Keychron S1 QMK Mechanical Keyboard Review: A Compact, Customizable Board

For those that worth a top quality typing expertise, it’s protected to say in the present day’s premium keyboard picks are just about limitless. The Keychron S1 QMK Mechanical Keyboard tries to tell apart itself in a crowded discipline by providing minimal compromises and appreciable customization in a compact body.

Offering a selection of lighting and hot-swappable swap choices, onboard Mac and Windows keyboard layouts, and real-time software program management with the open-source VIA software program, the Keychron S1 is extremely versatile. At simply 75% the dimensions of a full-size keyboard, the Keychron S1 even manages to offer a snug typing expertise. However, regardless of its many belongings, the Keychron S1 shouldn’t be with out its frustrations, together with the awkward placement of its USB-C port, lack of a wi-fi possibility, and finicky software program.

Design and Form Factor

When you first choose the Keychron S1’s field up, one of many first stuff you’re prone to discover is how heavy it feels. Extra weight tends to boost the mechanical keyboard typing expertise by offering a strong platform that, amongst different issues, minimizes extraneous motion and vibration.

The Keychron S1 has a CNC 6063 aluminum physique, which provides its platform wonderful stability, notably compared to different compact keyboards. Many of those different keyboards, even these with heavy bases, can typically give off a hole, echo-like sound when keys are pressed aggressively. Not so with the Keychron S1, which makes use of sound-absorbing foam to additional scale back the potential for undesirable noise and vibration.

While some compact keyboards can go as little as 60% of the size of full-size keyboards, and a few as excessive as 98%, the Keychron S1 targets extra of a center floor at 75%. Keycaps are the dimensions you’ll anticipate, however to attain the 75% scale, the keys are tightly grouped with no further surrounding materials.

The particular keyboard mannequin I’m reviewing is the S1H3, which options RGB backlighting together with hot-swappable Gateron Low-Profile Brown mechanical switches. The keyboard can also be accessible in different mixtures with a less complicated white backlight and Red or Blue swap choices. Each swap shade gives a definite really feel and sound, creating completely different typing experiences relying on the way you customise the board.

Red switches are linear, which feels the identical alongside the whole size of the important thing press, and makes a considerably quieter sound. Blue switches are clicky, activating and making a sound even earlier than the important thing hits the underside. Brown switches are tactile, which registers as a small bump when the secret is activated, making a extra muted clicking sound.

In the field, you get the keyboard, USB-C to USB-C cable, USB-C to USB-A adapter, keycap puller, swap puller, two rubber toes, the consumer guide, a fast begin information, and a swap pin information. You should buy extra cables, lubricant, a journey pouch, various kinds of palm rests, and various kinds of switches from Keychron’s web site.

While virtually all keyboards carry out effectively on both Windows- or Mac-based computer systems, keycaps don’t at all times match up. In a pleasant contact, the Keychron S1 comes with an extra set of custom-made keycaps so you’ll be able to correctly optimize key labels for the pc platform of your selection.

By default, the purple accent key caps (resembling esc and enter) and Mac keycaps are pre-installed, whereas the black accent key caps (left alt, proper alt, Windows, black esc, and the black enter) are included as replacements or alternates. There’s additionally a bodily swap on the rear of the keyboard to swap between custom-made Windows and Mac layouts.

For testing functions on numerous Windows 11-based machines, I switched the keyboard over to Windows. The ultra-thin keycaps are very straightforward to drag off with the included software after which pop again on.

Solid Build Quality and Performance

If you know the way to sort and aren’t utilizing a mechanical keyboard, you’re lacking out. The distinction in really feel and responsiveness of a very good mechanical keyboard over normal keyboards is like using in type in a luxurious automotive versus a bare-bones utility car. The Keychron S1, with its sandwich of aluminum casing, acoustic case foam, PCB, and metal plate provides the kind of premium really feel you’d anticipate from a very good mechanical keyboard.

Most keyboards have an adjustment interval when first utilizing them, however I had few points transitioning to the Keychron S1. The solely actual stumbles I had had been because of the relative proximity of the keys, which is likely one of the concessions with a keyboard of this measurement. Once you get used to the extra compact key spacing, nonetheless, you should not have any downside getting near the standard typing pace you obtain on a full-size keyboard.

The default keyboard angle is 3 levels. With the included rubber toes, the rear of the keyboard could be raised to a extra ergonomic 6-degree typing angle. While I discovered this angle high-quality, I’d have significantly most popular the kind of retractable toes discovered on different keyboards that provide at the very least one further stage of elevation.

