Mechanical keyboards are no longer a niche proposition, with more people than ever switching back to classic keys for their stellar durability and scope for personalization. The keyboards on this list deliver a near-perfect typing experience right off the bat, with adequate room for experimentation if you feel like fine-tuning things further. Speaking of fine-tuning, most of the keyboards allow you to change the keycaps, and some have hot-swappable PCBs for conveniently using switches of your choice. These keyboards are built to last you several years, with hot-swappable boards potentially lasting longer because you can replace defunct switches.

The selection features keyboards across budgets for everyone, including typists craving comfort and accuracy and frequent travelers looking for portable options. There are also great models for heavy users like typists, programmers, and gamers, whether you're a Windows user, part of the iMac faithful, or looking to upgrade the typing experience on one of the best Chromebooks.

Top mechanical keyboards

Although advertised as a 75% board, The Keychron Q1 is not to be confused with a TKL, which is also an 80% layout. The Q1 includes a few nav cluster keys in the usual spot but vertically stacked, along with a customizable knob. This board also works well with Mac, and Keychron includes Mac keycaps in the box. The default keycaps go well with the board but can be swapped out for virtually any set because the south-facing switches eliminate any chance of switch-keycap interference. However, south-facing LED backlighting is suboptimal for illuminating most shine-through keycaps with north-facing legends.

Keychron makes the Q1 of machined aluminum and a steel plate for switch mounting. It doesn’t include flip-out feet for fear of making an expensive board even costlier. So, you are stuck with the fixed typing angle defined by the case. If you prefer personalizing your keyboard further, Keychron includes all the necessary tools. The keyboard is also sold in a bare-bones configuration, consisting only of the PCB, chassis, and tools. You can provide your own key switches and keycaps if you have identified your preferences.

All the switches are hot-swappable, meaning you can pull them out and replace them, even when the keyboard is operating. Hot-swap support eliminates the hassle of soldering if switches go bad. Because of the unique double gasket design and other premium features, the Keychron Q1 is a versatile choice for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts who seek a no-nonsense solution. It works perfectly with minimal modification or tuning for acoustic goodness, but it may not be the ideal board if you dislike muted keyboards.

The Signature Series' TKL design translates into additional usable desk space for mouse movement. Although this isn't a lightweight keyboard at nearly 4 pounds fully built, if you love it enough, Drop includes a soft carry case to take this board with you.

The Signature Series' CNC-machined aluminum body has sufficient mass to deliver a muted typing experience, especially if you prefer linear or tactile switches. However, you are stuck with a fixed six-degree typing angle because machining flip-out feet would have driven the $350 sticker price even higher. On the bright side, the keyboard has two USB-C ports and a detachable cable for connection, and even when one port is in use, the other will still function like a USB hub, thanks to USB pass-through technology. With firmware-level customization options through QMK, god-tier switch choices, a three-year warranty, and a carry case included, there's little to dislike about the Drop Signature Series.

No-brand mechanical keyboards are a dime a dozen, but they usually struggle to offer reliability and value as the Redragon K552 does. On paper, it has all the features traditionally associated with boards costing multiple times as much, and Redragon doesn't let you down. The body is all plastic, but the steel plate adds rigidity and heft to the board. Since there is very little mass, the board may sound hollow, but you can add dampening material to help. The case also has flip-out feet to change the typing angle conveniently. Redragon doesn't provide a detachable cable, which is a bummer, but it's certainly a compromise we can live with for the $38 price.

The hot-swap sockets made by Outemu are another limitation. These support slightly slimmer switch pins, so although the board is hot-swap ready, your choices are limited to Outemu, Gazzew, and Akko CS switches, to name a few — but Gateron, Kailh, and Cherry switches won't fit. It isn't a major limitation but one you should know about. There are plenty of choices between these compatible brands, and you can always make frankenswitches if you like.

Although the price screams otherwise, this is a sturdy, well-built keyboard for everyday use on a budget. For just a few bucks more than the price of a Logitech membrane keyboard, the Redragon is a nice option to see if you like mechanical keyboards or to identify your switch preference before purchasing a costlier board. Redragon was my first hot-swap keyboard, and a few years later, it's still going strong. You can pick up this keyboard with clicky, tactile, or linear Outemu switches pre-installed, and with a black or white finish.

Mechanical keyboards are undoubtedly pricier than the average computer peripheral, but getting the best features available doesn’t mandate enormous expenditure. Royal Kludge is a hot Redragon rival in the budget mechanical keyboard space, but on paper, the new H81 has all the features you expect from premium boards, such as a gasket mount design, wear-resistant PBT plastic keycaps, tri-mode connectivity, support for Android, and a massive battery.

In our experience, we comfortably eked out a week of usage on a single charge and thoroughly enjoyed typing on the keyboard. There’s adequate dampening silicone added in the case to eliminate the cheap, hollow sound typically associated with plastic shells. Moreover, the gasket mount design and soft plastic plate help switches sound consistent while adding squish to the key travel, which heavy typists should find comfortable. The board also has an easily accessible rotary switch in the upper right corner to change the connection modes — a unique feature compared to other keyboard switches that use knobs for volume control.

