My Keychron B1 Pro just arrived, and noticed it drops keystrokes during fast typing, both over Bluetooth and USB-C.

Examples (for context, I use Colemak-DH):

• Typing oin quickly often drops the n
• Typing you quickly often drops the u
• Holding o, then pressing i, then n often results in n not registering
• Holding y, then pressing o, then u often results in u not registering

Karabiner EventViewer does not see the missing key events, so it appears the keyboard itself is not sending them.

One thing worth mentioning is that I also removed and swapped a couple of keycaps, but I didn't have a proper keycap puller or other keyboard tools—just improvised with what I had. Initially I thought I had damaged a key, but after more testing it seems to affect multiple keys.

Is this normal for the B1 Pro due to rollover/matrix limitations, or does it sound like I have a defective unit? Can any B1 Pro owners reproduce these combinations?

this is the exact website link: https://www.keychronisrael.com/product-category/keyboards/

their offers are at an impossible price and everything is 40% off so im just very unsure, something feels off. any help appreciated.

Please recommend me one that is thocky about the same price.

Saw Keychron released K5 Ultra as an upgrade to the old K5 max, anyone have experience on the new model? Especially the typing feel and sound which is kinda weak point on the old model

Hi, as I mention just got this keyboard and was trying to update the firmware, with the intention to see if the Fn+X+L will set the F's keys to work as multimedia keys without having to press the Fn key to access those functions.

But neither the Keychron launcher webpage/app or the firmware app are able to update the firmware, (the launcher web-app tells me that my current version V1.0 is the latest one but the firmware download page from Keychron list the 1.09 as the latest version)

When I try the .exe file of the firmware tool to try to update my kb firmware I got the error of "Can't find USB HID Device" (connected by USB cable of course.

Anyone with this keyboard was able to update the firmware?

Keyboard: K3 V2, Keychron brown switches white backlight, in the box it says K3-A3

I keep hearing the new POM silk banana switches don’t feel tactile at all but rather feel like a linear switch. Anyone experienced the new switches? And is the criticism true?

Hello everyone,

I’m posting this as a desperate warning and to see if anyone from Keychron actually cares about their customers after they take our money, because standard support clearly doesn't.

I bought a "premium" Keychron Q6 Max back in December (Order #ES20073-APT). It failed after a couple of months. Support sent me a replacement PCB in late March. Guess what? The replacement PCB completely died again after barely 4 weeks of use.

The worst part is not the terrible Quality Control, it’s the absolute lack of support. I have emailed them 3 times over the last 3 weeks. Absolute silence. Ghosted.

Because they dragged this out by sending a faulty replacement part, I am now past the 180-day PayPal buyer protection window. They know this. They are using this loophole to ignore a legitimate 12-month warranty claim.

I now have a €200+ aluminum paperweight on my desk and a company that refuses to answer emails.

Is this the "premium" experience Keychron promises? Has anyone else experienced this ghosting technique? I just want my money back or a brand new, sealed unit, not another faulty loose PCB.

u/cheswickFS

I have a Keychron keyboard, and would like to map one of the buttons to a LMB toggle. When I press the button once, I would like it to send a "LMB Down" press. When I press it again, I'd like it to send "LMB Up." Unfortunately, I can't find a way to remap it directly: i'm wondering if there's a macro I could use?

Running a K10 HE right now, hard wired to my personal PC and using the 2.4Ghz wireless for my work laptop.

For some reason, on my work laptop the "." key will randomly just get "held down" forever, spamming incessantly and making my laptop entirely unusable. Previously I was using Bluetooth to connect to my work laptop, and that is when the problem began. I tried switching to 2.4ghz and that did not fix the issue. That said, my main computer where I have the keyboard hardwired works just fine, this problem is seemingly only through wireless connections.

One very weird aspect of this is when I flip the left hand switch over to wired mode (desktop), the spamming still keeps going on my laptop. The problem seems to also begin once my laptop goes to sleep, upon trying to wake it up this problem begins, but that isn't always the case, sometimes it just starts up for no reason.

I'm not sure if it's the keypad "." or the main keyboard. Hoping someone else here may have run into this issue

Fn + J + Z does not fix it.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently living and working in Vietnam. As a long-time mechanical keyboard enthusiast, one of the first things I did when I moved here was joining some of the largest local MK Facebook groups to learn about the local market and trade with local breathren.

Vietnam is right next to China, so the market here is flooded with dirt-cheap, feature-packed boards from brands. It's an absolute paradise for budget custom boards. However, I noticed a very toxic trend in almost every local community here: An absolute, burning hatred toward Keychron.

Recently, I was looking for a solid, reliable full-size board with a high polling rate for casual gaming and work, and I brought up the Keychron C2 Pro 8K. The backlash I received from the local "experts" was wild. I was called "uneducated," "a victim of corporate marketing," and was told that Keychron is only for "rich Westerners who have thick wallets but zero knowledge about keyboards."

