Q1 Max vs Q5 Max vs Q6 Max: Which Keychron Q Max Size Is the Best?

The Q1 Max, Q5 Max and Q6 Max share one build in three sizes, so the best size depends on your desk and your number pad. If you rarely type numbers, pick the 75% Q1 Max. If you want a number pad on a narrow desk, pick the 96% Q5 Max. If you want every key in its usual place, pick the full-size Q6 Max.

Specs below are ours, checked on October 26, 2026. We did not run our own tests for this guide.

What is the same on all three Q Max sizes?

Short answer: The build, connection, battery, switches and software. Layout, size, weight and colors differ.

All three boards in this guide share these specs:

• Case: CNC-machined 6063 aluminum, a double-gasket design, a PC plate, and IXPE, PET and latex sound layers.
• Connection: a 2.4 GHz receiver, Bluetooth 5.1 to three devices, or a USB-C cable.
• Battery: 4000 mAh, up to 180 hours with the backlight off.
• Switches: Gateron Jupiter Red, Brown or Banana, all hot-swappable.
• Software: QMK firmware and the Keychron Launcher web app, on macOS, Windows and Linux.

The polling rate is how often the keyboard reports a key press. It is 1000 Hz on the receiver and cable, and 90 Hz on Bluetooth. Each board also has a knob and a typing angle of 5.2°.

A smaller size costs you nothing in build or battery, so choose by layout.

How much desk space does each size take?

Short answer: The Q6 Max is about 12 cm wider than the Q1 Max, and the Q5 Max sits between them.

Width is the number that matters, because every extra centimeter of keyboard pushes your mouse further out.

All three weigh more than 1.7 kg fully assembled, so none of them is a light board.

Check: Measure the free width where the keyboard will sit, leaving the mouse its usual spot. You need about 33 cm for the Q1 Max, 41 cm for the Q5 Max and 45 cm for the Q6 Max.

Keychron Q1 Max: Best for a compact desk with room for the mouse

View the Q1 Max on keychron.com →

Short answer: Pick the Q1 Max if you rarely type long strings of numbers.

The Q1 Max is a 75% layout. It keeps the F-row, the arrow keys and a column of Home, Page Up and Page Down. It leaves out the number pad, so the board is 327.5 mm wide. Your mouse sits about 12 cm closer than it would next to the Q6 Max.

It is also the only one of the three in Purple. Purple comes only as the Fully Assembled Knob. For side-printed keycaps or the Barebone Knob, choose Carbon Black or Shell White.

Pick: Fully Assembled Knob, in the color you like, with a switch from the section below.

At 1724 g it is the lightest of the three.

Keychron Q5 Max: Best for a number pad on a narrower desk

View the Q5 Max on keychron.com →

Short answer: Pick the Q5 Max if you type numbers every day and your desk is tight.

With a 96% layout, the Q5 Max keeps the full number pad by moving the arrow keys up under the right Shift. Home, Page Up and Page Down share one column next to the number pad. That makes it 408 mm wide, about 4 cm narrower than the Q6 Max.

At 2215 g it is the heaviest board here, so it stays put on the desk.

Pick: Fully Assembled Knob. Choose Fully Assembled Knob (Side-Printed Keycaps) if you want clean keytops and backlight that shines through the legends.

Check: If you use Insert and End often, the Q6 Max gives them their own keys. On the Q5 Max, you can remap a key to them in Keychron Launcher, opened in Chrome, Opera or Edge with the cable plugged in.

Keychron Q6 Max: Best for the full layout with every key in place

View the Q6 Max on keychron.com →

Short answer: Pick the Q6 Max if you want the number pad and the full navigation block, and your desk has the width.

Our full-size Q Max, the Q6 Max, is one of our best sellers. It has a full number pad and a separate block with Insert, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down and Delete. The arrow keys have their own cluster, and the knob sits next to F12.

At 446 mm wide, it is a little longer than a sheet of A3 paper, and it weighs 2184 g. If you jump around spreadsheets or code with Home, End and Page keys, each one is where you expect it.

Pick: Carbon Black or Shell White, as the Fully Assembled Knob. Every switch comes in both colors.

Check: If you have settled on full size, our Q6 Max vs Q6 Ultra vs Q6 HE guide compares the three Q6 boards.

Which type, color and switch should you choose?

Short answer: Start with the Fully Assembled Knob, unless you already own switches and keycaps.

The three types are the same on all three boards:

• Fully Assembled Knob: KSA double-shot PBT keycaps, Mac and Windows keycaps, and Gateron Jupiter switches. Ready to type on.
• Fully Assembled Knob (Side-Printed Keycaps): OSA side-printed double-shot PBT keycaps that let the backlight shine through, with Gateron Jupiter switches.
• Barebone Knob: no switches and no keycaps, for people who already have a set.

The switch options are Gateron Jupiter Red, Gateron Jupiter Brown and Gateron Jupiter Banana. The switch decides how each press feels, and the gf number is the push a key needs.

• Red: linear, 45 gf, a light, smooth press with no bump.
• Brown: tactile, 55 gf, a small bump. Many people who type and play games on one board prefer it.
• Banana: tactile, with an earlier and stronger bump and a two-stage spring.

You can swap switches later without soldering. Most 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switches fit. Our red switch vs brown switch guide explains the difference in feel.

Choose the size first. Every size offers the same switch options.

Which Q Max size is the best for you?

Short answer: The best size is the smallest one that still has the keys you use every day.

1. Do you type numbers every day? If not, pick the Q1 Max.
2. Do you need Insert, End and a separate navigation block? If yes, pick the Q6 Max.
3. Everyone else who types numbers daily: pick the Q5 Max.

If you are still unsure about layouts, our keyboard size and layout guide explains each one with pictures.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 75% keyboard big enough for office work?

For writing, email and chat, yes. You still get the F-row, the arrows and Home, Page Up and Page Down on the Q1 Max. If you enter figures into spreadsheets every day, the Q5 Max or Q6 Max saves you the reach to the top number row.

Which Q Max size is best for gaming?

Each of the three reports at 1000 Hz on the receiver and the cable. Many players prefer a smaller board, because the mouse gets more room to move. That points to the Q1 Max.

Do these three Q Max keyboards work with a Mac?

Yes. A system toggle switches between macOS and Windows. The Fully Assembled Knob comes with Mac and Windows keycaps. Each board saves one layout for each system.

Shop the products in this guide

References & Citations

• Q1 Max layout, size, weight, connection, battery, build, options and colors. (Keychron Q1 Max product page)
• Q5 Max layout, size, weight, connection, battery, build and options. (Keychron Q5 Max product page)
• Q6 Max layout, size, weight, connection, battery, build and options. (Keychron Q6 Max product page)
• Gateron Jupiter Red, Brown and Banana: switch type, operating force and the Banana two-stage spring. (Gateron Jupiter Switch Set)
• What linear and tactile switches feel like. (Red switch vs brown switch)
• What 75%, 80%, 96% and full-size layouts include. (Keyboard size and layout buying guide)
• Q3 Max (80%) in the same Q Max build. (Keychron Q Max series)

WRITTEN BY

Yilia · Website Optimization Lead, Keychron

Website Optimization Lead at Keychron. Yilia focuses on making product information easier to find and understand. She brings that same approach to her writing, answering common questions and helping you make sense of keyboard and mouse options.