Keychron C1 Pro vs K4 Pro8K Wired or Wireless
Choose the C1 Pro for wired 8000 Hz polling in a smaller TKL layout, or the K4 Pro for wireless connectivity and a 96% layout.
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4.8 (10)4.8 · 10 reviews
from$50at MK
4.7 (7)4.7 · 7 reviews
from$69at Keychron
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron C1 Pro
polling rate
Build quality in the top 10% of 80% boards under $100.
- Lists wired polling options of 8000 Hz and 1000 Hz.
- The 80% TKL layout is smaller and lighter than the K4 Pro, at 830 g.
- Hot-swappable sockets support 3-pin and 5-pin switches, according to Keychron.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- Missing ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-FR. The other board is sold in those layouts.
- No numpad.
Get the
Keychron K4 Pro
Build quality in the top 10% of 96% boards under $100.
- Bluetooth and wired connectivity, with a 4000 mAh battery listed.
- The 96% layout offers a number pad in a smaller format than a full-size keyboard.
- Hot-swappable switches, QMK, VIA, and a barebones version are available.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- Missing ISO-IT. The other board is sold in those layouts.
- Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
Choose the C1 Pro if you want a wired TKL board and value its listed 8000 Hz polling option. Choose the K4 Pro if wireless connectivity, multi-device use, or a number pad matters more than minimizing weight and size. Both offer hot-swapping and QMK/VIA support, so layout and connection preference are the main deciding factors.
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.
Keychron C1 Pro
Keychron K4 Pro
Layout size
80%
96%
Connection
Wired
Bluetooth, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Max polling rate
8,000 Hz
1,000 Hz
Higher polling helps competitive FPS and does nothing for typing
Knob
Yes
No
Weight
830 g
1,280 g
Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel
- Keychron C1 Pro
- Keychron K4 Pro
- Performance
- 9181
- Build quality
- 8284
- Productivity
- 9895
- Customizability
- 9196
- Portability
- 5754
- Hot-swappable
- Case material: ABS, Plastic
- Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
- Mount style: Tray Mount
- QMK
- VIA
What will you mostly use it for?
The C1 Pro has the clearest gaming advantage on paper because it lists an 8000 Hz polling option and uses a wired connection. The K4 Pro suits office use where wireless connectivity and switching among devices are useful, and it also offers the larger layout for numeric work. Programming is a close call because both support QMK, VIA, and hot-swappable switches, with layout preference deciding the fit. For travel, the C1 Pro is lighter and smaller, while the K4 Pro avoids a required cable but weighs more.
Pick the Keychron C1 Pro
- The C1 Pro lists 8000 Hz and 1000 Hz polling options, compared with 1000 Hz for the K4 Pro.
- The C1 Pro uses a wired-only connection, while the K4 Pro also offers wireless connectivity.
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
Keychron C1 Pro
10 owner reviews
“My son loves it. Upgrade from an implosion cap version. Not used to the US layout but he it learning some python. Might as well use a US Keyboard”
“Looks great and sounds amazing but keys gets stuck/don’t work or double press too often. When I remove the key caps to clean, it still doesn’t fix the problem. Example, my 7 key doesn’t work when pressed and my G key when pressed wrotes two g’s instead of one.”
Keychron K4 Pro
7 owner reviews
“I previously had a normal K4 and i love the new one, the only thing is that the stabilizers lube work is kinda bad and the space bar was very rattly but after some lube work the K4 pro retakes the perfect productivity keyboard.”
Keychron C1 Pro vs K4 Pro specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
12 of 27 specs differ
Keychron C1 Pro
Keychron K4 Pro
Switch options
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.
Keychron C1 Pro
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-ES, ISO-IT
In stockDoes not ship to you
Keychron K4 Pro
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
Out of stockDoes not ship to you
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
Keychron C1 Pro vs K4 Pro: your questions
The C1 Pro lists 8000 Hz and 1000 Hz polling options and uses a wired-only connection. The K4 Pro lists 1000 Hz polling and can connect wirelessly or by wire.
Yes, the K4 Pro supports Bluetooth as well as a wired USB-C connection. Keychron says it can connect wirelessly to up to three devices, and its listed battery capacity is 4000 mAh.
No, the C1 Pro is listed as wired only, with USB-C connectivity. The K4 Pro is the option in this comparison that offers wireless connectivity.
The C1 Pro has an 80% TKL layout, while the K4 Pro has a 96% layout. The K4 Pro's larger layout includes a number pad, according to its vendor description.
Yes, both keyboards are listed as hot-swappable. Keychron says each supports 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switches without soldering.
Both are listed with QMK and VIA support. Their vendor descriptions also discuss using Keychron Launcher for key remapping and macros.
The C1 Pro is listed at 830 g, while the K4 Pro is listed at about 1280 g. The C1 Pro is also smaller in its listed dimensions.
The K4 Pro uses a 96% layout, and its vendor description refers to its number pad. The C1 Pro is an 80% TKL layout.
The C1 Pro is listed with PBT keycaps, and Keychron describes them as OSA-profile double-shot PBT that are not shine-through. The K4 Pro is listed with PBT keycaps, and its vendor description also identifies OSA-profile double-shot PBT keycaps.
Both are listed with south-facing RGB lighting. Keychron describes the C1 Pro's default PBT keycaps as not shine-through, and the K4 Pro vendor page lists RGB and white-backlight versions.
The K4 Pro is listed with a steel plate. The C1 Pro is listed with a plastic plate.
Both are listed with Mac and Windows support, and both vendor descriptions mention keycaps for those systems. The C1 Pro vendor description also says its Launcher web app works with macOS, Windows, and Linux.
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