Keychron’s gaming division, Lemokey, knows something about making great mechanical keyboards. So, it’s no surprise that I love theLemokey P1 HE, its first Hall-effect board. It’s a delight to type on, has excellent customization options, and has fantastic build quality—this could well be your next favorite mechanical keyboard.
Lemokey P1 HE
The Lemokey P1 HE mechanical keyboard is an excellent option for all tasks, including typing and gaming. It’s well constructed, using premium materials throughout, and it feels like it’ll last a lifetime. The Gateron Hall-effect switches are fantastic to type on and allow a level of customization that makes the P1 HE a great all-rounder. The Lemokey P1 HE has multiple connectivity options, including 2.4GHz wireless, and a well-sized 4000mAh battery to keep you going without wires. Its RGB lighting is also impressive, with extensive per-key customization options, all available through the handy Lemokey web app.
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Price and Availability
The Lemokey P1 HE’s Fully Assembled Knob configuration is available in black or white for $169 from Amazon or Lemokey. Both versions use Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula Switches—but more on these in a moment.
Specifications
Exceptional Build Quality and Premium Materials
The Lemokey P1 HE has really excellent build quality. Its solid aluminum case is sturdy and weighty, and it has a slightly textured finish, so it doesn’t look just like a giant lump of carved metal. It’s a positive design decision that somehow makes the P1 HE feel even higher quality than it is. I’m not sure how that works, but it looks and feels wonderful. The Lemokey P1 HE weighs 3.59 lbs (1.63 kg), so it’s not a keyboard you’ll be throwing in your bag for a day at the library or college, but it’s perfect for your desk.
Inside the P1 HE is a sound-absorbing foam layer, the PCB, and a layer of EPDM foam and PET film to dampen the noise of your typing. The gasket-mount design also includes small amounts of silicone “beans” that further dampen any noise and add to the smooth typing action.
I like the P1 HE’s doubleshot PBT keycaps. They’re smooth and concave, easy to type on rapidly, and, in combination with the Hall-effect switches, make the P1 HE a real behemoth for typing and gaming. The individual glyphs on each key allow the per-key RGB to shine through nice and brightly, and I have to say, even after a good month of use, I haven’t noticed any buildup or otherwise. PBT keycaps do tend to wear better than ABS anyway, so this isn’t a surprise; I expect these keycaps to remain in excellent shape for a good long while.
I have the white version of the P1 HE, which means an all-white (well, a little off-white) color scheme, bar the dark-ish yellow flourish of the ESC key. It’s a nice touch alongside the P1 HE’s rather good per-key RGB.
The Lemokey P1 HE has an incline of 5 degrees, which is ideal for typing. However, if that doesn’t suit you, there are no adjustable feet. I found this angle excellent for typing, though you may want to add some risers if it’s not quite suitable for you. The lack of integrated feet is understandable. Many of Keychron’s other machined aluminum cases also lack adjustable feet, preferring the smooth-bottomed design instead.
Smooth, Customizable Switches
Now, the Lemokey P1 HE ships with Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula Switches, which it says are hot-swappable—but only with “magnetic switches sold on the Keychron and Lemokey website.” Unfortunately, I don’t have a second set of magnetic Hall effect switches available. Plenty of regular switches, but none that I can try the hot-swappable feature with. Still, you can definitely pop the keycap off and remove the Gateron switch while the keyboard is powered up, which suggests this is accurate.
The Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula Switches are interesting. These linear Hall-effect switches with customizable actuation points have an optical magnetic sensor with sensitivity down to 0.1mm. Adjustments to actuation and switch sensitivity are made through theLemokey web app, allowing you per-key customization across the entire keyboard. It’s quite different from a regular mechanical keyboard, and the additional customization is really useful.
The switch’s default setting is 2.0mm actuation distance, which is relatively standard for most switches. For example, Cherry MX Red, Silent, Brown, Blue, and Green all have an actuation distance of 2.0mm. But you can easily adjust this to suit your typing preferences; I changed this to 2.5mm for a little more typing force, which suits me. It’s incredibly simple, too: you selectSet All Operation Distance, set your distance, then selectSubmit. The changes are applied to every key.
