Why are KEYCHRON keyboards so good? Q1 Max Teardown

[@KitGuruTech]

Please report spam as you see it. We attempt to remove as much as we can when we see it. And let us know what you think of this keychron keyboard in the comments, is this how all keyboard should be made?

[@Buffinator1988]

Good keyboards, although can be tough at times to find stock available for ISO layout on the Q series. I think I saw that Nuphy are finally bringing ISO versions of their boards to market, sometime in Q4. Could be an interesting review.

[@EricDavidson-cx7bz]

yeah I see quite a few are out of stock right now - Are Nuphy good? never heard of them.

[@bobsmithson8592]

Nuphy? will have to check them out now as well !

[@mr.guillotine3766]

I'm not sure how the pricing is across the pond, but here in the U.S. there are now quite a few really nice boards for almost half that price. They often come with just as much foam, better keycaps than Keychron is known for, etc. The budget board market is really good lately (and has been for this entire year so far), that these are more of the boards for people who aren't too deep into the whole keyboard scene, than they are the boards for those who are deeper into the hobby.

[@DavidLeBon-qq9vr]

They are expensive in UK and europe too, but most of the high end boards like this Q series are in and around 200 euros/pounds mark. I guess you will always find cheaper alternatives for everything - law of diminishing returns and all that.

[@BrookesStevenson-vw4xf]

This Q series is expensive, over £200 when shipping - but they come from China, not inside the UK. so id be concerned about support. its why I never bought one,. I buy all my things from Amazon.

[@hairsprungdutchtechnique9626]

Whatever way you cut it, Keychron are expensive. Are they great? sure they are. Are they worth it? Thats the question we need to answer. Ive seen cheaper keyboards not far from potentially this quality, but as the thread starter said, you buy the bare bones and just add the keys you want later.

[@FrankLeCross-fo5kr]

The keyboard I want from Keychron The Q65 Mac is £184 before shipping. Its just too much for me to be honest when I thought about it. and as some have said, I dont even know if they look after customers as they are based in China, and ship from China. Amazon stock some, but not the ones I like.

[@harleylover9446]

They are expensive but they actually look like they might be worth it considering what the big name brands charge

[@lucifersheadscarf6988]

I wasn’t quite expecting so many layers. When it was opened. Quite a lot of work went into that design

[@KitGuruTech]

The attention to detail from Keychron is great

[@joshuav.d.3777]

These are the best keyboards on the market, they do lower end ones too which are affordable, but their high end stuff is where its all at IMO. nice to see you guys focusing on them a little bit

[@dreschaffhausen5693]

The keyboard is the thing you change the least often on a PC along with the monitor. May as well get a top of the line one from the beginning

[@BobMotster]

Awesome product! If only it had one of those small displays in the top right corner. I started using keyboards with such displays and I can't go back. Using them to monitor my CPU and GPU temperatures has been a huge boon for me.

[@KitGuruTech]

I get that 100% - Could always grab a display panel and run that stuff separate to the keyboard :) - Mat

[@hairsprungdutchtechnique9626]

great idea

[@4thofjuly-fk4oq]

That would be very cool 😊

[@sortingoutthebills-dy6td]

My old Logitech had one of those would like to see a modern one

[@johnerikson2443]

That would be cool to see

[@lovingthelife804]

Wow, thanks Mat, going to check out their website now, thats built like a sherman tank

[@gaeljames6225]

Been buying Keychron from 2022, recommended - amazing boards

[@KitGuruTech]

What board did you get

[@gaeljames6225]

@@KitGuruTechQ1 Max

[@BlaiseMiller14]

So many layers when you open it, that was EXTREMELY impressive to see - all the work we never see in dampening and isolation

[@anthonyward4654]

Wow great teardown, I have a small board of theirs but I havent taken it apart, as I havent a clue how to put it back together again, this has so many layers inside, amazing bit of work

[@KitGuruTech]

Glad it helped

[@anthonyward4654]

@@KitGuruTechIt helped!

[@EricDavidson-cx7bz]

thats next level build quality - really such a piece of work, almost an art !

