Reviewing gadgets for a living requires a certain amount of professional detachment and objectivity. This is why Keychron is really starting to get on my nerves. After initially dismissing the company as just another bandwagon jumper that took advantage of the mechanical keyboard trend, I’ve tried three of his Keychron keyboards over the past year. And all of them are so far ahead of their competitors that it’s almost unfair.
Take this K3 Pro for example. Keychron took the K3’s understated, low-budget design and Jujed It adds some premium features more often found in the Q series.This is not only a great little board in its own right, but one of the most discreet, travel-friendly mechanical boards on the market. is.
do you know what i mean? Unfair to competition, unfair to reviewers. It’s just unfair. And I mean it in the best possible way.
Note: This review is part of our ongoing roundup of the best wireless keyboards. Head over there to learn more about the competition, what to look for in a wireless keyboard, and buying recommendations.
at a glance
expert evaluation
Strong Points
- great size and layout
- high end features
- unbeatable price
Cons
- VIA programming is a little tricky
our verdict
Keychron’s K3 Pro is the best small keyboard. With features previously limited to boards at twice the price, he’s flexible enough for even the most demanding power users.
Price at time of review
$114
Today’s Best Price: Keychron K3 Pro
Keychron Pro 3: Specifications
The K3 Pro is an upgraded version of the slim Keychron K3. That’s obvious, but the upgrades come in some surprising areas, the most obvious being the shift from ABS plastic keycaps to the more premium PBT plastic, not to mention the move to his traditional OEM-style key profile. Bump up.
The layout of the K3 Pro is almost identical to the Logitech MX Keys Mini.
Michael Crider/IDG
If it sounds like alphabet soup, know that your keycaps will feel better and last longer. There’s Gateron’s low-profile mechanical switches, which are less noisy, though.
Gateron’s switches are significantly better than the Cherry Ultra-Low Profile switches found on the Corsair K100 Air, but that’s not a fair comparison. These switches are designed for high-end gaming laptops and are a bit cumbersome to place on different keyboards. novelty. A better comparison is Razer’s new Deathstalker low-profile switches. Gateron’s switches have a bit less travel, but are stiffer, giving them a similar feel. It’s 6 out of 1 and 6 out of 6 others. But if given a choice, I’d go with his Keychron, a great keycap.
Michael Crider/IDG
These low-profile parts make the keyboard just 22mm tall and eliminate the dual stage feet (a nice touch). At about 35mm when fully extended, it’s slightly taller than standard MX switches and keycaps. It’s easy to toss in your bag, especially with its dedicated off switch. Don’t confuse it with the mode switch near the edge of the case, it’s an older design choice that Keychron is reluctant to abandon.
Michael Crider/IDG
K3 Pro is perfect for travel. Along with Bluetooth wireless and cable backup, the compact 75% layout means a full-sized tablet can go anywhere and charge from the same USB-C cable. Lasted over a week with RGB backlighting. If you don’t want a light show, it should take months. I can’t say I like the default layout of some function keys, especially Delete and Print Screen, but it’s easy to change.
The other big improvement over the standard K3 is the addition of programming options. This is a big problem for power users. It’s only a bigger issue if you make the keyboard smaller and let the user select functions that should be on a hidden layer. Like the Q series, the K3 Pro can be programmed with QMK or VIA, his two standards in the mechanical keyboard enthusiast community.
Michael Crider/IDG
I’m not going to lie, but even VIA, the more user-friendly option, isn’t nearly as ridiculous as the programming tools that come with gaming keyboards. You have to put your keyboard in wired mode, use web tools, enable permissions, and upload a JSON file from his website on Keychron. Still, I had to fiddle with a lot of settings before the tool actually recognized my board.
But once I clicked through it (sorry), it became as easy as any other tool, with a clean UI and clear flow. I was able to tweak a few issues with my loadout and put media controls on the first layer in just a few minutes. All caps use the same profile, so you can move 1×1 keycaps around without worrying about odd row mismatches.
Should I buy Keychron Pro 3?
The K3 Pro has more than just switch colors. Buyers can choose the standard white backlight or his RGB, both of which are customizable. You can also choose between solder-in key switches or hot-swappable. There are very few low-profile switch options at this time, so I don’t see much added value from an upgrade. Also, I haven’t seen a point of RGB lighting. I will go with you. But fancy keyboards aren’t too expensive either. Both add-on options are only $10, with a maximum price of $114.
Michael Crider/IDG
And even at its highest price, the price is amazing. Low-profile keyboards in the same popular size range from Apple and Logitech start at around $100. Logitech is asking $150 for the MX Mechanical Mini. Same layout, less programming options, no hot-swap switches or his RGB lighting.
What about game choices? Razer, Logitech, and Corsair all offer discreet tenkeyless boards retailing for over $200. Cooler Master’s SK621 appears to be out of production, but its cramped layout isn’t new to me. (The K3 Pro’s Bluetooth isn’t great for gaming, but in wired mode he’s capable of 1,000Hz polling.)
Michael Crider/IDG
At the moment, the only true competitor with a similar feature set was the NuPhy Air75, which had the same layout and switch choices, plus a 2.4GHz wireless option. $130 seems reasonable given the extra connections and a more robust case, but it also lacks the K3 Pro’s programming options.
In short, Keychron completely kills it against more mainstream brands in terms of value, even though it’s moving into more conventional territory with its low-profile, travel-friendly design. It’s a very small and discreet mechanical board with hardware, robust wireless and an affordable price.
