Keychron 81 Pro vs Q1 Max
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5.0 (4)5.0 · 4 reviews
from$145at Input Gear
4.3 (25)4.3 · 25 reviews
from$209at MK
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron 81 Pro
Build quality in the top 5% of 75% boards under $150.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
Get the
Keychron Q1 Max
Build quality in the top 5% of 75% boards under $200.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
The differences that matter
Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.
Keychron 81 Pro
Keychron Q1 Max
Connection
Bluetooth, Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Weight
1,887 g
1,724 g
Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel
Layout standard
ANSI
ANSI, ISO, ISO-CH, ISO-DE, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW, ISO-UK, JIS
ISO and JIS exist so regional layouts fit
Dimensions
47 x 338 x 151 mm
23 x 145 x 328 mm
- Keychron 81 Pro
- Keychron Q1 Max
- Performance
- 8282
- Build quality
- 8789
- Productivity
- 9797
- Customizability
- 9498
- Portability
- 8281
- Layout size: 75%
- Hot-swappable
- Battery: 4,000 mAh
- Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
- Case material: Aluminum
- Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
Keychron 81 Pro
4 owner reviews
“Love the sound and feel. Thr kickstand is cool too. Only thing is I wish there were more options for keycap colors, the red doesn't match my stuff.”
Keychron Q1 Max
25 owner reviews
“As a software analyst who do a lot of coding, emailing and editing this is the one. Why would I build one when there is one ready that is better than what I could build?”
“This product is a downgrade relative to the previous version. I deeply regret not unpacking it and testing it out in the return period: (1) The keyboard is much louder -- on the Pro, keypresses were basically silent with the right switches; now, they are very…”
Keychron 81 Pro vs Q1 Max specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
4 of 27 specs differ
Keychron 81 Pro
Keychron Q1 Max
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
QMK
VIA
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Keychron 81 Pro
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Keychron Q1 Max
Input Gear
ISO-DE
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-CH
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-CH
In stockDoes not ship to you
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
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