[@KitGuruTech]

It seriously well built. Could easily be used to fend off intruders 😂

[@kendrickMartinez4238]

Amazing keyboards, recommended to everyone - get the Q series, the K ones arent bad, but they feel a bit flimsy. the Q series are insanely well made

[@markdews891]

Never heard of this brand, they look fantastic!

[@billy9245]

Love the build quality and customization options on Keychron Q1 Max! 💯

[@Hudson234]

Can't believe how premium the Q1 Max looks and feels. Worth every penny! 🥳

[@psyaviah]

I have my Q1, but found it sounding a bit hollow. It has a great design for sure, but for some sound profiles, it needed more foam. The foam they added on the bottom is really thin imho and that could've been better. I also added extra tape to get rid of some case ping I experienced on the board. Other than that the spacebar and backspace where kind of hollow (depending on the keycap set). But some foam & tape fixed that as well. Easy to open up & mod I found. And I didn't have to do too much modding, which I liked.

[@KitGuruTech]

Great feedback thank you.

[@justinhowe8322]

Keychron keyboards have the best typing feel. The Q1 Max is next level! 😍

[@Blake846]

Teardown shows how much thought goes into the design. Impressive! 👏

[@fletcher3431]

Keychron really nailed it with the Q1 Max. Such a solid keyboard! 🥂

[@Nelson-gv1mc]

Thought about buying one a while ago, but the 85% and 100% are always sold out in UK for the keys I want. hard to get the right board from them.

[@Wilfred4815]

After watching this, I'm convinced. Keychron Q1 Max is a must-have! 🚀

[@Andrew-ks7zj]

Liked the review Kitguru, their high end boards are massively expensive, the one I looked at was £220 shipped. ouch!

[@jamey-pl4ez]

Thanks Mat, really digging your reviews lately

[@KitGuruTech]

Glad you like them!

[@jamey-pl4ez]

@@KitGuruTech Welcome!

[@grayson8414]

I wish they did a few more full sized keyboards, they focus too much on smaller designs, but I guess they are more popular now. But I love a numpad for my work as well

[@KitGuruTech]

You can buy their numpad too

[@grayson8414]

@@KitGuruTech Surely!

[@canarychrome7012]

They really do have some selection on their website, I got lost even looking at the boards. between about 10 different ranges - time to google these switches, between banana and jupiter, its bewildering.

[@elia2235]

Great review - that breakdown was educational

[@KitGuruTech]

Thanks !

[@domenico7561]

Great review mat - good products for sure, only owned a K series, this Q board looks next level.

[@emilio5937]

Yeah, thats a stunning looking board, good color combo too

[@KitGuruTech]

I think so too!

[@emilio5937]

@@KitGuruTech Great!

[@DrBreezeAir]

This is eerily perfect. Just as I was thinking of buying one.

[@KitGuruTech]

Which one are you thinking of getting?

[@bobsmithson8592]

Me too, good timing, definitely buying one now. just not this specific one.

[@Austin023]

At last, was wondering if you guys would ever review one of these, awesome keyboards, best on the market by a long margin IMO

[@KitGuruTech]

More to come!

[@Austin023]

@@KitGuruTech Definitely Waiting!

[@Praireboy-hg8ip]

Why don’t they have a page on their site explaining all their switch types ? Like cherry do. Far too many to keep track of.

[@psyaviah]

They do, in a way. Just check the keychron page and browse switches, open some up and read what they're about. Do watch reviews as well though. Some switches come from Gateron or Kailh, so, on the websites of these companies you can look up details as well.

[@weston1701]

I like this board, looks well made, nice colors too

[@KitGuruTech]

🤘🏻

[@weston1701]

@@KitGuruTech ❤❤

[@diana-qz6vv]

The colours are great too, id like a pink and white schemed keyboard now, for a change. I heard mixed things about their keycaps though from a few people, they get shiny quite fast

[@KitGuruTech]

Nice and happy colour scheme ! 😀

[@jamey89k83]

Thanks guys, really enjoyed this review at weekend, great looking products all round

[@KitGuruTech]

Our pleasure!

[@KitGuruTech]

Pleasure !

[@jamey89k83]

@@KitGuruTech Welcome!

