Keychron K2 Review 2023: Is it Still Best TKL Keyboard?

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I have been using Keychron K2 V2 for the last 7-8 months now and if you are planning to get one for yourself, this hands-on Keychron K2 review is just for you. I have tried to mention everything that anyone would like to know before taking the buying decision. This is the in-depth, detailed and hands-on review of Keychron K2.

Unlike Keychron K2 which is a 75% TKL keyboard, here are some of the best 60 percent keyboards if you are looking for a compact keyboard, especially for gaming.

Keychron K2 Review 2023

Here, in this Keychron K2 V2 review, we are extensively going to talk about Keychron K2 mechanical switches, Keycaps, Keychron K2 RGB, Compatibility with Mac & Windows, Keychron k2 sound test, ergonomics and much more. I have also added some Keychron K2 videos to give you a better understanding of the keyboard.

Also See: Logitech G304/G305 Wireless Gaming Mouse Review

Keychron K2 Review: What’s in the Box?

The moment you open the box, you will get well well-packed Keychron K2 TKL mechanical keyboard, a USB Type-C to USB Type-A braided cable, a Keycap Puller, extra keys for Windows, and some manuals. My unit is not a hot-swappable unit so there is no switch puller or anything like that.




The unboxing experience is pretty sweet. With everything arranged in different compartments, it is a good product experience. Watch this unboxing & first look of Keychron K2

Keychron K2 Review: Ergonomic Design

Keychron really listened to their users and that’s why they came up with the Keychron K2 V2 variant. Before V2, the keys were placed at the same angle and somehow it became an uncomfortable typing experience for the user because of poor ergonomics. In the K2 V2, Keychron has added an ergonomic design that is really comfortable to type on.

See Also: Best Audiophile Gaming Headphones

The keys are placed at a certain angle which allows you to type in the natural angle of your hands, without hurting or struggling to reach the upper keys like media keys or function keys.

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Even for gaming, the keyboard is extremely comfortable. You will find a USB Type-C port on the left-hand side. Along with the port, you will also see a 2 toggle button. One button is for switching between the macOS or Windows and the second toggle button is for toggling between the wired or wireless connection. It is super quick to toggle between the connection mode or between macOS and Windows.

The build quality of the whole keyboard is sturdy and durable. There is no sort of cheapness in the keyboard and that is something I really liked about Keychron K2 V2. There is another version of K2 that comes with an Alumunium frame instead of a plastic one, if that excites you, go for that variant for some extra bucks.

The keycaps are double-shot ABS with smooth finishing. The keycaps have a color contrast of dark grey and light grey which looks absolutely stunning to me. You can always upgrade to Double Shot PBT keycaps later on.

I also liked the simple and clean font on the keycaps. The LED-backlit easily pass through the keycaps which makes it easy to use the keyboard even in darker condition. At the back, we also have 2-level height adjustments that you can set at your convenience.

See Also: Best 10 inch Tablets

Keychron K2 Review: Gateron Mechanical Switch

Keychron K2 V2 is a tkl mechanical keyboard that comes with Gateron G Pro Switches. I specifically chose Gateron Brown Switches because of their sound, smoothness and tactile feedback. Before these switches, I was using Macbook Pro’s inbuilt keyboard and switching from that keyboard to Keychron K2 was a huge upgrade for me. I have tried other mechanical keyboards before but switching to K2 was a big jump.

Initially, you will feel more travel distance but once you get used to it, there is no way back. The sound of Gateron G Pro Brown Switches on K2 V2 is so pleasing to me. I don’t like loud mechanical keyboards but I don’t like silent keyboards either. These switches sit just right for me. Obviously, you cannot use these switches in the same room where another person is trying to take a nap but for personal space while working, gaming, or coding, these switches are good to go.

Here is the Keychron K2 Gateron Brown Mechanical Switch Sound Test:

Apart from Brown, you can choose between Red and blue Gateron G Pro switches. I had no plan for new switches and that is why I didn’t buy the hot-swappable version but if you want the extreme level of customization on Keychron K2 V2, you can also choose the hot-swappable version where you will be able to swap the mechanical switch of the keyboard with other switches like Cherry MX or any other. Keep in mind, that there is a slight difference in the pricing of the Hot-swappable version.

It is a TKL keyboard which also makes it compact and portable. You can easily carry the keyboard in your laptop backpack and use it anywhere without any hassle of cable management. The function keys are hotkeys that you can access by pressing the function key. The same Function keys also act as Media keys, brightness control, LED-backlit brightness control and more.




Overall, the keyboard is well-designed which makes it super compact, portable and easy to use. The downside I feel in this keyboard is the height and a little bit of weight. If you are going to use this keyboard on your desk, you are good to go, there is nothing to worry about.

Due to its height, after prolonged hours of continuous usage, you might feel the need for a wrist rest. Unfortunately, there is no wristrest in the box and if you want one, that would be an additional expense.

