My first mechanical keyboard was a K2v1. Since then, I’ve become a fan of Keychron’s products, and I jumped on the chance to get a hot-swappable K2. I love this layout because I have all the keys I need and none that I don’t, and it’s compact enough to use anywhere I want. All of that and the ability to try out different switches makes it pretty close to my dream keyboard.Compared to the original K2, the slight angle and a lower profile in general should make it more comfortable for most people to type on the hot-swappable K2.The Gateron Blues that I got are working for me well enough that I’ve put off actually swapping the switches until I figure out what I want, so I unfortunately can’t review that aspect of the board. If it’s anything like the hot-swap K8, ... MoreMy first mechanical keyboard was a K2v1. Since then, I’ve become a fan of Keychron’s products, and I jumped on the chance to get a hot-swappable K2. I love this layout because I have all the keys I need and none that I don’t, and it’s compact enough to use anywhere I want. All of that and the ability to try out different switches makes it pretty close to my dream keyboard.Compared to the original K2, the slight angle and a lower profile in general should make it more comfortable for most people to type on the hot-swappable K2.The Gateron Blues that I got are working for me well enough that I’ve put off actually swapping the switches until I figure out what I want, so I unfortunately can’t review that aspect of the board. If it’s anything like the hot-swap K8, the only part I anticipate having trouble with will be the outer keys that are adjacent to the case, which will need a narrow switch puller to remove. I've pulled a switch out and popped it back in to see how difficult it will be, and I found it a little easier than it was with the K8.It’s true that some of the dark grey/black keycaps don’t shine through well, which Keychron has already explained, but I've already changed them out for the retro Mac PBT keycaps. I hope that Keychron will release an all-white edition of the ABS keycaps, because they would be just about perfect for a low-cost ABS keycap set, and Mac users have almost no options for shine-through sets.Finally, it's just a beautiful keyboard that looks and feels stylish and solid. It would be an excellent choice for a first mechanical keyboard or beyond.

I have had the K2 RGB (with blue key switches) now for little over a week and have really fallen in love with the tactile feel and audible click. The tactile response and audible feedback remind me very much of the original IBM keyboards on their first PCs (I owned one way back when), and I love having that kind of keyboard again with my Macs. Perhaps even more, I love that I can have the keyboard associated to two computers at the same time and can switch back and forth between them instantly. Since I work from home, I have both my work computer and personal computer sitting side-by-side on my desk and can seamlessly switch back and forth between them. That really is super cool. I have really come to enjoy using the keyboard and I feel my typing accuracy has ... MoreI have had the K2 RGB (with blue key switches) now for little over a week and have really fallen in love with the tactile feel and audible click. The tactile response and audible feedback remind me very much of the original IBM keyboards on their first PCs (I owned one way back when), and I love having that kind of keyboard again with my Macs. Perhaps even more, I love that I can have the keyboard associated to two computers at the same time and can switch back and forth between them instantly. Since I work from home, I have both my work computer and personal computer sitting side-by-side on my desk and can seamlessly switch back and forth between them. That really is super cool. I have really come to enjoy using the keyboard and I feel my typing accuracy has improved. In fact, I am writing this review using it.On the down side, the RGB lighting function doesn't work well. When I first unpacked the keyboard, it worked for a day or two, but then I noticed it had stopped working. No amount of tapping the "light bulb" key would engage the RGB functions. The only way I could get it to come back was to perform a factory reset -- and I only discovered the key-combination by reading the notes when I found there were some firmware upgrades available on the web site. Once you do the factory reset, though, you have to re-pair the keyboard to your computers, and at least for Macs, it seems they get a bit confused because it appears you are trying to re-pair a Bluetooth device that is already paired. It took me a little while to figure out how to make that work. It might help to delete the associations beforehand -- that might make the overall re-pairing process less troublesome. I haven't tried that yet because the RGB function isn't critical to me (and it just wastes battery power).That brings up another glitch: there is no way to determine what version of the firmware you have. So how are you supposed to determine which of the upgrades to install? And the installation instructions include all sorts of warnings that you might brick the keyboard if you make a mistake, and apparently you could even destroy your laptop's built-in keyboard. The instructions don't make it sound particularly easy nor do they give you any feeling of confidence that you will be successful. In fact, you could do further damage and they make it clear they won't replace the keyboard if you screw up.None of that sounds promising so I have avoided doing any upgrades. It's not worth the risk. The main functions of the keyboard work fine and the ability to switch between computers continues to function properly. To be honest, I don't really *need* the RGB functionality, it was just cool. It didn't cost that much more and was a sort of fun-but-unnecessary enhancement.Back to the physical keyboard, it does sit up pretty high off the desktop. Unlike Apple keyboards where you can basically rest your wrists on the desktop because they have such a low profile, the K2 keys are over an inch above the desktop. I have read people saying they need a wrist support but I haven't obtained one of those for myself yet -- I am still evaluating whether I need one. Nevertheless, the keyboard does sit quite a bit higher than Apple's Aluminum and Magic keyboards so that might be an adjustment for some people.Overall I am satisfied with the keyboard, but given the hefty concerns regarding firmware, I can't give it 5-stars -- you have to be pretty flawless, I feel, to merit the top grade. That aside, I like using this keyboard every day, the build quality is very good and I am satisfied. The ability to switch the keyboard back and forth instantly between my two computers is a super useful feature that definitely made this purchase worthwhile.

