I love when a piece of tech completely surprises me and wins me over within hours. That’s exactly what happened with the Keychron K2 HE Wireless Magnetic Switch Keyboard. If you’re a keyboard enthusiast, you might be thinking, “The K2? Isn’t that old news?” Well, yes—this isn’t the first iteration of the K2 (it’s probably the fifth by now), but this version stands apart thanks to the HE in its name, which stands for Hall Effect.
Unlike traditional mechanical or optical switches, Hall Effect magnetic switches bring a new level of precision. What does that mean for you? In a word: control. You get faster, smoother, and more accurate key actuations that can be adjusted down to the millimeter. Plus, features like Rapid Trigger and analog-style inputs let you use the keyboard almost like a joystick, making it perfect for gaming or creative workflows. Best of all, customization is a breeze thanks to a web-based app—no annoying software installations required.
Keychron didn’t just stop at performance, though. This keyboard is stunning. The sleek chassis is elevated by elegant wood accents that add a touch of luxury to your desk setup. Pair that with tri-mode connectivity, excellent battery life, and a genuinely satisfying typing experience, and you’ve got a serious contender for Keyboard of the Year.
At $229, the Keychron K2 HE offers premium features at a fraction of the cost of competitors like the ASUS ROG Azoth Extreme—while delivering almost identical performance. What’s not to love?
Design & Build
Let’s be honest—the first thing that drew me to the Keychron K2 HE was its design. It was love at first sight. The standout feature? Those gorgeous rosewood accents on either side of the keyboard. Keychron has sandwiched an aluminum chassis between two beautifully crafted wooden slats, creating a look that’s equal parts modern and rustic. I’ve seen everything from LEGO-themed keyboards to carbon-fiber builds, but this is my first keyboard with a wooden design—even if it’s just the sides. The result? A board that feels genuinely unique and effortlessly cool.
The rest of the build doesn’t disappoint either. The aluminum frame adds heft and a premium feel, while the overall construction screams durability. Available in two stunning colorways—black with dark wood or white with light wood—it’s tough to pick a favorite. Keychron also adds a matching brown Esc and Enter key to complement the rosewood accents, rounding out the aesthetic beautifully.
Functionally, the K2 HE features a 75% layout, which strikes the perfect balance between space-saving design and usability. It’s compact enough to free up desk space but still includes all the essential keys. The slightly elevated design encourages a natural typing posture, and the adjustable feet let you tweak the angle for extra comfort—perfect for marathon typing sessions or late-night gaming.
Keychron has cleverly integrated all the switches on the left wood panel, where a cutout houses the three-way mode selector (wired, wireless, and Bluetooth), a Windows/Mac switch, and a USB-C port for charging and wired connections. It’s a clean, functional setup. The board also features doubleshot, shine-through PBT keycaps, which are swappable, and even includes a keycap puller in the box for easy customization.
Speaking of versatility, the K2 HE’s triple connectivity is par for the course. You can pair with up to three devices over Bluetooth 5.2, use the low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless dongle, or go old-school with USB-C. Switching between devices is seamless—I frequently bounce between my laptop and gaming PC without a hiccup. Connectivity has been rock-solid across the board, and with 1,000Hz polling over 2.4 GHz and wired modes, gamers can rest easy knowing the input lag is minimal.
On the inside, Keychron hasn’t skimped either. The K2 HE is packed with 3.5 mm EVA acoustic foam, EPDM foam, and a silicone pad, which combine to deliver a satisfyingly soft, thocky typing sound. It’s the perfect balance—not so loud it disturbs others, but not so muted that it feels lifeless. Even my wife, who has opinions about noisy keyboards, hasn’t complained once since I switched to the K2 HE. The feel and sound are just as impressive as the design, thanks in large part to the Hall Effect magnetic switches.
Battery life is solid, offering over 100 hours on 2.4 GHz wireless with RGB lighting enabled. For me, that translates to about two to three weeks of daily use between charges. If you opt for Bluetooth and turn off the RGB, you could easily stretch that to a month or more. However, there’s no quick-charge functionality, so plan ahead when it does run out of juice.
Switches & RGB
The Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula switches on the K2 HE are undoubtedly its star feature. Leveraging pressure-sensitive Hall Effect sensors, these switches allow you to fine-tune actuation depth with 0.1 mm precision. Want rapid-fire key presses? Set the actuation point as low as 0.2 mm. Prefer a more deliberate action? Adjust it up to 3.8 mm. You can even customize sensitivity for each individual key, giving you unparalleled control.
These linear switches come pre-lubed straight from the factory, ensuring buttery-smooth keystrokes from day one. Keychron also promises an impressive 150 million click lifespan, so you won’t need to worry about replacements anytime soon. When the time does come—or if you’re just in the mood to experiment—the keyboard’s hot-swappable design means you can swap out the switches without soldering or tools. It’s fully compatible with other Hall Effect switches for endless customization possibilities.
