Keychron K1 SE Wireless Mechanical Keyboard (Version 5)

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What's the difference between the K1 SE and the K1:

#1. K1 SE is engineered with reinforced aluminum top case plus plastic bottom case while K1 is constructed with full aluminum body structure.
#2. Added low profile Gateron mechanical hot-swappable version switch.
#3. Armed with two level adjustable rubber feet to provide ergonomic support.
#4. Five USD less in price than the K1.

KEYCHRON K1 SE

AN ULTRA-SLIM TENKEYLESS
WIRELESS MECHANICAL KEYBOARD

Incorporating the hot-swappable low profile Optical switches and Gateron switches (hot-swappable) version offers the freedom to personalize your typing experience with ease, together with all signature Keychron features.

FEATURES

ULTRA-SLIM

K1 SE optimizes finger travel and provides satisfying typing experience with the redesigned low profile switch is 40% slimmer than conventional switches.

Constructed with the streamlined and reinforced aluminum frame, K1 SE is ready to bring an unmatched and dedicated typing comfortability.

WIRELESS AND WIRED

Featuring Bluetooth 5.1, the K1 SE offers flawless connectivity whether you’re working at home or the office while connecting with your phone, laptop and iPad, plus a type-c cable for optimal connectivity and compatibility.

ERGONOMIC ANGLE DESIGN

Two level adjustable rubber feet makes the K1 SE more comfortable to type on.

COMPATIBLE WITH ALL DEVICES

K1 SE can connect with up to 3 devices via bluetooth and is compatible Mac, Android, and Windows devices. Changing between operating system modes is made as easy as pie with a convenient back panel slider switch.

K1 SE LAYOUT

Suitable for both macOS and Windows. Keychron is one of only a few in the market that comes with a Mac multimedia keys layout for Mac enthusiasts (Check high-res keycap layout and size here).

HOT-SWAPPABLE

You can easily hot-swap every Optical switch or Gateron switch (hot-swappable) version in a few seconds to customize your typing experience on the K1 SE without soldering.

*Hot-swappable feature is available for low profile Keychron Optical switch and low profile Gateron Mechanical (Hot-swappable) versions only. *Low Profile Keychron Optical and Low Profile Gateron mechanical version keyboards are NOT compatible with any normal profile mx style mechanical switch.

Mechanical Or Optical?

Available in Gateron mechanical and Keychron optical low profile switch to elevate the typing experience with a more slimmer and subtle look, the K1 SE provides an excellent typing performance, whether you prefer linear (Red), clicky (Blue), or something in between (Brown, Banana, Mint).

Low-Profile Mechanical

Durable and ultra-slim low profile Gateron Mechanical switch with a 50 million keystroke lifespan to provide an unrivaled tactile responsiveness. K1 SE was designed to boost your productivity yet meets your desktop aesthetics perfectly. Classic clicky tactile or quicker response, for office or personal gaming, the Gateron low profile is the way to choose.

Low-Profile Optical

With the MX-styled stem housing and 0.2 ms ultra-low latency, these light actuated switches are crafted for typists or gamers who want to type at lightning speed with a 70 million lifespan much greater than industry standards.

The Banana and Mint switches comes with an early tactile bump of every downstroke like those Panda switches, that’s the main difference between the Banana/Mint and the Brown switch. More add-on switches here.

SLIM YET DURABLE

The aircraft-grade reinforced aluminum frame as a pillar to make the K1 SE durable yet elegantly slim. A SGCC galvanized steel plate is added to the plastic bottom frame in order to strengthen the K1 SE's body structure, while still maintaining a stable wireless transmission capability of the K1 SE.

MX STYLE STEM

We developed an MX-style stem on the K1 SE's low-profile switches as well as stabilizers on the big keys (e.g.: space bar, left Shift, backspace, and Enter key) in an attempt to revamp the reliability. Read more here.

18 Types of RGB Backlit

A bright and bling RGB keyboard with 4 adjustable levels plus more than 18 different color effects.
You can alter the color and the brightness correspond to your mood or setting.

Covered by UNBOX THERAPY and other major media

Keychron K1 ultra-slim wireless mechanical keyboard for Mac and windows covered by The Verge, K1 has almost every feature you could ask for from a wireless mechanical keyboard.