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Keychron K2 Review: LED Backlit

Believe me, Keychron K2 V2 is one of those few keyboards that look stunning with the white LED backlit. That is why I got the white LED backlit instead of the RGB backlit. The RGB lighting looks better on the white keyboards. For black, grey keyboards, white LED backlit looks just stunning. You can choose the RGB version if you like but it will cost you a little bit more than the white backlit keyboard.

There is a dedicated button for changing the effect of backlit and you don’t need any kind of software or whatsoever to control the RGB effect which is definitely a good thing. Each switch has an individual LED backlit and that really helps you in dark conditions. Due to individual backlit, the effects look more detailed, smooth and gorgeous to the eyes.

See Also: Best Controller for PC Gaming

Keychron K2 Review: Wireless & Wired Connectivity

Keychron K2 V2 comes with a dual connectivity mode. You can either use Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless mode or USB Type-C wired mode. I prefer wireless mode for typing and writing articles, but I prefer Wired mode for gaming. Although there is next to no latency but it feels safe because I don’t want to ruin my gameplay in between.

This is not for everyone but if you produce music or play piano chords on your PC, laptop or tablet, you can do that in wireless mode as well. There is no latency in there.

Also, you can connect up to 3 devices wirelessly and switch between the connections by pressing the Fn + 1, 2, 3 keys. You can easily use K2 with a tablet, laptop and smartphone at the same time. There is no fancy process to connect the keyboard via Bluetooth.

Simply turn on the device’s Bluetooth, toggle the button to BT mode on the keyboard and you will see the Keychron K2 flashing on your device screen. Simply connect it and you are good to go.

For wired mode, you need to toggle the button to Cable mode and connect it to the USB 2.0 or 3.0 port of your PC or laptop. Once you have done that, you are connected via cable and Keychron K2 is ready to use.

Keychron K2 Review: Battery

Keychron K2 comes with an impressive 4000mAh battery which is the largest battery in any other tkl mechanical keyboard in this price segment. The best part is, that it is not only on paper but actually works like a 4000mAh battery. I am not going to lie, in 4 months, I only charged it just 2 times.

I write all my blog posts using this keyboard, I play games on weekends for 3-4 hours. I don’t use a fancy LED backlit effect. I only use the backlit effect where the key lights up on pressing. Most of the time, I use wireless mode with my Macbook Pro and for gaming, I use wired mode on my Lenovo Legion gaming laptop.

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With this usage, I am getting a super-efficient battery backup that lasts longer. If you can relate my usage, you are going to get impressive battery life on Keychron K2.

The keyboard is programmed in a way that if you leave the keyboard idle for 1-2 minutes in wireless mode, it automatically disconnects from the laptop or PC to save the battery and once you hit any button on the keyboard, it automatically gets connected to the device. That is really an impressive and clever way for an efficient battery backup.

For charging the keyboard, you can simply connect a USB Type-C to a USB Type-A cable and plug it into a wall charger or any other charger available to you. It will take a good 4-5 hours for charging from 0% to 100% but once it is charged, you don’t need to take battery life into consideration for an extended period of time.

Please note, that battery backup depends on a lot of factors like RGB effect, RGB brightness, and connection mode. What I’m claiming can be different for you.

Keychron K2 Review: The Software

Now many of us might be wondering if Keychron has its own software for RGB, setting macros, programming the buttons etc. Razer has Synapse, Corsair has iCue but what about Keychron?

Yes, there is Keychron firmware that provides limited controls but the whole user experience of even downloading the software is painful and sounds risky to me. Keychron has clearly mentioned on their website’s firmware download page that if you have downloaded the wrong firmware for your Keychron keyboard, it will break your keyboard and we are not responsible for that.

There is no universal firmware for every Keychron keyboard but there are different Firmware for every other Keychron Keyboard series like Q Series, K Series & V Series.

Keeping the risk of breaking the keyboard, I didn’t download the Keychron firmware and if you don’t want to take the risk of breaking your keyboard, I would suggest you not indulge yourself in the firmware thing.

There are no programmable buttons on Keychron K2 and for RGB, we already have a dedicated button. For low battery indication, you will see the red LED blinking just beside the USB Type-C port. So why need firmware? Just ignore it.

Keychron K2 Review: The Final Verdict

In the end, all that matters to me is the Keycaps, the Mechanical Switch and the look of the keyboard. I wanted a small, gorgeous-looking, mechanical TKL keyboard and Keychron K2 checks everything for me. I am totally loving the whole experience of writing and playing games on this keyboard.

Outstanding battery life, compatibility with macOS & Windows, a tactile mechanical switch, gorgeous white LED backlit, and clean fonts are some of the things that make Keychron K2 one of the best tkl mechanical keyboards under $100.

To answer the title of this review article, Yes, Keychron K2 is still the best tkl mechanical keyboard in 2023. If you need a good quality, compact tkl keyboard for gaming, typing, office work, or day-to-day usage, I would not think twice before recommending this to you.

I hope this Keychron K2 review 2023 gave you everything you wanted to know before buying one for you. If you still have any doubts, mention them in the comments below.