Hexgears X-1 Mechanical Keyboard Photo : Shep McAllister

Update 8/22: This Kickstarter ends tomorrow! Presumably, you’ll be able to order it again later, but this is your last chance to get in on the first batch.


Hexgears combined the low profile and rechargeable battery of popular wireless keyboards with the tactility of a mechanical keyboard, and you have just over a week left to snag one from the company’s Kickstarter.



Utilizing low profile Kaihua Choc switches, the X-1 cuts a strikingly slim profile for a mechanical keyboard, borrowing the aluminum slab shape of Apple’s latest Magic keyboard. The model they sent me to test included white keys, which reminded me of the Cherry MX Blues on my Corsair K70, but perhaps with just a bit more resistance. Red and Brown switches are also available, if you prefer linear switches.

The layout took a little getting used to, as there’s less space between the tops of the keycaps than most mechanical boards with raised keys, and the number pad is pushed right up against the main part of the keyboard. I was also unable to remap its Alt key to act as an Apple function key, which is the first thing I do with any new keyboard. I’ve reached out to Hexgears to ask why that might be.


Other than that issue, I felt right at home after a few hours of typing, and loved the feel and the look. It works over Bluetooth, which is still depressingly rare on mechanical keyboards, but you can also plug it straight in with an included USB-C cable. You also get full RGB backlighting, but when it’s turned off, the keyboard would look right at home in an office environment.