Similarly, I discovered the one USB-C port on the rear of the keyboard and the included USB-C cable an inconvenience for a way I’ve my numerous workstations arrange. I’ve lengthy since transitioned to wi-fi mechanical keyboards so I’ve full use of the desk area behind my keyboard. Regardless of the place I used it, the cable acquired in the best way.

Of course, the plus aspect of a wired keyboard is an interference-free, high-speed connection and no issues over battery life, notably when making liberal use of the lighting choices. Nevertheless, I’d have favored to have a wi-fi possibility even when it meant an excellent greater worth level.

Despite the Keychron S1’s smaller measurement, the keyboard retains important performance, though you’ll must make use of the perform (fn) key to entry the secondary features of the F1 – F12 keys like play/pause and quantity up/down.

The low-profile spherical-angled (PBT LSA) keycaps are very shallow, like a laptop computer’s. There’s a tiny little bit of key wobble in the event you faucet a key off-center, however for regular typing, key presses register true with a surprisingly deep backside for such shallow keycaps.

Since my keyboard is configured with Brown switches, key presses make a muted clicking sound, so it’s undoubtedly quieter than many different mechanical keyboards. It’s nonetheless audible and you continue to know you’re utilizing a mechanical keyboard, however this configuration is certainly extra office-friendly. With that stated, the area bar is noisier than the opposite keys when it bottoms out, however, on the plus aspect, has no wobble irrespective of the place you press it.

Although my Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max’s built-in microphone makes the keyboard sound louder than it really is throughout regular utilization, you’ll be able to hear how the Brown switches sound when recorded up shut:

If you go for RGB backlighting, as much as 22 backlight results can be found. You can additional modify the hue, saturation, brightness, and impact pace with the VIA software program (mentioned within the subsequent part). By default, the keyboard backlight cycles by way of a rainbow of colours. Since the included keycaps are opaque, you don’t see any of the sunshine shining by way of the labels, however slightly between every of the keys. Personally, I want when the letters are illuminated.

VIA: Open-Source Software Experience

The Keychron S1 options open-source firmware with full VIA help, which is a challenge primarily based on QMK that permits for real-time keyboard management. In different phrases, as a substitute of needing to reflash the keyboard’s firmware every time you make a change, you may make adjustments on-the-fly. Of course, do you have to mess one thing up, the Keychron S1 means that you can manufacturing facility reset.

The VIA app, which helps you to set keyboard layouts, shortcuts, backlight results, and extra is accessible for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You may also go to caniusevia.com to entry the identical performance out of your net browser.

Since the VIA code for the S1 remains to be awaiting approval from GitHub, it’s not but robotically acknowledged, so it’s worthwhile to undergo some further steps to manually obtain and import the S1 keymap (S1 RGB Version ANSI (US) and S1 White Backlight Version ANSI (US)).

Unfortunately, for me, regardless of testing on three completely different Windows 11-based computer systems, I used to be unable to get full entry to the keyboard to check the VIA programmability and remapping performance. This seems to be a comparatively widespread challenge, as Keychron has a discrete assertion about contacting help do you have to run into such a difficulty. Regardless, Keychron has a wonderful tutorial on tips on how to make use of VIA, and Mark LoProto’s earlier overview of the Keychron Q8 indicated no points for that keyboard, so your personal mileage could fluctuate.

Should You Buy the Keychron S1 QMK Mechanical Keyboard?

There’s no denying that the Keychron S1 QMK Mechanical Keyboard achieves a excessive normal of high quality that makes it a wonderful selection for many who wish to customise their expertise with out sacrificing efficiency. On a sensible stage, nonetheless, it’s onerous to unequivocally suggest this keyboard.

For one factor, whereas its compact measurement is spectacular, you save perhaps an inch or so of width and fewer than that in depth versus many tenkeyless keyboards. These boards can provide extra comfy spacing between keys, and even some devoted media features, like with the wi-fi Logitech G915, a private favourite. The heavy weight of the Keycrhron S1 doesn’t make it a great journey companion both, nor does its want for a cable to work, though once more, that does remove having to maintain one more machine charged.

Then there’s the query of worth. The Keychron S1 shouldn’t be outrageously priced for a keyboard of this high quality, however in the event you’re not going to benefit from its customization choices, be it {hardware} or software program, there are extra versatile and value-priced mechanical keyboards on the market. For occasion, the wi-fi Velocifire TKL02WS is lower than half the worth.

The Keychron S1 delivers a satisfying total typing expertise, however until you discover its dimensions ergonomically appropriate, you actually don’t want a 75% scale keyboard. Even if area is at a premium, many tenkeyless keyboards are solely barely bigger, even when most don’t provide the identical sort of customization choices.