Keychron K3 vs Drop SHIFT

Which Keyboard Is Better?

Products

Keychron K3
Drop SHIFT

Tested using Methodology v1.0

Updated Nov 16, 2023 08:59 PM

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Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.0

Updated May 29, 2023 03:10 PM

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Amazon.com

Our Verdict

Keychron K3

Drop SHIFT

The Drop SHIFT and the Keychron K3 are two great gaming keyboards, though they're fairly different. The Drop is a wired-only model that has all the same keys as a full-sized keyboard but in a slightly more compact layout. It feels a lot more solid and durable, and it offers a much better typing experience. It also has better latency, so it should feel more responsive for fast gaming. On the other hand, the Keychron has a 75% compact layout with function and arrow keys but no Numpad. You can use it wired or wirelessly, which makes it a lot more versatile for other types of uses.

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Variants

  • K3 (K3B3 - Black)
  • SHIFT (Gray)

Check Price

K3B3 - Black
K3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
K3B3 - Black
K3
B&H
K3B3 - Black
K3
BestBuy.com
Gray
SHIFT
B&H
K3B3 - Black
K3
Walmart.com
Gray
SHIFT
BestBuy.com

Main Differences for
Gaming

Threshold 

0.10

Gaming 

8.0
8.2

Pre-Travel 
 

1.7 mm
2.2 mm

Latency 
 

7.0
8.8

Build Quality 
 

8.0
9.0

Full Comparison

Design

Dimensions 
 

Top Picture  

Size 
 

Compact (75%)
Compact (96%)

Height 
 

1.1" (2.7 cm)
1.3" (3.2 cm)

Width  

12.0" (30.5 cm)
15.2" (38.7 cm)

Depth 
 

4.6" (11.6 cm)
5.5" (14.0 cm)

Depth With Wrist Rest 
 

N/A
N/A

Weight 
 

0.88 lbs (0.397 kg)
2.43 lbs (1.100 kg)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.0
9.0

Build Quality Close Up  

Keycap Material  

ABS
PBT
Show Text 

Ergonomics 
 

7.0
7.0

Side Picture  

Board Design 
 

Straight
Straight

Minimum Incline 
 

-4°

Medium Incline 
 

N/A

Maximum Incline 
 

N/A

Wrist Rest  

No
No
Show Text 

Backlighting 
 

9.3
9.5

Backlighting Picture  

White Shot 
 

Brightness Max 
 

Brightness Min 
 

Backlighting  

Yes
Yes

Color 
 

RGB
RGB

Individually Backlit Keys 
 

Yes
Yes

Color Mixing 
 

Ok
Good

Effects 
 

Yes
Yes

Programmable 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Cable & Connector  

Connectivity  

Wireless
Wired

Detachable 
 

Yes (Wired Mode and Charge)
Yes (Wired Only Keyboard)

Length  

4.0 ft (1.2 m)
4.8 ft (1.5 m)

Connector (Keyboard side) 
 

USB type-C
USB type-C
Show Text 

Wireless Versatility 
 

10
0.0

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
No

Bluetooth Multi-Device Pairing 
 

3
No

Proprietary Receiver 
 

No
No

Battery Type 
 

Rechargeable
No Batteries
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

Extra Features  

Media Keys 
 

Hot Keys
Hot Keys

Macro Programmable Keys 
 

No
No

Trackpad / Trackball  

No
No

Wheel  

No
No

USB Passthrough 
 

No
Yes

Numpad  

No
Yes

Windows Key Lock 
 

No
No

Lock Indicator  

Caps Lock
Caps, Scroll & Num lock
Show Text 

In The Box  

Bundle Picture  

Show Text 
Typing Experience

Keystrokes 
 

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

See details
See details

Key Switches 
 

Gateron Low Profile Brown
Cherry MX Brown

Mechanical 
 

Yes
Yes

Feel 
 

Tactile
Tactile

Operating Force 
 

51 gf
54 gf

Actuation Force 
 

48 gf
46 gf

Pre-Travel 
 

1.7 mm
2.2 mm

Total Travel 
 

2.7 mm
4.1 mm
Show Text 

Typing Quality 
 

7.5
9.0
Show Text 

Typing Noise 
 

Typing Sample  

Noise 
 

Quiet
Quiet
Show Text 

Latency 
 

7.0
8.8

Latency Video  

Latency Wired 
 

14.6 ms
6.2 ms

Latency Receiver 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency Bluetooth 
 

22.1 ms
N/A
Show Text 
Software and Operating System

Software & Programming 
 

0.0
0.0

Software Picture  

Software Name  

No Software
No Software

Account Required 
 

No Software
No Software

Profiles 
 

No Profile
No Profile

Onboard Memory 
 

No
No

Cloud Sync 
 

No
No

Macro Programming 
 

No
No

Ease Of Use 
 

No Software
No Software

Software Windows Compatible 
 

No
No

Software macOS Compatible 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Keyboard Compatibility 
 

9.2
7.6

Windows  

Full
Full

macOS  

Full
Partial

Linux  

Partial
Full

Android  

Full
No

iOS  

Partial
No

iPadOS  

Partial
No
Show Text 

Check Price

K3B3 - Black
K3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
K3B3 - Black
K3
B&H
K3B3 - Black
K3
BestBuy.com
Gray
SHIFT
B&H
K3B3 - Black
K3
Walmart.com
Gray
SHIFT
BestBuy.com

Keychron K3

Drop SHIFT

Comments

  1. Comparison

Keychron K3 vs Drop SHIFT: Main Discussion

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