Blue Switches for Mac Windows, N-Key Rollover, Version 4: Buy it now