I have been using this keyboard for a couple of days now, coming from a full sized Logitech mechanical keyboard. Still getting used to it's small size which i guess is normal for someone coming from a FS keyboard. The Gateron G Brown switches are amazing I must say! The typing experience is amazing on this and i feel like i can go on typing for extended periods of time. Feels much smoother and the pressure is also minimal for a brown switch keyboard.However, there is one gripe i have about this keyboard and that is the bluetooth activation time after its coming back from sleeping mode - does take a few seconds which is guess is not big deal. Also I wish they included the wrist rest as standard with these keyboards as the keys are considerably angled higher than ... MoreI have been using this keyboard for a couple of days now, coming from a full sized Logitech mechanical keyboard. Still getting used to it's small size which i guess is normal for someone coming from a FS keyboard. The Gateron G Brown switches are amazing I must say! The typing experience is amazing on this and i feel like i can go on typing for extended periods of time. Feels much smoother and the pressure is also minimal for a brown switch keyboard.However, there is one gripe i have about this keyboard and that is the bluetooth activation time after its coming back from sleeping mode - does take a few seconds which is guess is not big deal. Also I wish they included the wrist rest as standard with these keyboards as the keys are considerably angled higher than most other mechanical keyboards and after typing for some time you do feel a bit of fatigue in your upper wrists. I will be buying the wrist rest as its needed with keyboard. Just wish it was packaged together. Hence 1 star less, otherwise all in all, a fantastic little keyboard for anyone considering buying it. I will be looking at buying the K3 keyboard next to compare how well the low profile keys type compared to this one.