Keychron K1 ultra-slim wireless mechanical keyboard for Mac and windows covered by Unbox Therapy

Keychron K1 ultra-slim wireless mechanical keyboard for Mac and windows covered by Cult of Mac

Keychron K1 ultra-slim wireless mechanical keyboard for Mac and windows covered by Forbes

Keychron K1 ultra-slim wireless mechanical keyboard for Mac and windows covered by 9to5Mac

Keychron K1 ultra-slim wireless mechanical keyboard for Mac and windows covered by Digital Trends

Keychron K1 ultra-slim wireless mechanical keyboard for Mac and windows covered by Pocketlint

Keychron K1 ultra-slim wireless mechanical keyboard for Mac and windows covered by Gear Patrol

SPECIFICATION

Number of Keys: 87 keys
Version: Gateron / Optical (Hot-Swappable) / Gateron (Hot-Swappable)
Switches: Low Profile Gateron Mechanical / Low Profile Keychron Optical Switch
Number of Multimedia Keys: 12
Frame Material: ABS+Aluminum Frame
Keycap Material: ABS
Layout: ANSI
Polling Rate (Wired Mode): 1000Hz
Polling Rate (Wireless Mode): 90Hz

CONNECTIVITY AND POWER

Backlit Types: 18
Backlit: Adjustable 4-level RGB backlit
System: Windows/Android/Mac/iOS
Battery: 2000mAh Rechargeable li-polymer battery
BT Working Time (Backlit off on 87-key White Backlight version): Up to 190 hours (Lab test result may vary by actual use)
BT Working Time (Backlit off on 87-key RGB Backlight version): Up to 110 hours (Lab test result may vary by actual use)
BT Working Time (White backlit): Up to 36 hours (Lab test result may vary by actual use)
BT Working Time(RGB): Up to 38 hours (Lab test result may vary by actual use)
Connection: Bluetooth and Type-C cable
Bluetooth version: 5.1
Bluetooth Device Name: Keychron K1 SE

PHYSICAL UNIT

Dimension: 355 x 120mm
Weight: About 550g / 1.21 lbs
Height incl. keycap (front): 17mm
Height incl. keycap (rear): 22mm
Operating Environment: -10 to 50℃

PACKAGE CONTENT

1 x Keyboard
1 x USB-A to USB Type-C Cable
1 x Keycap Puller
1 x User Manual

Check the key combinations table of Keychron K1 SE here.

My Favorite Keyboard

I got this about 2 months ago and I love it. I bought the C2 about the same time, and while that is also great, the K1SE is definitely my favorite. It is so much nicer typing on a mechanical keyboard, but I still really like the low-profile. Especially for a low-profile keyboard, I like having the adjustment feet, so to me this is even better than the (more expensive) K1 non-SE. Another reason I chose this is that I wanted to change the layout, and the uniform-profile keycaps allowed me to do that. It was easy and it looks and feels great. I'm not a huge fan of light-up keyboards, but the one reason I can justify is to see in dimly lit situations. For that, I really appreciate the shine-through keys. Although I usually use it in wired mode (to avoid it going to sleep when I am just reading/mousing for work), when I do use BT, the battery lasts a long time (several weeks). I would add the negative aspects of it, but honestly, for me I can't think of any.

Great look and feel

Just got the Keychron K1 SE with RGB and the brown Gateron switches on Prime Day sale, and I really love it. The large keys are stabilized well and the chassis feels quite solid. I usually use blue switches, but I bought this keyboard for use at the office, where my gleeful violent typing would have driven my colleagues mad were my keyboard loud. The brown switches are a decent middle ground, although the tactility is pretty subtle to me. The chassis feels solid and I like the aluminum top cover. Packaging is excellent. Animated RGB patterns are gaudy for my taste, but there are some more dignified patterns to choose from. This is replacing an Apple Magic Keyboard at work, which I like, but which has too little travel for my tastes and does not easily support multiple pairings. Apple also doesn't have a TKL option.

Keyboard is perfect 5*, support and supply chain is terrible 1*

The keyboard itself is exactly what i wanted, nice look and feel with TKL layout and wireless mode. I am totally satisfied with it.

BUT the support was horrible: I ordered it on 2022.01.10., got it on 01.20. and it had a defect, so a replacement needed. I made a long-long time consuming conversation (circa 25 email exchange), and I got lots of promises from month to month for a new PCB, then for a new keyboard. Finally on 05.20. I got the replacement keyboard. Since then it works totally fine. But for 4 months I had no keyboard which I was paid for...

Logikiller

If you are on the fence between this keyboard and the logitech mx mechanical, buy this keyboard. The build quality is far superior. I was impressed with the fact that it runs my Windows PC, my old MacBook and my linux machine with zero set-up. Buy it, don't think just buy. The mint switches are sooooo nice for a caveman like myself. It also shipped in less than a week which is nice considering it came from China.

Best keyboard for writers/programmers and heavy creative users

I was using previous version, and lot of many other keyboards (just last 3 years: Logitech MX, Steelseries Apex 7, Cherry MX), but this new Keychron SE is so much better in every possible way. Better overall manufacturing quality, better case, better keycaps, additional rubber feet and even keyboard dust cover included! And these Gateron low profile brown switches are wonderful for writing! Also, I'm glad that this keyboard does not need any software. Mostly, such control apps are useless and even malicious for computer resources and privacy (Steelseries GG and Logitech G hub are the worst apps I have ever used).