Keychron Q14 Max (Alice Layout) QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard

I did not buy the Q14 Max but I have the Q14 Pro which is the same layout, from more than a year ago. It looks like the Q14 Pro is being phased out in favor of this one, so I will add my thoughts.
First a few minor suggestions: I would add key for all of pg up pg dn, home, end, del. Shine through keys would be perfect which means either keycaps that support these leds or changing the direction of the leds. Given the lack of proper shine through, the led customization is relegated in usefulness and even for eye candy since it's hardly noticeable.
Having a tab key next to the numpad leftmost would be great, or customizable macro keys (such as the Q10 has) so we can do this. I have tried so many times to ALT - TAB with the numpad to the left that feel many will also look for this.
The south paw concept and layout in itself needs more work. I got this so I can keep my mouse or trackball right next to the right of the keyboard so I don't to reach that much for them. The numpad to the left does that.

But, using your left hand for the numpad means your brain and muscle memory will also reverse the finger memory, and you would be typing into the numpad as if the keys in it were reversed. Which is NOT the case on this keyboard. The current layout requires you to retrain your finger memory to use the numpad, which detracts from the ergonomic and the performance using the keyboard.
So while the keyboard is so nice, the southpaw layout hasn't been the ergonomic win I wanted. But a great keyboard nonetheless.

I've a Keychron Q13 Pro that I purchased over a year ago, and I've been pleased with it, so when I started reading reviews about the Q13/14 Max, I wasn't convinced it would be noticeably better. I took a chance and purchased a Q14 Max even though I'm not left-handed. Having the space for my trackball on the right made sense, and I don't use the numeric keypad often enough for a left-handed placement to be a problem. I got the Gateron Jupiter Red switches this time; my Q13 Pro had Keychron K Pro Brown switches.

The Q14 Max is as well-built as I expected it to be, but when I started typing, I was amazed. I love the feel of these switches so much that I want to write more so that I can type! The layout also makes better use of my desktop space, with my keyboard and trackball next to each other.

The combination of KSA keycaps and Gateron Jupiter Red switches yields the best typing experience I've had with a keyboard. Well done, Keychron!

I've been using mechanical keyboards for over 20 years. While I don't have extensive experience with custom builds, I've tried many keyboards throughout the years.

I’ve always loved tactile switches, even though they’re not the trendiest choice nowadays. I have plenty of linear switches, and while I enjoy them, I always find myself coming back to tactiles.

When I started, the Cherry Brown switch was pretty much the only option for tactile enthusiasts, and I liked it. But everything changed when I discovered the HHKB (Happy Hacking Keyboard). I completely fell in love with Topre switches and ended up owning all of them.

However, once I started working, I needed a full-size keyboard since the HHKB just wasn’t cutting it for productivity. So, I built my own QK100 with Boba U4Ts. The feel and sound of this board are incredible — it’s truly satisfying to type on.

Since I spend around 8 hours typing every day, I became curious about ergonomic designs that might help with wrist strain. That’s how I stumbled upon the Alice layout. I also use the numpad all the time, but it was taking up too much space, making my mouse position uncomfortable.

Then I found the Q14 Max, and it felt like a godsend. The southpaw layout allows me to use my left hand more effectively, so I don’t have to take my right hand off the mouse. That feature alone made me decide to give it a try.

I watched some typing videos of the Q14 Max and was a bit worried about its sound. But since I have many switches and keycaps, I decided to order the Banana variant, thinking I could swap out things to match my preferences.

What a surprise! As soon as I received it, I tried several combinations with my existing switches and keycaps. But to my shock, I really liked the stock keycaps and the Banana switches! They were far better than I expected.

One tip: I bought the Acoustic Upgrade Kit just in case. I didn’t want to pay for shipping again and have to wait for it later. But honestly, you don’t need the kit, and there’s no way you can fit more foam into it. In fact, I ended up removing some of the foam, and it sounded even better without it.

In terms of feel and sound, I still prefer my QK100 with Boba U4Ts, but the Q14 Max is not far off. It’s a pleasure to type on, and the ergonomic design works wonders for me.

Overall, I’m thoroughly enjoying the Q14 Max, and I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially if you value a comfortable typing experience with practical features.

This is an excellent board. My first reaction was how good it sounded. This isn't my first Keychron - I also have a Q5 Pro among others. I was really surprised at how much better it sounded compared to the Q5 Pro. My second reaction was how natural the Alice layout felt (this is my first Alice board). I thought I might be buying into a gimmick, but that wasn't the case at all. I don't think I'll go back to a regular board after trying Alice. I love it.

Regarding the complaints about mirroring the south paw numpad, from my point-of-view, I don't have a problem with the numpad the way it is. It will be an adjustment no matter what, and for me, it doesn't matter if it's mirrored, or standard. It'll take some practice to get used to and everyone will need to relearn how to use it whether it's mirrored or not. So in my opinion, that is a moot point. That said, the south paw numpad is growing on me, as a right handed mouse user. It totally makes sense to put it on the left.

Also, for the life of me, I don't understand why literally no one makes shine-through keycaps for south facing RGB. NO ONE!! Why wouldn't you, with such a low-hanging fruit?? The people want shine-through keycaps for south-facing RGB; give the people what they want, Keychron! (And not the weird keycaps with the legends on the side.)

If you can commit to relearning how to use the numpad, this board is a 10 out of 10. Especially with the Gateron Jupiter Banana switches.

As Darth Tater reviewed, this is an awesome keyboard, but agree that the numpad should be mirrored. I am having a bugger of a time adapting with my left hand. I'm right handed, but the way our brains and nervous system are wired up, a mirrored left-side keypad would be what we know. Each finger would handle the numbers they normally would. I also had to use VIA to change the num/clear to 'backspace' as I it was not deleting (MacOS; I am not techie so no idea if this is normal but I want a backspace option with the keypad; gratefully I could fix that).

Bummed that this did not come with a USB-C dongle for 2.4g... my V10 max had two separate dongles, both lived in tidy homes within the keyboard. One USB-A, one USB-C. It does ship with an adapter... but am perplexed that they cheaped out on this more expensive keyboard.

Last complaint is the stabilizers. Awful. I didn't know what stabilizers were until trying to make this keyboard how I wanted it... I bought banana switches and hated them. Noisy and my fingers fatigued quickly. I know switches are a personal preference thing to a degree. I'm now using some "silent peach v3" for all the primary typing keys and "silent lemon v3" for the numpad and some macro keys etc, F keys, stuff that I want a bit of tactile. Both are indeed silent. However, as I type this, each keystroke that relies on a stabilizer is incredibly noisy. So... down the rabbit hole even further, I go...

Really though, it's the mirrored keypad that Keychron needs to think about. For those of us who bought this, we'll have an 'oof' moment if one is released... and either buy it or struggle against the urge to do so. Or perhaps a swap kit is possible with just a new board? I can dream a little dream...