The Keychron K Pro Series is a lineup of keyboards manufactured by Keychron. These keyboards are an upgrade from the standard Keychron K Series and feature noticeable build and design differences but retain the same wireless functionality. Namely, the K Pro lineup uses PBT keycaps with a unique rounded and tapered shape and departs from the gray and orange color scheme found on the K Series. Most of the variants in this series are also hot-swappable, meaning you can change out the switches, but they also include a toolkit so you can further modify the interior of the board.
The Keychron K Pro Series are great for gaming, though they're better suited for casual gaming rather than competitive or fast-paced reaction titles due to their latency. Otherwise, they're solidly built boards with full RGB backlighting. Since they have a hot-swappable PCB, you can change the stock switches without having to solder. Also, every key is macro-programmable, and the companion software is available on all major operating systems. Unfortunately, they don't include a wrist rest, which would improve the overall comfort as the keyboards have a high profile, except for the Keychron K3 Pro, which is a low-profile keyboard.
The Keychron K Pro series are adequate boards for mobile devices and tablets. They connect with up to three devices using Bluetooth and are compatible with mobile operating systems, though a few function hotkeys don't work. Typing feels nice, and these keyboards feel well-built thanks to the premium materials used. However, some sizes, like the TenKeyLess Keychron K8 Pro, may be too big to use comfortably in tight spaces.
The Keychron K Pro Series are decent office keyboards. They're wireless models that connect with up to three devices over Bluetooth. They offer great typing quality and have a layer of sound-dampening foam inside to reduce noise. However, the noise levels with the clicky Gateron G Pro Blue switches are louder than they will be for linear or tactile ones. Overall, the keyboards feel very well-built and are fully compatible with Windows and macOS, thanks to the toggle on the top left side to change operating systems. Also, the software is available on all major operating systems. Unfortunately, they lack an included wrist rest, which could lead to some discomfort if you type on them for long periods.
The Keychron K Pro Series are great keyboards for programming. They feel well-built and offer a nice, satisfying typing experience. You can connect them with up to three devices using Bluetooth, and they're fully compatible with both Windows and macOS, and only a few function hotkeys don't work on Linux. The companion software is available on all major PC operating systems, so you can program macros and customize the key mapping regardless of your setup. They also have full RGB backlighting, though the key legends aren't shine-through. Unfortunately, they lack a wrist rest, which would improve the overall comfort during use as they're high-profile keyboards, except for the low-profile Keychron K3 Pro.
The Keychron K Pro Series are decent keyboards to use with a home theater PC setup. They connect wirelessly via Bluetooth with up to three devices, meaning you can easily switch between a laptop or HTPC. They have media hotkeys along the function row for easy control, and there's full RGB backlighting to help make your keys easier to see in the dark, though the legends aren't shine-through. While they're very well-built, they, unfortunately, lack a trackpad for on-screen navigation, so you'll have to use an additional peripheral.
There are quite a few variants available in the Keychron K Pro Series. We've outlined the many variants and configurations in the chart below. We bought and tested the fully assembled Keychron K8 Pro with RGB backlighting, an aluminum frame, and Gateron G Pro Blue switches installed. You can see the label of our unit here.
As Keychron releases more keyboards in this series, we will update our list of variants. If you have a variant you don't see listed here, let us know in the discussions.
