REVIEW – It’s hard for me to turn down an offer to review a keyboard from Keychron even when from it’s their budget line – Lemokey. To me, the Lemokey keyboards feel every bit as premium as Keychron’s main keyboards. TOday I’m going to tell you about the Lemokey L1 HE mechanical keyboard. Let’s see if it’s managed to become my current favorite.
︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $239.99
Where to buy: Keychron
What is it?
The L1 HE is Lemokey’s first premium magnetic wireless keyboard with an all-metal build and open-source flexibility. The keyboard features Gateron double-rail magnetic switches, tri-mode connectivity (2.4G wireless, Bluetooth, and wired), a programmable roller with extra macro keys, a CNC-milled aluminum frame, QMK compatibility via Lemokey Configurator, and a gasket-mounted, sound-dampened structure with 1000Hz polling.
What’s included?
- Lemokey L1 HE mechanical keyboard
- USB-C to USB-C cable (with USB A adapter)
- USB A 2.4Ghz dongle
- Keycaps (includes Mac & Windows keycaps)
- Keycap and switch puller tool
- Screwdriver
- Hex key
- User guide
Tech specs
Dimension – 370 x 146 mm (14.56x 5.74 inches)
Number of Keys – 86
Layout – ANSI (US) Fully assembled
Angle – 5°
Front Height – 21 mm (without keycaps and feet)
Back Height – 32.84 mm (without keycaps and feet)
Feet Height – 2.2 mm
Weight (Fully Assembled version) – 1977±50 g
Frame Material – Full metal
Plate Material – Aluminum
MCU – ARM Cortex-M4 32-bit STM32F402 (256KB Flash)
Polling Rate – 1000 Hz (2.4 GHz and wired) / 125 Hz (Bluetooth mode)
N-Key Rollover (NKRO) – Yes for both wireless and wired modes
Rapid Trigger – Yes
Adjustable Actuation Points – 0.2 – 3.8 mm
Dynamic Keystrokes – 4-in-1 action keys
Sensitivity – 0.1 mm
Keycap – Cherry Profile double-shot PBT keycaps
Switch – Gateron double-rail magnetic switch
Switch Face – North-facing RGB
Hot-swappable – Yes, compatible with Gateron double-rail magnetic switch only.
Stabilizer – Plate-mounted stabilizer
Backlight – 22 types of RGB backlight options plus endless possibilities
Wireless Working Time (Backlit off) – Up to 100 hours
Charging Time – Around 5 hours
Charging Port – USB type-C
Battery 4000 mAh Rechargeable Li-polymer battery
Connectivity – 2.4 GHz/Bluetooth/wired
Bluetooth Version – 5.2
Bluetooth Operating Distance – Within 10 meters (Open space)
Compatible System – Windows/ macOS/ Linux
Operating Environment – -10 to 50℃
Design and features
The Lemokey L1 HE is a heavy keyboard due to its CNC aluminum chassis. It weighs in at 4.36 lbs and is available in the white and yellow version that you see here, as well as a black and a silver version.
If you’re like me, your eyes probably focused in on the upper right corner with that interesting looking roller knob and lever. The knurled roller knob controls volume with a nice tactile feel. Note that the knob lacks a mute feature even though it looks like there’s a button on the side. That’s just for show, but doesn’t do anything.
The lever switches between connectivity modes: Bluetooth, cable, and 2.4Ghz dongle. You’ll also notice the vertical row of 4 buttons below the roller knob. These buttons can be configured by using the web-based Lemokey launcher app. This web app also allows you to adjust the switch actuation points if you’re a gamer. Hello world
The back edge of the keyboard has a USB-C port to charge and/or run the keyboard in cabled mode. There’s also a status LED next to the port.
The Lemokey L1 HE keyboard comes with Cherry Profile double-shot PBT keycaps and Gateron double-rail magnetic switches. Unlike mechanical switches that rely on physical contact, Hall Effect magnetic switches use magnets to detect key presses. It’s important to note that the L1 HE is only compatible with the magnetic switches sold on the Keychron and Lemokey website.
The keyboard has a North-facing RGB backlit setup with 22 preset backlight options. But you can go wild by customizing the effects through the software.
Is this keyboard good for non-gamers?
Keyboards that feature HE (Hall Effects) magnetic switches are marketed to gamers because, compared to traditional mechanical switches, magnetic switches use pressure-sensitive hall effect sensors to detect keypresses, which means you get to set the depth at which you want each keypress to engage, with 0.1 millimeter precision. Does any of this matter to me? Nope, not even a little bit. All I care about as a touch typist is how a keyboard feels and sounds when I type on it and if it has an analog volume knob. So with that out of the way, I will say that I very much like the way this keyboard feels and sounds when I type on it. The sound from these switches isn’t overly loud, but it’s got a nice deep thock that is far from silent (check out my video below to see what it sounds like in a quiet room).
I’ve already mentioned that I’m a touch typist in the traditional sense. I don’t look at my fingers while I’m typing and I use the standard hand/fingers on the home row practice of typing. I didn’t run into any gotchas with the key layout. All the keys are exactly where my fingers expect them to be. Except for…
I was excited about the roller knob, but once I got the keyboard, my excitement was tempered by the fact that it’s on the opposite side of the keyboard from what I’m used to. All the keyboards that I’ve used in the last year or so have the analog volume knob on the right side. The Lemokey’s roller is on the left side. My muscle memory is strong, so I’m constantly trying to grab the non-existent knob on the right side whenever I need to adjust the volume. That’s my issue, not Lemokey’s. However, I do think it’s a miss on their part that the keyboard doesn’t have a dedicated mute switch. I guess there’s the option to remap one of the macro keys as a mute button… This goes for dedicated media playback buttons too. You’ll need to program your own if that’s a feature that is important to you.
The web app to remap keys isn’t exactly user-friendly, though. I tried to remap the keys to have recorded multi-key macros and couldn’t figure out how to get that to work, but I was able to set them up with text macros to inject pre-composed text at the press of a button.
See it in action
Final thoughts
For the most part, I’ve enjoyed testing and typing on the Lemokey L1 HE mechanical keyboard. The thocky sound, high build quality, and customizable features make it a real treat for everyday typing and I’m guessing that gamers will really love it. However, the roller knob placement on the left and the lack of a dedicated mute or media buttons might take some getting used to, especially if you rely on those features. The web app for remapping keys could also be more intuitive. Overall, if you want a keyboard that stands out in both looks and performance the Lemokey L1 HE mechanical keyboard is worth checking into. But for now, I’m sticking with my current fave, the Keychron Q1 HE keyboard.
What I like about Lemokey L1 HE mechanical keyboard
- Great build quality
- Insteresting look with the roller and macro keys
- Thocky sound and feel
What needs to be improved?
- Needs a mute button and/or media buttons
Price: $239.99
Where to buy: Keychron
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Keychron. They did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
