Keychron’s K13 Max is ideal for office use and includes a numpad and a full row of function keys.
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 limited to those four languages, Keychron has a wide range of ISO layouts on many of its models.
To see the ISO possibilities from Keychron, I ordered myself a Keychron K13 Max with a UK ISO build, which isn’t that different from ANSI, but you get a £ key which is handy. The K13 Max is an ultra-slim, low-profile keyboard with a choice of wired, 2.4GHz or Bluetooth connectivity. The K13 Max can switch between three different Bluetooth devices.
Although it’s a compact keyboard with an 80% form factor, the K13 Max has a full row of multimedia keys and a numpad, which makes it ideal for spreadsheets. The keycaps are low-profile angled keycaps with modifier keys provided in the case for both Windows and macOS. Users can swap out the switches with Gateron MX 2.0 low-profile mechanical switches, though you must specify the Hot-Swappable backlit RGB version when ordering.
Keychron’s K13 Max uses low-profile Gateron MX 2 switches, which can be swapped out if you order … [+]
The K13 Max may look like a business keyboard, but when running on 2.4GHz or in wired mode, it has a polling rate of 1000Hz, fast enough for serious gamers. When used in Bluetooth mode, that figure drops to a quieter 90Hz, fast enough for work but perhaps not for gaming.
The processor powering the K13 Max has powerful ARM architecture and comes with 256KB Flash to provide more flexibility for developers. QMK firmware means the K13 Max can be programmed in endless ways by remapping, creating macros or setting shortcuts. Keychron Launcher web app is compatible with macOS, Windows and Linux. The keyboard includes keycaps for 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% thinner than conventional profile switches, and the slim keys make the K13 Max aluminum body one of the world’s slimmest mechanical wave keyboards yet still have a response of excellent touch.
The K13 Max keyboard has keys for wireless and wired connections, plus a toggle switch for … [+]
The K13 Max ships with a Mac layout, but is 100% Windows compatible and has hot-swappable modifier keys in the box. The keyboard has the same multimedia functions and functional keys as standard macOS keyboards from Apple, but with improved tactile feedback. The K13 Max can pair with Mac and PC at the same time, but will use different key mappings for each device.
To make the K13 Max’s mechanical action more office-friendly, Keychron has used IXPE acoustic foam to dampen keystrokes and provide a more comfortable typing experience. The elastic latex foam provides better support for the keys, resulting in better response 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 an interchangeable version to be used with various low profile Gateron switches for different sounds and feels. The K13 Max is currently only compatible with Gateron/Keychron low profile mechanical switches, as QMK does NOT support optical low profile switches.
The K13 Max has legs that swivel to offer writing angles of 3.37, 4.2 and 6.7 degrees.
The low-profile keycaps used on the K13 Max have a good feel, and thanks to a two-stroke PBT material, they should be durable and not shiny too quickly due to 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 typing the wrong numbers on the numpad, but I guess that’s something I’d get used to after a while.
The overall feel of the K13 Max is good and may be due to the redesigned stabilizers that Keychron has used to ensure a smooth typing experience with less shake on large keys such as space bar, left shift, backspace and the Enter button. 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 adjusted in terms of hue, saturation, brightness and speed of the effect.
Verdict: If you want a smart-looking low-profile keyboard with an 80% compact build available in a wide range of ISO languages, the Keychron K13 Max is a good choice at a very reasonable price. The fact that 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 1000Hz polling rate means you can use it for gaming when work is done. Recommended.
Price and availability: The Keychron K13 Max ISO Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard is available now and costs $99 / £99 / €99 from keychron.com.
Technical characteristics:
- Number of keys: 90 (80%).
- Switches: Low profile mechanical gateron.
- Shift Face: Facing North.
- Number of multimedia keys: 12.
- Frame: ABS and aluminum.
- Cap Material: Low-profile, two-stroke PBT.
- Layout: ANSI.
- Polling rate (2.4 GHz and wired mode): 1000 Hz.
- Polling rate (Bluetooth mode): 90 Hz.
- N Key Rotation (NKRO): Yes, for both wireless and wired mode.
- Backlight: 22 types of RGB backlight options.
- Battery: 2000 mAh rechargeable li-polymer battery.
- Wireless working time (backlit off): About 95 hours.
- Wireless working time (RGB): About 50 hours (lowest brightness).
- Connectivity: 2.4 GHz / Bluetooth / Type-C with cable.
- Bluetooth version: 5.1.
- Compatible system: macOS / Windows / Linux.
- Dimension: 346 x 118.5 mm (13.62 x 4.66”).
- Weight: 600 g / 1.32 lbs.
- Press angle: 3.37, 4.2 and 6.7 degrees.
- MCU: ARM Cortex-M4 32-bit STM32F402 (256KB Flash).