We expect our test results to broadly apply to the following normal profile variants:
Name | Size | Assembly Options | Backlighting Options | Aluminum Frame Option | Switches | Switch Options | Hot-swappable |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Keychron K2 Pro | Compact (75%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | White, RGB | Yes | Keychron K Pro Mechanical | Red, Blue, Brown | Yes/No |
Keychron K4 Pro | Compact (96%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | White, RGB | Yes | Keychron K Pro Mechanical | Red, Blue, Brown | Yes/No |
Keychron K6 Pro | Compact (65%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | White, RGB | Yes | Keychron K Pro Mechanical | Red, Blue, Brown | Yes/No |
Keychron K8 Pro | TenKeyLess (80%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | White, RGB | Yes | Gateron G Pro Mechanical | Red, Blue, Brown | Yes/No |
Keychron K10 Pro | Full-size (100%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | White, RGB | Yes | Keychron K Pro Mechanical | Red, Brown | Yes/No |
Keychron K12 Pro | Compact (60%) | Barebones, Fully Assembled | White, RGB | Yes | Keychron K Pro Mechanical | Red, Brown | Yes/No |
We expect most of our test results within this review to broadly apply to the low-profile variants below. However, we expect these low-profile variants to have build quality differences due to their thinner construction. These keyboards also use low-profile switches, which have a shorter pre-travel and produce a different typing quality.
If you have any of the low-profile variants below and feel there are other differences or issues we should mention in our review, let us know in the discussions.
Name | Size | Assembly Options | Backlighting Options | Aluminum Frame Option | Switches | Switch Options | Hot-swappable |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Keychron K1 Pro | TKL (80%) | Fully Assembled | White, RGB | No | Low Profile Gateron Mechanical | Red,Brown | Yes/No |
Keychron K3 Pro | Compact (75%) | Fully Assembled | White, RGB | No | Low Profile Gateron Mechanical | Red, Blue, Brown | Yes/No |
Keychron K5 Pro | Full-size (100%) | Fully Assembled | White, RGB | No | Low Profile Gateron Mechanical | Red, Brown | Yes/No |
Keychron K7 Pro | Compact (65%) | Fully Assembled | White, RGB | No | Low Profile Gateron Mechanical | Red, Brown | Yes/No |
Keychron K9 Pro | Compact (60%) | Fully Assembled | White, RGB | No | Low Profile Gateron Mechanical | Red, Brown | Yes/No |
Keychron K13 Pro | "Numpad TKL" (80%) | Fully Assembled | White, RGB | No | Low Profile Gateron Mechanical | Red, Brown | Yes/No |
The Keychron K Pro Series are the upgraded versions of the Keychron K Series. Overall, they perform very similarly to their predecessors, and they still use Bluetooth to connect with up to three devices. However, they feature notable upgrades to the build quality, the most important of which is the PBT keycaps with the OSA profile, the same keycaps found on the more premium Keychron Q Series boards. The K Pro Series also takes a few more pages from the Q Series, including a hot-swappable PCB, screw-in stabilizers, and compatibility with the VIA companion software. Like other Keychron keyboards, you can use this board for gaming, but its latency isn't as low as dedicated gaming keyboards.
If you're interested in more options, check out our recommendations for the best wireless keyboards, the best keyboards for typing, or the best Keychron keyboards.
The Keychron K Pro Series is the upgraded lineup of the Keychron K Series, which includes the Keychron K2 (Version 2). The K Pro Series features a better build quality that includes an aluminum frame option and PBT keycaps. The K Pro Series is also compatible with the VIA companion software so you can make adjustments to the keyboard, and it comes with a hot-swappable PCB and a layer of sound-dampening foam to reduce typing noise, all of which are features that the K Series lacks. Otherwise, the K Pro Series and the K Series perform fairly similarly.
The Keychron Q Pro Series and the Keychron K Pro Series are lineups of mechanical keyboards with hot-swappable PCBs and customizable hardware. The Q Pro Series are more premium wireless keyboards with aluminum cases and gasket-mounted designs. On the other hand, the K Pro Series are more budget-oriented, with plastic cases. They also have slightly better ergonomics thanks to a pair of flip-out plastic feet that provide an additional incline setting.
The Keychron V Series and the Keychron K Pro Series are similar, customizable mechanical keyboards manufactured by Keychron. They're very similar in terms of performance and features, but the K Pro Series has the option for an aluminum frame whereas the V Series only has plastic frames. Otherwise, the major difference between the two is that the K Pro Series are wireless and use Bluetooth to connect while the V Series boards are wired-only.
