GoKawiilThe Keychron K3 Ultra is the best low-profile mech on the market, despite a couple of flaws.
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A few years ago, Keychron released the highly anticipated Keychron Q1 and we loved it. Since then, the company hasn’t looked back. Over the last several years, the company has produced dozens of mechanical keyboards, ranging from gasket-mounted enthusiast-tier planks to low-profile office boards.
The Keychron K3 Ultra, which is currently on Kickstarter for a price of $105 and is available in white or black, is a low-profile mechanical keyboard with a 75-percent design. The K3 Ultra is unlike most keyboards we review, as it features real wood sides — similar to the Keychron K2 HE Special Edition — 8,000 Hz polling, the brand's home-built tactile switches, and very impressive battery life.
However, that’s just what’s on paper, so is the Keychron K3 Ultra a good mechanical keyboard? Let’s find out.
Swipe to scroll horizontally Switches Keychron “Banana” tactile Lighting Per-key RGB Onboard Storage Yes, 4 profiles Media Keys Yes with FN or programmable Connectivity USB Type A or C with adapter and 2.4 Ghz/Bluetooth Cable 6-feet, braided Additional Ports 0 Keycaps Double-shot ABS Software Keychron Launcher Dimensions (LxWxH) 12.5 X 4.9 x 1 inches / 318.6 x 126 x 25.4 mm Weight 1.26 lbs / 575g MSRP / Price at time of release $105 Release Date Ships May
Design
The Keychron K3 Ultra is an ultra sleek, low-profile mechanical keyboard with a 75-percent silhouette, a polling rate of 8,000 Hz, insane battery life, hot-swap sockets and edges made of real rosewood, which is the type of wood you see on premium guitar fretboards.
While it seems like almost every new mechanical keyboard on the market is sporting a gasket-mount design, the K3 Ultra uses a traditional tray-mount design. However, Keychron didn’t skimp out on the typing experience, as you still get multiple layers of foam and the company's own low-profile tactile switches.
The switches are Keychron’s Banana Switches. The banana switches are described to be similar to Panda switches, which, depending on who you ask, are the holy grail of tactile switches thanks to their gentle yet tactile bump. If you’re unfamiliar with switches outside of Gateron or Cherry MX, I found the banana switches to be similar to Cherry MX Clears. I also want to add that the switch resembles the Vault-Tec logo from Fallout.
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