So as an excuse to purchase some tech gear and to put some more content on the site; I went looking for a Mechanical Keyboard.

Having started my tech life with the by-gone age of IBM mechanical keyboard, it is really pleasing to see the return of the mechanical keyboard in mainstream consumer market. For too long it has been enthusiast level hobby and priced as such as well.

With its recent fanfare from the likes of MKBHD and 9to5Mac; I decided that I would purchase and review the Keychron K2 V2. I decided to purchase the Version 2 with PBT Keycaps, RGB backlit Aluminum Frame and Gateron Brown Switches.

As sent out; the Keychron K2 has Apple Mac-centric keys installed; however additional Windows alternative keys are also included in the packaging and are pretty straightforward to switch over. There is an additional toggle switch to go between the Windows and Apple modes.

Design & Build

After my order on the Keychron website; the delivery to mainland US was within 5 days and the keyboard came well packaged and in satisfactory conditions for immediate use.

When I opened the packaging, I was met with the actual Keyboard, a braided USB Type C Angled cable, additional keys, Key Removal Tool and a Quick Start Guide.

The setup process was straightforward, and I played around with the many RGB profiles before I stuck it to the single color backlight to help me out during my coding sessions which usually occur well into the night.

The layout was familiar and was able to get used to the keys very quickly. My daily driver up-to now has been the Magic Keyboard 2 with Numpad. As such, the Keychron K2 being Ten-keyless (TKL) has been interesting choice on my desk; for one the additional desk real estate has been a welcome addition (especially since my desk is usually so cluttered). However, what I soon found out was that it is also significantly taller and prominent as such even a small typing session would cause slight discomfort. Therefore, if you plan to use this keyboard I would definitely recommend investing in a wrist rest to alleviate pressure points.

The metal shell feels nice to the touch and the weight contributes to the overall build quality; overall making it feel solid and well-designed.

Switches

There is very little play in the keys, and the Gateron Brown switches seem to have good travel and responsive feel and good clicky sound. The only key that I have some issues with is the Backspace key; if pressed multiple times continuously, it appears to be make a squeaking noise.

The keys have 4 ±0.4mm of travel and the Brown switches require 55 ± 15 grams of actuation force; providing more of a tactile feel compared to the Blue and Red switches. The blue switches produce more of a clicky tactile and red switches produce quiet linear feel. The brown switches in this respect sit half between, and for my use case is more suitable.

Connectivity

This keyboard has Bluetooth 5.1; as such it benefits from lower power consumption and hence longer battery life. Keychron state up-to 240 hours/10 days of typing (without the backlight). This is via the rather large 4000mAh battery. In my own use, I was able to get an average of 2 days of heavy use with a plain backlight setting over bluetooth. The K2 can also be used in wired mode, and the toggle button on the left hand side makes it easy to switch between the two modes.

The K2 also makes it possible to pair to up-to 3 devices over bluetooth; and seamless switching between devices via pressing the FN + number key. This makes it easy to use this between a tablet, notebook and desktop, with minimal cables and fuss.

Overview

Overall, I seem pleased with the keyboard, but for my personal typing usage; I think I will either have to purchase a suitable wrist rest or go back to my Magic Keyboard. I hope to keep using this keyboard for the foreseeable future; to provide some long term use feedback.

Specifications

  • Number of Keys: 84 keys
  • Number of Multimedia Keys: 12
  • Main Body Material: ABS
  • Keycap Material: PBT
  • Double-shot PBT Keycaps - Cherry Profile
  • Dimension: 313 x 123 x 38.5mm
  • Weight: About 663g / 23.4oz