Keychron K3 Review: The Best Work-From-Home Mechanical Keyboard

Mechanical keyboards come in all shapes and sizes, with all kinds of features and gimmicks, but most of them hold a candle to the Keychron K3.

I don't consider myself a huge keyboard nerd. I know that some keyboard builds tin get absolutely wild. With specialized cardinal caps, the occasional lube job to go rid of any unwanted noise you don't experience the keyboard should exist putting out etc. Only, I've used more than a few different keyboards over the terminal two years alone. Let lone the residue of my mostly developed life.

So I like to think I know my mode effectually a decent keyboard. I tin can without a shred of doubt say that the Keychron K3 is the best mechanical keyboard for your money. And it's especially the all-time-feeling wireless mechanical keyboard I've used in years. Mayhap even the best-feeling of any wired keyboards also.

Then how does the keyboard stack upwardly as a whole? Allow's swoop a little deeper into it and see what makes this such a dandy option for just almost anyone's setup.

The Keychron K3 is super comfortable to type on

the best parts about this keyboard, at to the lowest degree for me personally, is that it's extremely comfortable to blazon on. I'll attribute that to the slight concave on the key caps. They're not entirely flat similar on the Keychron K1, yet the curve isn't as deep as another fundamental caps can be.

Since these are really low profile keys too, each key has less travel required to go a business firm press. Though that'south more due to the switches used. Speaking of switches, Keychron offers multiple options for the keyboard at the fourth dimension of purchase, which includes carmine, brown, blue, white, black, and orange.

This doesn't really matter much in terms of the keyboard'southward quality, though. It's more virtually preference for how you like your keys to feel. As some of the switch options will accept more of a click and others will be more than serenity.

There are also two different switch types. The low profile Gateron mechanical and the low profile Keychron optical. The keyboard I've been using has the Gateron mechanical switch blazon, and it provides a satisfying click sound later each press. But it's non quite equally loud equally the keyboard I was using earlier this which is the Whirlwind FX Atom.

This is likewise a tenkeyless keyboard. So it doesn't have the number pad, simply it does have the arrow keys and a dedicated row for the office keys up top. This helps make information technology more comfortable to blazon on because yous aren't required to press the function key to admission a large portion of the other keys.

Overall, the typing experience on it is great and I oasis't had any problems with it so far.

Battery life is pretty solid only could exist better

I want to preface this with the fact that I'thou comparing the bombardment life to an older version of the K1 which came with flat, all black keycaps. Having said that, the battery life here is quite a bit better than that older model.

Keychron has the K3 rated for virtually 35 hours on a single charge when RGB is on. Though it also rates that via lab testing and states that usage may vary by user. In my personal experience, I'm getting near three days out of information technology.

I as well all the same work on the keyboard for a full day, then spend another few hours about nights playing games. And then it's constantly on. I do switch it off at nighttime though. If you're non using it as heavily, then that up to 35 hour battery life is probable to stretch across a few more days.

It's also worth noting that the keyboard does take a slumber mode. If information technology sits untouched for a couple of minutes information technology'll go into this low-power state and so it's not draining battery. Which is a overnice touch on when y'all're watching video where you won't be typing for longer periods of time.

When you lot exercise eventually need to charge this thing, it charges via a USB-C port and then charges shouldn't accept also long. Which is a good thing if it dies on you in the eye of the day. The other nice matter is that if you lot absolutely take to use it while information technology's charging, yous tin only switch it over to the wired mode and go on typing away.

Yous won't go earth shattering bombardment life results here, just it'south more than than capable for everyday utilise without having to accuse it every dark. Which was a pretty big consequence with the older Keychron K1 for me as information technology would normally dice by the end of my evening.

That isn't a problem hither so it seems Keychron has fixed that.

The kickstands don't provide much of an ergonomic feel

Normally with keyboards, the lilliputian kickstand feet that are on the bottom are there to provide the user with more angle options. This is then yous become more of an ergonomic experience because the keyboard volition sit up at a dissimilar angle instead of just flat on the desk-bound.

While the Keychron K3 does have these, they don't lift the keyboard up much. There are two sets of these, which is overnice. As it does requite you an option for two different angles aside from sitting apartment. But even the larger kickstand however has the keyboard sitting flatter than I'd adopt.

