Keyboards and mice · Keychron
Owners keep the Keychron M5 as a vertical mouse for work and some gaming, valuing its remappable side buttons and, for some, very smooth tracking, while accepting a plainer scroll wheel.
Button customization gets clear praise. Owners set the side buttons to work shortcuts like switching windows, then change them during games to actions such as reload, sprint or a class ability, so their fingers can stay on the keyboard.
The scroll wheel is a clear complaint. Owners who came from a Logitech MX Master 3 say they miss its wheel, and one owner says the side wheel on two 8K units skips scrolls now and then.
The Keychron M5 is a wireless vertical mouse. You hold it with your hand tilted on its side, like a handshake, which aims to ease wrist strain during long work sessions. It suits office workers who want an ergonomic mouse, and it is also fast enough for gaming.
| Connection | 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB cable |
|---|---|
| Battery life | Up to 140 hours |
| Switches or sensor | PixArt 3950 sensor (8K version) or PixArt 3311 (1K version); clicky or all-silent micro switches depending on version |
| Polling rate and DPI | Up to 8,000 Hz (8K version) or 1,000 Hz (1K version); up to 30,000 DPI |
| Weight | 95 g |
| Layout and buttons | Vertical shape at a 47° angle; main scroll wheel plus side thumb wheel; programmable buttons |
| Warranty |
From the maker's spec page, checked October 7, 2026. A blank row means the maker does not state it.
Up to 140 hours of battery means several weeks of normal office use between charges. If the battery runs low, you can plug in the cable and keep working. At 95 g it is a bit heavier than gaming mice, but it is normal for a vertical mouse. The 8K polling rate only matters for competitive gaming, so for office work the cheaper 1K version with silent switches is enough.
Pick up to three. You get a page with just those, side by side, on the subjects owners raised.
Once the novelty wears off, the thing owners still mention is how smooth the cursor is at a high polling rate. One owner said they can both feel and see the difference. The side buttons settle into habit: one set for desktop shortcuts, a different set for games. Several owners describe the shape as good, and one bought it to deal with forearm pain from a regular mouse.
The adjustment is real. A first-time vertical mouse owner said it felt very strange at first and took about two weeks and some patience to get used to. Owners are divided on ergonomics overall. One noted that a vertical mouse can make long sessions easier but will not fix carpal tunnel or chronic wrist pain without other changes. Owners moving from an MX Master 3 also had to get used to a simpler scroll wheel, and one sometimes misses the heavier feel of the Logitech.
The basic tracking and buttons keep working in the accounts given. Owners are divided on the polling rate. Some value the smoothness of 8K, while one owner found 8K a little unreliable, switched down to 500 Hz and had no trouble after that. Owners are also divided on build quality. One owner who bought two updated 8K mice found the side wheels skipping scrolls from time to time, opened both up, found nothing visibly wrong, and decided the brand is good value but not reliable.
There is not much long-term evidence. The longest ownership described is a couple of months, and several accounts cover only the first few weeks. This page cannot yet say how the wheel, switches or battery hold up after a year or more.
From 2 owner accounts that said how long they have had it. Own one? Add how long yours has lasted.
Counted from the owners who raised each subject, not from everyone. A subject is judged once at least 4 owners raise it.
18 more subjects came up from fewer than 4 owners each, which is not enough for a fair reading. To see how it stacks up, compare it with another machine.
The same owner, asked again at each point. Fills in as owners answer.
Two questions: how long you have had it, and anything you would like to say about it. Then we ask again as it ages. This helps our mission.
More in keyboards and mice: Logitech MX Master 3, Pulsar x2, Logitech G502.
Among the 2 owner accounts here that gave a duration, 0 described a failure.
Before you buy one used, ask the seller: how old it is, whether it was ever repaired and by whom, and whether any of the parts above have been replaced. Ask to see it run. A receipt tells you the warranty start date; most makers honour the term only for the first owner.
Public discussions we read and summarised in our own words. Nothing here was submitted to Still Kicks.
Counted from public accounts by people who said they own it, and summarised by Still Kicks in its own words. Not a manufacturer claim, a lab test or an estimate.
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