According to the local hivemind:

- If a keyboard doesn't have a bouncy Gasket Mount or sound "thocky/creamy" right out of the box, it’s considered "trash/garbage."

- They claim polling rates above 1000Hz (like 8K) are just a gimmick and useless on MX switches, dismissing the actual latency benefits and features like Snap Tap.

- They believe Keychron is heavily overpriced and that you can "easily custom-build a premium HE (Magnetic) board" for the same price (~$50-$60 USD), which is factually impossible for a full-size layout.

- When I brought up official QMK/VIA support and open-source security, they brushed it off, saying proprietary Chinese software is "just fine" and VIA is "available on every $30 clone anyway."

It feels like the local community is trapped in an echo chamber where "maximum foam, aluminum case, and sound tests" are the only metrics that define a good keyboard. The moment a brand focuses on software stability, multi-OS native compatibility, and raw polling performance over aesthetic "moddability," it gets labeled as a scam.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of extreme gatekeeping in local communities? Why do you think Keychron became the ultimate scapegoat in places heavily influenced by the Chinese budget market?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Bought a V1 Max. Immediately out of the box it had trouble registering certain key presses, specifically the question mark, O and I.

But I assume it was just because of update to the firmware. After learning how to decyphre the long lost puzzles of a civilization that predates the Pangeic split of the continents I managed to finally flash the keyboard and it didn't help. Decided it must be because of the switches, so I went ahead and tried switching some of the switches around the keyboard, but nothing helped.

Contacted Keychron and was told there was nothing they could do; they literally shooed me away. I insisted and the guy decided to send me a naked PCB and told me to go swap it myself, "it's easy to do".

I did; it didn't help. They refused outright to replace it or refund it.

So you know what this dumbo did? Bought another one. Yeah. Must've just been a faulty model.

So the new one arrives and guess what? OUT OF THE BOX it disconnects randomly, gets stuck on the last key it registered, then it fully disconnects from the PC, then reconnects, then gets a tiny green light under the 4 key, and then it goes back to normal. Happened like three times typing this out. And yes I went through the demon summoning ritual that is the Keychrone update launcher thing with the new one and it did literally nothing.

My keyboard is like a meter away from the 2.4 receiver. Maybe even less.

It's hilarious to say that in all my time testing different keyboards every single Keychron I've seen or used has been broken.

Disclosure: Keychron sent me this keyboard for review purposes. I was not paid, and Keychron did not tell me what to write or ask to review the post before publishing. This is the normal production model, not a prototype. These are my own thoughts after using it for about a week.

I could not add the gallery directly here because r/Keychron does not allow gallery posts, so the photos are in the original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/s/Lwv6XN5AmJ

I wanted to try the Keychron K5 QMK Version 2 because I was looking for a low-profile mechanical keyboard that would still feel familiar coming from MacBook keyboards.

My previous main keyboard was a Razer Ornata. That is not a real mechanical keyboard, it is a mecha-membrane board, so it has some clicky/tactile feeling, but underneath it is still membrane-based. I liked the feedback of it, but I wanted something cleaner, slimmer and more flexible, especially for Mac use.

I also did not want a huge full-height mechanical keyboard. I like the MacBook Pro keyboard more than most people seem to, so low-profile was very important to me.

The version I tested is the Keychron K5 QMK Version 2, ISO layout, Brown switches.

I used it with:

• Mac mini M4
• MacBook Pro
• iPad
• Windows gaming PC

Mostly for writing, browsing, normal Mac work, some Lightroom/Photoshop use, and casual gaming on Windows.

Setup

I updated the firmware before using it properly. The process was simple and did not feel intimidating, even as someone who is still new to proper mechanical keyboards.

The web-based Keychron Launcher is probably the part that impressed me the most early on. I expected keyboard customization to feel more technical, but the Launcher is actually very easy to understand. It opens in the browser, detects the keyboard, and lets you change keys and layers without installing a large desktop app.

That is a big plus for me on macOS.

Before this, I used Karabiner for some key remapping. It worked, but it always felt like an extra layer sitting on top of the system. With the Keychron, a lot of that can be handled directly on the keyboard, which feels much cleaner.

One of the first things I tried was recreating parts of the Hungarian PC-style layout I am used to. After many years on Windows, I still expect some special characters to be in their old places. I used AI to help generate a custom layout file, loaded it, and now I can use those characters on my Mac without relying on an extra remapping app. That is genuinely one of my favorite things about this keyboard.

Typing feel

The first few minutes felt strange, but not in a bad way. I was just used to a taller keyboard, and the K5 is very slim.

