Keychron K8 Pro QMK/VIA Wireless Mechanical Keyboard

Description

The Keychron K8 Pro is a wireless mechanical keyboard that is optimized for macOS with a tenkeyless layout. This means it features a standard layout minus the ten-key number pad. It’s less cramped than the Apple Magic Keyboard, but still takes up less space on your desk compared to a full-size keyboard.

As a mechanical keyboard, it gives users a tactile and satisfying typing experience. It also offers great ergonomics with pop-out feet that add two additional typing angles. The feet are also sturdy and help the keyboard stay planted on your desk.

Speaking of ergonomics, the OSA profile keycaps have a circular face which hug your fingertips. The keycaps are made from double-shot PBT so that the legends will never fade. The orange accent keys add a stylish touch to the three tone colorway.

The K8 Pro’s keys are also backlit, with your choice of plain white or RGB backlight. Backlighting is a useful productivity feature, and RGB adds style and some flair. Sadly, the keycaps are not shine through so the backlight is only visible around the keys.

Features

While this keyboard works with most devices, it comes with some nice Mac-specific features. Out of the box, the K8 Pro is configured for macOS, with the function row controlling the brightness, playback and audio, and even a dedicated key for Siri. It also comes with Mac modifier keys (Control, Option and Command).

A switch on the side toggles between Mac/iOS and Windows/Android modes. You can switch out the modifier keys for Windows versions included with the keyboard.

The K8 Pro can connect with up to 3 devices via Bluetooth. You can easily switch between devices by holding down the fn key and 1, 2 or 3. The included USB-C to USB-A cable functions provides low-latency wired connectivity, and is how you charge the keyboard too.

What makes it a Pro keyboard?

The K8 Pro is from Keychron’s mid-range K-series, but the Pro moniker brings with it some enthusiast-level features.

These include higher-quality components like Gateron G Pro switches and screw-in stabilizers that makes typing smooth and wobble-free. The keyboard also includes two layers of sound-dampening material. These in combination with the PBT keycaps make the K8 Pro sound and feel great right out of the box. If your keyboards have mushy or tinny-sounding key presses, you’ll hear and feel the difference in the K8 Pro immediately.

And if you ever want to tune the typing feel and sound further, you can easily replace the keycaps and switches. Different switches will make a big difference to the typing experience, as they come in linear, tactile and clicky options. Swapping out switches can be tedious but simple thanks to the hot-swap capability of the K8 Pro.

The switches are mounted with the RGB facing downwards (south). South-facing switches ensure wide compatibility with all keycaps, including Cherry-profile keycaps. The south-facing switches will also glow brighter with shine-through keycaps.

Another enthusiast feature is QMK/VIA support, which is strangely uncommon with wireless keyboards. QMK and VIA are open source software that can be used to remap keys or program custom macros. This means you can remap the Siri key to mute/unmute your computer instead, or lock your computer with a key combination of your choice. This is certainly a more obscure feature, but one that is nice to have anyway.

Extras

The Keychron K8 Pro comes with a bunch of accessories:

• Type-C to Type-A USB cable
• Additional keycaps for Windows
• Keycap puller
• Switch puller
• Screwdriver

Keychron also sells a very nice wooden palm rest. You can also buy replacement keycaps, cables, carrying cases and more from the Keychron website.

Drawbacks

The K8 Pro is a very good keyboard for the price, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any shortcomings.

While the double-shot PBT keycaps are pretty decent, the opaque material prevents the backlight to shine through. The keycap legends are also a little inconsistent and could be sharper.

The position of the USB port is a little awkward being on the left of the keyboard. The included USB cable is angled, but if you use a regular USB cable it will stick out to the left.

The customization software is a little tricky to use, and is not as user-friendly as the software from Logitech.

Who should buy the Keychron K8 Pro

The Keychron K8 Pro offers great value for money for a pre-built mechanical keyboard. It’s a great choice for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the world of mechanical keyboards, and want to experiment with customizing their keyboard.

Want more enthusiast features or a different keyboard layout? Check out the other keyboards from Keychron.

For those who aren’t so interested in customizing their keyboards and prefer advanced software features, check out the Logitech MX Mechanical.