Keychron K1 Max QMK/VIA 2.4 GHz & Bluetooth Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard for Mac/Windows/Linux, TKL Layout Low-Profile Wired Keyboard White Backlight with Low-Profile Gateron Red Switch

While I have used mechanical keyboards for many years now, I recently decided to get into something a bit more custom, and came across Keychron in the process. Upon reviewing their offerings, I noticed that their K-series had a wireless 80% TKL low profile mechanical keyboard and could be something I could use from the couch. Intrigued, I ended up going with the new K1 Max as I wanted the 2.4G connection which is far more responsive than Bluetooth, and the acoustic foam dampeners (didn't care for RGB backlight). I did not bother going with the hot-swappable version either since there are very few low profile mechanical switches on the market in comparison to the regular sized ones. These come installed with the latest Gateron LP switches which are well regarded, and have doubleshot PBT keycaps. Not sure why the Blue switches are only available for the K3 Max, but either way I prefer Brown as my all-rounder switch.One of my other main reasons for moving to custom keyboards was to try and get away from the notoriously buggy Logitech/Corsair/etc G Hub and iCue software that is needed for their keyboards and mice. A very big plus here was that Keychron keyboards are QMK/VIA-compatible, which uses your web browser to control an open-source keyboard remapping tool. This lets me set custom macros and cuts down on SW bloat at the same time.I have not needed to recharge the battery yet so I cannot comment there, but overall, there really isn't much to dislike here. Very high quality product, will be looking into their Q-series as well for desktop use.

The media could not be loaded. This keyboard is almost perfect for me. I like that it is low profile. Typing on it is great, the tactile feedback is very good. It makes a clacking sound while typing, which is not too loud. It has a switch for wireless/wired/Bluetooth connectivity. I wish it had something to hold the wireless dongle in, since when I am using it wired I don't want to misplace the dongle. The "almost" part is also because there is one annoying feature - back-light modes. The keyboard has several different lightning patterns that can by switched with a dedicated key. That key is pretty close to the "PgUp" key and I often press it by mistake while typing. But this keyboard is programmable, so the key behavior can be theoretically remapped to something else. The programming interface is web based, so not software is needed to download and install. It works with Windows and Mac, but I did not have any luck programming it under Linux. The user interface isn't very intuitive for me, unfortunately, but the keyboard supports several different layouts that can be switched between.Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase, just will need more time to learn how to program it, if only for this one light switch key.

Looks nice and typing feels nice but frequently encounter issues with repeated keys. I keep having to fix what I type which negates any advantage I could get from this keyboard. Reading the reviews I realize I should have been more careful as many reviewers report this problem. Shame.

This keyboard is so cool, it is not to noisy and you can customize the heck out of this peripheral !

UPDATE: After 1 year I am have repeated key issues, primarily with A and S keys. I am using the keyboard wired and maintain a very neat desk area, no food ever, etc. Disappointing. The keyboard is no longer usable after only a year of not-even-daily use.Works great! I don’t bother with wireless for my desktop use as plugged in means it always has a solid connection and I can run the backlighting 24/7 if I want.

I have some key chatter issues. The key acts like it's being pressed multiple times when I press it once. Happens with my S and D keys currently. I love the profile though and the issue is intermittent so I can't pinpoint exact issue yet

I've used more keyboards than I care to divulge the number of, but there's usually something that prevents me from giving up my Glorious GMMK Pro. For me, it's just about as perfect a wired 75% keyboard can be. That said, this Keychain K1 Max is really, really good, and that I won't be switching to it full-time is more of me being too used to the GMMK Pro to give it up than anything too bad with the Keychron.In any case, the Keychron K1 Max is a fantastic keyboard from start to finish. First, it works right out of the box with MacOS. No software needed, - it all works: Controlling my monitor brightness, the brightness of the keyboard backlighting (white only, boo), volume, transport keys etc - it all works perfectly in MacOS 15.1 (at the time of review).Switching to Windows? Easy, there's a switch you can easily feel for around back to flick to the side. You don't even have to flick switch, but things like ALT+F4 won't work till you do. This isn't surprising, but something to bear in mind. I use a KVM and this keyboard wired, so I'm often switching between Windows and Mac systems, which works a treat with this board.Key feel with the Gateron low-profile red switches is excellent. Truly excellent. Now, I'm so used to full depress that a low-profile takes some getting use to, but it does feel excellent, - really clean and smooth, and not too loud at all. Key consistency is good, minus the usual suspects like space bar/backspace etc, which will sound different due to the larger caps.Keychron do have a variant of this board with RGB instead of white lighting. Whether the white from the RGB layout is as pure and without flicker as the very clean white-only reviewed here remains to be seen. That said, since these aren't shine-through key-caps, you most just get the light bleed out of the side of the keys. Speaking of LED lighting, this isn't the cleanest around. I enclosed a picture with this review, where you can see the spacebar is leaking some light to the bottom of the B key (because of the space bar), and that's the most egregious case of light bleed. That said, you'll notice some light bleed all over the keyboard. It's not the end of the world, but it definitely doesn't give it a premium look, which is a shame. I also wish the USB Type C cable (braided), plugged in lower (vertically) so it wasn't so visible, but such is life.In any case, this keyboard is a delight to type on, has two different tilt angles, and if you want a low-profile, tidy mechanical keyboard, with the ability to use BT, wired, or 2.4Ghz wireless, - this should be on your shortlist.4 out of 5. Very good.