Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

Keychron K8 vs Royal Kludge RK89

Get the Keychron K8 for the 4,000 mAh battery. Get the Royal Kludge RK89 for usb passthrough.

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Battery

Keychron K8

4.8 (623)4.8 · 623 reviews

from$59at Keychron

Compare 3 stores

USB passthrough

Royal Kludge RK89

No reviews

from$69at Royal Kludge

Compare 2 stores

Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron K8

Battery

Build quality in the top 40% of 80% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.

$59 at Keychron

Get the

Royal Kludge RK89

USB passthrough

Build quality in the bottom 20% of 80% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.

$69 at Royal Kludge

What actually differs

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 K8

Royal Kludge RK89

Connection
Bluetooth, Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Battery
4,000 mAh
1,850 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Layout standard
ANSI, ISO, ISO-DE, ISO-ES, ISO-Nordic, ISO-UK, JIS
ANSI
ISO and JIS exist so regional layouts fit
USB passthrough
No
Yes
Backlight
RGB, north-facing
RGB
RGB for looks and low light rather than speed

KeebFinder scores

How we score

Keychron K8
Royal Kludge RK89

Performance: 61
62
Build quality: 66
48
Productivity: 65
66
Customizability: 66
62
Portability: 73
71

What they share

Layout size: 80%
Hot-swappable
Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
Keycaps: ABS

See every spec side by side

Full specs

Keychron K8 vs Royal Kludge RK89 specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

7 of 19 specs differ

Spec

Keychron K8

Royal Kludge RK89

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes

Mount style

Tray Mount

—

Layout

Layout size

80%

Layout standard

ANSI, ISO, ISO-DE, ISO-ES, ISO-Nordic, ISO-UK, JIS

ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard

Display

None

Media keys

Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, Wired

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Battery

4,000 mAhBetter

1,850 mAh

USB passthrough

Yes

USB-C

Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum, Plastic

—

Keycaps

ABS

Weight

—

1,000 g

Dimensions

—

41 x 135 x 41 mm

Backlight

RGB, north-facing

RGB

Firmware & software

Mac & Windows

Yes

Extras

Released

2020

2022

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.

Keychron K8

Keychron
ISO-DE
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron
ISO-UK
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron
ISO-Nordic
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE
Out of stockDoes not ship to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-UK
Out of stockDoes not ship to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-ES
Out of stockDoes not ship to you

Royal Kludge RK89

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

Where to buy

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 K83 stores