Keychron Q6 Max QMK/VIA Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard

First things first: I am not knowledgeable about the intricacies of keyboard mechanics and materials. The last time that I did research in buying a mechanical keyboard was more than a decade ago, when both OEMs and switches were limited to a handful of options.

So, it was with some skepticism when I saw Keychron — a brand wholly unknown to me — recommended by nearly every single review magazine. "Wow," I thought, "they must have a well-funded marketing department." But as I looked into user reviews and the technical specs (the latter of which I only scarcely understood), I figured they were worth a shot.

What an understatement! The Keychron Q6 Max is a rare modern example of a durable good that is both durable and good.

The heft is significant, what with its solid metal frame. It is by no means portable (a non-issue for me) but its weight promises indestructibility. I imagine I could easily bludgeon someone into a coma with it — if placed in a self-defense situation, of course.

I chose the Gateron Jupiter Banana switches, which appear to have been made to satisfy demand for an out-of-production meme switch. Words cannot describe how smooth the action feels and how buttery the sound is. My wife, who is not known for hyperbole, overheard me typing and confessed that she got ASMR chills down her spine. I sympathize. It is a genuine pleasure to type on this mammoth.

Good thing, too, since typing is what I do for a living. I read one review here that reasoned it was foolish for a writer not to invest in the tools of their trade, and the reviewer expressed regret for not thinking this way sooner. I admit that I had never considered keyboards in this light, but it was this logic that pushed me over the edge into purchasing it. [Shout-out and big ups to the anonymous reviewer from 03/17/2024.]

As much of a pleasure as it is to type on the Q6 Max, it is equally a joy to look at it. I ordered a differently colored set of double-shot PBT keycaps (whatever that means) and I couldn't be more content with the design choices on display. Aside from the colors themselves, the font is sublime — neither too weighty nor dainty, minimal yet carrying some personality.

With all those positives out of the way, it's not perfect. There are a few minor grouses I have, but none of them are worth docking a star. For one, some of the keys' text is too cramped; "num clear" is probably the most striking culprit, but "backspace" and "control" are similarly congested. On a related note, I was disappointed that the keycaps shipped with the fully assembled version are of a different height and (I think) font than the set I ordered — little room for mixing and matching, in other words.

Finally, there is a compact feeling to this full-size keyboard that doesn't make too much sense. Again, the weight alone would deter you from carting it around. Given that it's intended to be a permanent fixture, why not let the key sections breathe a little? I didn't truly feel that the layout was claustrophobic until I started to control my PC's volume with the keyboard's knob — it's somewhat awkward to get purchase without also fingering the backspace key below and/or the grilled-cheese sandwich button to its right.

Does the fact that I'm looking at a keyboard and thinking of food suggest that access to the knob is only a problem for the obese? While I may be fat, my fingers are quite slender — so I doubt it.

Anything not mentioned so far is neither a striking positive nor an annoyance. The Keychron Launcher is serviceable: It's not compatible with my preferred browser, but it is open-source and easy to use. As I further tweak and grow accustomed to this beast, I might require some options that are not accessible via this platform, but who knows?

The RGB lighting is nice and not too distracting, unless you really want it to be. I don't often work in the dark, so the fact that the lighting doesn't illuminate the keys is not a problem for me. But I will probably get a set of those shine-through side-printed keys one day to try them out.

Therein lies the consumer-friendly beauty of Keychron's revenue model — at least as I understand it. Rather than hawking nothing but defective garbage (*cough* Logitech), Keychron asks for a princely sum to buy equipment that should last a lifetime. But by having such a design-centric approach to their goods, I can easily see myself buying different keycap sets for the variety and/or novelty, thus making me a repeat customer. Hell, someday I might even become a switch otaku...

tl;dr — A keyboard of insane quality that more than justifies the surrounding hype. If you need something portable, look elsewhere. But if you are a power user that stays in one place, the Q6 Max could become a family heirloom.

So far So great everything works well but the only flaw is that the keyboard doesn't have a keyboard stand on the back.
I know not using a stand is good for your wrist but there are people like me who like to use it.

Gorgeous keyboard and well worth the investment.........for someone who has a solid understanding and a functioning knowledge of what the holy heck they are doing with a hot-swappable, tremendously expensive, mechanical keyboard and its related complexities. I say "complexities", but to be fair -- I am an idiot, through and through -- and I purchased this with insufficient knowledge and no clue how to do the most basic thing (for example, simply setup the keyboard so that I can use it without fudging up all the keys and related functions on my computer). If you have the brain matter necessary to comprehend this product (which I do not), it is a clear 5 stars.

Great feel, great build. Coding has become even better with this keyboard

I just wish it came with more example code for QMK. For example on how to setup keepalives when using wifi so my macros running delays don't cause it to disconnect.