You spend a large chunk of your life using it, so why not find a keyboard that really suits your needs.
If you’ve ever sat at your desk thinking about how boring your standard-issue keyboard is, you’re not alone. You want your desk to have some personality!
So you search “custom keyboard” online and realise that it’s not a straightforward decision.
Keychron provided this publisher with a device for testing purposes. This did not affect our views of the device, and our review remains independent of the manufacturer.
The world of mechanical keyboards can be intimidating and a lot of models on the market are intentionally built to be quite chunky and intense looking! (It’s a gamer thing).
A lot of these models can look out of place in today’s minimalist modern offices but there is a mechanical keyboard that incorporates the custom professional feel of those behemoths without compromising a slim low profile aesthetic. Enter the Keychron K5 SE.
I’ve been using the K5 for a little over a fortnight now and I’ve gotta say, it’s pretty good.
The K5 SE has a slim, compact design that sits on the desk in three different positions depending on your ergonomic preference.
The RGB backlights have a huge range of different modes that you can cycle through (I prefer the slow fade through the colours).
The keyboard can connect to up to three different devices using Bluetooth and also comes with a 2.4Ghz wireless dongle. And if wireless connections aren’t your thing, you can always plug it in with the included USB-C cable.
The specs
K5 SE mechanical keyboard
- Ultra Slim Design
- Hot-swappable optical switch
- Bluetooth wireless connection up to 3 devices simultaneously
- Mac & Windows compatibility ( easy to swap on the toggle )
- RGB Backlight
- RRP: $159
The pros
The Keychron K5 SE is genuinely a joy to type on. The key switches are hot-swappable depending on what sort of feel and sound you are after. I went with the red switches which strike a good balance of not being too loud but still having a satisfying sound with every keystroke.
The ability to quickly swap between computers with a keyboard shortcut is very handy when jumping between the laptop, to my desktop and even my Mac at home. It’s one of those luxuries you don’t know you need until you realise you can’t live without it.
Having a dedicated key to launch Co-Pilot on Windows has made me actually start using Co-Pilot. It sits just above the home key in between the screenshot key and a dedicated key for changing the RGB colour settings.
The cons
The battery doesn’t quite last a five-day working week, lasting around three and a half days before the “please charge me” light comes on. To be fair though, the keyboard charges quite quickly and I am back up and running in a couple of hours.
The web-based software for the keyboard isn’t the best and can be a bit clunky to setup. It would be nice to see a dedicated app for customisation but to be honest this isn’t really a deal breaker unless you are a power user or want to really get into the weeds of full-blown customisation.
Final thoughts
Keyboards are often overlooked as just another tool used to do our jobs. But they can be so much more than that. Mechanical keyboards can be intimidating but the slim minimal form factor of the K5 SE strikes the balance very well as an approachable toe-dip into the wonderful world of custom keyboards.
"Your keyboard is boring, but it doesn’t have to be. We review the Keychron K5 SE Mechanical Keyboard" (7 News, 2024)
https://7news.com.au/technology/reviews/your-keyboard-is-boring-but-it-doesnt-have-to-be-we-review-the-keychron-k5-se-mechanical-keyboard-c-16197869