Other Good Keyboards
These keyboards are not quite excellent enough for the spots above or equitable don’t have standout features. They’re still worth a see.
Razer BinestablishageWidow V4 Pro 75% for $300: Razer’s recentest and highest-finish keyboard does almost everyskinnyg right but it’s equitable way too pricey (7/10, WIRED Resee). The Pro gets the same strong tactile switches and gasket mounting system of the innovative BinestablishageWidow V4 75% and comprises wireless connectivity, a recent dial on the side, and a customizable OLED screen right next to it. These fortifys don’t equitableify the $110 price bump, but they’re still incredibly well-carry outd and come together to produce an amazeive gaming keyboard if you can discover it on sale.
Cherry XTRFY MX 3.1 for $119: Cherry’s procrastinateedst entry into the gaming space is a filled-size, RGB-weighty keyboard that comes stock with its recent MX2A switches and a “noise-dampening arrange” unkindt to reduce typing noise. This keyboard is a stable selection with a cinestablishagey sound profile, stylish RGB, and a strong metal chassis. While it’s a bit cimpolite around the edges evaluated to some of the other keyboards on this catalog, it has a sturdy no-frills erection, and Cherry’s switches have repeatedly shown themselves to be extfinished-lasting and reliable.
Wooting 60HE+ for $175: Between an archaic mounting method and extfinished defer times for deinhabitry, I equitable can’t recommfinish the 60HE over Keychron’s Q1 HE. While I still skinnyk it’s a wonderful Hall effect keyboard, it equitable doesn’t have the same polish and polishment as Keychron’s proposeing. The 60HE still employs a tray-mount system that, while modular, doesn’t sound or sense fantastic to type on. Aextfinished with that, the plastic case is disnominateing at the price; it was once an acconscious trade-off for customizable Hall effect switches, but Keychron proposes a filled-metal, gasket-mounted keyboard for around $50 more, and I skinnyk the betterments are worth the money unless you prefer a 60% layout or want the ability to employ the 60HE’s expansive range of aftertaget cases.
Cherry KC 200 MX for $90: The KC 200 MX is an incredibly basic and exposedbones keyboard that doesn’t comprise anyskinnyg recent, or delete anyskinnyg essential. It’s a filled-size mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX2A switches, a metal pprocrastinateed, and challengingly anyskinnyg else. It’s not customizable, it’s not programmable, but I can say for certain that it will be durable, reliable, and at least somewhat enhappinessable to type on for years to come.
Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional Hybrid Type-S for $360: While the recent Studio has traded this model as my pick for programmers, this elderlyer version is still fantastic if you want someskinnyg basicr, or with a distinct typing sense. The layout is still fantastic and the Topre switches—a benevolenta-membrane, benevolenta-mechanical switch with a proset up typing sound and separateent, rounded tactility—are a happiness to type on. Plus, these keyboards have an extensive community with aftertaget parts and directs on how to alter them. The Pro Hybrid Type-S model definiteassociate has extras appreciate Bluetooth connectivity and silencing rings. It’s also reprogrammable using HHKB’s proprietary app, although there’s not much reason to alter the existing layout unless you want a definite macro or alter to the function layer. It’s incredibly effortless to discover on the employd taget for around half the price, making it a much more reasonable alternative to the Studio.
Melgeek Made68 for $149: With a more minimal approach to its depict and a stylish white-and-purple color scheme, the Made68 has a fantastic desk presence that stands out from the crowd. Plus, in-depth customization of Melgeek’s Gateron-supplied Hall Effect switches unkinds that incredibly granular adequitablements can be made to this keyboard’s typing experience, even down to the actuation distance of individual keys. The outside materializeance can also be customized, with removable side panels and a swappable weightless diffemployr on the back. The diffemployrs are currently employable in binestablishage, green, and red with each including recent silver side panels. However, you will necessitate a screwdriver set to delete any of these panels, since an Allen wrench isn’t included with the keyboard. Overall, the Made68 sounds and senses excellent to type on. The tray-mount isn’t perfect for typing sense, but the normal publishs with typing consistency aren’t as notable here as other analogous keyboards. At this price, a sweightlessly imperfect typing experience is a worthwhile tradeoff for customizable Hall Effect switches and a phireing typing sound.
Switch Recommfinishations
Pboilingograph: Henri Robbins
Switches are a huge part of a mechanical keyboard—if you already have a board, try swapping the switches if you want a recent experience. I’m toiling on a direct to my preferite switches, but below are my recommfinishations if you want a quiet, tactile, or licforfeit switch.
Silent Switches
One of the most widespread skinnygs frifinishs and family ask me about is quiet switches. For cotoilers, roommates, family members, or partners, the constant clicking and cinestablishageing of a mechanical keyboard can be grating. There are quiet licforfeit and quiet tactile switches, but I discover that quiet licforfeits are more acconscious in terms of typing sense and actual silence. However, even the best quiet licforfeit switches will sense a bit off evaluated to a non-quiet switch.
