Buying a mechanical keyboard? Consider these 6 points of caution

If you’re considering a mechanical keyboard yourself, don’t make the same mistakes I made. Here’s everything I wish that I’d done before buying my very first model.

Only later did I realize the depth of the mechanical keyboard rabbit hole , and how many granular options exist to get exactly the typing or PC gaming experience you want. After buying my first compact mechanical keyboard—then another, and another—I realized there was no going back to cheaper keyboards with mushy rubber membranes and blandly utilitarian aesthetics.

When I bought my first mechanical keyboard in 2015, I had no idea what I was doing. Coveting the clackety sound and glorious key travel of mechanical switches, I sprung for a hefty Rosewill Apollo keyboard without doing much research. It ended up being a poor fit for me, and I sold it on eBay a few years later.

Qisan’s MagicForce keyboard has just 68 keys, so it doesn’t take up much desk space.

The smaller you go from there, the more keys will require holding a Function button to access. My Qisan keyboard omits the entire F-key row along with the Print Screen, Pause, and Scroll Lock keys, while my semi-portable Anne Pro 2 comes without arrow keys. Some keyboards even take those constraints to the extreme by dropping the number keys . Having a specific size in mind will narrow down your options significantly.

While some gamers and Excel wizards might consider a number pad non-negotiable, mechanical keyboards come in all kinds of sizes that eschew the standard 104-key format. You can lop off the number pad for an 87-key layout (as seen on the HyperX Alloy FPS Pro ), or you can get even more compact with an 84-key layout that omits dedicated Insert, Scroll Lock, and Number Lock keys.

Different mechanical keyboards use different kinds of switches, and all have a big impact on how typing feels and sounds. Even within the broad categories of clicky, tactile, or linear switches, you’ll find variations in stiffness and feedback.

Clicky “Blue” key switches, for instance, feel light under your fingers and make a loud click as you press partway down, while “White” keys have a similar sound with more stiffness. Tactile “Brown” switches aren’t nearly as noisy, but they still make a little bump under your fingers as you press them. Linear “Black” and “Red” switches press straight down with no interference, with the former being stiffer than the latter. And while some keyboards are “hot-swappable” so you can easily move to a different switch type, most require soldering skills if you change your mind.

If all this seems overwhelming, an inexpensive $12 switch tester is a great investment. You’ll get to see what all the major switch types feel (and sound like), and it’s way better than any fidget spinner for stress relief.

Jared Newman / IDG A keycap tester is well worth the investment to learn which switch types you like best.

Don’t cheap out on switch quality

With mechanical keyboards, the brand of key switch is arguably more important than the maker of the keyboard itself. I learned this the hard way after buying a keyboard with generic “Blue” switches, only to discover that it sometimes failed to pick up every keystroke, and I quickly returned it for a keyboard with name-brand Cherry MX Blue switches instead.

Some folks do swear by certain Cherry competitors—mainly Gateron and Kailh—and some big keyboard brands such as Logitech have their own custom switches. But steer clear of keyboards that only specify a switch color with no brand, and watch for sneaky language such as “Cherry Red equivalent.”

Know your keycap types

Keycap types are a rabbit hole within a rabbit hole, with a wide range of styles and profiles to choose from. If you’re just getting started with mechanical keyboards, the important acronyms to look for are ABS and PBT, as your keyboard is likely to ship with one or the other. The former are smoother and shinier, but their key symbols tend to fade over time and they’re more likely to show the grease from your fingers. The latter have a rougher finish that does a better job hiding the grime.

Plan for style ahead of time

Of course, part of the fun with mechanical keyboards involves buying your own aftermarket keycaps to customize the look and feel of your keyboard. Sites like Banggood and AliExpress offer keycap sets for as little as $20, or you can splurge on designer sets through sites like TheKey.Company and Drop.

Drop Like this look? Get a similar style keyboard before splurging on the keycaps..

If you plan to go this route, make sure to buy a keyboard whose body color and backlighting matches the style you want to create. You don’t want the keycaps you love to be a mismatch for the keyboard you just bought.