[@jeremiahtech3971]

Good looking keyboard, love their color options on the site, had my eye on a few lately, but never in stock with the keys I want

[@KitGuruTech]

Yes they often have stock issues

[@jeremiahtech3971]

@@KitGuruTech Hmmm!

[@Ernest3834]

Love their Q max series, best boards money can buy, and often not over £200 either. bargain for what you get.

[@maximilianRodriguez7917]

Amazon stock some of them too if you are having issues getting them in your country. just often dont stock the good ones I want

[@KitGuruTech]

Yes they stock some

[@maximilianRodriguez7917]

@@KitGuruTech Todat i got to know!

[@festerleech4952]

Thanks for doing a complete teardown on this it's nice to see how well (or not) something is made. This does look pretty decent.

[@KitGuruTech]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@bishopDavis2115]

Great review, really useful. going to find their website and see their range

[@KitGuruTech]

Glad I could help

[@bishopDavis2115]

@@KitGuruTech Welcome!

[@Edward001]

I have one of their K series boards, and am saving up for the Q6 Max 100% but its out of stock here again. I want the side printed caps they offer now in banana switch

[@KitGuruTech]

Side printed caps look interesting !

[@Edward001]

@@KitGuruTech Your correct Bro!

[@jameskane6273]

Does the light not shine through the key letters themselves? just around the keys?

[@WarrenHernandez5833]

Great review for the weekend, was looking at buying one of these and didnt know much about the brand. I dont trust those influencer reviews on these things, they just say everything is great for a few bucks and a free keyboard

[@KitGuruTech]

Glad I could help

[@iskconpremi]

@@KitGuruTech Welcome!

[@WarrenHernandez5833]

@@KitGuruTech Hmm!

[@SemihSeyfullah]

People should look at the ALICE layout keyboards, great if you do a lot of typing like me, easier on the wrists and strain over time, very costly, but will last years

[@KitGuruTech]

Yes those are ergonomically very good we have heard. Never tried one yet myself !

[@praetorxyn]

That's a very nice looking board. I'm using a Rama Works Koyu, and I'm somewhat in the market for a 75% board as I miss my F1-F12 keys and there don't seem to be many good 75% kits. Only downside here is that their top legend keycaps don't match my color scheme at all (the side legend ones do, but I don't like side legend), and if I was going to go with the barebones and buy switches and keycaps, I may as well build a custom board at that point.

[@ogcarterdc9692]

Ok, so i watched this review and decided to check them out and just found out they sell over 200 variations of keyboards - thats staggering. Are they one of the worlds biggest?

[@KitGuruTech]

Not sure how many they sell tbh !

[@ogcarterdc9692]

@@KitGuruTech Okay!

[@sandraLopez901-h9g]

Holy cow they sell so many keyboards, is the Q series their flagship range?

[@KitGuruTech]

It’s high up their range

[@sandraLopez901-h9g]

@@KitGuruTech Okay!!

[@theonlyredspecial]

Great review mat 👍🏻

[@nightcorepeter]

Loved the breakdown mat, really useful and interesting to see how thats made. I bet my £30 logitech keyboard doesnt look like that opened up and on a desk!

[@KitGuruTech]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@iskconpremi]

@@KitGuruTech ❤❤❤

[@nightcorepeter]

@@KitGuruTech

[@parker3715]

Class review, what a board - was thinking about buying one a while ago, but didnt

[@KitGuruTech]

Going to now ?

[@parker3715]

@@KitGuruTech No

[@BK-it9mk]

I got the Q12MAX barebones, put in Zilent 67g and some cherry profile keycaps, this might be my endgame.

[@theonlyredspecial]

Bet that feels good to type on.

[@RainbowSunset-uq2hs]

thanks for the detailed review and breakdown mat, was very good

[@KitGuruTech]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@DeanMurphyCDM]

I’ve had my Q1 Max for a week now. Absolutely LOVE it.

[@RobertWilliams776-c9k]

So they have a site for America and a UK site, I see a lot of the UK boards are out of stock, and why do they not offer a double sized return key for UK? those single line keys really mess up my typing

[@KitGuruTech]

Yeah you don’t seem to get that.

