Mechanical keyboards aren’t just for gamers. They’re good for gamers, don’t get me wrong, but if you type a lot for your job and don’t like the feeling of the more ergonomic alternatives, a decent mechanical option can actually reduce finger strain. Plus, once you get used to the mellow clickity-clack of a mechanical keyboard, it’s hard to go back.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to picking out which keyboard you’re going to be using: from choosing between the myriad switch types, as well as whether those switches are hot-swappable or soldered in to place, to keycaps, to the keyboards’ size, and even what keys are on the board itself. Not all keyboards come complete with a full layout – rather, there are a lot of models that are made smaller and, therefore, remove unnecessary keys that you might be used to having at your fingertips.
We want to make picking out a new keyboard easier, so we’ve tested a bunch and we’re letting you know the ones to consider so you can make the most informed buying choice you can. As we test more and more keyboards, this story will likely grow and evolve.
If you’re ready to jump aboard the mechanical keyboard hype-train, read on.
The Best Mechanical Keyboards We’ve Tested
Nuphy Air75
- Size: 75%
- Removable Keycaps: Yes
- Swappable Switches: Yes
- Connectivity: USB-C input, Wireless 2.4GHz USB-A dongle, Bluetooth
- Backlight: Yes
- Notable Features: Rounded, easily replaceable keys and switches, with a wide assortment of options directly from Nuphy
- Price: AU$189.00
The Nuphy Air75 has been on my radar for a long time, and after finally getting to spend some time with it for the past few months, I can say that it more than lives up to my expectations. It’s a fantastic mechanical keyboard, though, the Wisteria switches I got in my tester unit were a tad loud and frustrated my office mates – pro tip: loud keyboards don’t make you friends at the office.
Everything else about the keyboard is great, though, and the unit comes with a keycap tool, used to switch out the keys with a few alternate buttons included in the packaging, or to customise the board completely with Nuphy’s different colours. You can also easily remove and replace the switches under the keycaps using the tool, which would have helped with the aforementioned office politics.
I love the simple colour scheme of the Air75, as well as the fact that it easy switches between a macOS and Windows mode. As someone that works on a MacBook, and then goes home and games on a Windows PC, it’s helpful to have something that can keep up. I do wish there was a place to store the Wireless USB-A dongle in the unit for transportation, but I also doubt that as many people are as mobile with their keyboards as I am.
Logitech MX Mini Mechanical
- Size: 75%
- Removable Keycaps: No
- Swappable Switches: No
- Connectivity: USB-C input, LogiBolt 2.4GHz receiver, Bluetooth
- Backlight: Yes, but only in white
- Notable Features: Pairs well with other Logitech devices through single receiver
- Price: $229
I’ve used the Logitech MX Mini Mechanical as my daily driver for the past few years, and it really hasn’t let me down. Does it have all of the bells-and-whistles of some of the other models? No, it doesn’t. But damn if it just reliably works out of the box, and well into several years of heavy use.
I’ll go so far as to say its the best keyboard I’ve ever used, and is a big part of my own personal love affair with Logitech (the other being my MX Vertical Ergonomic mouse). It’ll hold a charge for weeks, connects over Bluetooth or Logitech’s 2.4Ghz ‘universal’ Bolt USB receiver, and feels absolutely fantastic to type on.
It does have some drawbacks, though. You can’t replace the keycaps, or the switches, and there’s no flashy coloured backlights to be seen. Instead, you’re stuck with stock-standard white. If you’re a capital-G Gamer, you might want something a bit flashier (see the Corsair below), but for the rest of us the MX Mechanical series is fantastic, and the Mini brings a great typing experience to something that can fit in your backpack.
Related: Logitech’s MX Mechanical Mini Keyboard Review: Substance over Style
Corsair K70 PRO TKL
- Size: 85%
- Removable Keycaps: No
- Swappable Switches: No
- Connectivity: Wired, USB-C
- Backlight: Yes, RGB in normal use, static in Game Mode
- Notable Features: Volume knob, ‘Game mode’, programmable button
- Price: $169
The one notable wired-only option on the list, Corsair’s K70 PRO TKL is a fantastic gaming keyboard. It’s been built specifically for esports players, with a ‘game’ mode that subdues all the flashy razzle-dazzle, disables the Windows key to stop any accidental start-menu shenanigans, to ensure you don’t get distracted. In general use, though, this thing is a rainbow.
It’s a lot bigger than some of the other options on the list, and the keys are particularly tall when compared to the low-profile boards I’m used to, but it was also one of the more satisfying typing experiences. Plus, the board comes with a branded palm rest that attaches into place with some light magnets, and which was surprisingly comfortable.
That size does translate into weight, though: the K70 Pro comes in at a whopping 1.4 pounds, and feels every bit as solid as that sounds.
What makes this a gaming-first keyboard? Well, it also marks the debut of Corsair’s ‘Hyperdrive’ magnetic switches, as well as a new tech they call ‘FlashTap’, which allows for instant registering of key strokes. This is a tech that essentially helps players move instantly, enabling faster strafing and evasive maneuvers in tactical, competitive shooters, for example.