Consider the connections

Wired USB connectivity is still the default for mechanical keyboards. While wireless Bluetooth options exist—the Anne Pro 2 and Keychron K2 are notable examples—you’ll be more limited in size and style by going that route. If you’re not planning to travel with your mechanical keyboard, foregoing the Bluetooth connection might make more sense.

Das Keyboard The Das Keyboard 4 Ultimate’s dual USB ports come in handy for adding a mouse or game controller.

On a related note, some wired mechanical keyboards have a USB passthrough port for plugging in a mouse, game controller, or other accessories. (The Das Keyboard 4 Ultimate even has two of them.) That can be a great addition if your computer’s port selection is limited.

Why bother?

From the outside, I admit it can seem unusual to put this much thought into a keyboard, especially if you’re not invested in mechanical keyboards for gaming performance. But if you do any significant amount of writing on a computer, you’ll be interacting with your keyboard constantly. Buying a mechanical keyboard is akin to investing in a high-quality, long-lasting tool that you can take pride in using.

As for the aforementioned rabbit hole—buying multiple keyboards in different sizes, each with their own switch types and keycap colors—that’s probably a little crazier. But don’t be surprised if the thought crosses your mind once everything clicks for you.

A version of this story originally appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s weekly tech advice newsletter, (and his mechanical keyboard obsession has only worsened since then). Sign up to get practical tech tips in your inbox every week.

The Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard Buying Guide

Mechanical keyboards come with many positives: They’re more satisfying to type on, more durable, and offer more room for personalization than standard keyboards. But there’s a lot more to them than that, and if you want to ensure you’re getting the best keyboard for you, there are some things you need to know first.

Pick a Layout

Let’s start with what’s arguably the most important part: the layout. This refers to the way keys are positioned on the board. You’re probably used to the standard, 104-key “Full” layout most keyboards use, but there are many morefrom which to choose.

Layouts tend to differ by what keys they do or don’t include, so let’s go over some general terms for the keys on your keyboard just to make things clear.

If we look at the Full layout (seen above), we can see various clusters of keys clearly separated by small gaps. Of course, the core section includes all the letters, backspace, escape, and punctuation keys. Right above that is the Number (1 – 9, -, and = keys) and Function rows (F1 – F12 keys), with clusters of navigation keys (PageUp, Home, and Delete, to name a few) to the right. This part also has the arrow keys, which you might be surprised to learn aren’t included on every layout, but we’ll get back to that. And finally, the number pad (or “numpad” as it’s often called), which is a separate cluster of keys for inputting numbers quicker on the right-most part of the keyboard.

Most alternative layouts focus on making the keyboard more compact, so they tend to remove many keys. This is done by making certain key functions accessed through key combinations instead of having dedicated keys. A common example of this is getting rid of the Function row and accessing those keys by combining the Function key (FN) with the corresponding number from the Number row (so for F4, you would input FN + 4). Every keyboard handles this a little bit differently, but generally speaking, if a keyboard uses a layout that removes keys, they’ll still be accessible somehow.

At the end of the day, the layout you use is completely preference based. While some layouts will save more space or include more keys, it’s up to you to decide which one is right for you. So, let’s go through the most common layouts on the market.

Full Size

As I just said, this is the layout you’ll find on most keyboards. It includes the core section, navigation keys, the Function and Number rows, dedicated arrow keys, and the NumPad. This usually totals 104 keys, but some boards may include additional keys like media controls (such as Play/Pause, Skip Track, and volume controls).

96%

This layout takes the majority of the keys found in the full layout (usually only removing some lesser-used navigation keys) and condenses them all to produce a smaller keyboard. This is done by “declustering” the keys; with the Full layout, the keys are separated into different groups with small gaps between them. It makes things look cleaner but causes the keyboard to eat up more space. A 96% keyboard eliminates those gaps, resulting in one massive cluster with every key (as you can see above).

This layout ultimately serves as a good middle-ground between the standard full layout and the more compact ones we’ll cover soon. Just be aware there aren’t a ton of keyboards that use this layout, so finding one you like with it can be difficult.

