Fantech is releasing yet another mechanical keyboard to their Maxfit series of keyboards. The new keyboard is called Maxfit6, and while it certainly fits the general design language of the series, it comes a key differentiator – QMK and VIA compatibility. It would have been good to create a new keyboard series to drive home the differentiator of QMK and VIA compatibility, but it is called Maxfit6 due to its 65% layout. The Maxfit6 retails for US$53, and you can use the code ‘TECHJIO‘ to get 10% off the retail price.
Unboxing
Here is what you will find the box:
- Maxfit6 keyboard
- 2.4G dongle
- Type-C cable
- 2-in-1 Keycap/Switch Puller
- Non-accented keycaps
- Quick start guide
- Spare switches
Build quality and design
The Maxfit6 is a fully assembled keyboard that comes in two colour options – (1) black, or (2) white. The unit I have is the black variant. The case is made of plastic which keeps it lightweight but doesn’t feel cheap or hollow. The overall design is clean throughout, reflective by its black keycaps on black case colour scheme with a pop of colour coming from two polycarbonate accent keys in pink.
If you prefer a cleaner look of full-black, you can always swap out the accent keys with the included black keycaps. Since the Maxfit6 is a gaming keyboard, it has RGB backlight and they do create a very nice glow under the double-shot PBT keycaps. The keycaps are not shine-through, so the LED offers a soft underglow.
For switches, you can choose between two types – (1) linear [white], and (2) tactile [brown]. Fantech did not release any specifications regarding the weight of the switches, but based of finger feel it’s probably around 55-62g of bottom-out weight for the linear switches.
The USB-C port is located on the left-hand side of the Maxfit6, housed alongside the on/off switch and a Mac/Win switch. The 2.4GHz USB dongle is cleverly stored in the the keyboard, hidden under the metal Maxfit badge.
Typing acoustics & experience
Maxfit6 utilizes a gasket mount which typically offers a less firm bottom out when compared to traditional tray mount keyboards. The implementation of the gasket mount on the creates a rather soft and bouncy typing feel especially if you are heavy typer. Acoustics wise, the Maxfit6 has a pleasing creamy sound that offers the popular thock profile but still retaining some clack to not sound too one-sided. You can take a listen in the video below:
The pre-lubed plate-mounted stabilizers perform well, with only the spacebar potentially sounding slightly hollow. But other than that, there aren’t any keys which I feel are rattly or ticking. The PCB is hot-swappable supporting both 3-pin and 5-pin switches, so it allows you to change the switches into something else in the future.
Connectivity and battery
Maxfit6 supports three modes of connectivity – (1) wired via USB, (2) Bluetooth 5.0, and (3) 2.4GHz wireless. I like that there is a physical switch to toggle between macOS or Windows keyboard use, and it is good that it caters to both types of users. No additional Mac modifier keys given in the box though.
And finally, Fantech is using VIA as the main software for the keyboard. No more singular software to be downloaded for every different product. You’d have to download the JSON file from Fantech and upload it to VIA in order for the software to recognize the keyboard.
As for battery life, you can get up to 200 hours if you don’t enable RGB lighting. But if you are sucker for RGB backlight then the battery life can come down drastically to 20 hours. You can use the keyboard shortcut Fn + Backspace to see the current battery life of the Maxfit6 – keys 1 to 10 will light up accordingly to indicate 10% to 100% levels in both Bluetooth or 2.4GHz mode.
Conclusion
For USD$53, the Maxfit6 is a decent budget keyboard that comes has QMK and VIA compatibility for user customisations and is lightweight enough to carry around. Maxfit6 would be ideal for individuals who travel with a keyboard or for those who simply want an affordable 65% that performs well all round. But of course, do get a better deal for yourself by using the code ‘TECHJIO‘ to get 10% off the retail price.