Other Keyboards We Like
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Logitech Pro X TKL for $200: Logitech makes awesome keyboards, and nan G Pro X TKL is among nan champion gaming keyboards. It has vibrant RGB LED-backlit keys, a prime of clicky, tactile, aliases linear switches, and it uses Logitech's Lightspeed wireless adapter for competitory gaming-level consequence time. The build value of this keyboard is slick and stylish. It's minimal and doesn't return up overmuch abstraction connected your desk, and it has a subtle metallic rim astir nan separator that gives it a small flair that astir plain keyboards lack. The measurement instrumentality successful nan precocious correct is soft and easy to reach, and on nan apical are useful media controls truthful you tin region your euphony erstwhile you yet get into a crippled aft a agelong queue. For my tastes, nan much clicky-clacky a keyboard, nan better, and nan Black Clicky switches person served maine well. Each keypress feels for illustration I'm sending mini thunder down to my game. However, if you for illustration thing softer, you tin take different move type. The only point I dislike is nan deficiency of a numpad—yes, I'm 1 of those weirdos who for illustration having a numpad.
Logitech Pro X 60 for $180: The Pro X 60 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has virtually each nan benefits of nan Pro X TKL successful a smaller, much compact package. It keeps nan measurement wheel, Game mode switch, and Bluetooth/Lightspeed buttons by moving them to nan edges of nan keyboard, while slimming nan full point down to a 60 percent layout.
Logitech Pop Keys for $100: The Pop Keys (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is simply a vibrant statement of wireless keyboards that travel successful a wide assortment of colour palettes that are delightful. It besides uses Logitech's strategy for pairing pinch up to 3 devices, making it elemental to return it betwixt your PC and laptop, aliases from location to activity and back.
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Logitech MX Keys S for $128: The MX Keys S tin brace pinch 3 devices, making it easy to switch betwixt computers. Its low-profile chiclet-style keys are comfortable, and it uses proximity sensors to activate nan cardinal backlight erstwhile your hands get near, truthful it's easier to spot successful nan acheronian without wasting artillery erstwhile you're not utilizing it. It supports some Mac and Windows layouts, and nan keys are tastefully branded successful a measurement that it's clear nary matter which 1 you're utilizing astatine nan time. Battery life is besides fantastic, lasting good complete a week pinch normal use, though it gets rather a spot longer if you disable nan backlight.
Logitech MX Mechanical for $170: With an understated, low-profile design, you tin brace nan MX Mechanical pinch up to 3 devices astatine erstwhile and switch pinch nan push of a button. There are moreover a fewer convenient other buttons conscionable supra nan numpad to motorboat a calculator aliases fastener your desktop.
Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL Pro for $150: The Vulcan II TKL Pro has 2 LEDs per key, giving it a amended solution for lighting effects. It features Hall effect switches, which should trim down connected deterioration and tear. They're still satisfyingly clicky, and nan measurement knob has a comfortably grippy texture. I for illustration immoderate keyboard pinch a measurement instrumentality to 1 without.
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Corsair K65 for $160: This 75 percent keyboard has immoderate of nan softest, astir comfortable keys of immoderate committee I've tested. It's lightweight capable to flip successful a bag, but sturdy capable to beryllium your desktop keyboard. It tin link via USB-C, Bluetooth, aliases a wireless dongle that tin beryllium stored successful a slot connected nan rear. A stylish metallic measurement knob adorns nan top-right corner, and each keycap and move tin beryllium swapped retired utilizing nan included removal tool.
Razer Huntsman Mini for $89: A 60 percent keyboard has 60 percent of nan keys usually recovered connected a regular-sized keyboard. The numpad and arrow keys are chopped off, and you're near pinch nan essentials. The Razer Huntsman Mini is 1 of my favorites of this size for gaming. It feels each spot arsenic responsive and speedy arsenic a full-size keyboard, but it takes up a batch little table space. There's conscionable thing neat and orderly astir it. Plus, for illustration nan larger Huntsman Elite, nan Mini is compatible pinch Razer's keycap kits, truthful you tin customize your colour scheme.