Tenkeyless (TKL)

TKL is one of the most popular alternative layouts around, so you’ll have an easy time finding boards using it. This makes sense, as the layout concept is straightforward: Just take a Full keyboard, and chop off the part with the Numpad. Everything else is kept the same; it just eliminates the Numpad to save a lot of space. As long as you don’t find yourself using the Numpad often, this is the safest layout to go with besides Full.

75%

Like the 96% layout, the 75% layout takes everything from a TKL board (the core section, Number Row, Function Row, navigation keys, and arrow keys) and removes the gaps to save even more space. If you don’t mind the cluttered look, it’s a good alternative but not as commonplace as TKL keyboards.

65% and 60%

These two layouts are often what people jump to when they’re looking for a small keyboard. The 65% layout removes the Function Row, most navigation keys, and the gaps, resulting in a much more compact keyboard than the Full layout we started with. It takes some getting used to, but it’s a good solution if you’re looking to save space.

Treasure The

If that’s not small enough for you, then the 60% layout (seen above) removes even more keys by getting rid of the remaining navigation and arrow keys. Basically, if you’re going to use either of these layouts, you’ll need to get used to using a lot of key combinations for different actions.

Both are fairly prevalent in the market, but 60% is ultimately the more popular layout.

Ergonomic

This final section isn’t going to talk about a specific layout but rather an entire category. Ergonomic keyboards try to improve the position of your arms and wrists while typing to cause less harm than a normal keyboard, though the ways they go about this varies wildly. Some keyboards do this by curving the board’s body, so you don’t need to extend your fingers as much to reach certain keys. Other boards are split into two separate modules you can space out as much as you want to make your arms more comfortable.

If you find yourself having issues with carpal tunnel or other forms of RSI (repetitive strain injury), using an ergonomic keyboard can alleviate a lot of pain. Fair warning, though, these are often pretty expensive compared to normal mechanical keyboards.

The Best Ergonomic Keyboards for Improved Typing and Comfort Best Overall Logitech ERGO K860 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard - Split Keyboard, Wrist Rest, Natural Typing, Stain-Resistant Fabric, Bluetooth and USB Connectivity, Compatible with Windows/Mac Another Great Choice Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard for Business (5KV-00001 ) A Good Budget Option Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard - Black. Wired, Comfortable, Ergonomic Keyboard with Cushioned Wrist and Palm Support. Split Keyboard. Dedicated Office Key. Small Spaces and Beginners CHERRY AMERICAS LLC Ergo KC 4500 Keyboard-Cable Connectivity-USB Interface-109 Key-English (US)-QWERTZ Layout-Computer-Windows-Black,JK-4500EU-2 Simply Split KINESIS Freestyle Pro Ergonomic Split Mechanical Keyboard (Cherry MX Brown Switches) - KB900-brn The Premium Choice ErgoDox EZ Slim and Fancy Moonlander Mark 1 For the Dedicated KINESIS Advantage2 Quiet LF Ergonomic Keyboard (KB600LFQ) Compact and Customizable Dygma Raise

Choose Your Switches

Mechanical switches make mechanical keyboards special and why they’re more satisfying to type on than normal keyboards. Placed under each key, these determine a lot about what your keyboard will feel like to type on. Switches can vary in smoothness, depth, resistance, and noise levels, so choosing something that fits you is an important decision. Some people want their keyboard to sound like a typewriter, but others just want more feedback from every press. Regardless, most keyboards offer multiple switch types as different options.

Typically, the switches themselves feature a square, plastic housing for the internal mechanisms, small pins on the bottom for connecting to the keyboard, and the central “MX-style” cross-stem to attach the keycap (you can see it in the image below colored green). A lot of that becomes more important when we starting talking about keycaps and hot-swapping later on, but it’s useful to know the basics regardless.

Now, there are a lot of different switches out there, offering different things from different brands. The most common companies you see are dedicated switch manufacturers like Cherry, Kalih, and Gateron, but peripheral manufacturers like Razer and Logitech have also started producing their own switches.

The options presented with every keyboard will be very different, but let’s go over the general categories of switches you can expect to find and how they affect the typing experience. Switches are usually marked with different colors that express their unique characteristics, so we’ll broadly cover what colors usually fall into each category.