The Keychron K Pro Series is the upgraded version of Keychron's K Series, which includes the Keychron K8. While the performance remains similar, Keychron made notable improvements to the build quality on the K Pro Series, including OSA profile PBT keycaps, screw-in stabilizers, and two additional layers of foam inside the case for better acoustics. The K Pro Series are also the first wireless keyboards from Keychron to be compatible with the VIA companion software, so you can fully customize your layout, macros, and RGB backlighting.
The Keychron Q Series and the Keychron K Pro Series are both mechanical keyboard lineups from the manufacturer Keychron. The Keychron Q6 is the full-size, and largest keyboard in the Q Series. As a whole, the Q Series features a better build quality thanks to their gasket-mounted design and solid aluminum case. On the other hand, the K Pro Series are wireless keyboards that support multi-device pairing via Bluetooth, and they have a tray-mounted design. Otherwise, both keyboards are very customizable, compatible with the VIA companion software, and have a hot-swappable PCB.
The Keychron K Pro Series and the Keychron S Series are mechanical, hot-swappable keyboards available in a range of sizes and configurations. The K Pro series keyboards include high-profile and low-profile options and are all wireless models with mixed metal and plastic bodies. On the other hand, the S Series are low-profile, wired-only models with all-aluminum bodies.
The Keychron Q Series and the Keychron K Pro Series are both mechanical keyboard lineups from the manufacturer Keychron. The Keychron Q3 is the only TenKeyLess size available in the Q Series. As a whole, the Q Series features a better build quality thanks to their gasket-mounted design and solid aluminum case. On the other hand, the K Pro Series are wireless keyboards that support multi-device pairing via Bluetooth, and they have a tray-mounted design. Otherwise, both keyboards are very customizable, compatible with the VIA companion software, and have a hot-swappable PCB.
The Ducky One 3 and the Keychron K Pro Series are both customizable, standard mechanical boards but they have some notable differences. The Ducky is wired-only, and has much lower latency than the Keychrons, making it better suited to gaming. The Keychrons are wireless and support multi-device pairing with up to three devices via Bluetooth.
The Keychron Q Series and the Keychron K Pro Series are both mechanical keyboard lineups from the manufacturer Keychron. The Keychron Q1 is a compact (75%) size that marks the first release in the Q Series. As a whole, the Q Series features a better build quality thanks to their gasket-mounted design and solid aluminum case. On the other hand, the K Pro Series are wireless keyboards that support multi-device pairing via Bluetooth, and they have a tray-mounted design. Otherwise, both keyboards are very customizable, compatible with the VIA companion software, and have a hot-swappable PCB.
The Keychron K Pro Series keyboards are much better than the Keychron C1. The K Pro Series are wireless keyboards with a much higher build quality thanks to their aluminum frames and PBT keycaps. They also have sound-dampening foam inside the case to reduce typing noise. Plus, they're all hot-swappable, meaning you can change the stock switches. That said, the C1 does have a hot-swappable variant, but it's more expensive than the base version.
The Keychron K Pro Series keyboards have excellent build quality. The outer frame and base plate are solid metal, while the bottom of the keyboard is hard plastic, so it exhibits no flex. The keys feel stable with only a bit of wobble in the larger keys, but as the stabilizers are screw-in, you can easily change them if you want. Like the original K Series, these keyboards keep the plate-mounted switches, but they now add a layer of sound-dampening foam and a silicone bottom pad for better acoustics. Another notable upgrade is the OSA-profile PBT keycaps, the same keycaps found on Keychron's more premium Q Series boards. Overall, these boards feel higher quality than the original K Series since they use many of the same materials and features as the customizable boards in the Keychron Q Series.
The Keychron K Pro Series keyboards have mediocre ergonomics. There are two incline settings to improve comfort, but they don't include a wrist rest. While most of the lineup consists of high-profile boards, there is a variant, the Keychron K3 Pro, that has a low profile that is better ergonomically as you don't have to tilt your wrists upwards to type, and you can rest them directly on your work surface.
