Marathon battery life makes Keychron’s Ultra 8K keyboards its best yet

Keychron’s extensive keyboard catalog covers everything from basic full-size mechanical boards to niche setups like the left-handed Alice or a one-handed half keyboard for gaming. Its Q and V series are among our go-to recommendations for commercially available keyboards, and the latest iterations – the Q and V Ultra models – are an easy upgrade to the line, with benefits for regular users and keyboard enthusiasts.

I tested two Ultra keyboards: the Keychron V5 Ultra 8K and the Keychron Q1 Ultra 8K. The $119.99 V5 Ultra is a nearly full-size 1800 configuration board with a numeric keypad in a plastic case, while the $229.99 Q1 Ultra is a 75% configuration (my preferred size) with a much heavier milled aluminum chassis and a much more robust build and typing feel. Aside from the case material and layout, they are very similar keyboards that are both excellent.

The Ultra 8K lines are the high-end versions of the V5 and Q1 keyboards to date, preceded by the Max versions (which added 1000Hz to 2.4GHz wireless) and the Pro models (which first went wireless with Bluetooth only). The 2.4GHz wireless connections have been upgraded from 1000Hz to 8000Hz (hence the 8K suffix) to maintain fast response times, especially when gaming. Most people won’t notice the difference, but that’s not a reason to buy the Ultra anyway.

Unlike older Q and V series boards, the Ultras run on ZMK, an open source firmware often used by advanced keyboard enthusiasts (absolute sickos) to create their own custom boards. ZMK is powerful, but updating keymaps can be a pain, and ZMK’s remapping software is less sophisticated than options such as Via or Vial available for QMK-based boards. (Keychron’s older keyboards run on QMK.) Fortunately, Ultra cards use Keychron’s browser-based Launcher software to remap keys, compose custom lighting patterns, or set macros, just like other Keychron models.

The most obvious advantage of the ZMK for most people is its battery efficiency. That’s why Keychron claims you can get up to 660 hours of use out of an Ultra 8K card, about four times longer than it claims for the Max models. If you use your keyboard for about eight hours a day with the backlight off, that’s 83 days before you’ll bother plugging it in – or longer if you’re using Bluetooth. That’s not the one to two year battery life offered by some membrane keyboards, but that kind of battery life in a mechanical keyboard was unheard of not too long ago. Even some of the best wireless mechanical keyboards of recent years typically need to be recharged every two weeks or so (depending on your usage).

This marathon-level battery life goes a long way toward making the V5 Ultra and Q1 Ultra my favorite Keychrons so far. And now that I’m spoiled for it, I hope other manufacturers follow suit with their own ZMK cards. The V and Q series were already great keyboards available in tons of configurations, so not having to charge them as frequently is a nice bonus. Polling at 8000 Hz, on the other hand, is a “Sure, why not” benefit. Maybe esports champions using the fastest monitors can tell the difference between 1000Hz and 8000Hz. Maybe.

As for the typing experience of the new Ultras, they are each subtly improved over their predecessors. Both the V5 Ultra 8K and Q1 Ultra 8K feature improved screw stabilizers for less wobble on larger keys (enter, spacebar, backspace, etc.) and better feel during their return movement. The Ultras also use new Silk POM (polyoxymethylene) switches offered in red (linear), brown (tactile), and banana (more tactile). Full POM switch housings are often used in switches to reduce scratches during key presses.

In the V5 Ultra with Brown Silk POM switches, the new switches have a slightly deeper but more clicking sound compared to the V1 Max I tested last year. Max’s latest-generation Gateron Jupiter brown switches and nylon housings appear more discreet. I think the new Ultras sound better while you hammer – provided you don’t mind a slightly noisier board. The Ultra’s new switches and stabilizers are smoother, too. The only downside is that the tactile bump of the brown switches is now barely present. They feel closer to the linear ones. If you want a tactile switch with real tactility in this board, go bananas (or swap out your favorite switches).

I tested these tactile banana switches on the Q1 Ultra 8K, and the sound is deeper than the last generation with Gateron bananas without losing touch. And the Q1 Ultra is actually a touch quieter than the Q1 Max. It’s still far from quiet, but the sound and feel is smoother. Revised stabilizers make a noticeable difference on the spacebar and enter keys, which feel more snug and quieter when they return. Underneath the case is a backplate with an engraved sci-fi/celestial pattern. It’s nice, even if you’ll rarely see it, but it doesn’t add any extra weight to the Q1 Ultra like you typically see on lower weights of other cards – it weighs 3.8 pounds/1.72 kg, exactly the same as the Q1 Max, and heavier than a 14-inch MacBook Pro. (The V1 Ultra 8K weighs 1.7 lbs/770g, for reference.)

The Ultra generation is a marked improvement over previous Keychron models. The Max’s stick around, as Keychron rarely seems to completely abandon or replace anything, but for just $10-20 more, it’s worth spending more for the Ultras for the incredible battery life alone. The upgraded stabilizers are a nice bonus.

Keychron will likely release ZMK-based Ultra features to more of its lineups and expand its Q and V Ultra offerings to include more layouts, as it always does. And it’s only a matter of time before other keyboard makers start using ZMK, hoping that more mechanical components will benefit from a similar battery boost. I love competition as much as I love big keyboards, which we’re really into these days.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge