Verdict
The Keychron Q1 Max is a luxury keyboard wholly made of Al , offer welcome keycap bender , ludicrous customisation , and a supremely satisfying type experience . It ’s expensive , but it could very well last a lifetime . It ’s a great way to bring down the friction of joining the wild world of custom keyboard .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Keychron Q1 Max keyboard may be more than twice the price of the Keychron K4 that ’s help me well , but its undeniable heft , tall and blocky keycaps , and richly fulfill flavour assure that I ca n’t see myself tiring of it any time shortly .
My faithful desktop comrade now feels like a punk toy in comparison . It is n’t . It ’s much easier to trip with . But as someone who pull a line between weight and quality , the Keychron Q1 Max ticks all the right boxes .
Design
The Keychron Q1 Max stick to the late course of retro - inspired keyboard . The majority of its keys are a form of bone - white colour , with anything but the character and numbers you predominantly urge on being a very 80s - looking soft grey . Did I mention it weighs a ton ? Not literally , but the 1724 g heft makes it far heavy than the modal keyboard .
The keyboard chassis itself vex to the colourway of the main clump of keys , keep back that white ( or potentially very tripping grey ) refinement across the pocket-sized visible frame . This is a TKL ( tenkeyless ) display panel after all , so its step is handily compact .
There ’s a Carbon Black version as well , but good portion catch your hands on that one . Both boast a minuscule , tall , sturdy knob with deal of traction . It do work as a loudness telephone dial and mute button out of the boxwood , but the code - savvy users can get creative with customisation .
Being an partisan board by design , the Keychron Q1 Max can be bought with or without the Key mentioned above . No matter the choice , you ’ll still get wired use overUSB - C , wireless over the included 2.4Ghz receiver , completely port - free use over a 90Hz Bluetooth 5.1 link , and even a second electrical switch dedicated to flicking it from microcomputer mode to MacOS .
Either software system come with agree keys to go from one osmium to another , too , so you wo n’t be left look for the Windows headstone when all you could see is CMD .
pick barebones over a complete solidifying only saves around £ 20 – assuming you already have keys and substitution on hand to kill straight in . It ’s compatible with almost every 3 - pivot or 5 - pin maxwell switch out there . wholly hot - swappable , you may pluck out the include Gateron switches in favour of Panda , Kailh , or Cherry replacement to name the most large of the mickle .
It ’s quick to accept whichever artisanal keycaps you might be inspired to seek out and gather after dumping this duncical chunk of metal on your desk , or even change up the feel entirely if you decide the included Reds or Browns just are n’t for you .
In the box , which contains for the most part recyclable materials other than a simple plastic sleeve , is a caboodle of include commodity . Beyond the few Windows - focused keycaps for you to swap in , there ’s a double - sided remotion tool for the keycaps and switch , some trim screws , a USB - cytosine 2.4GHz receiver ( and a couple of USB adapters ) , a generously foresighted and braid USB - C overseas telegram , and thing like surrogate galosh infantry
Performance
There ’s a lot go on inside the Keychron Q1 Max . With level of built - in acoustical froth , the tactile typing experience is practically arrant for me , and much quieter than the Pro model that arrive before .
The in high spirits keycaps can take some getting used to , and each being heavy bevelled to mesh you into that consummate press can moderate to some offspring gliding between each samara if you ’re used to smoother , slimmer keycaps . Persevere and you ’ll come to find a reliable typing experience .
Out of the corner , a fully assembled Keychron Q1 Max with the Gateron Jupiter Brown switches issues a supremely gratify “ thock ” that ’s by far the best I ’ve experience in recent memory .
Keychron stresses that it ’s suited for gaming . And it is . But in the boldness of hyper - reactive optical switches of something like theCorsair K65 Pro Minior the ultra - slender keycaps of theRazer DeathStalker V2 Pro , there are certainly better options out there if professional gaming is on your order of business .
2.4Ghz radio is perfectly satisfactory for most players now . In fact , you ’ll still benefit from the same 1000Hz polling pace if you do go wireless over wired . But the option to run cable is there .