Tip: Something to look out for when considering keyboards is the terms “membrane mechanical” or “mechanical-feel.” This means the keyboard doesn’t have genuine mechanical switches and tries to replicate them with cheaper hardware. They don’t feel as good to type on, so if you want a mechanical keyboard, you should avoid them outright.

Tactile Switches

Tactile switches are characterized by having a noticeable tactile bump when the switch is pushed down. This adds more resistance and feedback to each keypress, but also requires more force to use. Different tactile switches will require different levels of force, which you’ll see measured in “grams of force” on the product page (although not every switch will detail this). If you’re solely focused on having some more tactile feedback while typing, this is the switch type you’ll want to go with.

Tactile switches are usually represented by brown and clear.

Clicky Switches

Clicky switches also have a tactile bump, but unlike tactile switches, they also produce an audible click when pushed down. This can make typing on your keyboard very loud, so it’s not recommended if you’re going to be around a lot of people. But if you want some audible feedback while typing, these are definitely the switches for you.

Clicky switches are usually represented by blue, green, and white.

Linear Switches

Remove the tactility and clicking of other switches, and you’re left with a linear switch. These don’t have a tactile bump, don’t make much noise, and are also the easiest to type on. If you want something quiet and smooth, then that’s exactly what linear switches offer.

Linear switches are usually represented by red, yellow, and black.

Optical Switches

These have become a lot more popular over the past few years. Optical switches can still fall under one of the three aforementioned categories, but they’re much thinner than standard mechanical switches. This means they require less force while typing, are less tactile, and can respond to inputs slightly quicker. If you’re used to scissor-switch keyboards, you’ll feel more at home with optical switches than standard mechanical ones. At the end of the day, these are just another option on the market for a different typing experience, so whether you want to go with them is up to you.

The only downside to optical switches is they usually have very different designs compared to normal switches. This means you can’t use standard keycap sets with them or install them on most hot-swap keyboards (but we’ll get back to both of those later).

Gaming Switches

Our final category is far more specialized than the others, as gaming switches focus on removing input delay as much as possible. This means they register inputs quicker, which can be especially useful in competitive gaming. Like optical switches, gaming switches can still fall under one of three main categories (tactile, clicky, or linear). However, the actual mechanisms inside the switch tend to be very different from your standard mechanical switch. If you want these types of switches, just look for gaming keyboards specifically—you’ll find plenty that offer switches of this caliber.

Should You Go Wired or Wireless?

This is honestly a pretty simple one to figure out. While neither wireless nor wired connection is necessarily better than the other, they each have clear-cut pros and cons, which we’ll go over soon. Just one thing to keep in mind is that there aren’t as many options for wireless keyboards as there are wired ones. Besides that, let’s dive into each of these a bit deeper.

Wireless

Wireless keyboards can either connect through Bluetooth or with a specific wireless adapter included with the board. The latter usually provides a more stable connection, but either will work. The upsides to wireless keyboards are obvious—it’s one fewer wire you need to worry about on your desk, and (at least for Bluetooth keyboards) you can usually switch the device you’re connected to with the push of a button. But when it comes to downsides, you have to worry about battery life, which can be annoying.

On top of that, wireless keyboards have latency while typing, which means there’s a small delay between you pressing down the key and the input being registered. This is largely unnoticeable for most people, but if you’re interested in competitive gaming, in particular, it can be an issue.

The 8 Best Wireless Mechanical Keyboards Ultra-Compact Anne Pro 2 Slim and Stylish Hexgears X-1 Best for Gaming Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro Traditional With Flair Logitech G613 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, Multihost 2.4 GHz + Blutooth Connectivity - Black Quick and Thin Logitech G915 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (Clicky), Black The Budget Option Wireless Mechanical Keyboard, VELOCIFIRE TKL02WS 87 Key Ergonomic with Brown Switches, White LED Backlit for Copywriters, Typists, and Programmers

Wired

Wired keyboards are very straightforward, as are the pros and cons associated with them. You have to deal with a cable, but you never have to worry about latency or battery life. If you only use your keyboard with one device, the limits of a wired connection will likely never bother you. While wired keyboards are simple, sometimes that’s exactly what you want.

