My First Mechanical Keyboard | Keychron K8
2022-06-05 12:36:49
I've wanted a mechanical keyboard for a while, and I finally got one. YouTube really got me good with these dudes. Everyone's desk setups always look so fire in videos, and I wanted the same vibes. I'm not a keyboard guy (yet), so I'm not familiar with too many brands; but I've seen a lot of creators with Keychron boards. I took this as my cue not to research too hard because I already really liked Keychron's design language and the fact that their keyboards are wirelessly capable. After I decided to go with Keychron, I just browsed models based on which one looked most like my MacBook Pro (2021) keyboard. I wanted one that required the least amount of time to get used to, so I went with the Keychron K8 Tenkeyless Wireless Mechanical Keyboard. I configured it to my liking, going with the blue switches because they are the clickiest sounding ones Keychron has and choosing the aluminum frame because I wanted it to be sturdy.
There is a video companion to this review if you'd like to watch instead of read.
I really like the design of this board. I like the gray and black (darker gray) keys with the pop of orange. The font used on the keys looks clean. The RGB backlight colors provided are really fun. I like the ridge around the whole keyboard as well. Altogether, I think this keyboard really looks great.
The blue switches sound really crisp. They're definitely clicky, which is exactly what I was looking for. The key travel is reeeally nice. Isn't that almost the point of mechanical keyboards? I do enjoy the keyboard on the new 2021 MacBook Pros, but the travel on those keyboards is shorter. I am still getting used to these keys, but I'm really enjoying it. It's sort of making me want to type anything just to. If I had to nitpick, the only thing I don't like about this keyboard is the backspace key. I feel like I need to press that one harder to register the click sound. I'm thinking it's purely because it's a larger key; either that, or I just need to type harder.
This keyboard is wirelessly capable, and I love that because I don't want a single cable on my desk. There's no latency at all even though it's wireless, which I think is imperative for a device like this. I have an Apple Magic Trackpad (2) as an accompanying peripheral, and both of these put together is exactly my MacBook Pro's input setup. Because it's wirelessly capable, this keyboard can also connect to 3 devices at the same time. I've connected it to my iPhone 13 Pro Max, and it works great on there. You just need to pair it to your devices, then it's really easy to change to each device with keyboard shortcuts.
There's a few more features that make this keyboard a great one-stop-shop. It has 2 sets of feet on the bottom that improve ergonomics. I find that keeping it on the highest foot works best for me. Despite this keyboard's name, you can use it wired. There's a switch that easily lets you type on macOS or Windows.
Overall, I'm really enjoying this mechanical keyboard. I'm so glad I finally got one! If you are looking for one, this is an easy recommendation. I think it's a great gateway keyboard. The built quality is great, it works well, and it looks awesome!