To enhance the typing experience further, Keychron has equipped the K2 HE with improved stabilizers, ensuring larger keys like the spacebar and shift feel smooth and consistent. Combined with the low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless mode, input lag is virtually eliminated, making it an ideal choice for gamers and typists alike. Every press feels instant, precise, and satisfying.
The keyboard’s RGB backlighting is another standout. With north-facing LEDs, the lighting is both bright and vibrant, offering full customization to match your aesthetic. Whether you prefer subtle effects for a professional look or dynamic animations for gaming, it’s all easily adjustable. The lighting also improves visibility in low-light settings, making late-night sessions more enjoyable. My only gripe? The legends on the keycaps aren’t transparent, so the light doesn’t shine through. It’s a minor miss in an otherwise stellar setup.
Gaming Features & Performance
If you’re a gamer, the Keychron K2 HE isn’t just a keyboard—it’s a competitive edge. These magnetic switches unlock features that can genuinely enhance your gameplay, giving you tools that feel almost unfair (in the best way). Let me break it down.
First, there’s Last Keystroke Prioritization (LKP). This feature is a game-changer for precise movements. For instance, if you’re a fan of Call of Duty or any fast-paced FPS, LKP makes quick directional changes seamless, perfect for omni-directional strafing. Snap Click, another standout, prioritizes the deeper keypress when two keys are pressed simultaneously, making advanced moves like counter-strafing feel effortless.
Then we have the infamous Dynamic Rapid Trigger—a feature that feels borderline cheat-code level. Unlike traditional switches that require predefined actuation and reset points, Rapid Trigger allows keys to reset as soon as they’re released. The result? Blazing-fast key actions. Whether you’re jiggle-strafing or spamming inputs, it’s ridiculously effective. I tested this in Destiny 2’s Crucible, and the difference was night and day—I was winning gunfights I’d normally lose.
But the magic doesn’t stop there. Dynamic Keystrokes let you assign up to four actions per key based on how far you press it. Imagine lightly pressing a key to walk, pressing deeper to run, and releasing it to slide. It’s customizable for any playstyle.
And then there’s Gamepad Analog Mode, which transforms your keys into precision analog inputs. This is a godsend for games like Forza Horizon 5, where pressing keys deeper can control acceleration or steering just like a joystick. The level of control is nothing short of incredible—perfect for racing enthusiasts or anyone who wants controller-like finesse on a keyboard.
QMK & Launcher
To set up all these advanced controls and tweak the lighting, you’ll need to use the Keychron Launcher. And here’s the cool part—there’s no software to install. It’s a web-based app you run directly in your browser, which is a massive win in my book. No bloated apps hogging your system’s resources, and if you’re on a locked-down work computer like I often am, you can still customize the keyboard without hassle.
The Launcher is straightforward but not exactly intuitive. Setting up complex features like Last Keystroke Prioritization (LKP) or Dynamic Keystrokes requires a bit of trial and error to dial things in. On the plus side, the app provides real-time feedback and visuals to help you see your changes as you make them.
One part that took me a moment to wrap my head around was the layers versus profiles system. Layers let you stack multiple key bindings or mappings on top of one another—for instance, having a Windows layer and a Mac layer that automatically adjust based on your operating system. Profiles, on the other hand, save these mappings for specific use cases, like gaming or work setups, and you can switch between them seamlessly (up to three profiles are supported).
The K2 HE supports this versatility with 256K flash memory and QMK open-source firmware, making it incredibly flexible. However, there’s a notable downside: the Launcher doesn’t work over 2.4GHz wireless or Bluetooth—you’ll need to connect via USB-C to make changes. That’s a frustrating limitation in an otherwise stellar experience. With wireless tech being so capable, I can’t see why this couldn’t have been included.
Verdict
The Keychron K2 HE is a stunning keyboard that does everything I need—and then some—while remaining, dare I say it, delightfully understated. At first glance, you’d be forgiven for assuming it’s more of a productivity powerhouse than a gaming board. And while it is perfect for hammering out office docs all day, by night it transforms into a performance beast that even amateurs like me can wield effectively. There’s a reason it keeps popping up on your Instagram feed among those meticulously curated desk setups.
What truly sets this keyboard apart are the Hall Effect switches. They pack so much functionality into this sleek board that it makes me wonder: why would anyone spend triple the price on something like the ROG Azoth Extreme? Are there cheaper hall effect boards, yes but none of them brings form and function as beautifully as Keychron.
This keyboard is clearly designed for the discerning professional who wants a versatile tool that balances productivity and gaming without screaming gamer aesthetic or compromising performance either way. It’s refined, powerful, and worth every penny. Once you try it, you won’t want to go back to anything else.
Keychron Australia kindly provided the Keychron K2 HE Wireless Magnetic keyboard for the purpose of this review
