Which one should you get?
Get the
Hexgears Nova
Build quality in the top 50% of 80% boards under $100.
- Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.
- No numpad.
Get the
Keychron K12
Hot-swappable
Build quality in the top 20% of 60% boards under $100.
- North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
- Compact layout only. No function row, dedicated arrow keys, or numpad.
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.
Hexgears Nova
Keychron K12
Layout size
80%
60%
Connection
Wired
Bluetooth, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Hot-swappable
No
Yes
Switch changes without soldering
Case material
Aluminum
ABS, Aluminum, Plastic
Switch options
Clicky, Tactile
Clicky, Linear, Tactile
- Hexgears Nova
- Keychron K12
- Performance
- 6258
- Build quality
- 6274
- Productivity
- 5869
- Customizability
- 6073
- Portability
- 5690
- Keycaps: ABS
Hexgears Nova vs Keychron K12 specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
10 of 18 specs differ
Hexgears Nova
Keychron K12
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Backlight
Mac & Windows
Released
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