After a short adjustment period, I started typing quickly on it. I still make a few more mistakes when I first sit down, mostly because my fingers are still learning the spacing and height, but after a few minutes it feels natural.

The Brown switches were a good choice for me. They have enough feedback to feel more satisfying than a laptop keyboard, but they are not aggressively tactile. If I could change one thing, I might make them very slightly more tactile, but I also know I would not want a loud or very clicky switch for daily use.

The travel distance feels right. It is not laptop-short, but it is also not the big full-height mechanical feeling I was trying to avoid. For me, this is a good middle ground.

Coming from the Ornata, the difference is noticeable. The Ornata gives you a clicky sensation, but the K5 feels more controlled and more refined. It does not feel like a gaming keyboard trying to imitate a mechanical switch. It feels like a proper low-profile mechanical keyboard.

Build quality and keycaps

The build quality is really good.

I was slightly worried that a low-profile full-size keyboard might feel a bit light or toy-like, but it does not. It feels solid on the desk, and the overall finish is better than I expected.

The keycaps have an interesting texture. The top surface feels slightly soft, almost a little rubbery, but in a pleasant way. It gives a nice grip under the fingers. The only downside is that it seems to pick up smudges a bit. Not a major issue, but I noticed it.

Part of me would prefer the surface to be a little smoother, closer to the MacBook Pro keyboard. But this might also change with use. Keycaps often feel a bit different after some time.

The larger keys feel fine to me. I am not going to pretend I can deeply analyze stabilizers, but nothing felt cheap, rattly or annoying in normal use.

Lighting

The RGB looks good. I usually do not use crazy rainbow effects, but the lighting itself is nice and clean.

There is some light leak around the keys. I noticed it, but it does not bother me. With a low-profile board, I think this is pretty understandable.

I like the colored Escape key. It adds a bit of character without making the keyboard look too gamer-ish. I would have liked a colored Enter key in the box too.

One small thing I would change is the Caps Lock indicator. There is a bright blue LED at the top of the keyboard. It works, but I would prefer if the Caps Lock key itself changed color when active. That would look cleaner and would be easier to notice without adding another bright indicator.

Mac, Windows and iPad

This is where the keyboard makes the most sense for my setup.

I like that it has a Mac/Windows switch. On Windows, I want normal F1 to F12 behavior. On macOS, I want the media keys and system controls to behave like an Apple keyboard. The K5 handles this well.

The media keys worked properly on macOS from the beginning.

Bluetooth pairing was also easy. I tested it with my Mac mini, MacBook and iPad, and switching between them has been smooth. The iPad paired without any issue, and moving between desktop, laptop and tablet feels surprisingly seamless.

I use it wired a lot on the Mac mini, mostly because it is sitting on the desk anyway. But Bluetooth has also been stable for me. I have not had dropouts or random connection problems so far.

I do still wish this model had a 2.4 GHz dongle option like the K5 Max. Not because Bluetooth has been bad, because it has been completely fine for me, but because extra connection options are always useful. For a mixed Mac, Windows and gaming PC setup, Bluetooth plus 2.4 GHz plus USB-C would make the keyboard feel more complete.

Windows gaming

I tried it on my Windows gaming PC too.

For casual gaming, it feels good. I am not a competitive player and I did not do latency measurements, so I am not going to overstate that part. But for normal gaming, I had no issue with it.

If I were playing something where I really cared about consistency, I would use it wired. That is also where the missing 2.4 GHz option comes in. The keyboard works fine as it is, but a dongle would make more sense for people who want wireless on a gaming PC.

Still, I like the fact that it does not feel like a Mac-only keyboard. It fits nicely into a mixed setup.

Keychron Launcher

The Launcher is a big part of why I like the keyboard.

It is easy to use, and the fact that it runs in the browser makes it feel lightweight. I changed keys, checked layers and experimented with layouts without feeling like I had to learn a whole new ecosystem first.

I did run into one issue on macOS.

The Quick Launch Application feature did not show apps that are inside subfolders in the Applications folder. Adobe apps are a good example. Photoshop and Lightroom create their own folders, and I could not select them the way I expected.

It would be useful if the Launcher could scan subfolders, or if there were a manual file picker.

The other thing I noticed was the battery indicator shortcut. When I moved it to another key on Layer 1, it did not seem to work for me. Maybe I set something wrong, but I could not get it to behave the way I expected.

These are not dealbreakers, but they feel like software things that could be improved.

Cable

The included cable feels good. It is braided and looks/feels better than a random cheap cable.

But I would have preferred USB-C to USB-C.

The included cable is USB-A to USB-C. I understand why they include it, but as a Mac user, almost everything on my desk is USB-C now. Ideally, I would like to see both cables in the box, or at least a small adapter.

Small suggestion about switches

I think it would be very useful if Keychron included one sample switch of each available type in the box.

