Review on 🔑 Keychron K8 Wireless Bluetooth 5.1/Wired USB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Hot-swappable, Tenkeyless 87 Keys, White LED Backlit, Gateron Brown Switch, N-Key Rollover - for Mac Windows by Solomon Inks

I bought one of these to use with a MacBook Pro that I use for work after getting tired of typing or trying to use the built in keyboard to use a KVM PC keyboard with my windows desktop. In general, it seems difficult to find decent Mac keyboard options that don't cost an arm and a leg, and Keychron seems to be the only mechanical keyboard manufacturer that offers decent Mac support. Hot-swappable switches are also a plus. The current keyboard on my desktop at home is a HyperX Alloy FPS Pro TKL model with Cherry Red switches and a solid red backlight. Comparing the red Gateron switches in my K8 to the cherry red switches, the Gateron is definitely quieter than the cherry red switches, although so far I think I like the overall feel of the cherry switches slightly better than the Gateron. The benefit of a hot-swappable model is that I can customize it as needed. The packaging and appearance of the keychron board are very good. It comes in a nice box with lots of padding and comes with a couple of extra keycaps (Windows and ALT keys plus a backlit orange version of the key if you want it to match the orange ESC key), nice USB -A delivered. to the USB-C cable and two separate tools for removing keycaps and switches. Note that the keyboard comes with an orange version of the ESC key and preinstalled Mac option and command keys. Depending on your preferences and the operating system you are using the keyboard for, you may need to swap out some keycaps. right out of the box. One of the nice things about the K8 is that you have a lot of ways to connect it to things. It can be used both as a wired (USB-C) keyboard and as a wireless keyboard via Bluetooth. Now, as with many Bluetooth keyboards, you have the option to switch between three different devices using the FN+1-3 keys. On the side of the keyboard is a switch to toggle between Mac and Windows/Android/Linux modes (I don't know exactly what it does, but I suspect it's just remapping some keys) and another switch for switching between wired modes. Mode and Bluetooth mode with an option to temporarily turn off. The manual states that the K8 can last a month on battery power with the backlight off in Bluetooth mode, but I haven't had enough time to determine exactly how long that will last. However, I can easily get 6 months+ on two AAA batteries with some of the Logitech wireless keyboards I've used, so that seems a bit short. For some people, the fact that the USB-C port is on the side of the keyboard next to the switches can also be an issue if they want to use the keyboard in wired mode. I also found that when I connected the keyboard to my MBP in wired mode, I got the error "The USB device is using too much power" (probably because it was charging the battery), so I ended up switching to a Bluetooth connection changed. Bluetooth seems to work well on the Mac so far, although in my experience Windows is poor at supporting Bluetooth devices, so I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't work as well there. The white backlight on my K8 is admittedly a bit dim, which I've seen in reviews as a common complaint about it. Even at max settings, it's noticeably dimmer than my HyperX keyboard's backlight (which I don't think even works at max brightness), and the keycaps that came with the K8 don't seem to help much. I don't think the relatively dim backlight would have made that much of a difference if the contrast between the keycaps and the letters had been a bit greater, but that's a pretty minor complaint. As is typical for keyboards of this type, several lighting effects are available here, but I plan to leave it in full tone mode. Another complaint I've seen is that the K8 is a bit bulky for a mechanical keyboard. When comparing it to my HyperX with my legs tucked in, I found that the top of the HyperX's buttons are at the same height as the top of the K8's base. I prefer my keyboard to be a bit taller, so I don't really care, but some people might need palm rests. Keychron sells matching palm rests, but they're pricey ($28 for the wooden model). replacement version of it. While I currently don't have any switches built into the keyboard other than those for testing purposes, in a quick test it turned out that it was fairly easy to pull out and swap out the switch using the tool provided. I'll probably experiment with some other switches at some point, so I wanted a hot-swappable version. Overall, I like this keyboard so far, even if the height takes some getting used to compared to my other keyboards. The main issue with them right now is that hot-swap modes often seem to be out of stock, and even if you can find them, finding a mode with the right keyswitch can be a bit of a hassle. I'm still getting used to the Gateron switches, but if I decide I don't like them I can always go back to my favorite Cherry Reds.