Keychron Q1 HE: a very good product becomes excellent

Kevin Hofer

7.10.2024

Translation: Katherine Martin

With the Q1 HE, Keychron has expanded its Q series with Hall effect switches. The keyboard’s brilliantly suited to gaming, retaining its other qualities at the same time.

Keychron has established itself as a major brand in our range. It all started in 2022 with the launch of the Q1, a keyboard whose outstanding build quality and customisation options were unique at the time. The fact that the keyboard was also available with a Swiss layout was the icing on the cake for many.

Since then, the Q1 has seen a number of new additions. These include Bluetooth and the replacement of steel cover plates with polycarbonate as standard on the Pro version. Meanwhile, a 2.4 GHz wireless feature and extra insulation were added to the Max version. The new HE now comes with Hall effect switches. You can set the trigger and reset points for them individually. If you’re a gamer, this is a brilliant innovation.

Fantastic Hall effect switches

Nebula switches from Gateron are fitted to the Q1 HE as standard. These linear, analogue switches are triggered magnetically. Here’s how it works. There’s a magnet positioned under the stem. When the key’s pressed down, the magnet moves closer to the conductive element on the circuit board, the sensor. The shorter the distance between these two, the higher the voltage. This is measured so that the distance between the magnet and the sensor can be calculated precisely. You can adjust the built-in switches’ key stroke to anything ranging from 0.2 to 3.8 millimetres.

Changes to the settings are made in the Launcher app, a browser-based program. Here, you set the trigger and reset distances. You can also activate rapid trigger, which means the key is immediately triggered when pressed and deactivated immediately when released. When gaming, this can give you a crucial advantage. It’s also possible to define several commands per keystroke and choose from a variety of sensitivity settings.

I have no way of measuring how accurately the switches trigger in different settings, but they feel right to me. Tests carried out by Rtings confirm that impression. A force of 40–60 grammes is required to trigger the key.

Overall, the switches make a very good impression on me. Since they’re lubricated, they work smoothly and sound good.

Gasket mount creates a soft typing feel

Like the other Q series models, the Q1 HE is a gasket-mount keyboard. Its circuit board includes the cover plate onto which the keys are mounted, all clamped between the upper and lower parts of the housing. Polyurethane foam seals at the top and bottom provide grip and that flexible typing feel. Keychron has used aluminium for the cover plate.

The Q1 HE has a 75 per cent form factor. As a result, you lose the number pad and a few navigation keys you’d get on a full-size keyboard.

Like most aluminium keyboards, the Q1 HE has a fixed typing angle of 5 degrees. At the front, the Q1 is 22.6 millimetres high. If you’re used to flat keyboards, you might want one of Keychron’s matching palm rests.

I received a US keyboard layout for testing. The Swiss version’s set to hit the shelves in November. My keyboard is available in either Carbon Black or Shell White. The quality of the CNC-milled housing and anodised finish are very good. Due to the materials used, the keyboard weighs over 1,700 grammes with switches and keycaps. But thanks to the indentations on the side, it can still be easily lifted and moved.

It feels great to type on the Q1 HE. When hitting the keys, the whole construction gives slightly. On the one hand, I tire less quickly, and on the other, it makes typing feel more organic. The keyboard reacts and sways with my input.

In contrast to the original Q1, it also has the right sound. Keychron achieves this in two ways. Firstly, by using extra insulating material and secondly, by fitting silicone seals between the upper and lower parts of the housing. This force break mod gets rid of the distinctive pinging noise made by the Q1.

One thing that could use some work is the stabilisers. These ensure that the long keys are pressed down evenly. Despite being lubricated, they rattle and click. Mind you, thanks to hot swap, you can easily mod or replace them.

The keycaps, manufactured using a double-casting process, are top-notch. Double-casting involves casting the lettering using PBT plastic first, then the rest of the keycap. As a result, the writing never fades. The PBT used seems to be of good quality – I can barely squeeze the sides of the caps together.

Box contents and keyboard features

The keyboard is compatible with Mac and Windows. You can activate the appropriate system using a switch located at the back of the keyboard on the left-hand side. Right next to that, there’s the USB-C port for PC connections. The Q1 HE comes with keycaps for Mac and Windows. You also get a USB cable for connecting and charging, a keycap and switch puller for removing components and the tools necessary to do so. A dongle including an extender for the wireless connection is also included in the package.

It takes about five hours to fully charge the keyboard. The built-in 4,000-mAH battery lasts up to 100 hours with Bluetooth on and the keyboard’s lighting switched off. If you’re connected via 2.4 GHz and have the lighting set to the brightest setting, it lasts about 30 hours.

The switch puller and tool for unscrewing components serve their purpose. However, if you plan on swapping switches more frequently, I’d recommend a different switch puller. This one makes removing keys a true pain.

Software and settings

The Q1 HE is compatible with the Launcher app and QMK. QMK stands for Quantum Mechanical Keyboard. It’s an open source online tool that you use to make firmware for compatible keyboards. Simply put, you use it to programme key bindings, macros and the illumination of your keyboard. You then place it on the keyboard using the new firmware. The Launcher app does the same as QMK, except you don’t always have to install the firmware on the keyboard.

As I’ve already covered, you can modify the Hall effect switch settings. Plus, you’ve got the option to customise key assignment, update the firmware and define macros and lighting. Speaking of lighting, it’s less bright than on gaming keyboards. This is partly because the keycaps don’t let any light through, and partly because the lighting is visible at the bottom of the switches. With gaming keyboards, it’s common for light to come through at the top. This lights them up more effectively, especially shine-through keycaps. Even so, the Q1 HE’s lighting does the job.

Overall, the Launcher app and QMK leave nothing to be desired. They’re reliable and structured in an easy-to-navigate way.

In a nutshell

A very good keyboard has got even better

The Q1 HE improves on the original Q1 in crucial areas, and has been kitted out with Hall effect switches to boot. Its excellent build quality and great performance in both office use and gaming make it an outstanding keyboard. The only downside is the stabilisers, which definitely need to be modded or replaced. If you don’t do that, they rattle annoyingly.

The Q1 HE isn’t cheap. You need to be the kind of person willing to fork out a lot on a keyboard. It costs more than the Pro or Max version, but the price tag’s justified by the Hall effect switches. This considered, I’d say the keyboard’s reasonably priced.

Pro

• Superb build quality and materials
• Feels great to type on
• Hall effect switches
• Good software

Contra

• Poor stabilisers
• Pricey

Keyboard

CHF324.–

Keychron Q1 HE (Magnetic Switch)

US, Wireless, Cable

3

Kevin Hofer

Senior Editor

kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.ch

From big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.

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