GravaStar Mercury K1 vs Keychron Q1 HEMagnetic Switches or MX Swaps
Choose the Keychron Q1 HE for adjustable magnetic-switch gaming and extensive remapping, or the Mercury K1 for conventional 3- and 5-pin switch swaps and a larger battery.
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No reviews
from$139at WhatGeek
4.8 · 20 reviews
from$160at Input Gear
Which one should you get?
Get the
GravaStar Mercury K1
Battery
Build quality in the top 50% of 75% boards under $150.
- 8000mAh battery.
- Hot-swappable sockets support 3-pin and 5-pin switches, according to the vendor description.
- Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, and wired connectivity.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
Get the
Keychron Q1 HE
Hall effect
Build quality in the top 5% of 75% boards under $200.
- Magnetic switches support Rapid Trigger and adjustable actuation.
- QMK and VIA support, with Keychron Launcher features described for remapping and macros.
- Aluminum case, gasket mount, and aluminum plate.
- Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
Pick the Keychron Q1 HE if you want adjustable magnetic actuation, Rapid Trigger, and QMK-based remapping. Choose the GravaStar Mercury K1 if replacing switches with conventional 3-pin or 5-pin options matters more, or if its larger battery is the deciding factor. Check the Q1 HE's magnetic-switch and south-facing LED limitations before buying replacement switches or keycaps.
The differences that matter
Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.
GravaStar Mercury K1
Keychron Q1 HE
Hall effect (magnetic)
No
Yes
Adjustable actuation helps in games and not in normal typing
Rapid trigger
No
Yes
Faster resets help in games and not in normal typing
Battery
8,000 mAh
4,000 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Switch options
Linear
Clicky, Linear, Magnetic, Tactile
Mount style
Gasket Mount
Gasket Mount, PCB Mount
- GravaStar Mercury K1
- Keychron Q1 HE
- Performance
- 66100
- Build quality
- 6790
- Productivity
- 6797
- Customizability
- 6398
- Portability
- 9281
- Layout size: 75%
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Case material: Aluminum
What will you mostly use it for?
The Q1 HE leads for gaming, office use, programming, and content creation, mainly through magnetic input features, remapping options, and controls. The Mercury K1 is the more travel-oriented choice based on its listed weight and larger battery. Modding is a trade-off: the K1 accommodates 3-pin and 5-pin switches, while the Q1 HE brings QMK and VIA support but requires compatible magnetic switches.
Pick the Keychron Q1 HE
- The Q1 HE offers Rapid Trigger and adjustable actuation points from 0.2 to 3.8 mm.
- Its 2.4 GHz connection has a stated 1000 Hz polling rate.
- Dynamic Keystrokes can assign four actions to a key based on press depth.
GravaStar Mercury K1 vs Keychron Q1 HE specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
18 of 29 specs differ
GravaStar Mercury K1
Keychron Q1 HE
Switch options
Hall effect (magnetic)
Rapid trigger
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
QMK
VIA
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
GravaStar Mercury K1
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Keychron Q1 HE
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW
In stockShips to you
Input Gear
ISO-DE
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-IT, ISO-SW
In stockDoes not ship to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-FR, ISO-ES
In stockDoes not ship to you
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
GravaStar Mercury K1 vs Keychron Q1 HE: your questions
The Keychron Q1 HE has Rapid Trigger, adjustable actuation, and Dynamic Keystrokes. Its 2.4 GHz connection is listed with a 1000 Hz polling rate.
No. The Q1 HE is for compatible magnetic switches, and its compatibility rules specify that standard MX switches will not fit. The product description identifies Gateron Double-Rail magnetic switches as compatible.
Yes. The K1 is hot-swappable, and its vendor description says its sockets accept 3-pin and 5-pin switches. The listing identifies its pre-installed switches as linear.
The Mercury K1 has an 8000mAh battery, while the Keychron Q1 HE has a 4000mAh battery. Keychron's vendor description states up to 100 hours with the backlight off.
Both list Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz connectivity, as well as wired connection. Keychron specifies Bluetooth support for up to three devices.
Yes. Its listing includes ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-DE, and other ISO variants, as well as ANSI and JIS. The Mercury K1 is listed as ANSI, and its compatibility rules say ISO layouts are not offered.
The Keychron Q1 HE listing names both QMK and VIA support. Keychron also describes its Launcher web app for remapping keys and creating macros.
No. Keychron describes the Q1 HE's PBT keycaps as non-shine-through, and its LEDs face south. Its compatibility rules warn that shine-through legends stay dark and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
The Mercury K1 is listed at 1080g, while the Q1 HE listing gives its weight as 4000g. The K1 also has the larger battery, though both support Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless.
The Q1 HE listing includes knob support, and Keychron's product options include a fully assembled knob version. The Mercury K1's listed extra features do not include a knob.
The Mercury K1 is the more straightforward fit if you want to swap conventional 3-pin or 5-pin switches. The Q1 HE is hot-swappable too, but it requires compatible magnetic switches rather than standard MX switches.
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