Keychron Q1 HE for $240: The Keychron Q1 HE (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is 1 of nan champion boards we've tested that uses Hall effect switches. You tin customize nan actuation constituent to either make keys much sensitive—so you don't person to property them each nan measurement down for keystrokes to register—or little sensitive, to debar those fat-finger moments that tin ruin competitory games. Keychron moreover has rapid-trigger settings that let you to property a cardinal aggregate times without nan cardinal having to return afloat to its resting position. Even extracurricular nan benefits of nan Hall effect switches, this is different awesome keyboard successful statement pinch nan benignant that Keychron is known for, truthful it's worthy a look moreover if you don't want to salary that overmuch attraction to each facet of your keys.
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
NZXT Function 2 for $140: The original NZXT Function was a awesome measurement for anyone willing successful mechanical keyboards to jump successful without getting overwhelmed. The follow-up Function 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) improves connected it successful almost each way. It upgrades nan keys to optical switches and comes pinch a spare group of switches that person a small much (or a small less) resistance, truthful you tin customize circumstantial keys based connected your needs. I recovered this peculiarly useful for games for illustration Overwatch 2, wherever I'd for illustration to trim down connected those fat-finger ultimates that are truthful embarrassing. The Function 2 retains galore of my favourite features from nan first model. It has nan aforesaid left-side measurement roller, ace soft keycaps, and convenient buttons on nan broadside of nan keyboard. If you're willing successful mechanical keyboards but are intimidated by phrases for illustration “actuation force,” this is simply a awesome committee to get started with.
Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL for $200: The Huntsman V3 Pro TKL is simply a robust keyboard for those who for illustration to tweak their gaming setup. It uses Razer's analog optical switches, which are satisfyingly clicky. On nan apical right, there's a media knob that controls nan volume, which you tin besides click to mute. However, it's nan buttons astir it that are astir interesting. To nan left, location are 2 programmable macro keys you tin usage to customize different commands for your games (or your work). Below, connected nan navigation keys, are six floor plan shortcuts. Hold Fn and property 1 of them, and you tin switch betwixt respective preset profiles, tailored to circumstantial gaming needs for illustration FPS mode, Racing mode, aliases High-Sensitivity mode erstwhile you request to propulsion disconnected that hairsbreadth trigger. All of this tin beryllium customized successful nan Razer Synapse app. We've tested a batch of keyboards pinch different customization options, but this 1 is peculiarly bully for gamers who switch profiles a lot. The keyboard connects utilizing a USB-C cable, included pinch nan device, and it besides comes pinch a magnetic wrist rest.
Razer BlackWidow V4 75% for $190: The Razer BlackWidow V4 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has a sturdy metallic casing, hot-swappable switches, and Razer's robust Synapse package for customizing your keyboard. It's besides earned our apical marks if you're looking for a mechanical keyboard specifically for gaming. The 75 percent layout is mini capable that you tin time off plentifulness of room for your mouse, making those flicks to onshore a headshot that overmuch easier successful competitory games. The 8,000-Hz polling complaint besides helps trim down connected nan times that you miss activating an expertise by that almost imperceptible fraction of a second.
SteelSeries Apex Pro for $200: Rather than take 1 move for nan Apex Pro keyboard, SteelSeries decided to let them all. Not only is it a colorful gaming keyboard pinch tons of bells and whistles, but it besides features mechanical switches that tin beryllium customized per key to springiness you a typing acquisition unsocial to you. Plus, it has a small LED show for strategy alerts, volume, and different nosy worldly you tin artifact pinch utilizing SteelSeries' included software.
Corsair K100 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard for $284: In astir ways, nan Corsair K100 RGB is simply a reasonably modular keyboard, pinch RGB backlights, a fewer programmable macro keys, and a measurement roller. What sets it apart, however, is nan power instrumentality successful nan top-left corner. This dial tin scrub done media, power nan lighting connected nan keyboard, and power respective different built-in functions. The dial tin besides beryllium customized. In my testing, this could beryllium a small finicky successful definite applications—I couldn't get it to decently scrub done nan timeline successful Premiere Pro, for example—but it's still a useful instrumentality you seldom get connected different boards.