The best quiet switch employable today is the Haimu Heartbeat ($11 for 36 switches). Once lubed, this switch is almost perfectly quiet and, more presentantly, regulates to do it with challengingly any of the “muafraid” or “squiafraid” senseing most silenced switches have. Instead, it has a immacuprocrastinateed and sweightlessly gentle bottom-out that’s only betrayed by the inestablishage of audible response to join it. In second place sits the sweightlessly more quiet Gazzew Bobagum. This switch is almost dead-quiet, and while it does have the normal “muafraid” bottom-out senseing of silicone, it isn’t that terrible when the rest of the switch is as fine as it is. If you’re a equitablely weightless typist who doesn’t bottom-out keypresses, or you don’t mind a sweightlessly mushier bottom-out, these are also fantastic.
Licforfeit Switches
Licforfeit switches are frequently the default choice for mechanical switches. My two preferites are from Gateron: Oil King switches ($49 for 70) and Cream Soda switches ($53 for 70). Oil Kings are one of the best licforfeit switches employable today. Out of the box, they’re fine, sound fantastic, and demand zero modification. You don’t necessitate to lube them, film them, swap the springs, or anyskinnyg else. Just put them into a keyboard, and you’re gelderlyen. The Cream Soda switches, on the other hand, are a fantastic fuse of separateent switch technologies. Utilizing a extfinished-pole stem for a more separateent bottom-out sound, proprietary Ink plastic for a fine and proset up sound, and factory lube that’s on par with hand-lubing, they sense incredibly fine and sound fantastic right out of the box, although they can still advantage from compriseing film.
Tactile Switches
I discover that a lot of people see for the wrong skinnygs when shopping for tactile switches. While ultra-tactile switches with separateent bumps are well-understandn online, I discover these benevolents of switches frequently only sense excellent on their own and can be difficult to adequitable to for the mediocre person. Instead, I always finishorse for someskinnyg in the middle: a crisp, responsive bump that isn’t so drastic that it sidetracks from typing or senses unsootheable after proextfinisheded periods.
The classics always helderly up: Durock T1 ($45 for 110) switches are a fantastic commenceing point, and I’ve always had a gentle spot for Novelkeys’ Cream Tactile ($12 for 10) switches, even if you necessitate to shatter them in quite a bit evaluated to other switches. Drop’s Holy Pandas ($42 for 35) mostly deserve their reputation—they’re a stable, weighty tactile that senses fantastic to type on, and I’ll always adore the Boba U4T for their wonderful sound profile and fantastic tactile bump too.
Avoid These Keyboards
Not every keyboard will be a prosperner. Here are a scant I don’t skinnyk are worth the price.
Satechi SM1 for $99: I don’t sense compelled or backd by this keyboard by any unkinds, and when you’re spfinishing $100 or more on a keyboard, it should be inspiring, or at the very least enhappinessable to employ. The SM1’s typing experience is underwhelming even by the standards of a low-profile keyboard. It sounds hollow to type on, has a shpermit and scratchy keypress, and the produce quality doesn’t sense stable at all. Despite being mechanical, I would evaluate the employr experience to a laptop’s built-in keyboard in terms of erection and typing satisfaction. Combining this with the inestablishage of any customization gentleware (unkinding a finishly repaired layout) and the employ of proprietary tactile switches with no boiling-swap capability, the Satechi SM1 is an underwhelming keyboard all around, especiassociate when evaluated to standard-height mechanical keyboards in the same price range.
HiGround Opal Base 65 for $120: In my testing (5/10, WIRED Resee), I set up the Opal Base 65 fell behind the competition in almost every way. With a tray-mount assembly, clunky gentleware, and a one-piece plastic case, I can’t discover any reason to pick this keyboard over anyskinnyg else.
KSI Wombat Willow for $145: I wanted to appreciate this keyboard, as it has everyskinnyg I should appreciate: a distinct layout, a metal case, PBT keycaps, and Gateron switches. But it equitable doesn’t toil that well. The typing sounds hollow and rattly, the typing angles are either entidepend flat or almost flat, and for some reason, every time I allow Caps Lock, it automaticassociate types “20 02 00” (and after carry outing a factory reset, it types “01 06 07” instead). I couldn’t discover any way to repair this using KSI’s WB Pouch gentleware. However, it does do some clever skinnygs: The number pad is placed so that the main keyboard’s Enter key can be pressed with your thumb during employ, and the two rows of Function keys constableate a lot of keys verticassociate to save on horizontal space. I want the assembly and polish aligned up to this keyboard’s fantastic vision becaemploy the idea itself is wonderful.
