August 2024

Keychron K3: My coworkers can hear me typing through Zoom now

★★★★☆4/5 stars

I thought I was buying a keyboard. Turns out I was buying a percussion instrument that occasionally helps me type. My Slack DMs now include regular comments about my "aggressive typing energy" during video calls.

The Feel: These low-profile mechanical switches (I went with the blue ones) are incredibly satisfying. Every keystroke has this crisp, tactile feedback that makes even writing emails feel important. It's like your fingers are having tiny celebrations with each letter.

The ADHD Brain Take: The tactile feedback is genuinely helpful for focus. I can feel when I'm typing, which sounds obvious but isn't with most laptop keyboards. It keeps me grounded in the physical act of writing, which somehow helps with concentration.

The Design: Sleek, low-profile, and the RGB backlighting is customizable enough to be useful without being distracting. The wireless connection is rock-solid, and the battery lasts weeks. The aluminum frame feels premium without being unnecessarily heavy.

The Sound Issue: Let's be honest – it's loud. Not "wake the neighbors" loud, but definitely "everyone on this Zoom call knows I'm taking notes" loud. I've started muting myself when typing during meetings, which defeats some of the collaborative note-taking benefits.

The Productivity Boost: I genuinely type faster and more accurately on this than on my MacBook keyboard. The key travel and feedback help with accuracy, and the satisfying sound makes me want to write more. Dangerous for late-night coding sessions.

Bottom Line: If you spend significant time typing and don't mind announcing your productivity to the world, this is a great upgrade. Just warn your coworkers first.