K8 Tenkeyless Wireless Mechanical Keyboard for Mac, White Backlight, Bluetooth, Multitasking, Type-C Wired Gaming Keyboard for Windows with Brown Switch

This keyboard is the best one I've ever used. I would have guessed it's rating would be closer to 5 stars. The feel is very satisfying to me. It's not super loud, and the tactile sensation of pressing the keys is about perfect for me. The size is perfect. The lighting is a plus. It has worked perfectly for me over the couple of months I've used it. I cleaned it recently by pulling out the keys, using a dust cleaning gel, cleaning each cap with a towel, and putting them back, and everything is as good as new. The bluetooth connectivity is consistent, and the battery lasts a decently long time - I would say a couple of days to a week (several hours a day of use) with lighting on medium or high, and it's very easy to connect and use it while it charges. I have a feeling I will use this for a very long time. I also absolutely love how it came with Windows and Mac keycaps as I use both. They keycaps are pretty easy to pull off with the tool or even without it. It connects pretty easily to bluetooth, and I love that it is able to connect to 3 devices. On my Macbook, I was able to use Karabiner to reprogram the keys, and it has worked well. I reprogrammed the top-right keys to more useful shortcuts like opening specific apps, copy/paste, password for my account, and putting my mac to sleep. I discovered this through ChatGPT and YouTube and it is decent at generating the code to reprogram them. I only have a few wishes for this keyboard. Firstly, it is very unaesthetic for the previous, play/pause, and next buttons to not be placed together (see the F7 - F9 buttons in the pictures). They should have taken the extra steps to do so, or picked another design. Next, the top-right button for keyboard lighting is the only one that can't be reprogrammed through software, and since it's in the corner, I often press it on accident, which resets my lighting setting. I always had to switch through all the different light mode patterns for the keyboard, which I don't really ever use, until going back to the one I prefer, which is just the standard always-on light, and there's like 18 patterns so it always interrupted me. I ended up putting a spiraled paper clip inside the keycap so that it's much harder to trigger. I wish the key was reprogrammable in the first place so I could give it a better use. Next, I wish the power button was in a better location and easier to press. It has a switch between 3 modes (on, off, cable mode), but I would prefer an easier mechanism. It takes effort to put it exactly in the middle to turn it off. Luckily I found that putting it on cable mode is equivalent to off as long as it's not connected. Regardless, it would be nice to have just a button, especially on the right side since I am right-handed. But I do really like the switch for Mac and Windows, that works well. Next, the mic button near the top-right never really worked, and it is the hardest to reprogram because it seems to trigger a combination of keys instead of just a simple key. Lastly, the battery indicator LED light distracts me when it is on low battery. It starts to blink brightly until it gets connected, so I had to put a piece of putty over it.

I've been using the brown switch base version of the keychron k8 for a little over 2 weeks. I'm a software engineer and this is the keyboard I use for work (WFH). I was previously using a Durgod Taurus K320 TKL with cherry mx brown switches so this isn't my first mechanical keyboard. I REALLY LIKE THIS KEYBOARD. The switches are probably the best part. If you want a tactile switch but find the cherry mx browns too scratchy with too much resistance or hate that "spring" feel (I do), Gateron brown switches are for you. They just feel crisper and also easier to press. Having a backlit, wireless, bluetooth, TKL mechanical keyboard has got to be the dream. I've had almost zero issues with bluetooth. There was one time where the bluetooth disconnected for a moment but that hasn't repeated itself. I can wake my 2019 (work) and 2017 (personal) Macbook Pros with ease using the keyboard. It pairs very quickly. I haven't had to do any repairing yet (knock on wood). I'm obviously not doing anything sensitive like gaming but I haven't noticed any input delay doing normal office work. I use a wrist rest so the height of this keyboard is a non-issue for me. I'm able to switch to using function keys via Mac OS for all the keys except those controlling the keyboard backlight and the shortcuts for screen capture, siri(?) and the backlight on the far right. This is perfect for programming (in my experience). 2 cons for this keyboard: - minor - it is slightly louder than my old keyboard and this loud seems to come from the case vs from the keys so I don't think o-rings are going to help. My family will just have to deal. - moderate - this keyboard has very good battery life (lasted a week of full time use) - BUT - when you need to charge you can't just use any old powered usb port. Like probably every macbook pro owner who uses their laptop professionally, I have a usb hub so I can do things like plug regular mice, hard drives etc into my computer. Plugging this keyboard into that hub resulted in a HORRIBLE sound and it was clear that the keyboard was drawing too much power. I ended up plugging the keyboard into the wall using an iPad charger. Which worked fine but meant I couldn't use my keyboard while it was charging and isn't really the behavior you would expect out of a peripheral like a keyboard. I would rate this 4.5/5 stars. My only real issue is with power draw while charging.

