I’ve tested the majority of Keychron’s Lemokey lineup of gaming keyboards, and the Lemokey P1 HE is my go-to for personal use. It’s this context that has me so disappointed in theLemokey L1 HE, a spin on the P1 HE that ditches that board’s best traits and adds little for a much higher price.
Lemokey L1 HE
A 75% magnetic keyboard with gaming features enabled by its Hall effect switches, four macro keys, and a programmable roller.
Price and Availability
The Lemokey L1 HE retails for $240 and comes in three colors: black, white, and silver. Only the black variant has shine-through keycaps.
Included in the box is a USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB-C to USB-A adapter (for your computer), a USB-A 2.4 GHz receiver, and a dongle to connect the receiver to the cable. Also included is a keycap/switch puller, hex key, screwdriver, four replacement gaskets, and a set of alternative keycaps.
A Great Keyboard That’s Been Done Better
From a pure functionality standpoint, the Lemokey L1 HE is a great keyboard that benefits from the same comfortable design and great-feeling Gateron Double-Real magnetic switches found in other recent Keychron keyboards. Keystrokes are soft and linear, backed up by a gasket mount design that does a superb job at muffling clacks. It’s also extremely easy to hot-swap parts, and Keychron bundles in all the tools you need for the job.
However, this is all true of Keychron’s other magnetic keyboards, most notably theLemokey P1 HE. In fact, the L1 HE is quite literally a P1 HE with four programmable macro keys tagged on for a $70 upcharge. Not only that, but the white L1 HE I was sent to test lacks the P1 HE’s shine-through keycaps and clickable dial, all while adding length to thetenkeyless 75% form-factorto accommodate the macro keys. It feels like a complete downgrade.
Instead of theP1 line’s vertical radio-like dial, the L1 HE opts for a horizontal roller. It feels great to use and is positioned conveniently for players using WASD controls to reach, but because it’s not clickable, it lacks the ability to mute audio (or whatever other function you may ascribe). Similar rollers on other keyboards are often clickable from the side, so it’s unfortunate that Keychron decided to forgo that known feature here.
As for shine-through keycaps, their absence has multiple negative effects on the L1 HE: it makes keycaps less legible in darker environments and accentuates the otherwise poor RGB implementation. Lighting barely shines past keycaps and the dark gaps between keys gives the presentation a lack of continuity. Plus, Keychron’s stock keycaps look pretty pedestrian, and the orange accents don’t do much to help that. What makes the choice not to include shine-through keycaps in the white model extra baffling is that they’re present in the black L1 HE colorway, as well as the white P1 HE, which this is directly based off of.
The addition of four macro keys is a nice touch if they’re something you’ll use, but otherwise, there’s no reason to consider the L1 HE over the P1 HE. You’re spending more for less.
Customization Has Some Issues
Keychron’s Hall effect-enabled features are all here: adjustable actuation points, dynamic rapid trigger, last keystroke prioritization, assigning up to four actions to a single keystroke, and simulating a game controller’s analog triggers. I’ve lauded other Keychron magnetic keyboards for this suite of features. They all work just as well here as ever, and the macro keys are particularly useful for mapping multiple actions to one keystroke.
Where things fall apart is creating macros in the web launcher. This proved a massive pain as the recording function was inconsistent in reading my keystrokes, requiring clunky manual configuration. It works fine once set up, but getting to that point was such a hassle that I abandoned them altogether.
Frankly, it’s high time Keychron created a bespoke customization app alongside its VIA web launcher. WhileVIAis powerful and works across platforms, there’s no getting around the imperfections of browser-based customization, especially when it comes to overly complex firmware updates. I’d rather see the company invest in software than regularly release redundant keyboards like the L1 HE.
One other problem regarding customization is the lack of choice between pre-installed switches. Keychron offers three variants of itsGateron Double-Rail magnetic switches—all of which are compatible with the L1 HE—yet only the Nebula variant can be chosen at checkout. If you want variants with higher or lower start/end forces, you’ll need to shell out an extra $35 for a set (if they’re even in-stock) and perform keyboard surgery yourself.
Great Wireless, but the Front-Facing Switch Is Unnecessary
The L1 HE is the first Keychron keyboard I’ve used to move the connection mode switch from the side or behind the keyboard to atop it. It’s visually interesting but functionally useless. It was never a burden before to reach the switch, while this one only gets in the way of reaching the roller. It’s a needless addition that feels like it only exists to give the keyboard the appearance of being more unique than it actually is.
This aside, the usual connectivity suspects—wired, 2.4 GHz wireless, and Bluetooth with three swappable connection profiles—are all here and work without issue. The L1 HE’s move to a USB-C to USB-C cable with the addition of a USB-A adapter is a welcome step forward without abandoning past functionality. I was minorly peeved that the dongle to attach the 2.4 GHz adapter to the cable was black and thus not color-coordinated to the keyboard. It’s a minor nag, but indicative of the lack of care it feels like Keychron put into this one.
Should You Buy the Lemokey L1 HE?
TheLemokey L1 HEis a good keyboard in a bubble that doesn’t consider its high price, but it’s a total downgrade from the superior $170Lemokey P1 HE. Unless you absolutely need the macro keys, go for its nearly identical, less expensive predecessor.I love that keyboard, but I find loving this one pretty hard when it’s clear Keychron didn’t give it the love it deserved.
