The Keychron S Series is a lineup of low-profile mechanical keyboards manufactured by Keychron. This series combines elements from existing Keychron series, including a low-profile design found on Keychron K Series keyboards, LSA profile (low-profile, spherical-angled) keycaps introduced on certain Keychron K Pro Series keyboards, and the high-end build quality that defines Keychron Q Series boards. Unique to this series is a slim, all-metal construction that features an aluminum body and steel plate.
We tested the Keychron S1, a wired-only, compact (75%) mechanical keyboard, and the first release within the Keychron S Series. It's available in several configurations. You can choose to have white or full RGB backlighting, a hot-swappable PCB, and stock Red, Brown, or Blue Gateron Low Profile mechanical switches.
Our Verdict
Although not specifically for this use, the Keychron S Series are superb keyboards for gaming. They have remarkable build quality, full RGB backlighting, and low-profile switches with very short pre-travel that provide responsive-feeling gameplay. These keyboards also have decent ergonomics, as the low-profile construction makes them comfortable to use without a wrist rest. Their latency is excellent for nearly all gaming genres, though it's best to have somewhat lower latency if you're a competitive gamer.
- Remarkable build quality.
- Excellent latency.
- Low-profile design is comfortable without wrist rest.
- Individual-key backlighting.
- Hot-swappable variant only compatible with other Gateron Low Profile mechanical switches.
The Keychron S Series are wired-only keyboards that are largely inadequate for tablets or mobile devices. These keyboards include a USB-C to USB-C cable, meaning you can connect them to mobile devices with a USB-C port. However, some function keys don't work, and the keyboards are prone to drain batteries at an increased rate, especially with backlighting on.
The Keychron S Series are impressive keyboards for office use. They feel very sturdy and provide excellent typing quality. These keyboards are compatible with all major operating systems and have robust software for customization. The ergonomics are also decent, as the low-profile design is comfortable to type on without a wrist rest. You can purchase this keyboard with stock Gateron Low Profile Red, Brown, or Blue switches to suit your preferences, and there are hot-swappable configurations available if you want the option to swap out stock switches for other Geteron Low Profile mechanical switches without soldering.
- Remarkable build quality.
- Low-profile design is comfortable without wrist rest.
- Hot-swappable variant only compatible with other Gateron Low Profile mechanical switches.
The Keychron S Series are impressive keyboards for programming. The keyboards feel extremely sturdy and offer excellent typing quality with your choice of stock Gateron Low Profile Red, Brown, or Blue switches. The ergonomics are decent, and the low-profile design is comfortable to type on without a wrist rest. You can also purchase this keyboard with either white or full RGB backlighting, and although the keycaps don't have shine-through legends, there's a fair amount of illumination, meaning you can see your keys in darker environments. These keyboards are also compatible with VIA customization software across all major platforms, so you can remap keys, assign macros, and more.
- Remarkable build quality.
- Low-profile design is comfortable without wrist rest.
- Individual-key backlighting.
- Hot-swappable variant only compatible with other Gateron Low Profile mechanical switches.
- Wired-only.
The Keychron S Series are poor keyboards for entertainment or home theater setups. These keyboards are wired-only and lack dedicated media controls or additional features for on-screen navigation. These keyboards do feel very sturdy and have full RGB backlighting to help you see the keys in a darkened room.
- Remarkable build quality.
- Wired-only.
- No dedicated media controls.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 20, 2023: We've corrected an error in the result of the Switch PCB Socket test in the Hardware Customizability section of this review. The result has been changed from 3-pin Cherry to Non-Cherry Pinout since the PCB sockets aren't in the same position as they are to accommodate standard Cherry-style switches.
- Updated Jun 15, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update introduces new Backlight Features and Backlight Clarity test boxes. We've also added a new Switches test box, added additional test comparisons to our Hardware Customizability test box that we introduced with our last Test Bench. For an in-depth look at our changes, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Mar 22, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.1. This update adds several new tests addressing Hardware Customization, Macro Keys And Programming, and Wireless Mobile Compatibility. We've also added new objective evaluations to the Typing Noise test, and we've simplified several tests and removed several others that were no longer relevant. For an in-depth look at all our changes, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Feb 13, 2023: We've added a link to the newly-reviewed Corsair K100 AIR in the Latency section of this review.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Keychron S Series is currently made up of one model, which is available in different configurations. We expect additional variants to be released in the future, at which point we will include them in this section. We purchased the Keychron S1 with RGB backlighting, a hot-swappable PCB, and Low Profile Gateron Brown mechanical switches. You can see the label for the unit we bought and tested here.
| Name | Size | Backlighting | Switch Type | Switch Options | Hot-Swappable |
| S1 | Compact (75%) | White only, Full RGB | Low Profile Gateron Mechanical | Red, Brown, Blue | Yes, No |
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
Keychron's S Series Keyboards are low-profile mechanical keyboards with an aluminum body and steel plate under the switches. Compared to other Keychron keyboards, the keyboards in this series are less readily customizable but with similarly high-end build quality of the Keychron Q-series. This keyboard is a compelling option if you're interested in a low-profile model with a comparably high-quality typing experience and price point as other premium Keychron Series keyboards or popular prebuilt custom keyboards from other manufacturers like the GLORIOUS GMMK PRO and the Ducky One 3.
If you're interested in more options, check out the best mechanical keyboards and the best keyboards for typing. Or, if you're curious about other Keychron models, check out the best Keychron keyboards.
The GLORIOUS GMMK PRO and the Keychron S Series are wired mechanical keyboards with hot-swappable PCBs. The GLORIOUS is compatible with a much wider range of switch types and has lower latency, making it a better pick for gaming. On the other hand, the Keychrons have a low-profile design and feature robust software for customization. However, their hot-swappable PCBs are only compatible with Gateron Low Profile mechanical switches. It's important to note that the GLORIOUS is only available in a barebones version without pre-installed switches or keycaps, while the Keychron is a fully-assembled unit.
The Keychron Q1 and the Keychron S Series are wired mechanical keyboards. The Keychron Q1 is available in a wider range of colorways and is highly customizable. It includes a toolkit for disassembly and has a hot-swappable PCB compatible with a wide range of Cherry OEM switches. On the other hand, the Keychron S Series are low-profile models, and while they also have a hot-swappable configuration available, they're only compatible with Gateron Low Profile mechanical switches.
The Ducky One 3 and the Keychron S Series are wired mechanical keyboards with hot-swappable PCBs. The Ducky has significantly lower latency, making it a better option for gaming. Its hot-swappable PCB is also compatible with a much wider range of switches. On the other hand, the Keychrons are low-profile keyboards that have a robust software option for customization. Their hot-swappable variants are only compatible with other Gateron Low Profile mechanical switches.
The Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] 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- 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.
Test Results
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