Lemokey L1 HE Wireless Keyboard Review

Keychron has been rapidly rolling out Hall Effect variants of its many popular keyboards, implementing the modern must-have tech into its slew of already-excellent boards. With the Lemokey L1 HE, we’re seeing a top-quality gaming keyboard further enhanced with Hall Effect switches. On paper, this could well be the perfect premium gaming keyboard, but how does it fare during real-world testing? Here is my review.

Hall effect meets super-premium

As mentioned in the intro, the Lemokey L1 HE’s standout feature is the Hall Effect switches, which have quickly become a must-have for gamers looking to upgrade their keyboard. Hall Effect switches can be fine-tuned to actuate exactly where a user wants, with as much or as little pressure as desired. Multiple actions can be assigned to an individual key’s multiple actuation points. This can be used in a variety of ways. A basic example is customizing the “W” key to be both “Walk Forward” when pressed lightly and “Run Forward” when pressed more heavily. There are limitless possibilities here.

Dynamic Rapid Trigger, Last Keystroke Prioritization, and Snap Click all bolster the utility of the Hall Effect switches, enabling an impressive level of customization. The Lemokey Launcher web app makes fine-tuning settings simple and, since it’s a web app, you don’t need to worry about having yet another background application sucking up resources.

Connect and play

Getting connected is easy enough, thanks to the L1 HE’s three solutions: 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, and USB-C.

With its more premium price, the L1 HE needs to deliver a high-quality experience. Happily, this keyboard gets a heck of a lot right.

Up first on the list of pros is the typing feel and sound. While the magnetic switches aren’t quite as satisfying as a top-tier tactile, Gateron’s magnetic switches are still very smooth. They are tuned with a subtle sound, making them ideal for gamers playing late into the night.

Built to last

Build quality is another area where the L1 HE succeeds. The CNC aluminium case feels impressively weighty. Between that and the switches is the gasket-mount design and multiple layers of dampening foam. It’s very well put together and the resulting sound and feel is excellent.

An elephant in the room that I haven’t yet addressed is the extra macro keys and roller found on the left-hand side. For right-handed users, these extra buttons are fantastic, as you get the additional functionality without having to sacrifice mouse room. For left-handed users, it’s less convenient.

The obvious downsides

The clear downside of the Lemokey L1 HE is the overall weight. While it feels extremely high-quality, its heft makes it unlikely to be used as a portable solution. This thing will want to live at a desk.

Oh, and for those looking to swap in their favorite switch, the nature of the Hall Effect switch-supporting PCB makes this impossible. You’ll need to be 100% committed to Hall Effect.

Disclosure: Review sample provided by Keychron/Lemokey.