I'yard used to having the keyboard sit down at a slightly steeper angle with the back side of it existence more raised. And unfortunately I didn't go that with the K3, which wasn't my personal preference. This doesn't actually make the keyboard uncomfortable to type on for longer periods of employ. But it'due south not what I'1000 used to.

The skilful news really, is that getting used to it isn't all that rough. And this was really one of the but downsides I could find. Having said all that, the reason the kickstands don't heighten the keyboard much is because the design of it is intended to be ultra-slim. Keychron fifty-fifty markets the keyboard as the perfect option for Mac users who want a mechanical keyboard to supervene upon their Magic Keyboard.

And it does serve that purpose pretty well I retrieve. If y'all beloved the Magic Keyboard and want something that's even so really slim, this volition exercise the job. And the upside is that it has mechanical keys. You can even get a variant that has hot-swappable switches. In brusque, I'd like it to be more ergonomic. But many others may discover that the ultra-slim design is a decent merchandise-off.

The backlighting isn't super bright, brand of that what yous will

This isn't strictly a gaming keyboard, but it does come with RGB lighting. And then it tin can certainly accept a gamer experience and provide a gamer artful. If you want.

The backlighting isn't extremely bright though. Which might be but perfect for you lot or information technology could exist a less desirable trait. Information technology all depends on what y'all similar. The LEDs also don't shine up through the keycaps much. Instead, the low-cal glows from under the keycaps and is more than visible from the back of them.

This I feel like contributes to function of why the lighting doesn't look equally bright as other keyboards. Yous tin can see the lights when it's darker, which is mostly what backlit keyboards are fabricated for. But if you like having the RGB lighting going at all times for the looks, you aren't going to get much out of it during the twenty-four hours as it almost always looks like the lighting is turned off.

Again this is another chemical element that doesn't impact the quality or the functionality. Only it'due south worth mentioning if you like the style of a backlit keyboard. For my ain experiences, the more subtle backlighting was a prissy change of stride. Every bit I usually employ proper gaming keyboards, the backlit keys are always extremely vivid correct from the jump.

You can always adjust this, but after using the Keychron K3 for a few weeks with a much lower maximum brightness, I recall I almost prefer it this way. Considering it'southward more than vivid plenty for darker situations, and I don't usually apply the backlights during the day.

Cleaning the keyboard is mode easier than yous'd call back

This might come equally a surprise to some, but you definitely need to make clean your keyboard every now and so. Maybe a fiddling more oft if you use it pretty heavily. Like I practice.

While this sort of task tin accept some time, especially with some keyboards, namely larger ones, cleaning the Keychron K3 is pretty easy. For one it's a tenkeyless 75% keyboard. So you already have less cleaning to practise considering of the size.

But more chiefly information technology's the pattern that set this upward to be a pretty painless chore. The keyboard comes with a tool for popping off the keycaps. And one time the central caps are off, yous have one solid apartment surface with enough of infinite between the switches. What's fifty-fifty better is that there's nowhere for stuff to fall into.

Some keyboards have the switches that sit downwards under a elevation layer of the board. Basically giving crumbs, dust, and other particles a nice little space to crawl into and make a home. This is an absolute nightmare to clean. Thankfully the K3 isn't designed that way. The switches are all sitting atop the board with no holes. So everything is airtight off and you can easily tidy things up without accidentally shoving things downwards into the electronics.

And then, clean away and feel expert about having a clean keyboard to use when you're washed. Your fingers volition cheers for it.

Should I buy the Keychron K3?

In that location'due south not much that needs to exist said here other than yes. Yes you should buy this keyboard if yous want something wireless and non specifically gaming-related.

If information technology needs to be something from Razer, SteelSeries, or whatever other make that makes gaming keyboards with special gaming features, then maybe look elsewhere. But if you don't need any of that and you just want a really good keyboard thatcanbe used for games, this is an excellent choice for your money.

Information technology'south only $75 so information technology doesn't cost an arm and a leg. It works with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and information technology's ultra-slim, lightweight, and super portable. Making it perfect for phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. When you get down to information technology, Keychron has outdone itself with the K3. And while I won't call this the absolute all-time keyboard on the market, because there are a lot of really skilful ones out there that could hands fill that spot, it's certainly a contender for information technology.

Buy The Keychron K3