KeyChron Q13 Max Alice Layout Mechanical Keyboard – Wonder Of Ergonomic Engineering
KeyChron Q13 Max is a $229 USD Mechanical Keyboard designed by the KeyChron Company, and it comes in either Fully Assembled or Barebone versions, and it can come with a selection of Gateron Jupiter Red Switches, Gateron Jupiter Brown, or Gateron Jupiter Banana Switches. Today we will review our first Alice Keyboard and explore how it can improve your ergonomics, back posture, and whether it is made for you.
Introduction
My Adventure with keyboards keeps taking adventurous turns, and today is the time we explore the new Q13 Max, a keyboard that is split in two, and with the two halves sitting at an angle. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to KeyChron for providing us with the sample for this review.
PROs – Very Ergonomic, Same build quality as we’ve seen from KeyChron in their Q6 Max series, reliable wireless receptor, long battery life, comfortable to use, sturdy and heavy. Pleasing to the eye with beautiful LED lights inside. You can replace the switches and the keycaps with most alternatives available on the market.
Cons – The Alice layout takes a while to get adjusted to.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4jeJ2ur
Build Quality/Aesthetics
When I first saw the new Alice Q13 Max I knew I had to review it, as I fell in love with the idea of a keyboard that is split in two. Before we get too much ahead of ourselves, this is a 2.4 GHz Full Metal QMK Wireless Custom Keyboard with an ergonomic 75% Alice Layout. It comes with professional features including a 1000 Hz Polling Rate, Three Mode Connectivity, and double gasket design, having a sound that is very similar to Q6 Max.
The Keycaps you’re seeing in the photos of today’s review are KSA Double-Gasket KeyCaps, and I would use those instead of the typical MOA KeyCaps that I use with most keyboards, to keep the ergonomics the highest possible with the Q13 Max. The non-distracting version that feels like it was made for work is the one you’re seeing in today’s review, but KeyChron also sells the Q13 Max with OSA Side-Printed Shine-Through KeyCaps.
You can connect the Q13 Max to your computer, smartphone, Tablet, even music player, the same way you would do with Q6 Max, either with a 2.4GHz Wireless connection that uses the USB receiver included in the package, or using a Bluetooth connection that is a bit slower, but allows the Q13 Max to work and pair with up to three different devices.
KeyChron always made the sturdiest keyboards on the market, and Q13 Max Alice is no exception as it sports a metallic body, using 6063 Aluminium, that is processed through CNC Machining, polishing, Anodization and then standlasted, undergoing more than 24 manufacturing stages to get the reliable and solid piece Q13 Max is.
Sound is a priority for KeyChron and if you ever saw those keyboard-related videos on Social Media, be it Youtube, Instagram or TikTok, and if you wanted to get that sound, but realized it is not possible with most keyboards, KeyChron offers exactly that with Q13 Max out of the box. The trick here is that Q 10 Max has a combination of premium acoustic foams, including IXPE, PET, and Latex, creating a deep thock that’s super pleasing to hear. You can actually disassemble the whole keyboard easily and put it back together yourself, as you can replace even the stabilizers, and battery if you will ever need to. The default stabs to not have a metallic ping, and the keyboard sounds and feels incredibly smooth.
To power the whole engine, KeyChron uses an ARM Cortex M4- CPU, with 256K Flash Memory, and the whole keyboard rests on a double gasket design. You can count on Q13 Max to be compatible with everything, including Windows, Android, Mac, and you can even program what each key does using the QMK Launcher program, which can be run from a browser window.
Subjective Usage / Sound Quality
Starting with one of the most important aspects for a wireless keyboard, the battery life on the Q13 Max Alice is insane. We’re talking about up to 100 hours of use time, if you have RGB turned on at min brightness, but I clocked more than two weeks of writing reviews with the RGB turned off. While it is a pity and I miss the beautiful RGB lights, I love not having to worry about the battery at all. This is all provided by a large 4000mAh battery which is li-polymer, and although you may see that KeyChron quotes around 180 hours of work with the RGB turned off, the Keyboard enters a deep sleep mode in a couple of minutes of non-usage, and this is why it can last so long.
And the most important aspect, the Alice Layout is very different than what you would have thought, It took me around a week to get started and to get the hang of it, but the Alice Layout forces you to spread your hands and elbows laterally, and it basically forces you into a straighter back posture. This has many effects, and it helps reduce your back pain from typing and working at the computer, but at the same time, it gives your shoulders better posture, and you just generally feel less sore.
This being said, the alice layout is not necessarily a standard, and learning each Alice keyboard is an adventure in itself, with Keychron’s being the most natural. The only disadvantage that I can mention is that there is a row of programmable buttons on the left side, and I am used to aligning my fingers using the pinky and the leftmost part of the keyboard, but once you seek the F and J with your fingertips, you always feel right in the correct position to type. I can write as fast using the Alice layout as I can using a standard layout, after a couple of hours, but you also have two space keys, and two B keys, so it can take a while to mentally learn the whole thing and to get going.
While there is a promise of much better ergonomics, the Alice layout does not work for gaming, as for most games you have to use your left hand for the entire keyboard, and your right hand for the mouse, and Alice forces you to map things in such a way that you never lift your hands from the keyboard. This is the most evident key difference between using the Alice layout and the standard layout, as once you find the right position with the Alice style, you never lift your hands or arrange them, you become a keyboard only user. Things just feel more natural for both your back and chest, as the layout forces you into a far more ergonomic and ortho position.
The F row of keys is not that useful when using Alice, so you can also consider one of the smaller than 75% options that Keychron has, but the volume wheel is a must for any media enjoyer, and the numpad is useful for me as a programmer, but once I learned to type quickly on the Q13 Max, I actually found myself using the numbers on the top row more than the numpad. The implementation of the Alice layout is actually different from the one of the standard ISO layout, so with the Q13 MAX Alice I do not need to do my tick of increasing the angle by using rubber erasers, it basically already sits at the perfect position and once I sit at the computer, it feels more natural than Q6 Max.
Overall, using a keyboard with the Alice to type and make reviews is similar to learning how to ride a bike, it takes time, patience, and won’t be for everyone, but once you get the hang of it, it feels like second nature. Overall, I think that for most of my mixed media usage I will still return to my all-time favorite keyboard, which is the Keychron Q6 Max, as it offers a more versatile mixed usage, including gaming, but Q13 Max is truly a magnificent experience for pure typing and writing.
Value and Conclusion
The value of the KeyChron Q13 MAX Alice is insanely high, and KeyChron did not skip a single premium feature when making this keyboard, they included everything, the metallic chassis, superb battery life, High-speed receiver, strong bluetooth connection, and a well-thought layout that is nicely implemented and works wonders for your back and posture. I am willing to say that once the mental burn-in took place and I got used to the layout, I am faster typing on Q13 Max Alice than any other layout.
At the end of the day, Q13 MAX is all about experimenting, it is a novelty keyboard and it is worth exploring its unique layout and features. It is one of the most complete and high-quality keyboards that money can buy, but it will not be for everyone. This being said, if you work a lot at the computer and if you type a lot, you will appreciate less back pain, better productivity, and less tension throughout the body thanks to the Q13 Max Alice from KeyChron.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4jeJ2ur
--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---
- If you have a dime to spare, please donate, and help us! It would make the day brighter for me and my wife-
Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
--- Contact Us ---
