Keychron Q3 vs Royal Kludge R87 PROAluminum or Wireless
Get the Keychron Q3 for its aluminum build, broad layout options, and 1000 Hz polling rate; choose the Royal Kludge R87 PRO for Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz connectivity, a 6000mAh battery, and lower weight.
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4.8 (107)4.8 · 107 reviews
from$59at Keychron
No reviews
from$64at Royal Kludge
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron Q3
Build quality in the top 5% of 80% boards under $100.
- CNC-machined aluminum case and steel plate.
- Offered in ANSI, ISO, and JIS layout standards, with multiple named ISO variants.
- 1000 Hz polling rate and support for linear, tactile, clicky, and silent switch types.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
Get the
Royal Kludge R87 PRO
Build quality in the top 20% of 80% boards under $100.
- Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity with a 6000mAh battery.
- 760g listed weight.
- Vendor-described sound-absorbing foam and case foam.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
Choose the Keychron Q3 for its aluminum construction, broad layout range, 1000 Hz polling rate, and programmable creative-work knob. Choose the Royal Kludge R87 PRO for wireless connectivity, its 6000mAh battery, lower listed weight, and foam layers. If you need an ISO layout, the Q3 is the option here that lists ISO variants.
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 Q3
Royal Kludge R87 PRO
Connection
Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Case material
Aluminum
Plastic
Switch options
Clicky, Linear, Silent, Tactile
Linear
Mount style
Gasket Mount, PCB Mount, Plate Mount
Gasket Mount
Weight
2,000 g
760 g
Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel
- Keychron Q3
- Royal Kludge R87 PRO
- Performance
- 7183
- Build quality
- 9178
- Productivity
- 9893
- Customizability
- 9891
- Portability
- 5785
- Layout size: 80%
- Hot-swappable
- Knob
- QMK
- VIA
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The Q3 has the edge for gaming, programming, modding, and content workflows where its stated polling rate, layout selection, barebones option, or programmable knob matters. The R87 PRO is the more convenient pick for office setups that benefit from wireless connectivity and a lighter board. Travel also favors the R87 PRO on listed weight and wireless features. Both use a gasket mount and support hot-swapping, QMK, and VIA, so those shared capabilities do not separate them.
Pick the Keychron Q3
- The Q3 specifies a 1000 Hz polling rate.
- The Q3 supports linear, tactile, clicky, and silent switch types, while the R87 PRO is listed with linear switches.
Keychron Q3 vs Royal Kludge R87 PRO specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
11 of 27 specs differ
Keychron Q3
Royal Kludge R87 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
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Keychron Q3
- Go to Keychron
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
In stockShips to you
- Go to Keychron (DE)
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
Out of stockDoes not ship to you
Royal Kludge R87 PRO
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Keychron Q3 vs Royal Kludge R87 PRO: your questions
The R87 PRO metadata lists Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz connectivity as well as wired use. The Q3 is listed as wired only.
The Royal Kludge R87 PRO is listed at 760g, while the Keychron Q3 is listed at 2000g. The R87 PRO is the lighter option by the stated weights.
Yes. The Q3 lists ISO layout support, including UK, German, Nordic, French, Spanish, and Swiss versions in the vendor description. The R87 PRO is listed as ANSI only.
The R87 PRO metadata lists a 6000mAh battery. The Q3 is listed as wired only and has no battery listed.
The Keychron Q3 has an aluminum case, and its vendor description specifies CNC-machined aluminum. The R87 PRO is listed with a plastic case.
Both keyboards are listed as hot-swappable. Keychron says the Q3 PCB supports 3-pin and 5-pin MX mechanical switches.
Both products list knob support, but the Q3 vendor description specifically says its knob can be customized through VIA for keys and macros. The R87 PRO vendor describes a metal knob for volume control that can be replaced with a standard key.
Both product listings include QMK and VIA support. Keychron describes using VIA to customize the Q3 knob, while the R87 PRO vendor describes remapping keys, macros, and backlight settings.
Both are listed with south-facing RGB, and the compatibility notes say shine-through legends stay dark. Those notes also warn that some sculpted keycaps can clip the LEDs.
The Q3 is explicitly listed as available as a DIY kit or barebones board, and its vendor says its components are designed for assembly and customization. Both boards are hot-swappable and support QMK and VIA.
The R87 PRO has the lower listed weight at 760g and offers Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz connectivity with a 6000mAh battery. The Q3 is listed at 2000g and is wired only.
The R87 PRO is listed as ANSI only, and its compatibility notes say ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered. The Q3 lists multiple ISO options, including German and UK layouts.
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