The only thing worth mentioning is the cables themselves. Most wired keyboards will plug into your PC with a USB-A cable, but some use USB-C. Braided cables are also a nice bonus as they’re more durable than standard wires, and they’re pretty common on mechanical keyboards.

Build Quality Is Crucial

Mechanical keyboards are expensive, at least compared to most non-mechanical keyboards. That’s largely due to the switches these keyboards use, but you still want to see that price tag reflected in the rest of the product as well. A mechanical keyboard should be a solid piece of hardware, capable of withstanding every keypress without bending or flexing under pressure.

The material of the body is the main thing to look for on the store page. Aluminum and plastic are the two most common materials, with the former being the more premium and durable option. But plastic keyboards, when done right, can still be surprisingly nice, given that the plastic has the right finish to it and is thick enough.

It’s hard to get a good grasp on anything else about the build quality without the keyboard in your hands, so this is definitely a time when reviews are your best friend.

Keycaps

Keycaps are the plastic shells placed on top of every switch and are what your fingers actually make contact with when typing. They have printed legends to tell you what the key does, to protect the switches, and to make the keyboard look better. But there are differences in keycaps, namely in the type of plastic they’re made out of and how the legends are printed on them.

There are two types of plastic used in keycap production: ABS and PBT. ABS is the cheaper and more common option; it’s not bad by any means, but it will start to shine from your hand oils after extended use. PBT never has that issue and is also more durable in general, which is why it’s more expensive. Regardless, PBT is more of a nice bonus than anything else—while ABS is cheaper, it’s still more than fine.

When it comes to the legends, what you really want to see is double-shotting. Standard keycaps just have the legends printed on, which can lead to fading over time. Double-shotting uses another piece of plastic inside the keycap to display the legend, so it can never fade. This is far better for longevity, and fortunately, most premium boards offer it nowadays.

Customizability Is a Key Benefit of Mechanical Keyboards

While mechanical keyboards mainly gain their appeal from the satisfying typing experience they offer, the level of customization you can get out of them is also really cool. We won’t touch the super in-depth stuff to keep things simple, but if you look for it, you can find people who have customized their keyboards in some crazy ways (or even created them from scratch).

For normal use, there are some general customizations that most mechanical keyboards can offer. The biggest one is the keycaps—keycaps are largely standardized, so as long the switches on your board use the MX-style cross-stem we mentioned earlier (so no optical switches), you can install any set of keycaps you’d like. You can find alternative keycap sets all over the internet, so it’s an extremely simple way to personalize your keyboard.

But there’s more a keyboard can offer when it comes to personalization—let’s go over some of the most common ones.

Inside every keyboard is a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)—it’s the circuit board that registers the keyboard’s inputs. Switches are usually installed onto the PCB through soldering, which can make replacing switches a time-intensive effort. Hot-swapping aims to be an alternative to this, however.

Hot-swapping means there are tiny modules on the PCB that allow switches to be slotted into them. Actually taking out and installing the switches can still require a lot of force, mind you, but it’s far easier and more efficient than soldering. If you’re interested in experimenting with a ton of different switches on your board, you’ll definitely want this feature. Fortunately, hot-swapping is only becoming more commonplace as time goes on.

Note: Optical switches usually aren’t compatible with hot-swap keyboards. If you find a keyboard that boasts both optical switches and hot-swapping, that means the hot-swap modules only work with other optical switches.

RGB Lighting

RGB lighting is a very popular feature on keyboards, and it’s easy to see why. This is a simple way to make a keyboard look cool, and it also allows for some personalization on the user side of things. Most RGB keyboards will allow you to choose what colors the lights are and how they animate, and you can get really creative with it if you put the effort in. It’s worth noting that some keyboards have transparent keycaps and switches which allow the lights to shine through, which is definitely recommended if you’re into RGB.

The only downside to RGB is when using a wireless keyboard; RGB eats through the battery much quicker, but you can always turn down the lighting’s brightness level to lessen this.

