True Score Methodology v1.0

Keychron K12 Review

Name: Keychron K12
Brand: Keychron

August 16, 2023

True Score

79

Mixed Reviews

76

1

Experts

86

42

Consumers

Expert Rankings

(

1

)

Experts praised the Keychron K12, recommending it for gaming, mobile use, and office use. They were delighted by its customizable RGB backlighting, selection of mechanical switches, and multi-device Bluetooth pairing. However, they despised its average latency.

Keychron K12 60% Layout Bluetooth Wireless/USB Wired Mechanical Keyboard with Gateron G Pro Brown Switch/RGB Backlit/N-Key Rollover/Aluminum Frame, Compact 61-Key Computer Keyboard for Mac Windows

$99.99

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Table of Contents

The Snapshot
What Is Not On the Box
Product Comparison
All Stores
Score Card
Expert Score Breakdown
Learn More About Wireless Keyboard

The Snapshot

our Verdict

Analysts praised the Keychron K12, endorsing most usage cases, including office, mobile, and gaming. Testers at TechRadar were delighted by its compact 60% design. However, see our Keychron K10 review if you desire a full-size model. Reviewers at PCMag loved its aluminum frame, although it has cheap plastic ABS keycaps. Featuring incline positions at 4°, 6°, and 10°, the keyboard was deemed fairly ergonomic by testers, but it lacks a wrist rest. This model boasts RGB backlighting with individually lit keys, and it impressed with its wired USB-C cable and triple-device Bluetooth pairing. The keyboard runs on a 4000 mAh rechargeable…

Analysts praised the Keychron K12, endorsing most usage cases, including office, mobile, and gaming. Testers at TechRadar were delighted by its compact 60% design. However, see our Keychron K10 review if you desire a full-size model. Reviewers at PCMag loved its aluminum frame, although it has cheap plastic ABS keycaps.

Featuring incline positions at 4°, 6°, and 10°, the keyboard was deemed fairly ergonomic by testers, but it lacks a wrist rest. This model boasts RGB backlighting with individually lit keys, and it impressed with its wired USB-C cable and triple-device Bluetooth pairing. The keyboard runs on a 4000 mAh rechargeable li-polymer battery with an advertised battery life of 240 hours. Tests that were done on a unit with Gateron Brown tactile switches revealed a 44 gf operating force and 2.6 mm pre-travel distance.

Critics were delighted by its excellent typing experience and quiet operation. It’s available with a range of switches and has a hot-swappable variant. Latency tests revealed a so-so 11.7 ms wired latency and 22.9 ms Bluetooth latency.

True Score

79

Reasons to Buy

Three-device Bluetooth pairing
Wired and wireless connectivity
Compact 60% design
RGB backlighting with per-key illumination
Rechargeable battery

Reasons to Avoid

No dedicated arrow or function keys
Not macro-programmable
Lacks a wrist rest
High wired and Bluetooth latency

Specifications

Battery Life
240 hours
Foldable
No
Form Factor
Compact (60%)
Keyboard Technology
Mechanical
Numeric Keypad
na
Palm Rest
na
Plug & Play
Yes
Spill Resistant
Yes
Touchpad
na
Wireless
Yes
Wireless Connectivity
USB Receiver
Wireless Range
10 meters

What Is Not On the Box

What the brand doesn’t always tell you…

The Keychron K12 is a compact (60% size) mid-range mechanical wireless keyboard released in 2020, promising enhanced productivity for office users. Like some of the top keyboards on the market today, this device supports multi-device Bluetooth pairing, but it also supports wired connections.

It comes with a selection of Gateron and Keychron proprietary mechanical switches, including Keychron Mint, Banana, Blue, Red, and Brown. It also has a hot-swappable variant. Closely examine the features of this keyboard below and see how the Keychron K12 measures up against the most popular wireless keyboards of our time.

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Product Comparison

	Keychron K12 Review	Keychron K14 Review	Keychron K6 Review
True Score	79	79	80
Market Context	–	Both the Keychron K12 and the Keychron K14 have hot-swappable variants and they are both mechanical keyboards that come in a range of Gateron and Keychron switches. However, the K12 is a compact (60% size) model that has fewer keys than the 70% compact K14. Our Keychron K14 review discusses the K14 in detail. Read more ↓	The Keychron K12 and the Keychron K6 are very similar keyboards, having the same range of mechanical switches. However, the 60% compact Keychron K12 doesn’t have dedicated arrow keys, but the 65% compact Keychron K6 does have arrow keys. Gamers should note that the K6 has a lower 7.7 ms wired latency than the 11.7 ms wired latency of the K6. Read more ↓	Featuring dedicated media keys, dedicated macro keys, and proprietary customization software, the Logitech G613 LIGHTSPEED is radically different from the Keychron K12. Unlike the 60% compact Keychron K12, the Logitech mechanical keyboard has a full-size form factor, and it boasts a much lower 7.7 ms Bluetooth latency than the 22.9 ms Bluetooth latency of the Keychron device. Read more ↓
Form Factor	Compact (60%)	Compact (70%)	Compact (65%)
Keyboard Technology	Mechanical	Mechanical	Mechanical
Battery Life	up to 240 hours with the backlighting off	–	N/A
Wireless	Yes	–	Yes
Numeric Keypad	No	Yes	No
Dig Deeper	–	Read Review →	Read Review →