The Keychron K Pro Series keyboards have individually-lit RGB backlighting. The LEDs are south-facing, so they're more compatible with a wider range of keycaps should you want to change your keycaps out. Although the key legends aren't shine-through, you'll still get adequate lighting to read them in a dark environment. You can use the companion software to customize the brightness, colors, effects, and effects speed.
The Keychron K Pro Series keyboards come with a detachable braided USB-A to USB-C cable. It's on the shorter side and retains some kinks from the packaging but feels nice overall.
Most of the Keychron K Pro Series use a 4000mAh rechargeable battery that offers up to 300 hours of use with the backlighting off, and up to 100 hours with the backlighting on the lowest brightness. However, the Keychron K3 Pro has a smaller battery, and only offers 100 hours of battery life with the backlighting off, and 33 hours with the backlighting on the lowest brightness.
The Keychron K Pro Series don't have too many extra features. The media keys and backlighting controls are accessible through hotkeys outlined in the user documentation. Like most other Keychron boards, these keyboards have a toggle to switch between Windows and macOS systems. Next to the operating system toggle, there's the charging port and the power switch. There are three small lights above the arrow keys that light up to indicate when Caps, Scroll, or Numlock are enabled. Additionally, these keyboards are hot-swappable, so you can swap out the stock switches for any 3-pin or 5-pin switch you want.
The pre-assembled version of the Keychron K8 Pro comes with your choice of Gateron G Pro switches in linear Red, clicky Blue, or tactile Brown. It's also hot-swappable, so you can swap out the stock switches without having to solder. The clicky Blue switches are light to type on with a smooth tactile bump, and the pre-travel distance is a good length for avoiding typos. However, the Keychron K8 Pro is the only K Pro Series keyboard that uses Gateron G Pro switches. The Keychron K2 Pro and the Keychron K6 Pro use Keychron's proprietary switches, which feel very similar to the Gateron G Pro switches as they're also pre-lubed. The Keychron K3 Pro uses Gateron Low-Profile switches, which have a shorter pre-travel distance than the standard-sized switches.
The Keychron K Pro Series keyboards provide a very good typing experience. The double-shot PBT keycaps have a smooth texture that feels nice on the fingertips. The keys have a standard placement, so they don't feel cramped to type on. There's a bit of wobble in the keys, but it's not too noticeable or distracting during use. The tactile bump of the clicky Gateron G Pro Blue switches feels very smooth throughout the keypress. However, except for the Keychron K3 Pro, you're likely to experience wrist fatigue while using these keyboards as they have a high profile. You can offset this discomfort by purchasing a wrist rest separately.
With clicky Gateron G Pro Blue switches installed, typing is loud. The noise will be similarly loud if you purchase a variant with clicky Blue Keychron K Pro switches or Low Profile Gateron Blue switches. However, the typing noise will be quieter with tactile or linear switches installed.
The Keychron K Pro Series keyboards have decent latency. With a wired connection, they're fast enough for casual gaming or daily use. Although Bluetooth isn't recommended for gaming, you won't notice a delay using it for daily typing or productivity tasks.
The Keychron K Pro Series keyboards use VIA software, and they're QMK-supported. You can download the software and all necessary files directly from Keychron's website. The VIA software is easy-to-use and allows you to remap keys, set macros, and customize the RGB backlighting. There are four layers of profiles. Layers 0 and 1 are for Mac systems, while layers 2 and 3 are for Windows, and you'll have to have the toggle on the left set to the correct operating system to access the layers.
The Keychron K Pro Series keyboards have outstanding compatibility. The VIA software is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and every key works as intended on Windows and macOS, as long as you have the toggle on the left side set to the proper operating system. On Linux, only the brightness hotkeys and the FN+F3 toggle didn't work.