Did you know that many keyboards are available in layouts other than the ubiquitous ANSI, as used in the United States? If you want a keyboard with Spanish, Swedish, Danish or German layouts, you can have them if your keyboard comes from Keychron. And the layout isn’t restricted to those four languages, Keychron has a wide range of ISO layouts on many of its models.
To look at the ISO possibilities from Keychron, I ordered myself a Keychron K13 Max with a U.K. ISO layout, which is not so different from ANSI, but you do get a £ key which is useful. The K13 Max is an ultra-slim and low-profile keyboard with a choice of wired, 2.4GHz or Bluetooth connections. The K13 Max can switch between three different Bluetooth devices.
Although it’s a compact keyboard with an 80% format, the K13 Max has a full row of multimedia keys and a numpad, which makes it ideal for spreadsheets. The keycaps are low-profile spherical-angled keycaps with modifier keys supplied in the box for both Windows and macOS. Users can hot-swap the switches with Gateron MX 2.0 low-profile MX mechanical switches although you must specify the RGB Backlight Hot-Swappable version when ordering.
The K13 Max may look like a business keyboard, but when used in 2.4 GHz or wired mode, it has a polling rate of 1000Hz, fast enough for serious gamers. When used in Bluetooth mode, that figure drops to a more sedate 90Hz, fast enough for work but maybe not for play.
The processor powering the K13 Max has powerful ARM architecture and comes with 256KB Flash to offer more flexibility to developers. The QMK firmware means the K13 Max can be programmed in endless ways by remapping keys, creating macros or setting up shortcuts. The Keychron Launcher web app is compatible with macOS, Windows, and Linux. The keyboard includes keycaps for both macOS and Windows, along with additional ESC and Enter keys, facilitating seamless switching between operating systems.
The low-profile Gateron switch used in the K13 Max is 31% slimmer than conventional profile switches and the slim switches make the aluminum body K13 Max one of the thinnest wireless mechanical keyboards in the world and yet it still has an excellent tactile response.
The K13 Max ships with a Mac layout but is 100% compatible with Windows and has swappable modifier keys in the box. The keyboard has the same multimedia and function key operations as standard macOS keyboards from Apple but with improved tactile feedback. The K13 Max can be paired with both Macs and PCs at the same time but will use different keymaps for each device.
To make the mechanical action of the K13 Max more office-friendly, Keychron has used IXPE acoustic foam for quitter keystrokes and a more comfortable typing experience. Resilient latex foam offers better support for the key switches, resulting in better responsiveness, and more durability. For a mechanical keyboard, the K13 Max is quiet and polite, ideal for use in a shared office.
For those who prefer more clicks, then the K13 Max can be ordered as a hot-swappable version to use with different Gateron low-profile switches for varying sounds and feels. The K13 Max is currently compatible with Gateron/Keychron low-profile mechanical switches only, as QMK does NOT support low-profile optical switches.
The low-profile keycaps used on the K13 Max have a good feel and thanks to a double-shot PBT material they should be durable and not turn shiny too quickly because of good oil resistance. One small criticism I have with the layout is the slight gap between the multimedia keys and the top row of numbers on the numpad. I kept finding myself pressing the wrong numbers on the numpad but I guess it’s something I would get used to after a while.
The overall feel of the K13 Max is good and may be due to the redesigned stabilizers Keychron has used to ensure an even typing experience with less wobble on the big keys like the space bar, left Shift, backspace and Enter key. Each key has a north-facing RGB LED with more than 22 different types of backlight settings. If RGB isn’t your thing, you can order a static white backlight version with 14 settings. The RGB backlights can be further fine-tuned in terms of hue, saturation, brightness and effect speed.
Verdict: If you want a smart-looking low-profile keyboard with a compact 80% layout available in a wide range of ISO languages, the Keychron K13 Max is a good choice at a very sensible price. The fact you can choose between wired, 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connections, makes it even more versatile. The numpad makes it ideal for spreadsheet use and the RGB lighting plus 1,000Hz polling rate means you can use it for gaming when work is over. Recommended.
Pricing & Availability: The Keychron K13 Max ISO mechanical low-profile keyboard is available now and costs $99 / £99 / €99 from keychron.com.
Tech Specs:
- Number of Keys: 90 (80%).
- Switches: Gateron low-profile mechanical.
- Switch face: North facing.
- Number of multimedia keys: 12.
- Frame: ABS and aluminum.
- Keycap material: Low-profile, double-shot PBT.
- Layout: ANSI.
- Polling rate (2.4 GHz and wired mode): 1000Hz.
- Polling rate (Bluetooth mode): 90Hz.
- N-Key rollover (NKRO): Yes, for both wireless and wired modes.
- Backlight: 22 types of RGB backlight options.
- Battery: 2,000mAh rechargeable li-polymer battery.
- Wireless working time (Backlit off): Around 95 hours.
- Wireless working time (RGB): Around 50 hours (lowest brightness).
- Connection: 2.4 GHz / Bluetooth / Type-C wired.
- Bluetooth version: 5.1.
- Compatible System: macOS / Windows / Linux.
- Dimension: 346 x 118.5 mm (13.62 x 4.66″).
- Weight: 600g / 1.32 lbs.
- Typing angle: 3.37, 4.2 and 6.7 degrees.
- MCU: ARM Cortex-M4 32-bit STM32F402 (256KB Flash).