Software

Keyboard software is essential, and we’re not just talking about the standard drivers here. Many keyboard manufacturers develop companion pieces of software for their boards that allow their keyboards to be fully programmable—this is typically where you adjust RGB lighting, for example.

Keyboard software can also reprogram your keyboard’s keys to perform different actions and create macros that trigger multiple inputs with a single keypress. Not all software is created equal—some include less than this, some include more—so it’s definitely worth researching if a keyboard you’re interested in has software and what features it offers.

Mechanical keyboards are a lot more complex than meets the eye, but now you should better understand what to expect when looking at the store page. This is an industry where a lot of buzzwords are used, which can make it difficult to differentiate the good from the bad. But with the information provided here, you should have an easier parsing through the mechanical keyboard world and be on your way to picking up a board that’s right for you.

These are the Best Mechanical Keyboards to buy in 2022

Check out some of the best mechanical keybaords that you should be buying this year, ranging from full-size to compact 60%.

The PC market continues to make headlines due to the global chipset crisis, not to mention the scarcity of GPUs worldwide. But today, we're looking at an important PC component that's often overlooked or is usually an afterthought when buying or building a PC, despite being a key member of the board. There are many keyboards available in various shapes and sizes at different price points, and we've got a list of some of the best mechanical keyboards you should consider for your next purchase.

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Why should you buy a Mechanical Keyboard?

Before we dive into some of the recommendations, let's understand what exactly a mechanical keyboard is. Basically, a keyboard is defined by the switch it uses.

Cheaper keyboards usually incorporate a rubber-dome or a membrane switch system wherein a keypress pushes onto a silicone dome, connecting the circuit to register what the user is typing. These often require a large amount of force for actuation and give off mushy feedback due to the silicon underneath. These are relatively silent and don't offer audible feedback, while the overall lifespan is comparatively less and inconsistent due to the decay properties of the silicon sheet underneath.

When you press a key on a mechanical keyboard, an actual physical switch, including a spring-based pushback mechanism, comes into play. Depending on the type of key switch, you get a certain tactile or linear feedback as you type along. While that in itself makes a huge difference, these switches also last really long, with certain manufacturers claiming up to 50-80 million keystrokes.

In short, mechanical keyboards should offer a longer shelf life, and you can expect a much better typing experience thanks to the wide variety of switch options. Having said that, mechanical keyboards do need maintenance over a period of time, as is with any mechanical part. There is also the issue of key wobble and chatter that can potentially lead to a slow or inconsistent response of the keys.

Navigate this guide:

Best full-size mechanical keyboard: Corsair K100 RGB

The best full-sized mechanical keyboard has to be Corsair’s K100 RGB. Not only is it one of the most expensive ones, but this keyboard has it all. It comes with a polling rate of up to 4000Hz and 0.5ms response time, making it the fastest keyboard that money can buy. It also comes with Corsair’s OPX optical-mechanical key switches that use a beam of infrared light to register an actuation, which means a fast and precise keypress registration at a 1.0mm actuation point. Corsair also sells the K100 with Cherry MX Speed Silver switches with an actuation distance of 1.2mm.

The keyboard also offers macro support, a dedicated control wheel for various functions, and to top it off, per-key RGB backlighting with a 44-zone three-sided RGB edge lighting. It also comes with highly durable construction and premium design, making it one of the most desirable keyboards on the market.

Corsair K100 RGB Corsair K100 RGB The Corsair K100 RGB is a fully loaded mechanical keyboard available with fast key switches and a polling rate of up to 4000Hz. See at Amazon

Best wireless full-size mechanical keyboard: Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro

The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is the best mechanical keyboard for those who don't like wires. It's a full-size keyboard that's great for gaming or just regular typing. It's available with Razer’s Green switches for a clicky, tactile feel, or you can go for the Yellow switches that are linear, silent, and offer a smooth keystroke. The BlackWidow V3 Pro comes with a premium design, including a plush leatherette wrist rest and double-shot ABS keycaps.

You can use the keyboard with Razer’s HyperSpeed wireless tech using a USB dongle for low latency or go the traditional way using Bluetooth or wired. There are also some dedicated media keys, a volume control wheel, and individually RGB-backlit keys that can be controlled using Razer’s software.

