Keychron launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign Wednesday for its slim, highly customizable new K3 Pro mechanical keyboard. The company called it “the first-ever low profile mechanical keyboard to come with wireless connectivity and support QMK/VIA.”
And it’s “the first keyboard to ever be equipped with double-shot PBT low profile keycaps,” the company added.
The funding campaign has already eclipsed its initial campaign goal, so the product is likely to ship, just as the original K3 did.
Keychron K3 Pro wireless mechanical keyboard
The K3 Pro is the “professional edition” of Keychron’s popular K3 customizable mechanical keyboard, the company said. QMK/VIA support means that you can easily re-map the keys’ functions to suit your workflow.
“We ran a Kickstarter for the original K3 back in October 2020. We successfully fulfilled to our backers and have been selling this model directly to customers since December 2020, with rave reviews. Customers have said they really love the low-profile design and the powerful features,” said Keychron COO Paul Tan.
“It felt symbolic to return to the platform again with K3 Pro. We wanted to give our incredible community a chance for a first crack at this world’s first,” he added.
Keychron offers three models in the Kickstarter campaign starting at an early-bird price of $89: white backlit, RGB backlit and RBG hot swappable (which means you can easily change out the keys and switches without soldering).
Tan further described the keyboard:
K3 Pro offers revolutionized and durable performance in every way possible. Like its predecessor, it has a 75% layout which is a compact version of tenkeyless (TKL) and is crafted for productivity because it allows users access to all the essential multimedia and function keys, but with a smaller footprint.
Pro offers all of the same features as the original, but where it really stands out is with its full QMK and VIA support that allows for customization for every key and every system, the double-shot PBT low profile keycaps, and the fact that it’s a hot swappable low profile mechanical keyboard.
More about QMK/VIA support
The QMK/VIA support on both the Bluetooth and wired modes open up plenty of possibilities for users’ workflows. Using macOS, Windows or Linux, they can remap any key and create macro commands, shortcuts or combination keys on different layers.
All of the keyboard’s versions can work with up to three devices at once via Bluetooth 5.1 or connect to one device with a provided USB-C cable.
Like other Keychron keyboards, the K3 Pro comes with a Mac layout but also works with Windows.
Slim switches, short keyboard
Photo: Keychron
Many switches for mechanical keyboard are nearly 18mm tall. But the K3 Pro’s low-profile Gateron switches are 12.2mm tall, Keychron said, yet they still deliver a “distinguished tactile response.”
The company compared the height of the keyboard to a quarter (as in the coin). The keyboard stands 22mm at the rear and 17mm at the front.
The keyboard comes with Keychron’s double-shot PBT keycaps, which the company said are durable, oil-resistant and “the first ever double-shot PBT low profile keycaps for a low profile keyboard.”
As of this writing, the Kickstarter campaign stood at $146,623 of its initial $50,000 goal, with 28 days to go.
Price: $89 (early bird)
Where to order: Kickstarter