Key travel and propulsion is n’t excessive . You ’ll skin to accidentally push a key while resting your finger . The overall size of the tonality and their stay - in - your - lane contouring might put off anyone who does n’t need the precise typing experience it offer , which could be detrimental to gameplay .
Despite have two dedicated computer hardware switches for input character and chopine , switching between any of the three Bluetooth devices you’re able to pair with this board is still a cause for some friction if you ’re not paying tending . Not only do you take to remember the specific fundamental combination while in Bluetooth mode , but you then need to remember which profile you partner off a specific machine to .
There ’s no real path of getting around the 2d issue without something like a screen seen in theAsus ROG Azoth , but it would have been nice to have a third switch for toggling between Bluetooth machine and a button to trigger off pairing mode . Anything to reduce the friction for the fair user , fundamentally .
Software and lighting
Like it or loathe it , the Keychron Q1 Max does n’t allow lightness beam through the wearable - tolerant KSA PBT keycaps . They ’re too solid . Instead , the RGB inflammation simply straighten out the deck itself . You wo n’t struggle to see which buttons you ’re pressing either way , but you wo n’t get per - key ignition .
Keychron remark that the underglow is Dixieland - confront to maximize not how it appear from afar , but so that it ’s more easily enjoyed at your common seated position . It works in practice , but the plastic beneath each key does break it aside somewhat if you attend closely .
When it comes to lightning effects , you ’re stuck with presets unless you ’re up for coding your own . If you favour the plug n ’ play appeal , however , you may just as easily make do with the on - board lighting profile if you make a riding habit of remember the specific keystrokes needed to cycle through them . All the usuals are there like wave , rainbow , respiration , cycle , and on - press .
As someone who is n’t all too fussed about contract the fourth dimension to integrate usance kindling into my ever - changing desk blank , it ’s always great to have options uncommitted out of the boxful . If you do have the time to chub mackerel – which Keychron rightfully presumes you do with this opened - source oblation – you could make it your own .
There ’s no easy integrating with subsist genus Apis like Razer Chroma , and OpenRGB does n’t appear to acknowledge it either . Making it wed into any complex setups you already have will be difficult , but it ’s potential with the right know - how and persistence .
If you ’re bad on using the lighting , expect to get around 100 hours out of the 4000mAh bombardment regardless of which wireless solution you prefer . Without it , you ’ll get just unsure of double that .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
The Keychron Q1 Max is great out of the box , but can get with your typing experience or customization interests and is build to last .
Dedicatedgaming keyboardscan declare oneself a tight nitty-gritty experience at a slightly lower price .
Final Thoughts
The Keychron Q1 Max is a keyboard that provides a opulence typewriting experience , works perfectly out of the boxful , and offers everything you need to rightfully make it your own if you ’re quick to tinker .
It ’s not thebest gambling keyboardout there . But never exact to be . The adjustable propulsion of theSteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wirelessis a beneficial vociferation at this size and price ambit , with theAsus ROG Azothoffering a fun OLED gimmick . But if you crop and play with the same board in equal metre , you ’ll struggle to receive one as satisfying and round-eyed as the Keychron Q1 Max . hold in out ourBest Keyboardguide for more option .
Trusted Score
How we test
We use every keyboard we test for at least a calendar week . During that time , we ’ll go over it for ease of role , comfort and operation of the switches .
We also curb each keyboard ’s software package to see how soft it is to custom-make and fix up .
FAQs
While it does n’t directly support Linux with a consecrate mode switch or alternate keycaps , the Keychron Q1 Max is plug n ’ play and therefore should make for just OK on Linux .
There ’s no easy software solution offered by Keychron to tweak the let in RGB profiles , but codification - savvy users can perhaps edit the wink custom firmware to achieve this .
The Keychron Q1 Max does n’t practice retractable or adjustable feet at all . The only way to set the typewrite angle would be to shift the switches and keys .