Razer BlackWidow V3 Razer BlackWidow V3 The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro should be your choice if you want a premium full-size wireless keyboard experience. See at Amazon

Best tenkeyless mechanical keyboard: Keychron K2-V2 (Hot-Swappable)

Keychron is home to some of the best mechanical keyboards on the market and the company has plenty of options to choose from. As such, the Keychron K2-V2 is our pick for the best tenkeyless keyboards out on the market right now. Tenkeyless keyboards, in case you don't know, are the ones that don't have a 10-key numeric keypad on the right side. These keyboards take up less space on the desk compared to full-sized ones, which is why they're more popular among gamers who prefer having more space for mouse movements.

Coming back to the Keychron K2-V2, we suggest you pick up the 'Hot-Swappable' version of the board that lets you swap out the switches. The Keychron K2-V2 comes fitted with Gateron mechanical hot-swappable switches and you get the option to choose between either Blue, Red, or Brown switches out of the box. Additionally, you also get to choose between either RGB or White backlight for the board. One of the best things about the Keychron K2-V2 is that it works in both wired as well as wireless modes and is compatible with both Mac and Windows.

Keychron K2 Mechanical Keyboard Keychron K2-V2 The Keychron K2-V2 (Hot-Swappable) is one of the best tenkeyless keyboards on the market right now. One of the best things about this mechanical board is that it lets you swap out the existing switches for new ones. See at Amazon

Alternate best tenkeyless mechanical keyboard: Logitech G915 TKL

Logitech makes some of the best gaming peripherals, and the G915 TKL is a pristine wireless mechanical keyboard. It’s an ultra-thin keyboard with low-profile keycaps backed by Logitech’s custom-made low-profile GL switches available in either clicky, tactile, or linear type. Using the company’s Lightspeed wireless technology, the G915 TKL comes with a response rate that's as good as a wired keyboard, while the battery can last about 40 hours with the RGB lighting enabled. Although I really wish Logitech would stop using micro-USB for charging its peripherals.

Additionally, the keyboard supports Bluetooth (when low-latency is not required) and includes dedicated media control keys along with a volume scroll wheel. If tenkeyless is not your thing, Logitech also has a full-sized version of this keyboard that's worth checking out.

Logitech G915 TKL Logitech G915 TKL An excellent slim, low profile tenkeyless keyboard featuring a premium design and lag-free wireless connectivity. See at Amazon

Best 60% mechanical keyboard: Razer Huntsman Mini

Hands down the best compact 60% keyboard, the Razer Huntsman Mini is a delight for customers who like to keep things minimal. Razer offers the keyboard with newly updated linear red switches with a 1.2mm actuation distance and 48g actuation force. In comparison, the clicky purple switches come with a 1.5mm actuation distance and 45g actuation force. It features solid-looking PBT keycaps and a USB Type-C cable for connectivity.

Of course, it comes with Razer’s Chroma RGB lighting, a solid aluminum chassis, onboard memory for up to five profiles, and side-printed secondary functions on the keycaps. The Huntsman Mini is available in either Black or Mercury (White) color options.

Razer Huntsman Mini Razer Huntsman Mini A great recommendation for someone looking for a compact keyboard for a clean and minimal desk setup. See at Amazon

Best customizable mechanical keyboard: Glorious GMMK Pro

'Mechanical keyboard customization' is too big of a topic that demands a separate article by itself. There are simply too many customization options to be explored but all of them are enabled by a solid platform a.k.a the base. Without getting into too many details, we wanted to introduce the Glorious GMMK Pro barebones kit for those who're looking to get their hands on a fully-customizable keyboard. As a barebones kit, you will essentially have to buy the mechanical switches and the keycaps separately to complete the build. Glorious lets you customize the whole thing and check out a complete keyboard on its website, but we recommend picking up the barebones kit and trying different modifications out yourself.

