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A little over a year after Keychron released the K3 Pro, a 75% low profile keyboard with QMK firmware, Keychron has now released the K3 Max, yet another step forward that adds more features.

Namely, a 2.4GHz connection with a 1,000Hz polling rate was added to make the K3 Max a viable wireless option for those who do some gaming and prefer a low profile keyboard. Keychron also added some sound dampening material to alter the overall sound profile and adjusted the color theme of the keycaps with the K3 Max.

What’s Better

The big update here is the addition of the 2.4GHz connection. But not only is that an upgrade over the K3 Pro, Keychron has a quality implementation of this connection in the K3 Max. I used the 2.4GHz connection at a distance of about 3.1ft from the keyboard to my Macbook dock, with a few desk items in the line of sight, and the connection was very stable. I did not have any issues with latency or missed key presses, which I have experienced on a few other keyboards that offer this type of connection. It worked flawlessly for me and responded quicker when waking up the computer vs the bluetooth connection.

Another upgrade, though minor, is in the sound profile. Keychron added some foam to the case (which is very thin) to try to reduce unwanted noise in the K3 Max, and it did make a small improvement in my opinion. In the video above you can listen to the K3 Pro compared to the K3 Max and I do think the Max sounds just a touch better. However there’s still room for improvement on the stabilizers (see below).

That’s it for the upgrades, otherwise there is a lot in common here with the K3 Pro – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because the K3 Pro is a nice starting point. The K3 Max retains the QMK firmware with VIA customization, PBT keycaps, bluetooth connectivity, and 1,000Hz polling rate with the wired connection. It also retains the 1550mAh battery, but the battery life is not the same unfortunately (see below).

Room for Improvement

There are a couple areas where the K3 Max could improve, but beyond that, it’s down to personal choice as to whether it’s the right option for you.

First, the stabilizers are still a bit of an issue in my opinion. On every low profile Keychron keyboard I’ve owned, there is a considerable amount of rattle in the stabilizers, and it takes away from the otherwise pleasant sound profile. The K3 Max is no exception, with a good amount of rattle coming from the space bar in particular. This is not specific to the K3 Max, but being the “Max” version of this layout from Keychron, it would have been nice to see them address this.

Another area that’s a bit disappointing with the K3 Max is the battery life. Its immediate predecessor, the K3 Pro, had the same size battery with an expected life of 130 hours with all lighting turned off. The K3 Max only offers up to 78 hours with the lights off, a reduction of 40% from the K3 Pro. It’s possible this difference is accounting for the 2.4GHz connection and perhaps it uses more battery power than the other connections – I’m not sure, but it’s disappointing to have a reduction in expected life. By comparison, the NuPhy Air75 V2, another excellent 75% low profile keyboard, offers 220 hours of battery life with the lighting off, a whopping 142 hours more (17 days when used 8hrs/day). Again, a product with “Max” in the name that falls short of competitors by this much feels like a missed opportunity.

So, would I recommend the K3 Max? It really depends on what your priorities are. If you’re a fan of Keychron products and prefer the design of the K3 Max to the NuPhy Air75 V2, and especially if the battery life won’t be an issue for you, then yes, I do recommend the K3 Max. Other than the battery life, in my opinion there are no real dealbreakers here.

But I do recommend checking out the Air75 V2 if you’re in the market for a 75% low profile keyboard because it offers all the same features of the K3 Max with better battery life and a little bit more of a premium feel.

Check out the K3 Max

Keyboard Specs: