---
title: "Keychron K2: Review"
url: https://perrotta.dev/2022/01/keychron-k2-review/
last_updated: 2025-09-05
---


This is a follow-up post of [Keychron K2: Linux Setup]({{< ref "2021-12-11-keychron-k2-linux.setup" >}}). The previous post focused on the configuration of the keyboard, this one focuses on its user experience from the point of view of a Software Engineer.

## Previously

My first (and previous) mechanical keyboard was a [Logitech G610 Orion
Red][logitech-g610][^1]. It's a full wired keyboard with Cherry MX Red switches
(linear) and dedicated multimedia keys. In my opinion it is a solid choice for
beginners because its interface is quite familiar thanks to the wide range of
available keys. It is branded as a gaming keyboard but frankly it was a fine
office keyboard as well. However after using it for a while I wanted to
upgrade.

The natural upgrade path would contain one or more of the following features, in order of importance:

1. good support for both **Linux** and macOS, especially Linux
1. **compact**: tenkeyless a.k.a. 80%, or 75%[^2]
1. **portable**: wireless, either with a dongle or with bluetooth or both
1. with decent battery life: should outlast at least a week of office work
1. not overpriced: ~$200 CAD budget
1. playful: with RGB backlight (instead of white LED)

Given those, a natural upgrade path would have been the [Logitech G915
TKL][logitech-g915-tkl]. Its main caveat is that it is relatively overpriced,
~$300 CAD. Above that $300 CAD point one should arguably be looking for
ergonomic and/or fully programmable (QMK firmware) keyboards, like the Kinesis
Advantage and/or the Ergodox EZ[^3]. Even though the G915 TKL is rock solid, it
didn't have any fancy features to justify that investment.

## The quest for the _perfect_ keyboard

I then proceeded to outsource my luck to the wisdom of the crowds, by asking
for recommendations in a mailing list at $DAYJOB, giving them a subset of the
requirements above.

The choice was then obvious: I'd get a **Keychron**. It fit all of my
requirements perfectly. The [issue][paradox-of-choice] was that Keychron had
[so many choices][keychron-choices] to pick from.

{{< figure align="center" src="https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/work.png" link="https://xkcd.com/1741/" alt="Despite it being imaginary, I already have SUCH a strong opinion on the cord-switch firing incident." attr="XKCD Courtesy of Randall Munroe" >}}

After some deliberation I had two options in mind: [Keychron K2][keychron-k2]
and [Keychron K1][keychron-k1] TKL. The main difference between them is that
the K1 is a low-profile keyboard. I didn't know what low-profile meant at the
time and had to do some research to figure it out[^4].

In the end I opted for the [**Keychron K2**][keychron-k2], red switches (linear),
with RGB backlight.

## The keyboard

The keyboard met all my expectations, even surpassing them, I am quite satisfied overall:

Linux support
: Great out-of-the-box support, it just works. Even though I [tweaked]({{< ref
"2021-12-11-keychron-k2-linux.setup" >}}) a few configs, it wasn't strictly
necessary. In particular, there's a physical toggle where you can choose between
macOS (=Linux) or Windows mode. Furthermore they provide both macOS-style (command, option, etc) and
Windows-style keycaps (super, alt, etc). For Linux I tend to stick with the Windows ones.

Compact
: A 75% keyboard is compact by definition, what else could I add?
I wouldn't go lower than that though, in my opinion removing the function keys
goes too far and makes the keyboard harder to use. A Tenkeyless / 80% option
would also be compact enough while maybe increasing comfort a little bit, but
I managed to adapt quickly to the 75% layout. Multimedia and OS keys are easily
available by the means of `Fn + F1`, etc.

Portable
: It has bluetooth, but can also be used while plugged in. There's a toggle that
controls which mode (wireless or wired) to use. The bluetooth has 3 channels and
it's very easy to switch between them: `Fn + 1`, `Fn + 2`, `Fn + 3`. This makes it easy
to switch between laptops and/or workstation, work and/or personal. The cable connector
is USB-C which in my opinion is a must these days (2020s).

Battery life
: Battery lasts more than enough, to the point that I don't even need to care about it.
I tend to recharge it every 2 weeks or so. `Fn + b` will let me have a visual indication
of how much juice is still left. The keyboard automatically sleeps after 10 minutes of inactivity
in order to save battery, which I think is a nice bonus, I don't need to worry about turning it off.
This can be disabled if it ends up being annoying, though.

Great value for money
: $90 USD at the time of this writing. Because I didn't want to deal with international shipping, I ended up
simply buying it from one of their official local retailers in Canada, [OneOfZero](https://oneofzero.net/). This
slightly increased what I paid for it (~$150 CAD with taxes), on the other hand the shipping was really fast. Just
beware, this particular retailer does not have a friendly return policy, if I recall correctly they charge a 25% fee
and end up throwing the keyboard away (landfill), which is very depressing.

Playful
: The RGB lighting is fluff and completely irrelevant in terms of productivity, however it adds a playful touch to the keyboard.
I would say that white lighting is enough, but sometimes it's just _cool_ to change to different color(s).
What can I say, we humans are visual creatures. You can easily adjust the light brightness and toggle it on/off (`Fn + light`),
plus there are several patterns to choose from. I tend to use a still pattern because it isn't distracting for programming or
other type of work that requires focus.

**Finally**: The keyboard keycaps are quite sturdy and stick well in place. I had some
issues with my previous keyboard where some of its keycaps would easily fall
off it when moving it within my backpack. I do not have this issue with the
Keychron.

## Future

Mechanical keyboards are meant to last. I do not intend to upgrade it any time
soon. However, if/when I ever do it, I will be looking for the following features:

- QMK firmware / programmable: would unlock more workflow possibilities. The
  Keychron Q1 would be a good candidate for this.
- With a dongle, in addition to bluetooth. Because sometimes bluetooth is just
  annoying and/or unreliable. The Logitech G915 TKL has a dongle.
- Other switches? So far I've only used red ones (linear). More silent switches
  could be useful.
- Ergonomic: Whether it's a split, an ortholinear or just a curved keyboard,
  I figure that at some point it will be a good investment for my wrists.
  Adaptation is difficult but it may be necessary one day.

I am not particularly attracted to custom keycaps, they are cute but not my cup
of tea. And I also do not see the appeal of hot swappable keycaps. I can
understand why some folks appreciate those features, customizability is
powerful, but for me it's less stressful to keep things simple.

[logitech-g610]: https://www.logitech.com/assets/64198/g610-orion-red.pdf
[logitech-g915-tkl]: https://www.logitechg.com/en-ca/products/gaming-keyboards/g915-tkl-wireless.html
[paradox-of-choice]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice
[keychron-choices]: https://www.keychron.com/collections/all-products
[keychron-k1]: https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k1-wireless-mechanical-keyboard
[keychron-k2]: https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k2-wireless-mechanical-keyboard

[^1]: Linked to the `.pdf` because apparently the SKU isn't listed in the Logitech product website anymore. At the time, it cost ~$120 CAD.
[^2]: This requirement indirectly excluded all those gaming keyboards with dedicated macro and/or multimedia keys, if they ended up increasing the overall keyboard surface area.
[^3]: In the past, I had the opportunity to borrow these from coworkers for a week but couldn't quite adapt to them, their learning curve is quite steep. Maybe I'll try that again in the future.
[^4]: It basically means the keys are thinner than usual, comparable to laptop keyboard keys.