Keychron K1 SE Wireless Mechanical Keyboard (Version 5)

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 a satisfying typing experience with the redesigned low profile switch that 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.

Keychron K3 ultra_slim Hot_swappable wireless mechanical keyboard Mac Windows iOS Android Ultra-slim body

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 OPTION

We also provide a hot-swappable version for your choice, which means you can customize your typing experience without soldering, pop them in and it's done.

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.

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Frequently bought together (Add-on)

Please select the matching variant for your product.

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.

Currently my favorite keys on the market

I picked up a Q3 and a K1 SE at the same time, recognizing that they couldn't be further from one another in design.
Switches tested: KeyChron Optical Banana
Platform tested: Windows 10, via USB-C and Bluetooth
Compared against: Corsair K70 v2 Low Profile (Cherry MX Speed), KeyChron Q3, several other mechanical boards.

PRO:
-featureset. Hot swap keys, RGB backlighting, light-through keycaps.
-super low profile. Lowest of any low-profile keyboard I've used. Short keys, with short travel.
-stability! Keys don't wiggle or sag, very consistent feel from one switch to the next. Board is very rigid, no significant flex.
-weight! It's super light! this would be an excellent travel mech board, but it's an 80% layout so nearly fullsize in every way.
-Regarding the Banana switches: the feel is just delightfully different. I've likened it to the well-tuned trigger of a gun. almost zero pre-travel. Firm bump where you can tell if you press any harder, you'll actuate the switch. And then a satisfying give when you push just hard enough. Firm at the bottom of the travel, if you bottom out (which is easy to do with such a short travel).

CON:
-no configuration software. Keyboard will work for you, or won't. but there is (at time of writing) no way to reprogram the function of a given key.
-RGB modes are preset, not customizable. When using colors, they can be assigned to the entire board but not to individual keys. If you wanted to make the modifiers blue and the main keys white, that's no possible.
-proprietary key switches, hopefully they will remain available and inexpensive (so far so good! Love 'em!) but who knows where we will be in 5+ years.

Overall, I love the K1 SE. I've recommended it to friends.

IDEAS FOR FUTURE PRODUCTS:
-K1 SE with a matching touchpad beside? That way this board could be used from a couch or a bed, giving a presentation, etc. Since it's wireless, it has that freedom, but needing a mouse in addition is still a bummer. I'm picking like the Logitech K400 but using mechanical switches. I think it would rule. Maybe consider this, KeyChron? <3

Perfect keyboard

I waited a very long time for this to get back in stock, but the keyboard is totally worth it. Love everything about it. I got the optical banana switches and the typing feel is perfect. I own a set of the optical brown switches and it feels pretty close. I am a total fan of Keychron low profile especially with Mac's.

9.5/10 nearly the perfect keyboard

I love this keyboard, the best I've ever used (and I have too many mechanical keyboards).

Pros:

The typing feel of the Keychron optical mechanical switches are perfect - fast, smooth, and quiet. They don't need any silicone grease like many other mechanical switches do to feel this smooth.

The TKL layout of the K1 SE is perfect. I find the popular 75% size a bit too small where the function keys are too close to the keys you will type with resulting in some mistakes, no issues like that with the TKL. The little bit of extra size is just great for typing.

Its awesome for gaming having such quick and responsive keys.

Bluetooth 5.1 with great battery life, and USB-C connectivity all works great.

The low profile is fantastic because it doesn't hurt my wrist without a big pad like the larger mechanicals do. There never going back to full height mechanical keyboards for me.

The low profile and minimalist design looks amazing, there is no wasted space here.

Cons:

The only negative is the keycaps, which are very smooth. If they had a slight texture to them it would feel better typing and gaming. For example, if they were upgraded to a higher quality PBT material, then this would be the absolute perfect keyboard. Hopefully this can be offered as an option or to buy seperately some day.

Didn't meet my expectations

There are two major issues:
1. Low symbol visibility on keycaps. Light grey keycap plastic, semi-reflective surface, and small thin symbols make it unreadable in mid-light conditions. (Dark grey keycaps provide almost OK contrast.) The Mac keyboard is much more readable.

2. "Low Profile Gateron Mechanical (Hot-Swappable)" switches are awful. The clicky sound and feel are produced by a dedicated membrane. If you press a button gently, you can hear a click, but the press is not recognized. And vice versa: if you press multiple times in a row, you can have multiple typed symbols without the clicky sound. The overall feeling is fake and unsatisfying.

Minor issues:
1. Keycaps' sides are sharp.
2. Multiple backlight modes are useless. On/off would be much more convenient.

Otherwise a great but unfortunately raw product. Keycaps with improved contrast and proper switches would make it a dream wireless TKL low-profile keyboard.