Keychron V1 Max review: A stellar typing experience at a reasonable price

The V range of mechanical keyboards is the more affordable option from Keychron's catalog. We've looked at Q and K keyboards in the past and today, we're reviewing the Keychron V1 Max. This is a wireless keyboard with gasket mounting, sound dampening, double-shot keycaps, and a selection of Gateron switches. With hot-swap support, Keychron allows you to use any switch and keycap you desire, making it easy to customize the V1 Max to your liking.

Available as a barebone or fully assembled mechanical keyboard, there's Bluetooth 5.1 and 2.4 GHz wireless for connecting the V1 Max to a Linux, macOS, or Windows PC. Like other Keychron keyboards, there's full customization here through VIA and QMK software, as well as swapping out switches, keycaps, and other components of the V1 Max. The Gateron Jupiter switches are excellent for typing up thousands of words or playing some PC games.

Designed to be an affordable entry point to customizable mechanical keyboards with wireless capabilities, Keychron has a great input device with the V1 Max and it's worth considering for your office or gaming setup.

About this review: Keychron sent XDA a V1 Max sample for this review but had no input to its contents.

Price, specs, and availability

The Keychron V1 Max starts at $74 for the barebones version, which doesn't come with any switches or keycaps. Keychron does offer fully assembled options with exclusive Gateron Jupiter switches, costing $94. An additional $20 for decent keycaps and switches for typing seems like a good deal unless you already have aftermarket options in mind. A fully assembled V1 Max is a great way to start with your first wireless mechanical keyboard with solid specifications at a more reasonable price.

Being a 75% keyboard, there's no Numpad and the more compact design sees a few other keys removed. The most important keys are present, but if you prefer a full-size layout, I would recommend considering another keyboard from Keychron or other brands. If buying a fully assembled Keychron V1 Max, you'll have the choice between Gateron Jupiter Banana, Jupiter Brown, and Jupiter Red switches. There's RGB lighting below each of the 3-pin hot-swap switches and everything is enclosed in an ABS plastic shell.

An internal 4,000 mAh battery is good for up to 225 hours, depending on which connection is used and if the RGB lighting is active.

Because this is a more affordable mechanical keyboard from Keychron, some of the materials aren't as high-quality as the premium alternatives. There is 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth 5.1 for connectivity, as well as USB-C. An internal 4,000 mAh battery is good for up to 225 hours, depending on which connection is used and if the RGB lighting is active. Support for a 1,000 Hz polling rate is excellent for fast typers and gaming. Then there's QMK and VIA support for customizing the keyboard for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

What I like

A very capable keyboard at a low price

Keychron makes some of the best customizable mechanical keyboards on the market but the brand is also capable of creating some excellent keyboards and undercut the competition. This is what the Keychron V1 Max does with its dual wireless connectivity, beefy 4,000 mAh battery, and hot-swap support for 3-pin switches. From the get-go, you can choose to have this keyboard delivered as a barebones kit or fully assembled, depending on whether you wish to start personalizing the keyboard as soon as you unbox it.

The Keychron V1 Max has many features usually reserved for more expensive keyboards.

Keychron's choice of switches with Gateron Jupiter range feels great to type on and play games. As well as the wireless support, the Keychron V1 Max has a compact 75% layout, gasket mount design, sound-absorbing foam, and double-shot PBT keycaps if assembled by Keychron. These features are usually reserved for more premium keyboards, so it's good to see Keychron maintain a good feature set by cutting corners in other less important areas. There's even a control knob in the top-right corner that can be programmed or used for managing output volume.

You'll find the V1 Max is constructed similarly to other Keychron keyboards. Up top are the keycaps, followed by switches that are attached to the main PCB. This is encased below a top case with gaskets and a plate. Some sound-dampening foam is present atop the PET film, and then we have the aforementioned PCB. There's plenty of dampening and such to help mitigate noise and make the keyboard far better to use. But we're not finished as Keychron also installed some foam below the PCB, which is then followed by the battery and bottom case.

It's a good-looking keyboard and while it is plastic, you won't notice the change in material if moving from a metal keyboard unless attempting to flex the peripheral or touch the sides. The main interaction is through the keycaps and switches and it nails the typing experience. Software support through QMK and VIA unlocks plenty of ways to customize the keyboard on top of physically altering the insides to your liking. For the price, it's a great wireless mechanical keyboard and one you can find yourself enjoying more than being tethered to a PC.

What I don't like

Not too much bling lighting here

The RGB lighting effects on the Keychron V1 Max aren't great. The primary issue with the south-facing LEDs is the brightness. It's a little too dull, even when compared to other keyboards at this price point. The same suite of effects is available, which is great, but if you want a flashy experience, especially in brighter environments, you'll struggle to see the underglow. I would recommend turning off the effects anyway to get the most out of the internal battery pack.

The keyboard itself is sturdy enough, but the plastic shell feels cheaper than materials used on other Keychron mechanical keyboards. There's also the issue with the relatively unstable spacebar. The stabilizers aren't great and you'll find yourself not hitting the actuation point to register a keystroke at times, at least until you grow accustomed to the best places to hit the key. The rest of the Keychron V1 Max is great for the price.

Should you buy the Keychron V1 Max?

You should buy the Keychron V1 Max if:

• You want a wireless mechanical keyboard.
• You may swap out the switches and/or keycaps for others down the line.
• You want an excellent typing experience at a reasonable price.

You shouldn't buy the Keychron V1 Max if:

• You want a metal outer casing for the keyboard.
• You want brighter RGB lighting.
• You prefer a full-size layout.

It's easy to get lost in the sea of more expensive Keychron keyboards. The brand has many SKUs to choose from but the Keychron V1 Max is a solid pick for a budget-friendly customizable mechanical keyboard. Usually, below $80, it's difficult to locate a good quality hot-swappable mechanical keyboard and it's great to see Keychron price the V1 Max at $74 as a barebones kit with full wireless capabilities and a 1,000 Hz polling rate. The specifications aren't as flashy as something more expensive, but Keychron nails the important parts.

The choice of a 2.4 GHz dongle or Bluetooth 5.1 is a nice touch, though a USB-C port is at hand for a connection as well as charging the internal 4,000 mAh battery pack. Though this is a more affordable Keychron keyboard, the company did manage to work in gasket mounting, some sound-dampening foam, and stabilizers, though I'm not a fan of the setup below the spacebar. As a 70% keyboard, you will have to get used to the more compact layout if migrating from a full-size keyboard and you can kiss the Numpad goodbye.

Overall, I'm a fan of the Keychron V1 Max. It's a joy to type thousands of words on.

Overall, I'm a fan of the Keychron V1 Max. It's a joy to type thousands of words on, including this review. The case itself won't feel as premium as other, more expensive keyboards, but you'll not notice this when playing games or writing up documents as the Gateron Jupiter switches do a solid job, and you can always swap them out for other switches. At $94 for a fully assembled V1 Max, it's a good wireless mechanical keyboard to start with.