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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 10, 2026

Keychron J3 SE vs V1 Max

Get the Keychron V1 Max for knob.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron J3 SE

Build quality in the bottom 50% of 96% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
  • No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
  • Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.

Get the

Keychron V1 Max

Knob

Build quality in the top 5% of 75% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • No numpad.

What actually differs

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 J3 SE

Keychron V1 Max

  • Layout size

    96%

    75%

  • Case material

    ABS

    ABS, Plastic

  • Knob

    No

    Yes

  • Weight

    1,145 g

    770 g

    Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel

  • Layout standard

    ANSI

    ANSI, ISO, ISO-DE, ISO-ES, ISO-FR, ISO-IT, ISO-Nordic, ISO-PT, ISO-SW, ISO-UK

    ISO and JIS exist so regional layouts fit

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Keychron J3 SE
  • Keychron V1 Max
Performance
80
83
Build quality
68
86
Productivity
89
97
Customizability
86
98
Portability
56
79

What they share

  • Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
  • Hot-swappable
  • Battery: 4,000 mAh
  • Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
  • Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
  • QMK
See every spec side by side

From real owners

What owners say

Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.

Keychron J3 SE

5.0

1 owner reviews

Praise
“I love the keyboard! Everything was as expected but the keys are even smoother than I could have hoped for. I love the color, it matches exactly what was displayed on the website. Setup was very easy once I actually read the manual. I like that it gives you…”
Nathalia N.· via Keychron

Keychron V1 Max

4.9

14 owner reviews

Praise
“Feels great, haven't got a new KB since my Novatouch. Great high end features and feel, DSA caps on it feel good.”
Paul B.Verified buyer· via Keychron

Full specs

Keychron J3 SE vs V1 Max specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

11 of 27 specs differ

Keychron J3 SE

Keychron V1 Max

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Tactile
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

—
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

96%
75%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI, ISO, ISO-DE, ISO-ES, ISO-FR, ISO-IT, ISO-Nordic, ISO-PT, ISO-SW, ISO-UK

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

No
Yes

Display

None
None

Media keys

No
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

Battery

4,000 mAh
4,000 mAh

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

ABS
ABS, Plastic

Plate material

—
Polycarbonate

Keycaps

PBT
ABS, PBT

Weight

1,145 g
770 g

Dimensions

43 x 406 x 139 mm
22 x 149 x 329 mm

Typing angle

—
4°

Backlight

RGB, north-facing
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
Yes

VIA

Yes
Yes

N-key rollover

Yes
Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2026
2023

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.

Keychron J3 SE

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

Keychron V1 Max

  • Keychron

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW

    Out of stockShips to you

  • Keychron (DE)

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-IT, ISO-SW, ISO-PT

    In stockDoes not ship to you

Where to buy

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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