KeychronK8 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard – Silent Red Switch for Quiet Office and Gaming, TKL 87 Keys, Soft White LED Backlight, Bluetooth & USB-C Wired Connectivity, Compatible with Mac and Windows

Let me tell you, folks, I've been through keyboards like a teenager goes through phones. I've had clunky ones, flimsy ones, ones that mysteriously developed a sticky 'A' key. But the Keychron K8? This keyboard is a revelation. My fingers feel like they've been upgraded to a higher class of typing. The brown switches are a dream – the perfect balance of satisfying 'thunk' and smooth action. I'm a touch-typing fiend, and I can practically fly across this thing. The sound is pure auditory bliss (to me, anyway, my partner might disagree).Connecting it to my Mac was a breeze – plug and play, literally. No Bluetooth fumbling for me! I haven't tried the Bluetooth mode yet, but for now I'm enjoying it as a wired keyboard.The backlight is a lifesaver for those late-night coding sessions. Super easy to adjust, although there's one teeny tiny gripe: that lighting mode button on the top right is a little too conveniently placed. I've accidentally changed the lighting scheme a few times while messing around on my desk. I suggest to be cautious.After several weeks of intense use (I'm talking *serious* typing marathons), my wrists still haven't rebelled. No aches, no pains, just pure typing joy. This was a pleasant surprise, as my old faithful Microsoft Natural keyboard was my constant companion. I've become a convert.For the price, the Keychron K8 is a steal. I've actually replaced THREE other keyboards with this model. It's comfortable, efficient, and sounds amazing. Highly recommend!

I regularly use a very basic Logitech K270 as my work keyboard with a Windows laptop. I found I preferred the taller keys, the key travel, and the overall precision of a deeper traditional keyboard. But on my 2015 iMac, I still used the stock, flat Apple keyboard. I have considered another Logitech for a while, but after trying their pitiful collection of Mac keyboards, I never found one I liked.Reading some recent reviews of mechanical keyboards, I became intrigued. The Keychron keyboards seemed to be recommended on just about every list I came across -- either as a good starter mechanical, or as an overall favorite. They may not be using the Cherry MX switches that more expensive keyboards use, but they are comparable. So I caught the K8 for Mac with Brown switches on sale and took a chance.I LOVE IT! It has the clack of my old IBM keyboard from "back in the day," while also being Bluetooth or wired, backlit, and a dream to type on. Also, because it has a metal frame and some weight to it, it stays put. I am by no means a touch typist, but I can get going pretty fast once I am rolling, and the Brown switches on this K8 have just the right sensitivity to give me much more precision than the flat Mac keyboard. It was quick to pair, easy to adjust the settings (lighting and timeout), and coming from everyday work on a PC, having the Home, End, and Del keys is a definite bonus.Is this for everyone? Maybe not. It is not as loud as some mechanical keyboards, but it does make a lot more noise than the Apple keyboard. It also sits a LOT higher than the very flat Apple keyboard and it's even a bit taller than my Logitech. Obviously, as a mechanical, it has a lot of key travel -- 2mm -- versus a typical Apple or laptop keyboard, so those used to those keyboards may have a bit of work getting used to typing. (The only laptop keyboard I have ever liked typing on is my old Surface Book, which has very solid keys and marvelous precision.)My one quibble is with the size of the lettering on the keys -- or more precisely, the punctuation keys. As I said, I am not a touch typist, so now and then I really do have to hunt and peck. Having half-sized punctuation laid out on a key side-by-side makes it hard for my aging eyes to see well. Still, I've cranked out quite a few pages before writing this review, and I am getting use to it. If you have been thinking of a mechanical keyboard, give the K8 a try.

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.