For example: one Red, one Brown and one Banana.

Choosing switches as a first-time mechanical keyboard user is difficult. You can read descriptions and watch videos, but it is still mostly guesswork until you actually press them. Including one of each would probably not add much cost, and it might even encourage people to buy a full switch pack later if they discover they prefer another type.

I chose Brown and I think I chose correctly, but I would still love to physically try the other options.

After a week

After a week, I am already sure this keyboard will stay on my desk.

That is probably the simplest summary. I wanted something that felt like an upgrade from my Ornata, but not something so tall and mechanical that it would feel alien after years of MacBook keyboards. The K5 QMK V2 fits that very well.

It feels slim, fast and comfortable, but still more satisfying than a laptop keyboard. The full-size layout is also important for me. I know a lot of people like compact boards, but I still use the numpad, and I am glad I did not give that up.

As a photographer and creative user, I also like how it looks. It is clean enough for a normal desk setup, but the lighting and accent key give it a bit of personality.

It also made me curious about Keychron’s mice. If their mouse experience is as polished as this keyboard, I would definitely be interested in trying one in the future.

Things I liked

• Very good build quality
• Comfortable low-profile typing feel
• Brown switches feel like a good middle ground
• Full-size layout with numpad
• Easy firmware update
• Keychron Launcher is actually useful
• Key remapping without relying on Karabiner
• Works well across Mac, Windows and iPad
• Bluetooth switching between devices has been smooth
• Bluetooth connection has been stable
• Media keys worked properly on macOS
• RGB looks good
• Nice braided cable
• Good for casual Windows gaming when wired

Things I would change

• Quick Launch should detect apps inside subfolders on macOS
• Battery indicator shortcut did not work for me after remapping it
• I would prefer Caps Lock to change the key color instead of using the bright top LED
• USB-C to USB-C cable would be better for Mac users
• The keycaps can look a little smudgy
• A colored Enter key would be nice
• Including sample switches in the box would be very helpful
• A version with Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz dongle and USB-C would be even better

Final thoughts

The K5 QMK Version 2 is a very suitable keyboard for me to like.

It does not feel like a niche enthusiast board that I have to adapt my whole setup around. It feels like a practical, well-built low-profile keyboard that happens to be much more customizable than the usual Apple or Logitech-style productivity keyboards.

If you are coming from a MacBook keyboard, Apple Magic Keyboard, Logitech MX Keys or a mecha-membrane keyboard like the Razer Ornata, and you want to try a proper mechanical keyboard without going full chunky mechanical keyboard mode, I think this is a very strong option.

Bought myself a little prezzy, V6 Utra 8k banana keys. I've been a solid Logitech and Lenovo keyboard user for 20+ years. I go all the way back to super clicky Compaq and IBM PC Jr computers.

Still getting used to the V6 keyboard layout and spacing, my typing speed is better on a Logitech G213. I would not consider the V6 a true 100% size keyboard. More like 90-95%

My current gripe is no illumination for Caps lock or Num lock. I'm learning to live with no separate physical controls for media, play pause, fast fwd, vol +/- mute etc.

I want a new keyboard and have been using the ones from Corsair for years, no issues so far. I wanted to have a more "smooth" keyboard to start on more custom stuff and I'm shocked on the amount of problems being discussed here. Is this keyboard reliable enough to last 6+ years..? I really liked it but I'm kind afraid to put the money of 2x Corsair K70's on it

I'm looking for a wireless Keyboard that can be wired as a fallback (lots of jank linux machines at work), 75% or 80%, hotswappable, quietest switches available, foam layers. Back lightning preferred but not required.

Sorry in advance if this is an annoying post, the website has just driven me slightly insane. Their menus look slick, but I just want to check some boxes in a filter, man. There's too many random models with slightly different specs and very similar names.

I've just received their email about a new keyboard that's in the works, the Keychron V6 Ultra HE which supports both magnetic and mechanical keys.

I'm a pretty recent user of Keychron, bought a Keychron K10 HE about 6 months ago and I really like it so far.

I understand that some people have issues with their V6's, wondering how the new keyboard will stack up, as on paper it sounds very nice and I immediately thought about spending 5$ to get the VIP pricing.

After a few weeks of owning the K2 HE special edition (with wood side panels, might be important) I noticed that the build quality doesn't seem to be the best. It creaks very easily when twisting it, even very lightly, or when squeezing it from top to bottom (like from spacebar to fn keys row). I think it might be due to how the wooden panels are connected, so I'm curious what is the experience of other K2 HE owners

I am a software engineer learning to touch type on a shiny new Q11 ultra. The travel time to very common non-letter keys is brutal. Has anyone landed on a good layer for non-letters that puts keys closer to the home row, and would you be willing to export and share? I'm writing mostly in Python and Typescript, fwiw.