Keychron K2 HE Concrete Edition Review: Rock-Solid Typing | WIRED
$200 at Keychron
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Rating:8/10
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WIRED
Novel case material. Great switches and keycaps. Enjoyable typing experience. Extensive performance adjustments through software. Bluetooth and 2.4G connectivity with USB-A dongle.
TIRED
Concrete case has significant tradeoffs in weight and practicality. In-browser customization requires physical connection. Lack of aftermarket switch options.
Yes, Keychron made a concrete keyboard. The cause of scraped knees, bike-tire skid marks, and finger-painted signatures is now the foundation of a keyboard. Just where you'd least expect it.
And to my surprise, it’s not quite as ridiculous as it sounds. Unlike the company's ceramic keyboard, the showcase material here is only the case; the keycaps are standard plastic. And unlike that novelty keyboard, which I found quite disappointing, I’m glad to say Keychron’s latest keyboard fares better. Maybe it’s just because I have a strong affinity for brutalism and the imposing pieces of architecture it spawns. The drab, slightly-warm gray has a certain, depressing charm that few materials can replicate. And underneath the shock value, there’s a genuinely well-made and coherent keyboard.
Absurdity and Brutalism
When I first started testing the K2 HE, I would mention it to quite a few people, saying “yeah, I’m actually reviewing a keyboard made of concrete right now,” and every single person would ask to see it. The very nature of it, something seemingly-absurd to the average person, makes it a true conversation piece. The material is often seen as industrial, lacking in taste or refinement and being reserved entirely for utilitarian applications where function trumps form. In media, it often serves as a visual shorthand for a soulless world that is devoid of joy and whimsy. Of course, artists and architects love it, and apparently, so do cats.
Photograph: Henri Robbins
I was drawn instantly to the idea of a concrete keyboard. There is, after all, an ironic humor that comes with a premium object, like a high-end keyboard, being made from the most basic and bland of materials. However, this isn’t the first concrete keyboard by any means, as there are quite a few DIY and limited-run concrete and cement keyboards have appeared online over the years. None of these have been as widely available as the K2 HE, though, which can be ordered and received in a matter of days instead of months (or, in the case of some group buys, years).
I am shocked to say that, somehow, the choice to use concrete is beneficial to this keyboard. It sounds great, and it feels responsive to type on. For a novelty-adjacent keyboard like this, one of the most important aspects of it is the user experience. The strange choices need to justify themselves in some kind of way, instead of being both ridiculous and useless.
The switches are smooth, and the sound profile is a pleasantly rounded, deep tone that isn’t very common today. It has some subtle notes in the mid- and high-frequency range that creates a more “full” sound, especially on the upstroke of a key when released, but none of these are so extreme that the main tone is muddied or diluted. Really, this is one of the better-sounding keyboards that I’ve tested. While it’s certainly not a purpose-built, gasket-mounted keyboard, it’s good enough to justify the silly choice of materials.
Photograph: Henri Robbins
Photograph: Henri Robbins
While the typing experience isn’t particularly special, it is passable. The concrete combines with the switches to create a slight softness at the bottom of a keypress, without being so soft that it feels mushy or unpleasant. Instead, it feels as if the harsher sensation of bottoming out are being absorbed by a fairly porous material, while the density of it prevents the vibrations from spreading out too far.
The stabilizers are PCB-mounted, which is preferable to the typical plate-mounted units that many keyboards use, and are lubricated from the factory. The lube on these stabilizers, while a bit excessive (there were small clumps of lube visible on the outside housings, which is not typical), feels great. The stabilized keys are smooth and consistent, with no audible rattling or sticking when typing.
But as it turns out, the greatest downside of this keyboard is, also, the material choice. As much as unsealed, raw concrete is quirky and fun, it is ultimately a utilitarian material: It’s heavy, has an inconsistent texture, and stains easily. During my time with this keyboard, it gathered quite a few smudges and stains, nearly all of which had unknown-to-me origins. Maybe they came from cleaning sprays, or from something on my hands, but I honestly have no clue. Depending on your perspective, this can be a flaw or a bonus. What some consider dirty, others will see as “patina.” But as someone who likes keeping their electronics squeaky-clean