It’s also a tech that has garnered its own level of controversy since it showed up in Razer’s Huntsman V3 Pro (called ‘Snap Tap’ there), and which many pro gamers complained took away the skill in such movement. Still, you can use it to stomp scrubs in lower leagues, but if you’re a pro it’s likely to be something looked at carefully by your opponents.
Either way, Corsair’s PRO TKL is an awesome keyboard for gamers of any stripe.
Glorious GMMK Pro
- Size: 75%
- Removable Keycaps: Yes
- Swappable Switches: Yes
- Connectivity: Wired, USB-C
- Backlight: Yes
- Notable Features: Can customise almost every part of the unit
- Price: AU$550 pre-built, AU$247 for barebones
Compared to the other keyboards on the list, Glorious is a bit more of a niche offering. But, it caters directly to the mechanical keyboard enthusiast: with Glorious, you’re able to completely customise the board down to your own specificiations. Want a particular colour? Can do. Want some of the keys to be blue, and the rest to be pink? Easily done. A braided cable, rather than a standard rubber one? Consider it done.
The downside to that customisability is cost. The Glorious is far more expensive than any other keyboard we’ve toyed with here, but it delivers a level of control that bigger offerings can’t provide.
It helps that the unit that we’ve tested for several months, and that it’s been an awesome experience. Typing on the GMMK Pro has been a dream, and we’ve been able to make the keyboard exactly to our own specifications, which makes it a much more personal device compared to something that is pre-built. In saying that, you can also pick up a pre-built unit from Glorious with everything you need included.
Related: Glorious Just Released the ‘Porsche of Keyboards’ and It’s a Typers Dream
What to Consider Before Buying a New Keyboard
Just like when picking out a new phone, there’s more to consider when buying a new keyboard than meets the eye. Depending on your use case, you’ll want to consider a keyboards size, connectivity, and customisability. So, let’s break those things down.
Size: Keyboards come in quite a few different size categories, and rather than simply being a measure of how big or small the device is, the size of a keyboard also defines how many keys it can have: meaning depending on what you’re used to, you might find yourself picking up a keyboard only to discover it is missing a row of buttons you expected to see.
Here are the main size categories of keyboards you’re likely to come across:
- Full Size (100%): The standard keyboard layout, with the full suite of buttons available.
- Tenkeyless (85%): A slightly smaller sized device, missing the ‘tenkey’, or numpad, to the right of the main board. These buttons are already duplicates of the number row, so removing them allows a device to save on some space.
- 75%: The first major ‘downgrade’, a 75% keyboard has to sacrifice quite a bit of space in order to hit the size restriction, so usually features a fairly radical redesign of the right-side of the board. The numpad is gone, but the insert, delete, home, end, page up and page down keys are also moved to a row on the side of the board, or are removed entirely. Between the boards we tested, the order of these buttons was inconsistent, so if you use these keys a lot, it might get confusing to jump between different keyboards in this size.
- 60%: These are largely portable or travel keyboards, but a 60% keyboard loses a lot of keys. Gone are the function key row, as well as the tenkey and home/page up/etc. Instead, you’re left with the absolute barebones experience, but in a form that is easily moveable.
Connectivity: A keyboard’s connectivity largely comes in three forms: wired, Bluetooth, or though a dedicated dongle. Each have their advantages and disadvantages, so let’s check them out.
When it comes to wired, that’s pretty obvious. You plug the keyboard in to whatever you’re using it with, and it’ll just work, though there’ll be a cable.
For a Bluetooth enabled board, it’ll be compatible with any device capable of Bluetooth, but you’ll also have to sync it up with each device manually. This can get tiresome if you switch devices regularly, and Bluetooth channels can get mixed if you have too many devices connected at once.
Keyboards with a wireless dongle, though, don’t need to sync at all. Just plug the dongle in and you’ll get excellent wireless performance that runs on its own channel (usually 2.4GHz), and is usually up and running instantly. The downside, though, is that if your device doesn’t have the right USB type, you might not be able to plug the dongle in at all. A lot of MacBooks and Tablets, for example, no longer feature USB-A ports, which means we have to use an adapter to plug our keyboards in.
Customisability: This is only as important as it needs to be, as some people will be perfectly happy with a stock-standard experience, while others will want to have their keyboard be their keyboard. Many mechanical keyboards will have easily swappable keycaps and switches, allowing you a lot of control over how the board will feel, sound, and perform. Others, like the Glorious GMMK Pro featured above, allow you also full control over how a keyboard is constructed, allowing you to switch out the faceplate, keys, extra buttons, etc.
Most keyboards now have some degree of software customisability now as well, though their own brands’ software experience. Logitech, for example, allows users to rebind certain keys using their G HUB software which can be downloaded free on the Logitech website.
Related: HIBI Design’s Knocks it Out of the Park for First Keyboard ‘HIBIKI’
