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Keychron K8 Max · Photo source

K8 Max

Released August 2024

Keychron's tenkeyless wireless mechanical keyboard with QMK firmware and an optional hot-swappable version, connecting by 2.4 GHz receiver, Bluetooth or cable, suited to people who want a TKL mechanical keyboard for Mac and Windows.

Layout: Tenkeyless
Switches: Mechanical
Backlight: RGB
Battery: 190 hours
Connects by: Bluetooth, USB receiver and Cable
Weight: 1158 g

What reviewers say

Reviewers praise the build quality and the smooth, well-tuned typing feel, with no stabiliser rattle, and find it comfortable for long typing sessions. RTINGS found it not especially quiet despite its dampening; on value they differ, with MakeUseOf calling it an excellent entry-level choice and Tom's Guide finding cheaper Keychron models offer more.

From rtings.com, tomsguide.com and makeuseof.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Typing

Layout: Tenkeyless
Switches: Mechanical
Backlight: RGB
Keys labelled for: Mac, Windows and more
Touch ID: No
Switches: Keychron Super mechanical switches (Red, Brown or Banana); south-facing; hot-swappable version accepts almost all 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switches
Keycaps: Double-shot PBT, OSA profile; keycaps for Windows and macOS plus extra Esc and Enter keys
Layouts: 87 keys (80% TKL); ANSI (keychron.com); UK ISO (keychron.uk)
Backlight: 22 RGB backlight effects; a white-backlight version is also sold
Special keys: 12 multimedia keys; separate keymaps for Mac and Windows; N-key rollover wireless and wired

Connections and battery

Connects by: Bluetooth, USB receiver and Cable
Devices it switches between: 3
Power: Rechargeable
Battery life (maker's claim): Up to 190 hours
Receiver: 2.4 GHz USB receiver at 1,000 Hz polling; Bluetooth 5.1 at 90 Hz to up to three devices; USB-C wired at 1,000 Hz
Battery life detail: 4,000 mAh lithium-polymer battery; around 190 hours with the backlight off and around 100 hours with RGB at its lowest brightness (Keychron's lab tests)
Works with: macOS, Windows and Linux
Software: QMK firmware; Keychron Launcher web app for key remapping and macros

Design

Weight: 1158 g
Width × depth × height: 354.21 × 124.18 × 43.09 mm
Size: 354.21 × 124.18 mm (plastic frame), 1,158 g; 359.20 × 129.20 mm (aluminium frame), 1,308 g; height with keycaps 35.32 mm at the front and 43.09 mm at the rear; typing angles of 3.4°, 7.7° and 10.7°
Materials: ABS or ABS and aluminium frame; steel plate; IXPE, PET and EPDM foams; screw-in PCB stabilisers
Colours: Black, White (keychron.com)

Pros and cons

Pros

Connects by 2.4 GHz receiver (1,000 Hz), Bluetooth to three devices, or USB-C cable (1,000 Hz)
Hot-swappable version takes almost any 3-pin or 5-pin MX-style switch; screw-in PCB stabilisers
QMK firmware, remappable in the Keychron Launcher web app; Mac and Windows keycaps included

Cons

Around 100 hours per charge with the RGB backlight on at its lowest brightness
Weighs 1,158 g (1,308 g with the aluminium frame)
90 Hz polling over Bluetooth

Closest rivals

Model	Layout	Switches	Backlight	Battery	Connects by	Weight	Released
SteelSeriesApex Pro TKL Gen 3	Tenkeyless	Magnetic (Hall effect)	RGB	–	Cable	974 g	Sept 2024
LogitechG515 LIGHTSPEED TKL	Tenkeyless	Low-profile mechanical	RGB	36 hours	Bluetooth, USB receiver and Cable	880 g	Jun 2024
LogitechG915 X LIGHTSPEED TKL	Tenkeyless	Low-profile mechanical	RGB	1000 hours	Bluetooth, USB receiver and Cable	860 g	Sept 2024

Sources

Photo: cdn.shopify.com

Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard RGB Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Red (Black finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard RGB Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Red (Black finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard RGB Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Brown (Black finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard RGB Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Brown (Black finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard RGB Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Banana (Black finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard RGB Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Banana (Black finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Red (Black finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Red (Black finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Brown (Black finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Brown (Black finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Banana (Black finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Banana (Black finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard White Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Red- white version (White finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard White Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Red- white version (White finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard White Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Brown-white version (White finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard White Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Brown-white version (White finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard White Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Banana-white version (White finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard White Backlight TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Hot Swappable Keychron Super Banana-white version (White finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Red-white version (White finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Red-white version (White finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Brown-white version (White finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Brown-white version (White finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Banana-white version (White finish): Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Keychron K8 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard Hot Swappable RGB Backlight Aluminum Frame TKL Layout Fully Assembled for Mac Windows Linux Keychron Super Banana-white version (White finish). Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Black UK ISO keyboard with supplied extra keycaps and Super Brown switch sample: Keychron; uk exact K8 Max maker page; Black UK ISO keyboard with supplied extra keycaps and Super Brown switch sample. Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Black UK ISO keyboard with supplied extra keycaps and Super Banana switch sample: Keychron; uk exact K8 Max maker page; Black UK ISO keyboard with supplied extra keycaps and Super Banana switch sample. Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, 🇩🇰 🇫🇮 🇳🇴 🇸🇪 Nordic-ISO Layout Keychron K8 Max QMK 80% layout Wireless Mechanical ISO Keyboard: Keychron; uk exact K8 Max maker page; 🇩🇰 🇫🇮 🇳🇴 🇸🇪 Nordic-ISO Layout Keychron K8 Max QMK 80% layout Wireless Mechanical ISO Keyboard. Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, 🇨🇭 Swiss-ISO Keychron K8 Max QMK 80% layout Wireless Mechanical ISO Keyboard: Keychron; uk exact K8 Max maker page; 🇨🇭 Swiss-ISO Keychron K8 Max QMK 80% layout Wireless Mechanical ISO Keyboard. Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, 🇩🇪 German DE-ISO Layout Keychron K8 Max QMK 80% layout Wireless Mechanical ISO Keyboard: Keychron; uk exact K8 Max maker page; 🇩🇪 German DE-ISO Layout Keychron K8 Max QMK 80% layout Wireless Mechanical ISO Keyboard. Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Black ANSI angled hardware photo extracted above detached feature icons: Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Black ANSI angled hardware photo extracted above detached feature icons. Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Black ISO angled hardware photo extracted above detached feature icons: Keychron; uk exact K8 Max maker page; Black ISO angled hardware photo extracted above detached feature icons. Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Black and White ANSI family hardware photo extracted between detached headings and icons: Keychron; global exact K8 Max maker page; Black and White ANSI family hardware photo extracted between detached headings and icons. Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.
Keychron K8 Max, Black ISO front and underside hardware photo extracted between detached heading and icons: Keychron; uk exact K8 Max maker page; Black ISO front and underside hardware photo extracted between detached heading and icons. Native RGB preserved; reviewed plain studio exterior alpha-only.

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