[@RobertWilliams776-c9k]

@@KitGuruTech Correct!

[@demiankeaough4616]

KitGuru comes through with the information I need again!

[@ClaudeBeachum]

The tear down is shows a very impressive build quality its a really decent board.

[@KitGuruTech]

Solid build

[@philipjfry628]

Wow high praise indeed from Mat need to try one of these myself

[@justindavis7600]

Fantastic review mat. That’s some job 👌🏻

[@KitGuruTech]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@surft]

Wish you could do a comparison with the Keychron V1 series as well

[@KitGuruTech]

We may well do in time. Thanks 👍🏻

[@fixpoint]

Great video. Love the camera shots. And I just ordered mine!

[@KitGuruTech]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@siena3775]

Loved the breakdown, not often I would open a keyboard - is that keyboard about £180 in the spec you got it mat?

[@KitGuruTech]

Thanks, glad you liked it. Yes, in this spec it's £184 for the fully built board.

[@Darknightsandwetdays-lb9ko]

Amazing, I want one of their keyboards but its never in stock. been looking for months for it to come back in

[@bobsmithson8592]

Yeah I Can see the same issue here for me too

[@psyaviah]

Same issue. And mind, I'm looking for ISO (and ISO-BE keycaps). A pain. But I have managed. I only never managed to get a white colorway for example, sadly. Might have to spray paint myself :p..

[@sanvi7183]

I love their Banana keys, such good keys, better than Cherry

[@KitGuruTech]

Banana is our fav

[@sanvi7183]

@@KitGuruTech Great to know!

[@CoreyRamirez-im3tb]

Thats such a nice sounding keyboard! Just enough clicky without being annoying.

[@Linuxdistro15-ih8ox]

Super review mat. Very detailed - loved the breakdown too !

[@KitGuruTech]

Thanks a ton!

[@tomekhome]

Keychron q1 max is brilliant. I got one with red gateron switches and I absolutely love it for typing and gaming, sounds so satisfying.

[@stickyfingers9710]

What a great review. Really like these keyboard. Always have. Never bought one though

[@KitGuruTech]

Thanks for watching!

[@4thofjuly-fk4oq]

Great review thank you. Learned a lot !

[@KitGuruTech]

Glad it was helpful!

[@janicel3437]

Wow excellent job on your detailed review especially your patient tear down! Sorry if I missed it but what switches do you have on your keyboard? I am just learning about them and love the sound you demonstrated. Thanks in advance!

[@lucifersheadscarf6988]

Well I went to try and find a few and all out of stock. Either they sell fast or don’t make enough. 😕

[@KitGuruTech]

Yes a lot are out of stock we noticed while we were doing this review.

[@helenasummer5411]

Including both the keycaps for both windows and apple is a really neat touch.

[@KitGuruTech]

Yes it’s a great idea. Mac users are often forgotten

[@BrookesStevenson-vw4xf]

watched the tear down a few times now, really fascinated to see the difference between a proper high end board and a cheap one./

[@KitGuruTech]

The attention to detail is clear to see. What do you think of the Q1 Max?

[@Lina-cf6sy]

The price difference between the bare bones board and the fully loaded board is so small you would never go for the bare bones.

[@larwiemcdonnel5322]

That’s a work of art. Brilliant. Had no idea they even existed

[@AQuestCalledMusic]

I'm really struggling to decide between the Q1 Max VS the Lemokey P1 pro. The lemokey comes with Keychron Super switch's which seem better for gaming than the Gateron Jupiter Switch's. I just dont know how either would feel. The RK royal kludge 75 is also one of my options but I heard they are not the best quality among other issues.

[@dreamEnd]

What's the latency on this board?

[@KathyeChan105]

I didnt know you could take switches out of a keyboard? Can you do that with any keyboard?

[@KitGuruTech]

Not every keyboard no.

[@Loppy2u]

Maybe including an extra full Shine Through keycaps set to customize would help to give it the max value. Aluminum VIA programmable keyboards get cheaper every month I look at designs coming out. Expect the Keychron price is worth paying for warranty and customer support.

[@LucyME-mo9rl]

Wow really high praise from Mat but I think I would need to try it first.