So far I am loving this keyboard I was surprised when I turned it off the Bluetooth to take it home with my laptop and when I turned it back on it connected instantly. Really great to use

Update 11-9-24 The situation was grim until I contacted Keychron's customer service. The went above and beyond to resolve the problem and didn't drag it out until I can't remember what went wrong. They were fast, helpful, polite, and ended with a refund they weren't obligated to do and a K8 max already delivered that I'll review separately and I recommend over this K8. However, for the price and with working bluetooth, this is not a 5 star model but it is a great board and got me interested in the hobby dispite the problems. The cons are it has non-hotswap switches and only has bluetooth. The pros the board just feels good to use and handle. The LEDs are pure white and bright. They're also north facing which I prefer over south. It's a solid 3 stars and the fourth is for the people who stand behind it. Update 11-7-24: Missed the return window because UPS can't handle a couple hurricanes or show up to work without electricity. Amazon's AI (I hope it was AI) told me to kick rocks so I contacted Keychrone customer support and before you laugh, they got back with me fast. We exchanged several email within a short timeframe so they do have responsive support. Where it goes from here, maybe nowhere, but I hope it ends with a working k8. Here' s why. I have since bought a Rainy 75 and a RK61 which are both great but I would rather use the k8 tkl for most of what I do. It's borderless yet maneuverable without accidental keypresses which happens often using the RK and I try not to move the Rainy at all. My experience aside, if you're considering the k8, I suggest getting one with both bluetooth and wifi to be safe but you can't go wrong with amazon's return policy. Unless there's a hurricane. Original: TLDR: Bluetooth range is less than 3ft. Worthless. LED is out on non swapable board. Residue between clean keys on a board that wasn't brand new clean. Check reviews on different listings here on Amazon to see these issues aren't isolated. Check reddit too. Some say its hit or miss and worth it through amazon, but for what they charge, I recommend having higher standards and take your business elsewhere. I spent an entire night trying to get my bluetooth working. The keyboard paired fine with my phone so I figured it had to be my pc. Turned out, the phone connected because it was right next to the keyboard. I was only 3ft away from the tower the entire night with nothing in between, yet my pc wouldn't even detect the keyboard in pairing mode 3ft away! IDK myself, but this is supposed to be a top brand of keyboard according to reviewers. It doesn't seem like it. My qu3st was across the room in a sealed plastic tote, eager to send Mark my telemetry data, so if meta and every other BT device works fine, then I don't see why a top manufacturer of keyboards can't do the same. Yes, I turned all devices off that may interfere with the board. My wifi was showering me with only 5ghz as recommended. Removed usb 3. Checked drivers. Restarted BT services. I went as far as restoring my PC all for nothing. The only thing that worked was being inches away from the tower which I only discovered by accident in the morning when I gave up. Once connected, I sat down 3ft away to try typing. A few words went well and thennnnnnnn started and lagged before disconnecting. Unless whatever you use is in your lap, don't buy this if you need wireless. I've never used a BT device this bad. After checking reviews of a different seller, I now see that others have the same poor quality using BT, lag andddd alllll. (After a little digging, this is only one of many problems. Just check reddit) There's more. An LED is out and this model of K8 is not hot swapable so idk if it can be fixed without sending it back which some customers advise against doing. The description could've been clearer. I only saw Non hot swap once deep down in the description and the timer for the deal had only minutes remaining. I also didn't think a top keyboard manufacture would make anything but hot swap boards no more than I'd think they use membrane but maybe they do. The brown switches turned out to be great. I would've liked to try blue along with others but I do like these and the board in general. It's one of Keychron's cheaper models, at around $79 which isn't cheap to me, so I expected a lighter cheap feel but it feels solid. Its not aluminum like in other vague k8 descriptions (there are 2 models in many listing that aren't clear. Im not talking about the K8 pro. There are 2 K8s), but still feels solid. I liked it so much I ordered keycaps thinking I'd fix the BT. I guess they cut costs going with cheap laughable BT and replaced quality control with AI because you can't miss the LED that's out so no one with eyes checked it. Due to the packaging and a little debris, I wouldn't be shocked if this is a used board with new caps. There's also a residue between the caps. This might be normal from lubed switches IDK. Giving them the benefit of the doubt and in disbelief Keychron is this bad, I considered buying the pro thinking it may have better bluetooth or wifi. All the main product description provided was that its wireless and that its upgraded. I was scrolling through hoping for the best when I decided I better order a board that has a clear description and doesn't feel scammy so I don't end up with another return. Buyer beware.

The price felt too good to be true but so far it’s exceeded expectations. Other keyboards that offer the same specs ask for almost double sometimes triple. The key switch’s are so buttery, no clicking when pressed like a typical mechanical keyboard but rather a soft satisfying touch. The keys spacing also feels comfortable without needing to get used to it. Bluetooth setup was a breeze without bloat software needing to be installed. It’s more of a plasticky kind of build quality but not in a bad way if that makes sense? It feels durable and crazy lightweight. Haven’t had it long enough to know if there is any battery issues. So far on a full charge, I haven’t seen a low battery warning in 2 days.

I really like this keyboard. I love the color of the keycaps and the white backlight with adjustable brightness. The keyboard has a nice, solid weight to it. It comes in a great box with a generous accessory set. I don’t type much and mostly play games for a couple of hours a day. With this usage, I haven’t had to recharge the battery for over a week since purchasing it.

Keys randomly double enter strokes every couple of minutes, across all input types, devices, and operating systems 5 weeks after buying. Doesn’t occur with other mechanical keyboards. Support won’t take keyboard back for repair without video of issue. Would rather just move onto other brands than record myself typing for an undetermined amount of time to send over, not sure why a company of this size wouldn’t just take it back for repair without me needing to prove the issue via video.

Literally using it now as I type this. It's so good and it sounds great. Connects immediately and weighs lightly to move around and doesn't seem like an extra thing in my bag for when I need to travel. It fits well on my desk since it's on the smaller end but the keys function well and the light looks nice, too. It's not too bright so it won't bother anyone with sensitive eyes and it's relatively ergonomic with the kickstands underneath it.