Keychron established that it knows how to make a good Hall effect keyboard with the Q1 HE earlier this year. Now, with the latest K2 HE, Keychron is out to prove it can do it on a budget. The K2 HE takes the best part of the Q1—the programmable Hall effect switches—and transplants them into a simpler and more affordable chassis while maintaining much of the functionality.

The K2 HE keyboard is available in both a standard and Special Edition package. The standard edition ($130) comes in black while the Special Edition ($140) can be had in black or white with wood grain styling on either side of the case. Both feature the same Gateron Nebula Double-Rail Hall effect switches and full programmability, only differing from one another cosmetically.

The Typing Feel

The core of this keyboard is Gateron’s double-rail magnetic switch. These were previously seen in Keychron’s first Hall effect keyboard, the Q1 HE, and they are great. On the K2, they’re just as good. (I have an in-depth explainer on Hall effect sensors if you'd like to learn more about the technology.) These switches are smooth, comfortable, and consistent to type on. While they do feel a bit dampened compared to traditional mechanical switches, especially at the bottom of the keystroke, I don’t think this is a detriment in any way.

The K2 HE combines these switches with a tray-mount system. Tray-mounts are typically one of the more budget-oriented mounting systems because of their simplicity and ease of assembly. Instead of having a multi-piece case that the keyboard’s internal assembly is placed into (like the Q1’s gasket mount system), the K2’s internals are dropped into a single-piece case and screwed down.

This results in a relatively inconsistent typing feel, with some stiffer areas where the screws are, and softer areas where the printed circuit board (PCB) is not supported. However, these issues aren’t prominent on the K2, presumably because Keychron has a good sense of where to place the screws to limit this effect, and because it opted for a stiffer aluminum plate to mitigate it. I find the typing experience of the K2 HE enjoyable and consistent, although it is a bit stiff compared to a gasket-mounted keyboard.

Between a stiffer case and a softer keypress, this keyboard finds a great middle ground that’s solid to type on and not fatiguing over multiple hours. The plastic case, combined with silicone and foam sound dampening, creates a deeper “thocky” typing sound that wouldn’t be possible with a metal case but still feels rigid with metal and wood panels on the outside.

An advantage this keyboard has over more premium models with metal cases is an adjustable typing angle. Using the flip-out feet on the back, the K2 HE can swap between 5-, 9-, and 12-degree typing angles, which will be suitable for most people.

Good Looks

Keychron sent me the Special Edition model, which has high-profile doubleshot keycaps and wood accents on either side of the case, and it looks fantastic. The design is reminiscent of the Fractal North PC case—inspired by mid-century modern styling, emphasizing straight lines with soft edges and understated wood accents. They're a great pair, and based on the matching wood and similar overall color schemes (the K2 HE uses a slightly warmer white than the North), I suspect this was intentional.

This is a fantastic direction for peripherals. Gaming keyboards have long been incredibly homogenized with angular, all-black cases and unavoidable bright shine-through RGB. I often found myself buying keyboards with sub-par performance purely because I wanted something good-looking on my desk. That’s why I love the K2 HE's design so much. It indicates a shift in gaming peripherals, especially performance-oriented ones, to more diverse and stylish designs.

I generally think it's important for products to look good, not just function as advertised. So much of what we own today can be treated as temporary and can feel easy to throw away without a second thought. A thoughtfully designed product, whether it’s a keyboard, a computer case, a pen, or a lamp, can compel you to keep it for longer, even care about maintaining it. Best of all, you feel better using it. This has been possible for years with high-end, $500+ mechanical keyboards, but I’m glad to see it become more democratized and accessible.

Software Customization

The Hall effect switches work incredibly well and are deeply customizable using Keychron’s browser-based Launcher software. Just like on the Q1 HE, each key’s inputs and actuation distance can be independently customized, and they can even be programmed to have multiple inputs at different distances.

The rapid trigger feature, which I feel is one of the biggest draws of Hall effect switches, works perfectly. This setting allows for faster key inputs by actively changing the actuation point of the switch. A traditional mechanical keyboard switch has one predetermined point where it registers a keypress, and to register a second keypress, the switch needs to be released, return to above that point, and then be pressed down past it again. With rapid trigger enabled, a Hall effect switch only has to move back up a slight amount, then it can be pressed down again to register another keypress. This allows for much faster reactions when gaming and some serious typists even report that they can write faster with the setting enabled.

Like every other Keychron keyboard, I am a bit frustrated that it needs to be plugged in to edit the layout using Launcher, but that’s a necessary sacrifice when building a keyboard on well-documented open source software like QMK.

The RGB is easy to adjust and has countless settings ranging from static colors and RGB color shifts to a “heat map” setting that gradually changes the color of a key based on how often it is pressed. The wireless connectivity works flawlessly, but I found that pressing a key wouldn’t automatically reconnect the keyboard after it sat idle for a while. Instead, I had to use the slider on the side to switch from wired back to wireless mode.

I don’t have any genuine issues with the K2 HE. For the price, it's a bargain. It looks fantastic, has a clean and deep typing sound, feels great to type on, and comes with some of the best Hall effect switches available today. For $140, there isn’t another keyboard that’s anywhere near as solid as this one.