The first computer keyboard that I used regularly was a mechanical one: the one built into my father’s Apple II.
At some point, likely in September 2007 with an XPS 720, I acquired a wired (USB) Dell SK-8135 keyboard. Full-sized, in a UK ISO layout, it is a rubber dome keyboard but with the feel of a mechanical one. It also came with an attached palm rest. However, after two decades of use, a few of the most common keys had lost their legends with wear. I decided to buy a genuine mechanical keyboard, with the same layout.
Keychron V6 Max
The Keychron V6 Max seemed highly recommended; the New York Times identified it as its ‘top pick’ in January 2026 and other sources did too. It came in a UK ISO layout. Keychron also offered a silicon palm rest to match. Keychron offered the best price on its assembled keyboard but Amazon could beat Keychron’s own price on the palm rest. Together, they cost me about £ 121 (including delivery).
Keycaps
The supplied keycaps had an OSA profile – a hybrid of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and SA (Spherical All) developed by Keychron – and were harder-wearing PBT plastic. Alternative OSA profile keycap sets, I’ve discovered, are relatively rare.
Keycap layout
Out of the box, the keyboard came with an Apple UK layout but with extra keycaps to support a UK layout with Windows keys (except the Euro symbol is missing from the ‘4’ key) and an extra keycap for Apple’s ‘lock screen’ key. It was simple to switch the keycaps and almost as simple to use Keychron’s web-based software to remap keys accordingly (that involved ‘resetting’ ‘layer 2’ to the UK layout).
The keyboard comes with four macro keys above the number pad, with ‘button’ legends: circle, triangle, square, and cross. I’ve not assigned those keys.
Lighting
The Dell SK-8135 offered no lighting and, as I do not type in the dark, I was not interested in the Keychron’s RBG LED, per key, feature (which I turned off) – or disappointed that the PBT keycaps did not have shine through legends. However, caps lock and num lock are indicated by the key being illuminated when set.
Switches
Keychron offered a choice of Gatron Jupiter switches: banana, brown or red. I wanted a tactile bump and chose brown over banana (which had a slightly higher ‘bump’ to overcome, earlier in the travel). The sound level was described as ‘gentle’. In use the level is lower, and less clacky, than the Dell SK-8135.