The Keychron V8 Max is an ergonomic mechanical keyboard designed for typists. It utilizes the Alice format, which splits the keyboard in half to allow angled keys, allowing for a more natural wrist position than a standard keyboard. This format will take you some time to get used to, but is worth the effort if you’re suffering wrist or hand pain.
It’ll take you a while to adapt to the position of the keys. The split down the middle will definitely cause issues for touch-typists, and the angle of the keys require new — albeit more comfortable— wrist positioning.
The V8 Max has the same format as the K11 Max, also by Keychron, opting instead for standard profile keycaps and a different sound. There are also other ergonomic keyboards on the market, such as the cheaper mechanical Epomaker CIDOO ABM066, or the more expensive membrane Logitech Ergo K860, both offering different takes on the same concept.
So, is the Keychron V8 Max, and its format, worth your consideration? Read on for my full review.
Keychron V8 Max review: Cheat Sheet
- What is it? An “Alice” layout mechanical keyboard
- Who is it for? If you suffer from wrist pain, or want a keyboard that provides ergonomic comfort for typists
- What does it cost? $104 from Keychron
- What do we like? Typing feels great on the keyboard thanks to the ergonomic design and great feel of the keys. It’s great value for a custom keyboard, too
- What don’t we like? The format is going to take some time to get used to, although it is rewarding if you stick with it
Keychron V8 Max review: Specs
Keychron V8 Max review: The ups
There is a lot to like about the V8 Max. Its design is extremely comfortable, while the keyboard sports a range of connectivity options and a great depth of customization.
Design
I find the 65% size to be perfect for work, encompassing enough keys to offer a complete key set for typing. The small keyboard size makes it easy to reach all the keys, and the adjustable elevation ensures a comfortable typing position.
The appearance is a classic Keychron affair, with a high quality ABS case and OSA profile double shot PBT keycaps. Each cap is beautifully textured and shaped with increased comfort and typing accuracy in mind.
The plastic case goes a long way to making the keyboard portable — weighing just 1.6 pounds, I was able to transport the keyboard between my home and office as an upgrade to my laptop keyboard. Those with wrist issues will also have no problems adjusting the keyboard to a more comfortable typing position if need be.
The keyboard also features south-facing RGB backlighting, which you are able to customize using the Launcher web app. The keys are not shinethrough, which might make typing in darker environments tricky, especially as the lighting has a low maximum brightness. However, the lighting compliments the design of the keyboard well, and I enjoyed customizing it to my preference.
Typing experience
The V8 Max is also a joy to type on. With the Gateron Banana tactile switches fitted, the board delivers a light, tappy sound with few echoes or rattles — thanks to two layers of sound absorbing foam. The gasket-mounted plate provides a soft, bouncy feel to each key press, enhancing the tactile bump of the Banana switches while improving impact absorption.
Obviously, the Alice layout takes some getting used to if you haven’t used a similar board before. I struggled to get my typing speeds and accuracy to similar levels as standard layout keyboards, but most of my slowness and inaccuracies stem from old muscle memory.
However this layout is about ergonomics and comfort over speed, and typing on the V8 is extremely comfortable. Besides, you can expect to see your type speeds increase as you get used to the layout.
Connectivity
The V8 Max is a fantastic choice for work at home or on-the-go, thanks to its variety of connectivity options — there’s wired USB, wireless and Bluetooth connections, easily switchable on the fly using a toggle on the back of the keyboard. I like being able to connect to both my Windows desktop and Apple laptop, switching between dongles and OS’ with the toggles on the back.
Included are both USB-C and USB-A wireless dongles, so you can easily hook up over 2.4G even on laptops without USB-A ports. There are onboard storage slots for both dongles, which is great if you’re anything like me and end up losing track of them.
The battery life is also impressive. At 4,000mAh, you can expect the keyboard to last you weeks in frequent use without recharging. Combined with the low weight, the V8 Max offers powerful ergonomics without being restrained by a wire, making it an ideal choice as an upgrade to your laptop keyboard.
Surprising gaming performance
The V8 Max is not a gaming keyboard, but some games really benefitted from the layout shape of the keyboard. League of Legends emphasizes use of the Q W E and R keys, which are angled in a way that makes them feel really good in my left hand.
Combine this with the 1,000hz polling rate, and the V8 Max can double as a gaming keyboard, but only really if you don’t need those additional macro controls.
Customization
The V8 Max uses QMK firmware, letting you fully customize your keyboard, making it perfect for modders and enthusiasts — especially impressive at $104.
The keyboard is also fully hot-swappable, allowing you to change switches freely. It does come with options of both tactile Gateron Brown and Banana, as well as linear Gateron Red switches, but you are free to swap these out for your own preference. It supports both 3 and 5 pin switches, encompassing the vast majority of switches.
Keychron’s Launcher web app lets you quickly customize your keyboard from any machine: configure your keys, set up macros for productivity and adjust RGB lighting. The lighting customization is excellent, offering simple white backlighting for work or vibrant colors to liven up your workspace.
Price
The V8 Max sits at a very reasonable $104 on the Keychron website. Considering that it is both wireless and highly customizable, this is a great price for a mechanical keyboard in general — plus it squares up nicely against rival ergonomic keyboards.
It is cheaper than Logitech’s membrane ergonomic board, the Logi Ergo K860, which presents incredible value for money when you consider the features on offer in comparison. It is, of course, slightly more expensive than non-ergonomic Keychron boards, like the V1, but a small $10 difference is not a high price to pay for an ergonomic model.
Keychron V8 Max review: The downs
The V8 Max is held back by a few minor issues, mostly around the ability for you to pick up and use the keyboard to its full potential out of the box.
Layout not for everyone
The Alice layout isn’t for everyone and takes time to adjust to, especially with the 65% size, which lacks function keys, requiring extra adaptation for those used to larger keyboards. You are able to add these as an extra layer using the Launcher app, but these keys were certainly missed when working with the V8 Max.
This isn’t a huge issue, as these are inherent drawbacks of both Alice and 65% layouts, but you might want to consider a larger format Alice board like the Keychron Q14 Max if you think the lack of function keys will be an issue. Alternatively, consider the fully split and excellent Keychron Q11, which totally splits the keyboard to increase ergonomics while maintaining a key layout closer to standard.
With the V8 Max in particular, I found the macOS Command button poorly placed and difficult to hit — my wrist had to twist awkwardly to hit the key, which was a pain for regular functions like copy and paste and hampered me when trying to work quickly. The awkward wrist twist also undermines the board’s ergonomic purpose.
Not for serious gamers
While the V8 Max is fine for simpler games, your performance will suffer on any game that requires more than a few keys — the split layout leaves many of the keys too far apart for quick, one-handed use. In particular, I struggled to play more complex mil-sims and MMORPGs.
A much better option for ergonomic gaming is the Keyboardio Model 100 ($349), a fancy-looking split keyboard that provides plenty of functionality for gamers needing higher levels of comfort.
Keychron V8 Max review: Verdict
The Keychron V8 Max is a great mechanical keyboard that both enthusiasts and newbies will fall in love with, thanks to the impressive build and great customization opportunities. It provides a comfortable solution to those who suffer from wrist pain or would prefer a more natural typing experience.
The layout isn’t going to be for everyone. A 65% keyboard in the Alice format causes some issues with spacing and with the loss in functionality over a larger board, but the angled keys provide greater comfort over a standard board. There are alternatives if you are after a fully decked-out ergonomic keyboard — Keychron’s own Q14 Max is a great option. For pure typing comfort, though, you can’t do much better than the Keychron V8 Max.