But if you want per-key switch actuation, you manually adjust each switch using the same setting. Alternatively, you can use the Rapid Trigger setting to create specific fast switch settings per switch (with the option to turn Rapid Trigger on and off as required—it’s not a permanent change). So, for example, if you want your WASD keys to trigger faster while gaming, you can set specific key values between 0.1 and 1.2mm. It’s a handy feature for those who regularly switch between regular tasks and gaming with a simple toggle.
Lovely Typing Sound (Bar the Spacebar)
Typing sound is mostly good. I wouldn’t describe this as a “thocky” mechanical keyboard, but the smooth actuation of the Hall-effect switches means it’s a uniform sound, which I appreciate. All besides the spacebar, which unfortunately sounds somewhat hollow compared to the rest of the switches and stands out in my typing sound example below.
It’s an overall good sound, and the P1 HE types wonderfully, so the spacebar sound isn’t really off-putting. It’s just a small surprise as Lemokey has nailed basically every other feature on the P1 HE.
Great RGB—But Lemokey’s Software Needs Some Work
The switch customization is the main selling point of the Lemokey P1 HE, but that’s far from the only customization. Numerous other customization options are available via the Lemokey web app.
First up, the P1 HE RGB has north-facing per-key RGB customization. I’ve always been a fan of north-facing RGB as it helps illuminate the keyboard, and I don’t need RGB directed towards me. The shine-through keycaps allow enough colored-light to illuminate every key nicely, and the range of RGB effects is plentiful, with 22 different styles. So if you like control over your RGB, the P1 HE has you well covered.
Now, onto a more controversial feature: Last Keystroke Prioritization. Otherwise known as SnapTap on other major keyboard brands, LKP helps you change direction faster in FPS games like CS:GO, CS2, Valorant, etc.SnapTap is actually bannedfrom certain online games. Lemokey’s implementation of this tech, Last Keystroke Prioritization, works similarly, prioritizing deeper keypresses while resetting shallower ones. Theoretically, it gives you the edge in FPS games where changes of direction and subtle movement are the keys to success.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t try LKP because my Lemokey P1 HE firmware was version 1.0.0, but these features were rolled out in version v1.0.1. Here’s the rub: the Lemokey web app has an integrated firmware update tool that should make updating the firmware simple. But for me, it was impossible, and it led to this review taking much longer to publish than expected.
I tried updating the firmware using Lemokey’s web app, but it failed. The process errored, leaving the keyboard unable to connect to my PC. After a reset (which, in fairness, is very simple), it took a few days before the keyboard would work with the web app again. The P1 HE was working during that period, and I could type and so on, but it wouldn’t connect to the web app at all. After a few more resets, it suddenly worked again.
So, I put this down to bad luck; tech problems happen to everyone. While finalizing my review, I tried the process again—and again, had no luck. The firmware update process started proprerly this time, so I left it for a while, keen not to interrupt. However, I returned to my PCtwo hours laterand found the process was still ongoing, so I had to pull the plug, reset the keyboard, and start again.
There is so much to love about the Lemokey P1 HE, but I can’t update the firmware using the specified tools, which is very frustrating. Otherwise, Lemokey’s software is great, easy to use, and full of customization options. It feels like it has come a long way since all of Keychron’s mechanical keyboards used VIA, and I’m sure these issues will be ironed out in the future.
All of the Connectivity Options You Need
Connectivity is another of the Lemokey P1 HE’s plus points, with 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and USB-C wired options. The Bluetooth connection works seamlessly, as does the 2.4GHz connection via the included wireless receiver.
The P1 HE has a 4000mAh battery. I used the P1 HE at my desk, so I used a wired connection most of the time (I don’t mind cables!). However, I didn’t notice any serious battery drain when switching wireless modes. Though it’s worth noting that 2.4GHz will use battery life faster than Bluetooth.
There is a handy connectivity mode switch at the rear of the P1 HE,
Should You Buy the Lemokey P1 HE?
For a mere $169, you can buy a mechanical keyboard that lasts a lifetime, is wonderful to type on, and looks fantastic. In time, Lemokey’s software kinks will be resolved, and updating the firmware will be easier, despite this frustration during my review. So, yes, you absolutely should buy theLemokey P1 HE—it’s a steal at this price.