[@hotandcoldrunningwater-hj2mn]

That keyboard I want with the bananas switches isn’t in stock. Never been luckily enough to get one yet. 😢

[@KitGuruTech]

Yeah we noticed quite a few out of stock

[@CraigChambliss]

Not having shine through keycaps is a big issue for me. What the point in backlighting it?

[@manjeetkumar7266]

As a review this is just ok, but I liked the breakdown - would have liked more showing how to change the keycaps and advise on which to buy for it.

[@MarilyneKing54]

Whats a Jupiter switch?

[@KnightRider-lq5yb]

Really impressive keyboard by any measure of the word.

[@KitGuruTech]

Would you consider buying one ?

[@Rispes-ne1fk]

Love the colour scheme of those keys its a bit like a CPC464

[@KitGuruTech]

True !

[@leydguitarist]

Does anyone own a Q series keyboard? what are the banana keys like? I have heard mixed things

[@KitGuruTech]

A few of our staff own them. Really feel great. If you google the key switches you will get several Reddit posts from a user base. Worth reading to learn more.

[@leydguitarist]

@@KitGuruTech I like to learn more!

[@AntonijoMilenkovic]

I would buy one of these but I really need a numeric keypad.

[@KitGuruTech]

Num pads don’t seem too important for a lot of people now !

[@praetorxyn]

They sell a separate numpad, the QO Max, with the benefit that you can put it wherever you want and move it out of you rway when not using it. But if you want a full-sized board, the Q6 Max is one.

[@Wizard4SocialMedia]

Love how they’ve gone with open source firmware. Will last forever like that.

[@Necromancerbob-zp7us]

What a product. Built to the highest standards 😮

[@KitGuruTech]

Yes it doubles up as a weapon 🙂

[@JamesMonroe-tr9zs]

Very well engineered.

[@KitGuruTech]

Yes it’s built well 👍🏻

[@jamesjessenden7838]

Not sure if I'm a fan of that design or not. Wish they did a brushed aluminium version of the chassis.

[@AloaVa-ew5qm]

Fully metal keyboard is a must for me.

[@GilbertGames]

Yayy that’s awesome. I just got mine yesterday!!! I love it but I got brown switches and am already thinking I’d like to try some others.

[@KitGuruTech]

You should!

[@GilbertGames]

@@KitGuruTech just ordered some boba u4t’s 65g! Expensive holy, but I’m so excited.

[@SerefYakup]

What are they like for RMA'ing? Are they shipping from China? This is a worry for me you know, in case it arrives with problems - cant really send it back as far as I can see

[@UnitedAlgorit-el4hy]

I’d love one but everytime I see something I like it’s never in stock.

[@KitGuruTech]

A comment repeated by quite a few others too

[@drewnewby]

I went with a Keychron K6, I think it was, about 3-4 years ago, but it had serious board QC issues, so I sent it back. Given their popularity, I assume that was growing pains or a one off.

[@KitGuruTech]

What went wrong ?

[@drewnewby]

@KitGuruTech There were several issues. One of the screws was badly cross threaded and the pcb could not be separated from the plate. Also, this was the optical version, and several of the switches had broken housing clips (they were very thin apparently). They had moved on to manufacturing a newer house brand version, and were not able to replace the switches.

[@Maxverstappenracing-dz3pt]

Next level keyboards. 🤘🏻

[@KitGuruTech]

They are great we agree

[@NinoMaluri]

I really want to try this keyboard it looks very touchy.

[@ChandrakantNayak-lv5lp]

Love their keyboards, had a key fail, and luckily Amazon helped me, not sure I would buy direct from these guys, they all ship from Shenzin in China

[@KitGuruTech]

Sorry to hear that

[@GrandHeresiarch]

This is the best keyboard I have bought in years. Might even be the last. Perfect stock with the gateron jupiter banana switches. RGB turned off. The hot swap is nice but probably never going to be used. Match it with a silicon wrist wrest and you're golden.

[@HaticeHatice-rh9tr]

Keychron are Number 1, have 13 of their keyboards now - not as many as Mat on the wall but plenty for me

[@KitGuruTech]

13 ! Wow that’s hardcore man