Keychron J3 SE vs K4 HEMX or Magnetic Switches
Choose the J3 SE for broad 3-pin and 5-pin MX switch swapping, or the K4 HE for magnetic switches with adjustable actuation and Rapid Trigger.
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5.0 (1)5.0 · 1 reviews
from$129at Keychron
4.0 (11)4.0 · 11 reviews
from$118at MK
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron J3 SE
Build quality in the top 50% of 96% boards under $150.
- Hot-swappable with almost all 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style mechanical switches, according to Keychron.
- Offers 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, and wired connectivity, with 1000 Hz polling over 2.4 GHz and wired connections.
- Includes QMK and VIA support and can be configured through Keychron Launcher.
- North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
Get the
Keychron K4 HE
Hall effect
Build quality in the top 10% of 96% boards under $150.
- Magnetic switches offer adjustable actuation, and the keyboard includes Rapid Trigger.
- The vendor lists Dynamic Keystrokes, Analog Mode, Last Key Priority, and Snap Click features.
- Features an aluminum plate, tray mount, QMK support, and VIA support.
- Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
- North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
Pick the J3 SE if your priority is using a wide range of conventional 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switches. Choose the K4 HE if magnetic-switch features such as adjustable actuation and Rapid Trigger are more important, and check its switch-version restrictions before buying replacement switches. If ISO is essential, the K4 HE is the option whose metadata lists ISO layouts.
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 J3 SE
Keychron K4 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
Connection
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Bluetooth, Wired, 2.4 GHz
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Case material
ABS
ABS, Aluminum, Plastic, Wood
Switch options
Clicky, Linear, Tactile
Clicky, Linear, Magnetic, Tactile
- Keychron J3 SE
- Keychron K4 HE
- Performance
- 8092
- Build quality
- 6887
- Productivity
- 8994
- Customizability
- 8689
- Portability
- 5656
- Layout size: 96%
- Hot-swappable
- Battery: 4,000 mAh
- Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
- QMK
- VIA
What will you mostly use it for?
The K4 HE has the edge for gaming, thanks to its magnetic-switch controls and Rapid Trigger. The J3 SE is the more flexible choice for programming and switch-focused modding because it accepts almost all 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style mechanical switches. Office and travel needs are close, with both offering wireless options, a 96% layout, and a 4000 mAh battery. For content creation, the choice depends on whether conventional MX switch options or magnetic input features matter more.
Pick the Keychron K4 HE
- The K4 HE has magnetic switches, adjustable actuation, and Rapid Trigger.
- Its vendor description lists Dynamic Keystrokes, Last Key Priority, Snap Click, and Analog Mode.
- Both keyboards list 1000 Hz polling over wired and 2.4 GHz connections.
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
Keychron J3 SE
1 owner reviews
“I love the keyboard! Everything was as expected but the keys are even smoother than I could have hoped for. I love the color, it matches exactly what was displayed on the website. Setup was very easy once I actually read the manual. I like that it gives you…”
Keychron K4 HE
11 owner reviews
“So far it have met my expectations for the use i wanted it for, had a small hic up the first day i started ysing it but got easily resolved with the provided user manual”
“The keyboard is smooth to the touch, and has the nice feel. For me, it's almost an ideal keyboard but the one thing that gets me and it's a hard issue is that when connected, it takes away input from my controller when I game, especially for live service…”
Keychron J3 SE vs K4 HE specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
10 of 27 specs differ
Keychron J3 SE
Keychron K4 HE
Switch options
Hall effect (magnetic)
Rapid trigger
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Display
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 J3 SE
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Keychron K4 HE
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-CH
In stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-CH
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.
Keychron J3 SE vs K4 HE: your questions
The J3 SE is a mechanical keyboard that supports almost all 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switches. The K4 HE uses magnetic switches and adds adjustable actuation and Rapid Trigger.
The K4 HE is the more gaming-focused option because it has magnetic switches, adjustable actuation, and Rapid Trigger. Keychron also describes features including Analog Mode and Dynamic Keystrokes for the K4 HE.
No, the K4 HE is designed for magnetic switches, and standard MX switches will not fit. Keychron also specifies that each switch version supports only its named magnetic switch type.
Keychron says the J3 SE supports almost all 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style mechanical switches. Its north-facing LEDs may cause Cherry-profile keycaps to hit the switch housing, so check keycap compatibility as well.
The J3 SE is listed as ANSI only, and ISO variants are not offered. The K4 HE metadata lists ANSI along with several ISO layouts.
The K4 HE metadata lists ISO-UK, ISO-DE, ISO-CH, ISO-ES, ISO-FR, ISO-SW, and ISO-Nordic, as well as ANSI. Confirm the particular layout variant when shopping.
Both keyboards list Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, and wired connectivity. Keychron says each can connect over Bluetooth to up to three devices.
Both list 1000 Hz polling over wired and 2.4 GHz connections. Their vendor descriptions specify 125 Hz over Bluetooth.
Both have a 4000 mAh battery. Keychron lists up to 200 hours for the J3 SE and up to 110 hours for the K4 HE, with actual use affecting battery life.
Both are listed with QMK and VIA support, and both vendor descriptions mention QMK and the Keychron Launcher web app for key customization. Keychron describes the Launcher as a way to remap keys and configure macros.
Both use PBT keycaps and have north-facing LEDs, which can cause Cherry-profile keycaps to hit the switch housing. Check the specific keycap profile before choosing replacements.
The K4 HE is listed at approximately 1090 g, compared with 1145 g for the J3 SE. Both are 96% keyboards and include wireless connectivity.
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