Review: Keychron K2 HE Concrete Edition

Yes, Keychron made a concrete keyboard. The cause of scraped knees, bike-tire skid marks, and finger-painted signatures is now the foundation of a keyboard. Just where you'd least expect it.

And to my surprise, it’s not quite as ridiculous as it sounds. Unlike the company's ceramic keyboard, the showcase material here is only the case; the keycaps are standard plastic. And unlike that novelty keyboard, which I found quite disappointing, I’m glad to say Keychron’s latest keyboard fares better. Maybe it’s just because I have a strong affinity for brutalism and the imposing pieces of architecture it spawns. The drab, slightly-warm gray has a certain, depressing charm that few materials can replicate. And underneath the shock value, there’s a genuinely well-made and coherent keyboard.

Absurdity and Brutalism

When I first started testing the K2 HE, I would mention it to quite a few people, saying “yeah, I’m actually reviewing a keyboard made of concrete right now,” and every single person would ask to see it. The very nature of it, something seemingly-absurd to the average person, makes it a true conversation piece. The material is often seen as industrial, lacking in taste or refinement and being reserved entirely for utilitarian applications where function trumps form. In media, it often serves as a visual shorthand for a soulless world that is devoid of joy and whimsy. Of course, artists and architects love it, and apparently, so do cats.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

I was drawn instantly to the idea of a concrete keyboard. There is, after all, an ironic humor that comes with a premium object, like a high-end keyboard, being made from the most basic and bland of materials. However, this isn’t the first concrete keyboard by any means, as there are quite a few DIY and limited-run concrete and cement keyboards have appeared online over the years. None of these have been as widely available as the K2 HE, though, which can be ordered and received in a matter of days instead of months (or, in the case of some group buys, years).

I am shocked to say that, somehow, the choice to use concrete is beneficial to this keyboard. It sounds great, and it feels responsive to type on. For a novelty-adjacent keyboard like this, one of the most important aspects of it is the user experience. The strange choices need to justify themselves in some kind of way, instead of being both ridiculous and useless.

The switches are smooth, and the sound profile is a pleasantly rounded, deep tone that isn’t very common today. It has some subtle notes in the mid- and high-frequency range that creates a more “full” sound, especially on the upstroke of a key when released, but none of these are so extreme that the main tone is muddied or diluted. Really, this is one of the better-sounding keyboards that I’ve tested. While it’s certainly not a purpose-built, gasket-mounted keyboard, it’s good enough to justify the silly choice of materials.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Photograph: Henri Robbins

While the typing experience isn’t particularly special, it is passable. The concrete combines with the switches to create a slight softness at the bottom of a keypress, without being so soft that it feels mushy or unpleasant. Instead, it feels as if the harsher sensation of bottoming out are being absorbed by a fairly porous material, while the density of it prevents the vibrations from spreading out too far.

The stabilizers are PCB-mounted, which is preferable to the typical plate-mounted units that many keyboards use, and are lubricated from the factory. The lube on these stabilizers, while a bit excessive (there were small clumps of lube visible on the outside housings, which is not typical), feels great. The stabilized keys are smooth and consistent, with no audible rattling or sticking when typing.

But as it turns out, the greatest downside of this keyboard is, also, the material choice. As much as unsealed, raw concrete is quirky and fun, it is ultimately a utilitarian material: It’s heavy, has an inconsistent texture, and stains easily. During my time with this keyboard, it gathered quite a few smudges and stains, nearly all of which had unknown-to-me origins. Maybe they came from cleaning sprays, or from something on my hands, but I honestly have no clue. Depending on your perspective, this can be a flaw or a bonus. What some consider dirty, others will see as “patina.” But as someone who likes keeping their electronics squeaky-clean for as long as possible, it’s definitely a bit of a bummer to me.

(Being concrete, I would assume there are dozens of ways to get nearly any stain out of this keyboard, such as a power washer or a can of brake cleaner. However, I didn’t have the gumption to try it out for myself, and as such, I can’t guarantee that it’s possible.)

Gaming on Granite

Despite my multiple complaints about Keychron’s all-ceramic keyboard, I was still fond of the Tunneling Magnetoresistance (TMR) switches inside. They were innovative, functional, and novel, with notable advantages over standard Hall Effect (HE) switches. Because of that, I was surprised to see this keyboard going back to standard HE switches. They’re still great switches, of course, but going back to an inferior option for a similarly unique keyboard doesn’t quite make sense to me.

Regardless, these switches are still impressive by any other standard of comparison. They feel smooth, have a reasonable weight, snap back quickly when pressed. This keyboard both feels good to type on, and is responsive enough for gaming, especially with the 1,000 Hz polling rate.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Because the K2 HE uses Hall Effect switches, the level of software-level customization is deeper than your standard mechanical keyboard. Alongside standard features like remapping keys and programming macros, the in-browser Keychron Launcher app also allows for adjusting the actuation distance of individual switches, causing the key to register an input at higher or lower points in the keypress. Along with this, multiple inputs can be programmed at different distances, and the Rapid Trigger feature allows for switches to dynamically adjust the input point based on the direction of movement. For example, if you press a switch all the way down and then release it, the switch doesn’t have to return to the original actuation point before you can press it down again to register another input.

Keychron also allows for a feature known as “Snap Tap,” its in-house name for Simultaneous Opposing Cardinal Direction (SOCD) adjustments. When two “opposite” keys (such as A and D, or Left and Right arrow keys) are pressed at the same time, the more-recently pressed of the two will take priority and disable the other. With a traditional keyboard, both inputs would be registered at the same time, cancelling each other out. While this setting can provide clear improvements to strafing and similar movement, with instantaneous direction changes, it has been banned in some games with ranked competitive matches, since traditional counter-strafing is seen as a player-centric skill.

A topic I complain about in every single HE review is the lack of compatibility between different keyboards and switches. As of now, Keychron’s HE keyboards all use a proprietary design with only a few switch options, while keyboards from Wooting and a few other brands (including enthusiast-focused custom-built keyboard kits) use a much more common type of HE switch. This is despite all of these switches using identically-shaped housings. While I can understand that different standards will emerge over time, it can be frustrating to see a lack of interoperability between manufacturers when all of these keyboards have evolved from standard MX-style mechanical keyboards, which are immensely customizable with aftermarket components.

No Squabbles

Nearly every time I break open a keyboard, I find at least one decision that was made due to cost-cutting measures. This is the first keyboard where I don’t think I can say that. The case is a giant chunk of concrete with embedded metal posts. It doesn’t get more durable than that. If you managed to break this keyboard during repairs, I would be both impressed and deeply concerned.

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Then again, I realize now that I had much lower expectations compared to Keychron’s ceramic keyboard. Concrete has much less pretense around it. There are no real expectations, besides it being heavy and durable. It’s easy to expect a ceramic keyboard to be elegant and refined, with a glass-like sound and sophisticated typing. It doesn’t have a reputation to live up to. Does it type? Is it heavy? That’s more than enough. So, when I tested this keyboard and found a deep, resonant typing sound, I was shocked that it sounded as good as it does. There is novelty to this keyboard, of course, but underneath the joke, there’s a keyboard that is genuinely satisfying to use, even by the standards of modern, engineered, intentional materials.

I can’t say that concrete is the best option for a keyboard material, or even a necessarily good one. And yet, there’s an indisputable charm to its presence. If you don’t need a keyboard that’s light, or easy to move, or particularly pretty by modern standards, this might be the right keyboard for you.

Really, the only metric I can suggest for buying this keyboard is a deeply individual one: If the prospect of a concrete keyboard brings a smile to your face, if it brings you joy, then it might be something you need in your life.