Keychron K1 V6 vs K3 ProFoam or PBT Keycaps
Choose the K1 V6 for its 80% layout, larger battery, and acoustic foam, or the K3 Pro for PBT keycaps, a smaller 75% layout, and additional JIS, ISO-FR, and ISO-ES options.
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5.0 (4)5.0 · 4 reviews
from$74at Keychron
4.8 (52)4.8 · 52 reviews
from$67at Keychron
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron K1 V6
Battery
Build quality in the top 20% of 80% boards under $100.
- 80% layout with 87 keys and a 2000mAh battery.
- IXPE, latex, and EPDM foam layers described for acoustic and support purposes.
- Three vendor-listed typing angles: 3.37°, 4.2°, and 6.7°.
- Low-profile switches and keycaps only. Standard MX keycaps will not fit.
- North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
- Missing ISO-FR, ISO-ES. The other board is sold in those layouts.
- No numpad.
Get the
Keychron K3 Pro
Build quality in the top 15% of 75% boards under $100.
- 75% layout with a 525g listed weight and compact 15 x 306 x 116 mm dimensions.
- Double-shot PBT keycaps, with dye-sublimated PBT on the Special Edition.
- JIS, ISO-FR, and ISO-ES layouts are listed.
- Low-profile switches and keycaps only. Standard MX keycaps will not fit.
- North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- No numpad.
Get the K1 V6 if you want its 80% layout, 2000mAh battery, or the vendor-described IXPE, latex, and EPDM foam layers. Choose the K3 Pro for PBT keycaps, a lighter and smaller 75% layout, or JIS, ISO-FR, and ISO-ES layout options. Both are limited to low-profile switches and keycaps, and both lack a 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.
Keychron K1 V6
Keychron K3 Pro
Layout size
80%
75%
Battery
2,000 mAh
1,550 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Case material
ABS, Aluminum
ABS, Aluminum, Plastic
Mount style
Top Mount
Plate Mount, Tray Mount
Weight
596 g
525 g
Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel
- Keychron K1 V6
- Keychron K3 Pro
- Performance
- 8182
- Build quality
- 7881
- Productivity
- 8080
- Customizability
- 8889
- Portability
- 7377
- Connection: Bluetooth, Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Low profile
- Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
- Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
- QMK
What will you mostly use it for?
The K1 V6 edges office use with its vendor-described foam layers and larger key layout, while the K3 Pro is the more compact and lighter travel option. The K3 Pro also offers more listed regional layout choices and PBT keycap variants. Gaming and modding are closer calls: both list 1000 Hz polling in wired mode and share hot-swap, QMK, and VIA support. The K1 V6’s listed wireless polling rate is higher, but both remain low-profile boards with keycap and switch compatibility limits.
It's a tie
- Both list a 1000 Hz polling rate, and each vendor specifies that rate for wired mode.
- The K1 V6 vendor lists 125 Hz in Bluetooth mode, while the K3 Pro vendor lists 90 Hz in wireless mode.
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
Keychron K1 V6
4 owner reviews
“Love it! My first mechanical, now typing is a beautiful experience, I enjoy coming back to the keyboard! Remapped with Makros, so I have my apps at the fingertip. I am experiencing some minor bugs like "Enter"-key "stuck", meaning the keyboard typed enter…”
Keychron K3 Pro
52 owner reviews
“For anyone buying this, remember to toggle the switch to the correct operating system. Other than that, the feel is good and it comes with a good feature set for a low price”
Keychron K1 V6 vs K3 Pro specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
11 of 25 specs differ
Keychron K1 V6
Keychron K3 Pro
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Low profile
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
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
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.
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Keychron K1 V6
- Go to Keychron
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW
In stockShips to you
- Go to Keychron (DE)
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-SW
Out of stockDoes not ship to you
Keychron K3 Pro
- Go to Keychron
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
Out of stockShips to you
- Go to Keychron (DE)
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
Out of stockDoes not ship to you
Keychron K1 V6 vs K3 Pro: your questions
The K1 V6 is an 80% keyboard with 87 listed keys, while the K3 Pro is a 75% keyboard with 84. The K1 V6 vendor also describes acoustic foam layers, and the K3 Pro offers PBT keycaps.
The K1 V6 metadata lists ABS keycaps, and its vendor description identifies shine-through ABS keycaps. The K3 Pro offers double-shot PBT keycaps, with dye-sublimated PBT on the Special Edition.
Yes, the K3 Pro vendor describes double-shot PBT keycaps on the standard model and dye-sublimated PBT keycaps on the Special Edition. The K1 V6 is listed with ABS keycaps.
The K3 Pro is listed at 525g and measures 15 x 306 x 116 mm. The K1 V6 is listed at 596g and measures 25 x 346 x 119 mm.
Both product listings include hot-swapping, but the vendor descriptions specify it for particular versions. The K1 V6 hot-swap version supports low-profile Gateron or Keychron mechanical switches, while the K3 Pro hot-swap version is described as compatible with Gateron low-profile mechanical switches.
No, both keyboards are listed as requiring low-profile switches and keycaps, and standard MX keycaps will not fit. Check keycap compatibility before buying replacements.
The K1 V6 has a listed 2000mAh battery, while the K3 Pro is listed with a 1550mAh battery. These figures describe capacity, not an estimated runtime.
Neither keyboard has a numpad, according to its compatibility notes. The K1 V6 is an 80% layout and the K3 Pro is a 75% layout.
The K3 Pro lists both ISO-FR and ISO-ES layouts. Those layouts are not listed for the K1 V6.
Both vendors list a 1000 Hz polling rate in wired mode. The K1 V6 vendor lists 125 Hz in Bluetooth mode, while the K3 Pro vendor lists 90 Hz in wireless mode.
Both product listings include QMK support and VIA support. Their vendor descriptions also discuss key remapping and macros through the Keychron Launcher web app.
Both listings include RGB lighting options, and each vendor describes RGB and white-backlight versions. The K3 Pro metadata includes both north-facing and south-facing LED options, while the K1 V6 lists north-facing LEDs.
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