Quick Links
Keychron has been in the business of making more affordable mechanical keyboards for years now, but the company has ventured into the premium segment of the market, offering barebone kits that allow for customization through keycaps, switches, and other components. Today, we're going to look at the Keychron Q3 Pro SE, one of the most recent additions to the Keychron family of premium, high-end excellent mechanical keyboards.
The Keychron Q3 Pro SE is priced at around $194 for the barebones kit, which doesn't include any switches or keycaps. Keychron does sell assembled kits and prices that will quickly reach the $200-300 range. That's a lot for a keyboard, but the quality on offer is immense. We've been playing around with the Keychron Q3 Pro SE for a few weeks now and have had no issues at all with the typing and gaming experience. The build quality is incredible with a fully machined aluminum body, aluminum knob, and Keychron's latest PBT keycaps.
Is the Keychron Q3 Pro SE worth the asking price? Absolutely, but we can understand why some would be hesitant to spend so much on a PC peripheral. Should you spend hours at a time typing up thousands of words on a desktop PC, you owe it to yourself to invest in a premium typing platform.
Keychron Q3 Pro SE
The Keychron Q3 Pro SE is a masterpiece of a mechanical keyboard with an 80% layout, a premium aluminum knob, and four macro keys. Throw in wireless support through Bluetooth and you've got one very capable typing machine.
- Form factor
- 80%
- Switch options
- Keychron K Pro Red, Keychron K Pro Brown, Keychron K Pro Banana
- Backlight
- RGB
- Construction
- Aluminum
- Dampening
- Gaskets, foam
- Keycaps
- KSA PBT
- Supported operating systems
- Linux, macOS, Windows
- Hot-swappable
- Yes
- Battery capacity
- 4,000 mAh
- Connectivity
- USB-C, Bluetooth 5.1
- Typing angle
- 5.52°
- Software customizability
- QMK/VIA
- Dimensions
- 414.98 x 144.16 x 31.37 mm
- Weight
- 2.3 kg
- Price
- $194 (barebones)
- Number of Keys
- 91
- Brand
- Keychron
- Num Pad
- No
- Premium build quality
- Excellent software support
- Wired and wireless connectivity
- Keychron keycaps and switches are great
- Slight flex under the aluminum knob
- Expensive
- No USB dongle
Keychron Q3 Pro SE: Pricing and availability
The Keychron Q3 Pro SE costs $194 for the barebones kit, which is available as ANSI or ISO, and both come with the knob and macro buttons. Purchasing through Keychron allows you to customize the keyboard with a choice of keycaps and switches. Three colors are available: Carbon Black, Olive Green, and Silver Grey. Our review sample is the Silver Grey with Keychron K Pro Banana switches. Other switches are available, including Keychron K Pro Red and Keychron K Pro Brown.
Buying the Keychron Q3 Pro SE with the switches and keycaps brings the price up to $214. It's a substantial amount of money for a keyboard but one worth buying if you want an exceptional typing experience.
Design
Best-in-class typing
The Keychron Q3 Pro SE is an all-aluminum mechanical keyboard, making it considerably heavy at 2.3kg. It's one of the heavier keyboards I've reviewed so far, but that's not a drawback. Having some heft to the model keeps it in one place even when considerable force is applied to the keys. The integrated 4,000mAh battery for the wireless mode is also responsible for the heavier weight.
Being an 80% form factor, this keyboard has a total of 91 keys, including an aluminum control knob in the top-left corner, which can be swiveled or clicked for additional controls. There's a macro away with four buttons, M1 through M4, which are present just below the knob on the left side. Everything can be managed through VIA/GMK for maximum customization.
A lot of development went into designing and building the Q3 Pro SE. The bottom of the keyboard houses the battery pack and silicon gaskets. Then there's a case foam and the main PCB. Atop of this is a layer of sound-absorbing form sandwiched between the PCB and plate. A second set of gaskets are present on the plate, which is then secured by the top case. A total of eight screws holds everything together, which clearly illustrates who Keychron markets the majority of its keyboard — people who aren't afraid to take their keyboards apart and do some DIY work. Plus, the gray version of this keyboard we received for this review looks stunning, though we imagine the Q3 Pro SE would look equally good with the other flavors.
The best part about all this engineering is the Keychron Q3 Pro SE is ready to go with very minimal modding required if you order a fully assembled unit from the manufacturer. I didn't find myself taking apart the keyboard aside from taking a peek inside. Just about everything is premium with this keyboard, including the used gaskets and key stabilizers. If you've used any other high-end Keychron mechanical keyboard, you'll feel right at home here.
Features and typing
Customize to your heart's content
Keychron includes some useful accessories with the Q3 Pro SE. Inside the box, we've got switch and keycap removal tools, spare keycaps for different operating systems (if purchased fully assembled), and a braided USB-C cable. As with other Q-series keyboards from Keychron, there's a switch on the back next to the USB-C port to toggle between wired and wireless modes. Next to this is a second switch to change OS support.
The RGB lighting isn't obnoxious. In fact, it's difficult to notice it compared to other keyboards, even if it is south-facing. Like reprogramming all the keys, the lighting effects can be managed through software, but Keychron does have a dedicated lighting key to cycle between preset effects. The Bluetooth works flawlessly, allowing the keyboard to connect up to three devices at once. Switching between paired hardware is as easy as hitting the number keys with Fn.
Should you spend hours at a time typing up thousands of words on a desktop PC, you owe it to yourself to invest in a premium typing platform.
All the available Keychron switches are lubricated at the factory, and the K Pro Banana switches we received with this review sample were a joy to use. Coupled with the gasket implementation, the switches and keycaps effectively bounced back upon successful actuation. The Banana switches from Keychron have an operating force of 45gf with a pre-travel and total travel of 2.2mm and 3.3mm. These are incredibly lightweight to type with and make it possible to quickly type up entire paragraphs quickly.
The included keycaps with the Keychron Q3 Pro SE are KSA with PBT and are ideal for daily use. I wouldn't recommend it for intensive gaming, which is where a gaming mechanical keyboard such as the Razer BlackWidow v4 Pro comes into play. Still, if you really like the foundation that is the Q3 Pro SE and desire a different typing and gaming experience, simply buy the barebones kit and switch the keycaps and switches out.
Should you buy the Keychron Q3 Pro SE?
You should buy the Keychron Q3 Pro SE if:
- You don't mind parting with at least $200 for a mechanical keyboard
- You want a premium typing experience
- You will make use of macro buttons and a control knob
You shouldn't buy the Keychron Q3 Pro SE if:
- You don't feel comfortable forking out more than $200 on a keyboard
- You won't be using the keyboard for anything other than gaming
- You need a numpad
Keychron makes some excellent keyboards and the Q3 Pro SE is one of its best. The fully aluminum build adds some serious heft, making sure it won't move an inch when in use. The build quality is top-notch, and so too is the software support with VIA and QMK. It's fully customizable too, being available as a basic kit. Not only can you have Keychron include its own switches and keycaps, but you can add your own.
If you're searching for a keyboard to type a few thousand words per day and/or play some games, the Keychron Q3 Pro SE is a joy to use. The ability to program just about anything through software makes this a compelling purchase for those who prefer to customize everything. The control knob is sturdy and easy to use as are the four available macro keys. Everything is built to a high standard, and we only noticed a small degree of flex from the PCB when pushing in the aluminum knob.
Keychron Q3 Pro SE
The Keychron Q3 Pro SE is a masterpiece of a mechanical keyboard with an 80% layout, a premium aluminum knob, and four macro keys. Throw in wireless support through Bluetooth and you've got one very capable typing machine.