Keychron Q6 Max review: Quality control
Keychron Q6 Max: Two-minute review
The Keychron Q6 Max is a premium mechanical keyboard that doesn’t come cheap. But considering how many high-quality features Keychron has managed to pack into it, it shouldn’t be. You’ll spend quite a bit of money, but this board will give you years of typing satisfaction.
From the rock-solid aluminum construction and sweet acoustics, to the premium typing feel and hot-swappable switches, this is a keyboard designed for those who want the best. Its large size isn’t for everyone, but you’ll likely like it.
While there are some drawbacks – its software quirks and surprising weight are worth considering in addition to the price – they’re not enough to do any serious harm to our final assessment. This is one of the best mechanical keyboards you can buy right now.
Keychron Q6 Max: price and availability
- how much does it cost? $219 / £193 / $349 AUD
- When can it be used? Now available
- Where can you get it? Global sale
The Keychron Q6 Max costs $219 (£193 or AU$349). There’s no doubt it’s expensive, but this is an unabashedly high-quality motherboard. You can purchase it from Keychron’s website, Amazonand other third-party retailers.
Keychron Q6 Max: Design
Let’s get right into the Keychron Q6 Max The first thing you’ll notice upon unboxing: this thing is built like an absolute tank. Its chassis is made of thick, dense aluminum, and it tipped the scales at 4.85 pounds (2.2 kg). It’s too heavy to carry in a backpack, and honestly I’m not sure if it’s more accurately described as a keyboard or an offensive weapon. Being so heavy isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, as it feels well-made and a far cry from the cheap plastic construction of cheaper keyboards.
Its qualities can be felt in other ways. The keycaps are made from two-tone PBT plastic, which gives them a subtle texture and means the legends will never rub off. They come in an absolutely gorgeous off-white and navy “Carbon Black” design, with teal highlights on the Esc and Enter keys (there is a cream gray alternative color scheme, but I’m focusing on Carbon Black). It looks even better when you enable south-facing RGB, which has 22 different lighting styles.
This is a full-size keyboard, which means there’s a number pad and four macro keys on the right side. This is ideal if you work with data or just like to keep numbers close to hand with your mouse, but it can get in the way, especially during gaming.
The control knob is located at the end of the row of function keys. By default, turning it adjusts your computer’s volume, and pressing it mutes or unmutes the sound. Keychron’s functionality can be tuned using its Launcher Web application, which I’ll discuss again in the Performance section.
There are two switches on the back: one for switching between Bluetooth, wired, or 2.4GHz connections, and another for changing from Windows to macOS keyboard layout (there are also Windows- and macOS-specific keycaps in the box). These switches are very stiff, with the former being particularly problematic as it’s difficult to find the middle (wired) position. It would also be easier to access if they were on the side of the keyboard, as is the case with some of Keychron’s other products.
There’s not much to criticize about the design, but a wrist rest would be a welcome addition (you can buy the Keychron wrist rest separately, but it doesn’t come with the Q6 Max). You also can’t adjust the height of the board, I had to stuff a thin book underneath to get it to the height I was used to. Given its current weight, it’s no surprise that the Q6 Max lacks height-adjustable feet or stands.
Keychron Q6 Max: Performance
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One of the most important aspects of any keyboard is the feel of typing, and the Q6 Max excels in this regard. My review unit came with Gateron Jupiter Brown switches, which provide a tactile bump but don’t make loud sounds and clicks. It feels great to type all day long. I didn’t find any key ghosting issues in my testing either.
As for gaming, the Q6 Max does pretty well here too. The Jupiter Brown switches are fast enough for FPS gaming for all but the most hardcore pro gamers, while remaining comfortable during long gaming sessions. The main issue, though, is the number pad, which sometimes gets in the way of your mouse.
The Q6 Max features hot-swappable switches, making switching switches quick and easy with the included keycap/switch puller. My review unit came with a set of tactile Gateron Jupiter banana switches as well as Brown switches, which have a sturdier feel and require more force to press. They also produce a slightly deeper, more “harsh” sound. Keychron says the Q6 Max works with nearly all 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switches on the market, giving you great flexibility and customization.
Besides feel, how does the keyboard perform acoustically? The good news is that the Q6 Max sounds great when used. The Keychron has built-in dual-spacer mounts and padded the boards with acoustic foam, and the result is a soft, rattling acoustic profile that’s satisfying to the ears without pissing off your coworkers.
Keychron has a Launcher web app that takes advantage of the motherboard’s QMK compatibility for adjusting the backlight, creating macros, changing keybindings, and more. It requires the keyboard to be in wired mode and only works in Chromium-based browsers like Chrome and Edge, which is less than ideal. You can also use the VIA Web App to perform many of the same tasks. While these web apps are powerful and simple, they feel like a half-baked solution compared to dedicated desktop apps.
For example, these web apps can’t display your keyboard’s battery life, so you’ll have to look for it elsewhere. You can find it on the system Bluetooth settings page in Windows and macOS, or by pressing Fn+B, and it will light up numbers 1 through 0 to indicate battery level (each key represents 10%). While the keyboard shortcuts are a neat trick, having to open different apps to find out battery status feels less than ideal.
Should you buy the Keychron Q6 Max?
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| value | There’s a difference between expensive and overpriced, and the Keychron Q6 Max is the former, but not the latter. It’s expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for. | 4.5/5 |
| design | The Keychron Q6 Max is highly customizable, looks stunning, and has top-quality features. | 5/5 |
| Performance | Beautiful typing feel and sweet sound quality. | 5/5 |
| average rating | If you want a full-size keyboard and don’t want to compromise on quality, the Keychron Q6 Max is an excellent choice. | 5/5 |
Buy Keychron Q6 Max if…
Don’t buy it if…
Keychron Q6 Max: Also consider
How I tested the Keychron Q6 Max
I spent a week with the Q6 Max, using it as my daily driver for everything from writing articles to playing games. I changed its switches to see how easy the process was, and tested Keychron’s web application and QMK/VIA functionality.
First review time: November 2024