I have had the original Kickstarter K1 in space grey since it was first shipped (don't remember how long). I decided I wanted to try some of Keychron's new offerings, so I bought a second hand K2 v1 with brown switches. While I liked the taller profile, and it worked well with an Azio leather wrist rest I already had, I wanted to try different switches, and liked the idea of a slightly lower front of the K2 v2. So I went with this version, and also picked up a set of the K2 PBT retro mac keycap set.While I was waiting for these, I bought a K8 hot-swappable on eBay with red switches, since I discovered after a bit more time with the K2 that I actually prefer the TKL layout, since it's easier to find the arrow keys with muscle memory while still looking at the ... MoreI have had the original Kickstarter K1 in space grey since it was first shipped (don't remember how long). I decided I wanted to try some of Keychron's new offerings, so I bought a second hand K2 v1 with brown switches. While I liked the taller profile, and it worked well with an Azio leather wrist rest I already had, I wanted to try different switches, and liked the idea of a slightly lower front of the K2 v2. So I went with this version, and also picked up a set of the K2 PBT retro mac keycap set.While I was waiting for these, I bought a K8 hot-swappable on eBay with red switches, since I discovered after a bit more time with the K2 that I actually prefer the TKL layout, since it's easier to find the arrow keys with muscle memory while still looking at the screen. I was disappointed to find that the K8 hot-swap version has a much dimmer backlight than the K1 and K2 v1 I had been using for a couple weeks. I was hopeful that the K2 v2 hot-swap I had just bought wouldn't have this issue, and that maybe with some more time I could get used to the 85% layout. The lights are brighter than the K8, but not as bright as the K2 v1.So, on to the actual review of this keyboard, the K2 v2 hot-swappable: Everything is as expected, and I like the feel/sound of this keyboard. The stabilizers are much better than the Drop CTRL High Profile I had also recently purchased on my quest to finding the perfect keyboard—they come lubed from the factory, and are nicely dampened. Build quality is good, as with all keychron products I've tried, especially for the price. The one major con I could find is that the legend keys have a really awful backlight shine-through that doesn't match the white keys. It blocks much of the light, and looks fuzzy. Also the font weight is larger (thicker lines), and just looks awful in comparison to the keys on the K1 v1, K2 v1, and K8. In general these keys seem to be of a lower quality than all the others I've seen from keychron.I promptly switched out the keys for the retro set, and I like them a lot more (better build quality, sound, and feel), though I wish there were a shine-through option. It looks cool having the backlight shine around the keys, and the printed font is very legible, but if I could, I'd have them glow too. If this is the only keyboard you plan to get, and you're not into the idea of buying different keycaps to tinker around with, then I suggest you just get the normal K2 since these stock keycaps aren't as good. Otherwise, it's a great keyboard if you like the layout.

Brilliant to write on, with two drawbacks to know before you buy.

The most important thing is that this is both a dream to type on (with one ergonomic drawback) and gorgeous (again with one design flaw). Keycaps feel delightful, construction is solid — just heavy enough to be stable, but not annoying to carry if need be, no flex or wiggle. Bluetooth and wired work wonderfully, battery life is excellent, layout takes some getting used to but is solid. Brown switches are perfect for a job that requires 800–3000 words a day.Two drawbacks:The ergonomic flaw of height that other reviewers have pointed out is real: it is tall enough to be almost unusable for more than an hour without a wrist rest. Luckily the optional walnut wrist rest is beautiful (with the exception of the somewhat tacky branding), but that is an effectively ... MoreThe most important thing is that this is both a dream to type on (with one ergonomic drawback) and gorgeous (again with one design flaw). Keycaps feel delightful, construction is solid — just heavy enough to be stable, but not annoying to carry if need be, no flex or wiggle. Bluetooth and wired work wonderfully, battery life is excellent, layout takes some getting used to but is solid. Brown switches are perfect for a job that requires 800–3000 words a day.Two drawbacks:The ergonomic flaw of height that other reviewers have pointed out is real: it is tall enough to be almost unusable for more than an hour without a wrist rest. Luckily the optional walnut wrist rest is beautiful (with the exception of the somewhat tacky branding), but that is an effectively required extra expense, meaning that the true minimum cost of the keyboard is is effectively almost 30% higher if you do not already own a good rest.The aesthetic flaw is minor and subjective, but annoying enough to mention: on the RGB keyboard there is no truly neutral white backlight. The 'white' is so cool as to be more realistically called blue, so much so that when cycling through I fail to stop at it every time, and have to cycle back to "that pale blue that I guess is white–ish?" If you like rgb effects this is fine, but if like me you buy the RGB model simply because the white is out of stock, be aware that your keyboard will always look a bit gamery with the backlight on. Which is annoying, given that in all other respects this is one of the most tastefully styled mechanical keyboards available.All in all though a really great purchase, just be aware of these before you buy.