The idea is to explore the world of mechanical keyboards and not limit yourself to some basic customization. The Glorious GMMK Pro happens to be one of the more premium options, but you can also start with a more basic barebones kit if it's your first time getting into the customizable mechanical keyboard world. The advantage of buying a barebones kit like the GMMK Pro is that you can easily tear down the entire keyboard to adds mods or swap out the switches, keycaps, and more. This particular barebones kit comes with a gasket-mounted plate, Goat stabilizers, a fully programmable knob, and more.

Glorious GMMK Pro Kit Glorious GMMK Pro Kit The Glorious GMMK Pro is considered to be one of the more premium options on the market when it comes to customizable mechanical keyboards. A barebones kit like this will allow you to customize various aspects of the board to fine-tune it to your liking. See at Amazon

Best mechanical keyboard for office: Das Keyboard 4 Professional

Das Keyboards is a popular name when it comes to mechanical keyboards. The Das Keyboard 4 Professional is recommended for office use cases as it doesn't offer any flashy lighting effects, nor does it come with a bold design. Rather, it features a toned-down black finish, some media keys, and a large volume knob. The keyboard is available with Cherry MX Brown tactile switches or Cherry MX Blue click switches. It also offers n-key rollover, an anodized aluminum top panel, and a magnetically detachable footbar that doubles as a ruler. Yeah, an actual ruler!

Das Kayboard 4 Professional Das Keyboard 4 Professional The Das Keyboard 4 Professional offers a simple yet solid design with Cherry MX key switch options and overall an excellent experience for office and professional users. See at Amazon

Best mechanical keyboard for multiple OS: Keychron K4 V2

Keychron started as a Kickstarter project, but today offers a wide range of keyboards. One of the best offerings is the Keychron K4, a full-size keyboard with a 96% layout, available with a variety of customization options. You can get the keyboard with white or RGB backlighting and there is the option of an aluminum frame for more rigid construction. The keyboard comes with Gateron Red, Blue, or Brown key switch options, and you can also opt for the hot-swappable variant to quickly move between switches.

The keyboard is great for both Windows and Mac operating systems and it offers wireless connectivity via Bluetooth or regular wired connection via USB.

Keychron K4 V2 Keychron K4 V2 Keychron makes some of the best keyboards with the K4 being one of the best options if you are looking for multi-OS support. See at Amazon

Best budget mechanical keyboard: Redragon K552

If you're on a tight budget, say under $50, you can check out the Redragon K552. It isn't the most premium mechanical keyboard, but overall the keyboard should serve you well for most use cases. It's a tenkeyless keyboard with clicky Outemu Blue switches that mimic Cherry MX Blue, but there's also a variant with linear Red switches. Fully compatible with Windows and Linux, the Redragon K552 can also be used with macOS but with limited functionality. Other notable features include full RGB backlighting with 18 different effects, a splash-proof metal and plastic chassis, n-Key rollover, 12 multimedia keys, and the option of a white color variant.

Overall the keyboard is pretty good and responsive for gamers although it might offer higher latency than most keyboards. It's also suitable for typing and office use cases as the keys are light, but they can get noisy so the keyboard might not fit well with users looking for a silent experience.

Redragon K552 Redragon K552 The Redragon K552 is a recommended mechanical keyboard with tenkeyless design for customers looking for the best value on a tight budget. See at Amazon

Best Mechanical Keyboards to buy in 2022: Final Thoughts

There's no shortage of mechanical keyboards on the market, but these are the ones we think are worth considering. From a barebones kit like the GMMK Pro to a full-sized RGB deck like the Corsair K100 RGB, we've added plenty of options to the list. The Keychron K2-V2 (Hot-Swappable) is a great option to consider mainly because works in both wired and wireless modes and is compatible with both macOS and Windows. Those leaning towards a small keyboard can check out the Razer Huntsman Mini, which we think is one of the best 60% keyboards out there.

The good thing about a lot of these keyboards is that you can customize them -- either while purchasing before checkout or manually by yourself after you get them. You can truly fine-tune your experience by adding different types of switches and styles of keycaps. We recommend checking out our beginner's guide to mechanical keyboards to learn more. Alternatively, you can also join our XDA Computing Forums to discuss anything and everything related to computing including mechanical keyboards.