I just tested one of the most customizable keyboards of the year — and the price is just right

Keychron’s K-Series has received a V2 update, and keyboards like the Keychron K10 V2 prove that you don’t need to spend a lot on a fully customizable board. Fitted with double-shot PBT keycaps and several layers of acoustic foam, the K10 V2 is built extremely well for a budget keyboard. It also comes with responsive stock switches that are lovely to type on.

There are a few variants to choose from, and the cheapest one costs just $84, offering an inexpensive and accessible way to enter the world of modding. All these factors make the K10 V2 one of the best mechanical keyboards you can buy.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Keychron K10 V2 review.

Keychron K10 V2 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A full-size 100% keyboard with great modding capabilities
• Who is it for? For serious typists and modding enthusiasts
• How much does it cost? The Keychron K10 V2 starts at $84 / £84
• What do we like? The sturdy build, great typing performance and modding capabilities, affordable price tag and web-based companion software
• What don’t we like? Some keys are too recessed

Keychron K10 V2 review: Specs

Keychron K10 V2 review: The ups

The Keychron K10 V2 is superb for typing, modding, customizing and more — and it’s built extremely well, too, all on a budget.

Sturdy build

For a mechanical keyboard that costs less than $100, the Keychron K10 V2 boasts a superb, sturdy build quality. It’s available in either an all-plastic build or with an aluminum frame — the latter of which costs more. I tested the aluminum variant and I have to say, this might be one of the best-built keyboards I’ve had the pleasure of testing.

There’s zero flex in the body, switches are well-lubed, the stabilizers are solid and even the ABS plastic used doesn’t feel cheap or too plasticky.

What’s even better is that the K10 V2 is fitted with double-shot PBT keycaps. These were missing from the first-gen K-Series range (which has ABS keycaps), so it’s nice to see high-quality caps coming as standard on these Version 2 models of Keychron’s budget boards. PBT keycaps are far more durable than ABS ones, and even pricier keyboards like the Razer Pro Type Ultra ($159) and the Corsair K65 Plus for Mac ($179) don’t come with PBT caps.

The K10 V2 has a lovely, refined sound profile , as it’s fitted with several layers of acoustic foam that negate metallic pings and unpleasant sounds. The keyboard isn’t too quiet that I can’t appreciate the clacks, and it isn’t loud enough to disturb my coworkers — a happy medium.

Great for modding

Keychron’s K-Series keyboards are built in a way that they can be easily taken apart and customized according to a user’s personal preference. In short, these keyboards are great for modding enthusiasts on a budget. And it’s no different in the case of the Keychron K10 V2.

First of all, there are a few variants to choose from. The cheapest model with a white backlight and an all-plastic build costs $84 / £84. If you want RGB backlighting and an all-plastic build, you’re looking at an expenditure of $94 / £94. And the most expensive model features RGB lighting and an aluminum frame, and it costs $104 / £103. You’ll need to spend a little extra ($114 / £113) to get hot-swappable switches, which, in my opinion, is well worth it.

Unless you love the styling of the Keychron, though, the NuPhy Kick75 is one of the finest keyboards for modders thanks to its dual low-/standard-profile compatibility, and it starts at just $89, making it the better choice.

All Keychron K10 V2 models come with the basic tools required to take the keyboard apart and make alterations to the damping, plate and PCB, in addition to hot swapping switches. Everything you need to mod the keyboard is included in the box, and that’s fantastic.

Fantastic for typing

Speaking of fantastic things, the Keychron K10 V2 is a beast for productivity. It sports a full-size 100% layout, which means you get a full row of function keys, multimedia keys and a number pad.

Let’s talk about the switches. You can choose from one of three Super Switch sets when buying directly from Keychron: Red (linear), Brown (tactile) or Banana (tactile). I tested the Brown Super Switches, which require 54g of force to register a press, and they have a pre-travel distance of 2mm (4mm total), which is how far down a switch needs to be pressed to activate it. A shorter pre-travel distance means you can type faster.

While I prefer lighter switches, like the 45g Creamy Jades in the Epomaker TH99 ($82) or the 35g Sea Salts in the Epomaker RT100 ($115), I didn’t mind the Brown Super Switches as much. Typing on them has been fun and comfortable.

But thank the stars my review unit is hot-swappable. The reason I said it was worth spending extra on hot-swappable switches is because you don’t want to opt for, say, the very heavy stock Banana Super Switches and be stuck with them forever.

I found the Bananas fatiguing to type on when I tested the Keychron K8 V2 ($79), and I was relieved my review unit of the K10 V2 came with Browns instead. I’ll be even more relieved when I swap them with some linear Reds!

I took a typing test at 10fastfingers.com to see how the K10 V2 fared against other keyboards I’ve tested, and you can see the results above. Despite using heavier switches than I’m used to, I still got an above-average score that I’m pleased with.

Web-based companion software

Much like Keychron’s other keyboards, the Keychron K10 V2 is QMK-enabled and you can use the web-based Keychron Launcher to customize it. Simply open the website in any browser (but I recommend Google Chrome) and plug your K10 V2 into your machine, and you’re good to go.

Here, you can choose from several RGB effects and even edit their brightness and saturation, remap keys, program macros and update the keyboard’s firmware. I’m a big fan of Keychron Launcher as it means I don’t need to download any proprietary software or bloatware onto my MacBook Air M2 or our shared office Windows 11 laptop.

Keychron K10 V2 review: The downs

The only flaws with the Keychron K10 V2 are that some of its keys are a little too recessed, and its simple design may not please everyone.

A bit too deep

My only gripe with the Keychron K10 V2 is that some of its keys are a little too recessed and they don’t sit as high as others. I’m primarily talking about the arrow and page navigation keys on the right-hand side of the keyboard.

When I put my fingers over them, my fingertips immediately touched the keyboard’s top case, which frustrated me. Pressing the up arrow dipped the entire key into the board, with my fingertip along with it.

I haven’t experienced this issue with other Keychron keyboards, such as the K8 V2, the V1 ($94) or the K11 Max ($94) — which are all fantastic alternatives if this tiny issue bothers you as it does me. If you want a non-Keychron keyboard that’s just as good, I’d recommend the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical ($99) or the Epomaker TH99.

Simple design

It’s the same problem I had with the Keychron K8 V2: the Keychron K10 V2 has a very simple, minimalist, all-black design. This is more of a pre-purchase consideration than an outright flaw, of course, as it comes down to personal preference. Like other K-Series V2 keyboards, the K10 V2 features all-black keycaps, barring one red escape keycap.

To me, the straightforward design is lackluster compared to the original K-Series design, which used a combination of black, gray and orange keycaps to deliver a more retro look, like the K10 Max ($119).

If colorful keycaps are more your speed, the good news is that there are plenty of alternatives out there. The Epomaker RT100, for instance, sports a retro design with multi-tonal beige keycaps. The Keychron V6 Max ($99) looks lovely in the carbon black colorway, too.

Keychron K10 V2 review: Verdict

On a budget but tempted to dismantle a mechanical keyboard and truly make it your own? The Keychron K10 V2 is an awesome choice for modding enthusiasts. Not only does it come with all the tools you need to personalize the keyboard, but it also offers a brilliant typing experience with its stock switches.

For a budget keyboard, the K10 V2 is built extremely well. It’s sturdy, and it has a lovely sound profile. It doesn’t have a lot of flaws either, but do note that some of its keys are a little too recessed and it sports a plain design, which some people may not like.

At the end of the day, the K10 V2 is a winner on most fronts. It’s cheap and very cheerful, and it’s got a lot of potential to be one of the finest mechanical keyboards around.