For the past 7 years I've been using the good ol' Mac keyboard. The slimline & clean aesthetic has always appealed to me. But by default, I used it because I was using an iMac or a MacBook. The funny thing, though, is that I don't find the typing experience particularly enjoyable.

As a graphic designer, I use a keyboard more than I care to admit. For most of the day, I am typing on a keyboard as I navigate through my to-do list, my work & more recently; video scripting. So, I thought that if I'm going to spend a lot of time tapping on the thing, then I should probably make it quite enjoyable, no?

After doing some research and many keyboard reviews later, I decided to invest in a mechanical keyboard. Namely, the Keychron K2 V2. I decide to pay a bit more to get the aluminium frame version that gives the whole keyboard a fair bit of heft. But before I dive into my experience, let's just have a peep at the specs.

Specs

84 keys
75% layout
Connect up to 3 devices via bluetooth
Mac/Windows compatible
Wireless
USB C
4000mAh battery
kickstand with 2 angles
Various Gateron switches available
White or RGB backlights
Aluminium frame

I chose the Gateron Brown Switches which are said to be a more neutral, middle of the road kind of switch. I really like them but I don't have a reference to other switches. However, they are clicky and tactile. As a first experience, it is very satisfying to type on.

It has a built-in kickstand with 2 incline angles to choose from with a max incline of 9%. I find it most comfortable setting the kickstand to the full 9%. With that in mind, it is a tall keyboard. It took a bit of time to adjust to its height, especially coming from something like a mac keyboard that is very flat. Many people recommend getting a wrist rest but I decided not to. Though, I would recommend it.

If I'm typing for a while then I do get a bit achey. One work around that I've implemented is to set the height of my deskchair so that the armrests are in line with the top of the board. This makes it so my forearms and wrists are straight rather than angled upwards. This definitely helps a lot.

In terms of connectivity, the K2 features bluetooth 5.1 with the capability to connect up to 3 different devices. Whilst in use, I've found no connectivity or latency issues. The only downside that I've found is when my computer goes into sleep mode. You can tap any button to power the board back on but sometimes that is not immediate. In certain cases, it has taken up to 10 seconds to connect back to my iMac.

With a battery capacity of 4000mAh, I've been impressed with how long I can use this thing without plugging in the USB-C cable to charge it. Of course, if you are constantly using the backlights then the battery will empty a lot faster. However, I only use the white backlight in the evening so I've not really had an issue there.

I don't have the V1 K2 but it seems that Keychron have made some good improvements for the V2. One of these is the backlight for the caps key. After reading about the V1, it looks like that one didn't have a dedicated backlight for the caps key so you didn't know if you had the caps lock on or not. With the V2, the caps lock illuminates red when active. A small but important improvement.

As a Mac user, this keyboard ticks all the boxes. It is Mac friendly out of the box with the associated key caps already installed. It features a full row of functions keys along with some very convenient keys. These include a mission control and a launchpad key as well as mac-centric keys like option and command (and a screenshot key, so you don't have to hold down two buttons at once!). The windows keys come separately in the box. If you are a windows user, or if you want to clean board, it comes with a handy keycap puller which easily removes the key caps.

You can customise the board to match any aesthetic with the 15 types of RGB backlights. You can pair any colour light with a style (flashing, fading or static). I appreciate this level of customisation as there is something for everyone. Personally, I like to keep it simple. If i use the backlights, I just set it to a white, static configuration. Anything else is too distracting.

The bottom line is that this is a fantastic entry-level mechanical keyboard, especially for Mac users. Even with the slightly more premium model, this cost me under £100. I think that this keyboard provides the minimalism that a mac user may prefer and the aluminium frame makes it feel more than it's worth. Apart from the few dislikes I have, I am definitely happy with my purchase. I really enjoy the typing experience but I think I will invest in a wrist rest at some point. Now that I am in the world of mechanical keyboards, I don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon!

Keychron K2 V2 | Review