Keychron K2 HE Concrete Edition review: Solid writing

The stabilizers are mounted on the PCB, which is better than the typical board-mounted units used by many keyboards, and are lubricated from the factory. The lubrication on these fasteners, while a bit excessive (there were small clumps of lube visible on the outer housings, which is unusual), feels great. The stable keys are smooth and consistent, with no audible clatter or sticking when typing.

But as it turns out, the biggest downside to this keyboard is also the choice of materials. As quirky and fun as raw, unsealed concrete is, it is ultimately a utilitarian material: it is heavy, has an inconsistent texture, and stains easily. During my time with this keyboard, I collected quite a few smudges and stains, almost all of which were of unknown origins. Maybe it came from cleaning sprays, or from something on my hand, but I honestly have no idea. Depending on your point of view, this can be a disadvantage or a bonus. What some consider dirty, others may see as “dirty.” But as someone who likes to keep his electronic devices clean for as long as possible, this is definitely a hassle for me.

(To be concrete, I assume there are dozens of ways to remove almost any stains from this keyboard, such as a power washer or a can of brake cleaner. However, I haven’t had the courage to try it myself, and as such, I can’t guarantee that it’s possible.)

Playing on granite

Despite my many complaints about it The Keychron keyboard is made entirely of ceramicI was still in love with the tunneling magnetic resistance (TMR) switches inside. It was innovative, practical and new, with notable advantages over standards Hall effect (HE) switches.. For this reason, I was surprised to see this keyboard go back to the standard HE keys. They’re still great keys, of course, but going back to a lower-quality option for a similarly unique keyboard doesn’t quite make sense to me.

Regardless, these switches are still impressive by any other standard of comparison. It feels soft, has a reasonable weight, and returns quickly when pressed. This keyboard is good for typing, and is responsive enough for gaming, especially with the 1000Hz polling rate.

Photo: Henry Robbins