Description
The Keychron Q1 is a custom mechanical keyboard in a 75 percent layout, sold here in the knob version and the Version 2 revision. Keychron specifies QMK and VIA programmability, hot-swappable Gateron G Pro Brown switches, a double gasket mount and compatibility with Mac, Windows and Linux. It is a wired keyboard. The listed dimensions are 12.93 by 5.71 by 1.41 inches and the listed weight is 5.92 pounds.
That weight is not a typographical error and it is the first clue to what this keyboard is. Boards in this class use a machined aluminum case, and the mass is deliberate.
What “Custom” Means Here
Keychron uses the word custom deliberately, and it refers to three specific properties rather than to appearance.
The first is QMK and VIA programmability. QMK is open source keyboard firmware that runs on the board itself. VIA is a graphical tool for configuring it. Together they mean every key can be remapped, layers can be built, and macros can be assigned, with the configuration stored in the keyboard rather than in software running on your computer. That is a real distinction: a QMK board carries its layout to any machine you plug it into, including one where you cannot install software, and it keeps working after the manufacturer stops updating its application.
The second is hot-swappable switches. Sockets under each key let switches be pulled out and replaced by hand with no soldering. Switch preference is personal and hard to predict from descriptions, so the ability to change them without replacing the keyboard is worth a great deal. It also means a failed switch is a two minute repair rather than a dead board.
The third is the gasket mount. Keychron describes a double gasket design. In a gasket mounted keyboard, the plate holding the switches is suspended on compliant material rather than screwed rigidly to the case. The result is a slightly softer typing feel and a different, usually deeper sound, because impact energy is absorbed rather than transmitted straight into the metal case. Whether you prefer it is subjective; that it is a structural design choice rather than marketing is not.
The Layout, the Knob and the Switches
A 75 percent layout keeps the function row and the arrow keys while compressing the navigation cluster into a column at the right edge and removing the gaps between key groups. It trades the number pad for desk space and a closer mouse position. If you enter numeric data regularly, that trade will not suit you, and the darkFlash DF98 is an example of a board that keeps the pad.
The knob is a rotary encoder in the top right corner. By default it usually controls volume, and because the board is QMK programmable it can be reassigned to scrolling, zoom, brush size or anything else, with different behavior per layer. It is a small feature that people who have one tend not to give up.
Gateron G Pro Brown switches are tactile: a bump partway through the press confirms actuation, without the audible click of a clicky switch. Brown is the usual recommendation for a board used for both typing and gaming and for an office where clicky switches would be unwelcome. Since the board is hot-swappable, this is a starting point rather than a permanent decision.
Highlights
- 75 percent layout with a rotary knob, Version 2 revision.
- QMK and VIA programmable firmware stored on the keyboard itself.
- Hot-swappable switch sockets, no soldering required to change switches.
- Gateron G Pro Brown tactile switches fitted as supplied.
- Double gasket mount for a softer typing feel and altered sound profile.
- Stated compatibility with Mac, Windows and Linux.
- Listed at 12.93 x 5.71 x 1.41 inches and 5.92 pounds.
Things To Consider
Start with the categorization, because it is the most obvious problem with this listing and it is flagged here rather than changed. The source listing files this keyboard under Video Games, then Legacy Systems, then Nintendo Systems, then Nintendo DS, then Accessories, then Cases and Storage. Its sales rank appears under Nintendo DS Cases and Storage. On this site it sits in a Cases and Storage category as a result. It is a mechanical keyboard and has nothing to do with the Nintendo DS. Anyone browsing for keyboards would not find it where it currently sits.
On the product itself, three considerations.
The weight. At a listed 5.92 pounds this is exceptionally heavy for a compact keyboard, and that is by design: the aluminum case gives rigidity and keeps the board immovable on a desk. It also makes it unsuitable for carrying, and it is worth checking that your desk arrangement suits a board you will not be moving.
The wiring. This is a wired keyboard with no wireless option, which Keychron states plainly in the product title. For a desk board that is arguably the right choice, since there is no battery to charge and no latency question, but anyone wanting to switch between a desktop and a tablet should look at a wireless model such as the Keychron K13 Pro or the Redragon K652.
The unstated details. The listing does not give the keycap material or profile, the polling rate, the cable type or length, whether extra switches or keycaps are included, or whether the case has a switchable Mac and Windows modifier layout. Keycap material in particular is worth confirming, since it affects how the board looks after a year of use.
Who Should Buy It, and Who Should Not
Buy the Q1 if you want a keyboard you can genuinely modify, you type enough that build quality and sound matter, and a wired connection on a desk is fine. QMK firmware, hot-swappable sockets and a gasket mounted aluminum case are the three things that separate a custom board from a gaming keyboard, and this one has all three at a size that leaves room for a mouse.
Do not buy it if you need a number pad, if you want wireless, or if you want something you can carry. If the appeal is the aesthetic rather than the customization, cheaper boards deliver that for far less; the Higround Basecamp 65 is one example. For a matching pointing device, the Keychron M3 comes from the same maker. Our gaming keyboards category and keyboards category cover the range of layouts and switch types.