Reviewing devices for a residing requires a certain quantity {of professional} detachment and objectivity. Which is why Keychron is admittedly beginning to get on my nerves. After initially dismissing the corporate as one other bandwagon jumper on the mechanical keyboard pattern, I’ve now tried three separate Keychron keyboards up to now 12 months. And all of them are to date forward of the competitors that it’s virtually unfair.
Take this K3 Pro, for instance. Keychron took the low-profile, price range design of the K3, and zhuzhed it up with a number of of the premium options extra typically discovered on its Q collection. Not solely does this make it a exceptional little board by itself deserves, it’s among the many finest low-profile, travel-friendly mechanical boards in the marketplace when it comes to worth.
See what I imply? Unfair to the competitors, unfair to the reviewer. Just unfair. And I imply that in one of the best ways doable.
Note: This evaluate is a part of our ongoing roundup of the best wireless keyboards. Go there to be taught extra about competing merchandise, what to search for in a wi-fi keyboard, and shopping for suggestions.
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Great measurement and structure
- High-end options
- Unbeatable worth
Cons
- VIA programming is a bit tough
Our Verdict
Keychron’s K3 Pro is the perfect small keyboard round. It has options previously reserved for boards at twice the value, and it’s versatile sufficient for probably the most demanding energy customers.
Price When Reviewed
$114
Best Prices Today: Keychron K3 Pro
Keychron Pro 3: The specs
The K3 Pro is an upgraded model of the low-profile Keychron K3. That a lot is apparent, however the upgrades are available some stunning areas. The most blatant is a bump up from ABS plastic keycaps to the extra premium PBT plastic, to not point out a shift to a extra standard OEM-style key profile.
The K3 Pro has virtually precisely the identical structure because the Logitech MX Keys Mini.
Michael Crider/IDG
If all that appears like alphabet soup to you, simply know that the keycaps really feel higher and last more. Underneath them are Gateron’s low-profile mechanical switches, which are available purple (linear), blue (clicky), or brown (clickly, however not fairly so noisy) decisions. All are nice replicas of their full-sized alternate options, albeit with the apparent discount in key journey that comes from being shrunken down.
Gateron’s switches really feel lots higher than the Cherry Ultra-Low Profile switches discovered within the Corsair K100 Air, however that’s probably not a good comparability—these switches are designed for high-end gaming laptops, and placing them in a separate keyboard is one thing of a novelty. A greater comparability is with the low-profile switches on Razer’s new Deathstalker. Gateron’s switches have rather less journey, however they’re stiffer, leading to an analogous really feel. It’s six of 1, half a dozen of the opposite—but when I used to be pressured to decide on, I’d go together with Keychron for the superior keycaps.
Michael Crider/IDG
Those low-profile components lead to a keyboard simply 22mm tall, with out the dual-stage toes (a pleasant contact). Fully prolonged, it’s about 35mm, which continues to be barely taller than a normal MX swap and keycap. It’s simple to throw in a bag, particularly with the devoted off swap. Just don’t get it confused with the mode swap that’s nearer to the sting of the case—an outdated design selection that Keychron appears detest to desert.
Michael Crider/IDG
And the K3 Pro is great for touring. In addition to its Bluetooth wi-fi and cable backup, the compact 75 % structure signifies that it’ll go just about anyplace a full-sized pill will, and it’ll recharge from the identical USB-C cable. It lasted for greater than every week with RGB backlighting—it ought to go for months in case you don’t want the sunshine present. I can’t say I like the default structure of a few of the perform keys, particularly Delete and Print Screen, however that’s simple sufficient to vary.
The different main development over the usual K3 is the addition of programming choices. This is an enormous deal for energy customers—and it solely turns into a much bigger deal whenever you shrink down your keyboard and drive the person to decide on which features have to go on a hidden layer. Like the Q collection, the K3 Pro might be programmed with QMK or VIA, two of the requirements for the mechanical keyboard fanatic group.
Michael Crider/IDG
I gained’t lie, even VIA, the extra user-friendly possibility, isn’t fairly as idiot-proof as one thing just like the programming instruments that include gaming keyboards. It requires placing the keyboard in wired mode, utilizing an internet software, enabling permissions, and importing a JSON file from Keychron’s web site. Even then, I needed to fiddle round with a number of settings earlier than the software would truly acknowledge the board.
But as soon as issues clicked—sorry—it turned as simple as some other software, with an easy UI and apparent stream. I used to be in a position to modify the few ache factors of the loadout and get my media controls on the primary layer in just some minutes. Note that, due to all of the caps utilizing the identical profile, you possibly can transfer any of the 1×1 keycaps round with out having to fret about odd row mismatching.
Should you purchase a Keychron Pro 3?
The K3 Pro comes with different decisions along with the swap colours. Buyers can go for commonplace white backlighting or RGB, each of which might be personalized. And you possibly can select between soldered key switches or hot-swappable. At the second there are so few choices for low-profile switches that I don’t see an enormous worth add for the improve, and I’ve by no means seen the purpose of RGB lighting, so the most cost effective mannequin at $94 is the one I’d go together with. But blinging out the keyboard isn’t that costly both—each add-on choices are simply $10, for a most worth of $114.
Michael Crider/IDG
And even at its highest worth, the value is exceptional. Low-profile keyboards in the identical basic measurement vary from Apple and Logitech begin at about $100. Logitech wants $150 for the MX Mechanical Mini, with an similar structure, fewer programming choices, and no hot-swap switches or RGB lighting.
What in regards to the gaming decisions? Razer, Logitech, and Corsair all have low-profile tenkeyless boards which are all greater than $200 at retail. Cooler Master’s SK621 appears to be out of manufacturing, however its cramped structure is a non-starter for me. (The K3 Pro’s Bluetooth isn’t nice for gaming, however it has 1,000Hz polling in wired mode.)
Michael Crider/IDG
At the second the one actual competitors I may discover with an analogous characteristic set was the NuPhy Air75, with the identical structure and swap decisions, plus a 2.4GHz wi-fi possibility. It’s $130, which appears truthful given its additional connection and extra strong case…however it additionally lacks the programming choices of the K3 Pro.
In quick, Keychron is totally killing it versus extra mainstream manufacturers when it comes to worth, even because it strikes into extra standard territory with low-profile, travel-friendly designs. With glorious {hardware}, stable wi-fi, and an incredible worth, it’s the teeny-tiny, low-profile mechanical board to beat.