Good entry into mechanical keyboards

I had developed a kind of hypersensitivity in my fingertips from the modern, flat Apple keyboards to the point where I couldn’t use them anymore, so I wanted to see if mechanical keyboards are for me. So I was looking for one with a layout as close as possible to the default Mac layout, because I was worried about keeping up my typing speed. The Keychron K2 was the best I could find in this regard, even featuring the proper symbols on the option and command keys. The few differences, like missing Fn key in the bottom left corner, additional row on the right edge and different placement of the shift and arrow keys were enough to throw me off track, though. Especially hitting the alt and right shift keys with my left/right pinky respectively messed with my muscle ... MoreI had developed a kind of hypersensitivity in my fingertips from the modern, flat Apple keyboards to the point where I couldn’t use them anymore, so I wanted to see if mechanical keyboards are for me. So I was looking for one with a layout as close as possible to the default Mac layout, because I was worried about keeping up my typing speed. The Keychron K2 was the best I could find in this regard, even featuring the proper symbols on the option and command keys. The few differences, like missing Fn key in the bottom left corner, additional row on the right edge and different placement of the shift and arrow keys were enough to throw me off track, though. Especially hitting the alt and right shift keys with my left/right pinky respectively messed with my muscle memory. Otherwise it’s a decent Keyboard; I like that it’s kind of full featured, with Bluetooth and backlighting and everything. Also the price is very reasonable compared to other mechanical keyboards. Even kits that you still have to assemble are usually pricier. If I could make a few wishes, I’d love Keychron to make a board that is really 100% the layout of the US English Apple Magic Keyboard, although I understand that the half-height up/down arrow keys are probably impossible with mechanical switches. Also I’d like to see more keyswitch options. I ordered mine with Gateron browns and they’re a little bit too light for my taste; I’m quite the hard hitter and they bottom out too easily.

Great with a couple of quirks

I really love this keyboard, it's very responsive and solid and the lighting looks super funky, a bit extra pizzazz while typing (which I do a good chunk of the day).I've been using mostly flat chiclet keyboards for the past 15 years but it was super easy to adapt to the K2's deeper key travel. It was not so easy to adapt to each keytop being a bit smaller than on flatter keyboards, but the keys are by no means small and I'm working at full speed now.I only had two problems/complaints with it. The first, which is mentioned on a few other reviews, is that it's a very tall/high keyboard, so a palmrest is absolutely necessary; I actually hurt myself trying to type without a palmrest (something in the way my left shoulder was tense while typing if there's no place ... MoreI really love this keyboard, it's very responsive and solid and the lighting looks super funky, a bit extra pizzazz while typing (which I do a good chunk of the day).I've been using mostly flat chiclet keyboards for the past 15 years but it was super easy to adapt to the K2's deeper key travel. It was not so easy to adapt to each keytop being a bit smaller than on flatter keyboards, but the keys are by no means small and I'm working at full speed now.I only had two problems/complaints with it. The first, which is mentioned on a few other reviews, is that it's a very tall/high keyboard, so a palmrest is absolutely necessary; I actually hurt myself trying to type without a palmrest (something in the way my left shoulder was tense while typing if there's no place to put my palm or something). This had never been an issue for me with laptop keyboards (usually have built-in palm rests), a flatter Logitech k380 (which is so flat, the table itself acts as a palm rest) and an old crappy full-size keyboard with built-in palmrests.I kinda thought it'd be an issue so when I bought the K2 I wanted to order the wooden palmrest, but sadly it couldn't be shipped to my country (something about shipping wooden products I guess?). So I went without it - big mistake. It'd be great if Keychron could offer a plastic palm rest that can be ordered with the keyboard. In the end what saved the K2 for me was a cheap 12" palmrest from amazon, it's just the correct height for the K2 (0.75"). Honestly without this, I would have had to get rid of the K2, a few minutes typing and my left arm would go all sore.My second (and minor) issue is that after it goes to sleep, it takes several dozen seconds to wake up and connect via bluetooth to the computer (Dell laptop running Linux). This is weird because the K380 Logitech keyboard connects super quickly to the same laptop. It's not a big issue and at least it's never actually failed to connect, but it's a bit annoying.All in all I do recommend it but do keep in mind that it's a very tall keyboard - that's about the only thing about it that threw me off a bit.

