Keychron K8 Pro mechanical keyboard review: A trip back to the affordable Mac future

A few years ago, I switched from using the Brydge keyboard to the Google Pixel Slate and enjoyed the clicking experience of a Keychron K2 wireless mechanical keyboard. Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to enter text on different devices with Keychron K8 Pro QMK / VIA wireless mechanical keyboard.

The new keyboard shipped with a bare keyboard with brown Gateron G Pro keycaps and mechanical switches. I have the switches and keycaps installed with the keycaps set up for Windows so I can use it with the Microsoft Surface Book 2. The dual-fire PBT keycaps have a cool spherical OSA profile with the size and spacing on the table. good keys.

Keyboard hardware

The Keychron K8 Pro keyboard connects to your computer via the USB-C port. You can also connect to computers, tablets and phones via Bluetooth 5.1 wireless connection. An OS switch is found on the left side, next to the USB-C port, with another switch for Bluetooth connectivity, off, and cable connections.

The keyboard is obviously not as heavy as the custom Keychron Q1 keyboard I tested last year, but it weighs 2.2 pounds so it’s quite substantial. I prefer a heavier keyboard because it stays in place while you type. Due to the option of wireless connectivity, inside the keyboard is a 4000 mAh battery that supports up to 100 hours of work with the lowest brightness setting. Charging time is five hours and is charged via the USB-C port.

South-facing (towards the typist) RGB LED is provided on the keyboard with a key on the top right that you press to cycle through 19 different lighting options. When you have different switches mounted in your keyboard, the lighting changes slightly as it shines through the switch openings on a select number of switches. There is also a white backlight pattern where you can control the backlight level instead of different color options.

Also: Keychron Q1 QMK custom mechanical keyboard review: An affordable, premium experience built for you

The keyboard has a plastic bottom pad, an aluminum case, a silicone damping bottom pad, a PCB, sound-absorbing foam, a steel plate, switches and keys. Various conversion options are supported and they are also hot-swappable.

The Keychron K8 Pro is a quantum mechanical keyboard that can be programmed and remapped using the VIA software application. VIA software allows you to fully configure the keyboard, including adding macros, media controls, and more. I’ve only just scratched the surface of the VIA software and am impressed by the ability to use this open source software to create an extremely useful and productive keyboard experience to help you get things done.

Four main installation classes are provided with class 0 assigned to Mac OS and class 2 assigned to Windows. Layers 1 and 3 are available to customize for Mac and Windows using VIA software.

The Keychron K8 Pro mechanical keyboard weighs 990 grams (2.2 pounds) and measures 359 x 127 mm. It has a front height of 35mm, keycap included, with supportively designed 0, 6, and 9-degree typing angles that you can adjust to best suit your wrist.

Toggle options

The Keychron K8 Pro QMK / VIA wireless mechanical keyboard Comes as a bare mechanical keyboard with a box of keycaps and Gateron G Pro Brown Switch. Keychron offers red, blue, brown, yellow, green, black and white color conversion options for the K8 Pro. The brown switch is suitable for office/gaming with its tactile behavior and soothing sound levels. I can switch it to the blue clicky switches, but I’m enjoying the smooth sound of my fingers flying over the brown switches at the moment. You can also hot-swap any switch with most 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style mechanical switches on the market.

Keychron also integrates a Gateron bolted PCB stabilizer for larger keys with stable and smooth performance. The spacebar gets used a lot, and I enjoyed the feedback on the K8 Pro keyboard. There is also a stabilizer for the shift, enter and backspace keys.

The retail package includes the keyboard, keycap puller, switch puller, Windows keys, and a few extra keys. A 1.2-meter USBA to USB-C cable is provided for charging and connecting the keyboard. There are 87 keys on the Keychron K8 Pro QMK keyboard with three indicator lights on the right side above the directional arrows. The area around the keys is set down a few millimeters from the aluminum edge with the metal plate showing the switch mount in white. There are 12 more multimedia keys.

Also: Review Keychron K3 wireless mechanical keyboard: Easily move between office and home

Daily use experience and conclusion

The Keychron K8 Pro first launched on Kickstarter back in March and already has over 5,150 backers investing $673,000. The bare-bones option will be available for $79, and the fully assembled RGB model with an aluminum frame costs $109. There will also be an RGB model with a plastic frame available for $99. Fully assembled switch options including red, blue or brown cover a wide range of specifications and styles, but you can always swap out the switches for your specific preference.

The keyboard reminds me of the Apple keyboard I used decades ago, and I enjoyed using the keycaps provided for the review. The weight of the keyboard is perfect, and I also like the ability to change the angle quickly and easily.

The option to use the wireless keyboard is great, and I was pleasantly surprised that the keyboard worked perfectly with my iPad Pro 12.9. Even the top functions and special controls work well with volume, brightness, media, etc. I will likely use the keyboard more than other wired solutions thanks to its ability to use it with every mobile device that I use every day.

While I enjoy using the Keychron Q1 as a solid keyboard, the K8 Pro is another great option that I enjoy using every day. These mechanical keyboards are very affordable and the ability to completely customize to your taste with switches and keycaps makes them a must-have accessory for your daily work.