Happy with this one

I'm not a keyboard enthusiast, but I decided that, since I spend more time with keyboard than with my family, to buy something better than $20 HP set I got from my company. After trying fullsize keyboard with blues, that was always getting in way of my mouse and colleagues were complaining, I decided to go for more compact keyboard with browns. After a LOT of hesitation I chose K2 with browns and I will never look back.I love K2V2!!! Prelubed browns are (to my opinion) really smooth and comfortable, white backlight (in my late 30s I don't need a keyboard that looks like fireworks, but want to have backlight for better orientation in dark room) looks cool and is strong enaugh and bluetooth connectivity is just perfect. I have this keyboard paired with my work ... MoreI'm not a keyboard enthusiast, but I decided that, since I spend more time with keyboard than with my family, to buy something better than $20 HP set I got from my company. After trying fullsize keyboard with blues, that was always getting in way of my mouse and colleagues were complaining, I decided to go for more compact keyboard with browns. After a LOT of hesitation I chose K2 with browns and I will never look back.I love K2V2!!! Prelubed browns are (to my opinion) really smooth and comfortable, white backlight (in my late 30s I don't need a keyboard that looks like fireworks, but want to have backlight for better orientation in dark room) looks cool and is strong enaugh and bluetooth connectivity is just perfect. I have this keyboard paired with my work laptop, personal laptop and personal gaming PC. It is so convenient to quickly switch between these. And if I need to connect to someone's else PC I just use the cable (and recharge for next few weeks until I have to use the cable again).After one week of usage I got used to this compact layout that does not limit me by any means (not convinced about K6, that was a hard decision).If I could have few minor (subjective) points to improve:- it would be easier to hit delete if it was swapped with backlight key that I don't use at all- also pg up, pg down, home and end keys are not arranged as standard, compared to laptops and other compact keyboards- decent double shot keycaps instead of laser etched (and they sound hollow AF) would be welcome option even at cost of paying some ($10?) extra- option to combine white backlight (really hate RGB PWM) with aluminum frame would be welcome- some switches feel a bit inconsistent (some are super smooth and silent while some sound and feel scratchy)- price your keyboards adequately without need to rise the price using ridiculous shipping rate surprise!

K2 v2, Brown switches

product: Keychron K2v2hot-swappable: Noswitches: gateron brown switchesRGB: yesAluminum frame: yesPros:The sound is very satisfying. If you didn't use a mechanical keyboard before, probably you will be amazed by its sound. Brown switches are not loud as blue ones and the sound is very nice.RGB is sufficient. What did I mean? If you don't want high-intensive RGB lights like in the disco, then it is more than enough. I am not a gamer person that lives with hundreds of RGBs in my room. So, for me, having a nice backlight is just enough.Connecting to devices is very quick. Some people mention that connecting to Bluetooth device is around 4 sec, but that is not true. Maybe that depends on the device, but when I connect my MacBook after I press a button it just ... Moreproduct: Keychron K2v2hot-swappable: Noswitches: gateron brown switchesRGB: yesAluminum frame: yesPros:The sound is very satisfying. If you didn't use a mechanical keyboard before, probably you will be amazed by its sound. Brown switches are not loud as blue ones and the sound is very nice.RGB is sufficient. What did I mean? If you don't want high-intensive RGB lights like in the disco, then it is more than enough. I am not a gamer person that lives with hundreds of RGBs in my room. So, for me, having a nice backlight is just enough.Connecting to devices is very quick. Some people mention that connecting to Bluetooth device is around 4 sec, but that is not true. Maybe that depends on the device, but when I connect my MacBook after I press a button it just takes at most 2 sec and connected. It is also easy to change among multiple devices easily.Long-lasting battery: I only charge it once a week. Probably, it would take around 1.5 weeks, but I charge in advance. (RGB is always on, connected via Bluetooth, and working 12-13 hours a day)Cons:The buttons for switching from cable/Bluetooth mode, or win/mac operating system are on the left side of the keyboard. The labels of the buttons are in small font and barely seen. It s not a big issue, but I would prefer that button labels be written in another color, so becomes more visible.It is heavy. If you are a person that moves the keyboard to the office every day, don't buy it. If you will use it just at home, then no problem.Overall, I really like the keyboard and enjoy writing things. However, I have one doubt.