For a sub-$100 sticker price, you get to choose from three exciting colorways, each paired with a different switch. Royal Kludge offers a proprietary tactile switch and two linear options, with one aimed specifically at gamers with its shorter actuation distance. As with most other mechanical keyboards, hot-swap sockets on the PCB allow you to change the switches and keycaps in a jiffy if you already have a preferred feel or colorway.

With the switch choices, colorways, and features offered for the price, the Royal Kludge H81 is hard to pass up. It is one of the brand’s costlier keyboards but is priced just right for everything on offer. The value proposition helps it outshine similarly-priced Keychron keyboards.

Based on the Keychron Q1 Pro, which retails for $220, the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro comes in at a slightly higher $250. OnePlus has customized the product significantly, slashing no other quality-of-life features. The space-saving 71% layout features all the essential keys and a knob you can configure to adjust the volume, zoom into a picture, or anything else using the VIA firmware-level customizability. This ensures your settings stay on the keyboard, no matter which device you connect it to.

To set itself apart from other options out there, the Keyboard 81 Pro falls back on OnePlus’ distinctive red branding. Customizations include themed keycap colors with red accent keys, a red braided cable, a red keycap and switch puller, a red USB-A to USB-C adapter, and Never Settle branding on the bottom of the board. The customizations are mostly cosmetic and aesthetic, with most of the internals like the PCB, switches, and other electronics shared with the Keychron Q1 Pro. OnePlus claims to have created a new Marble Mallow

In our review of this unique intersection between a smartphone brand and a keyboard company, we found the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro is a true enthusiast keyboard at its core. The all-aluminum construction and double gasket mount design help its premium looks and typing feel. Gaskets lend adequate squishiness to the typing experience when you push keys down all the way. Professional typists may prefer tactile switches OnePlus developed with Keychron for their tangible bump in the downstroke, just at the point of actuation.

With the basics dialed in, this keyboard also allows you to experiment with different switches and keycaps if you so desire, but a barebones Keychron Q-series keyboard would offer better value for money to experienced builders. However, OnePlus fans cannot go wrong picking up the Keyboard 81 Pro.

If you’ve been researching your keyboard purchase for long enough, chances are you’ve come across a few options with advertised ergonomic benefits, thanks to their unique layout and key placement. While the medical research surrounding the authenticity of these claims is a gray area, keyboards like the Kinesis Advantage2 make it their whole personality. However, you don’t need to stray so far from the convenience of a conventional keyboard just for comfortable typing.

The new VickyBoard is a split ortholinear mechanical keyboard, meaning the keys are split into two clusters down the middle, and the columns are perfectly vertical, eliminating unnatural side-to-side movement of your fingers. Moreover, columns closer to the split curve toward you to reduce the outward ulnar deviation of your wrists.

In our time spent testing this keyboard, we realized the unique layout certainly has a learning curve, but that’s true for nearly every “ergonomic” option out there. However, we found the VickyBoard chock-full of features, such as trouble-free Bluetooth connectivity, per-key RGB backlighting, and a wide variety of well-built Gateron switches to choose from. The appeal of the translucent chassis, available in a variety of colors, is the perfect cherry on top.

If you’re in the market for a new split ergonomic keyboard with a design as unique as its layout, the VickyBoard should feature high up on your list of priorities. X-Plus is accepting orders through Indiegogo, but the VickyBoard certainly has all the attributes of a polished and mature product.

If the VickyBoard is a little too unorthodox, the Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro should appeal to the gamer in you. Coming from a brand with a proven pedigree for gaming peripherals, this keyboard packers several features that make gaming on it a delightful experience. The keyboard also offers n-key rollover (NKRO), so multiple simultaneous key presses register at once — a boon when you’re gaming and performing multiple actions with key combinations. At the firmware level, Razer doesn’t offer any layout customization tools like QMK or VIA, but you can program macro key shortcuts on the fly, with support for up to five layers.

Although the Deathstalker V2 Pro comes with either red (linear) or purple (clicky) mechanical key switches, it is an optical keyboard. Instead of a copper leaf making contact with the switch, the key presses register when the stem cuts off a beam of light between an emitter and receiver on every key socket in the PCB. By design, this registers keystrokes faster and with less chatter than conventional mechanical switches. The benefits are compounded by the shorter actuation distance of the low-profile switches. However, optical switches are prone to issues caused by dust buildup affecting keys. We suggest avoiding this board if you live in a dusty environment or share spaces with pets.

That said, the Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro is an unmistakably purpose-built keyboard with all the bells, whistles, and functionality you could ask for, including wired, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth connectivity, a detachable USB-C cable, and a claimed switch life of 70 million keystrokes per switch. When used in wireless configuration, razer says the board can last up to 200 hours on a Bluetooth connection with the RGB backlighting turned off. In everyday usage, you can expect around 50 hours of use before needing a recharge.

Besides the undisguised gamer appeal, the low-profile design also makes this keyboard a solid contender if the average laptop keyboard just doesn't cut it. The Deathstalker V2 Pro can work wirelessly and give you the advantage of uniform and smooth mechanical switches, while the low-profile design shouldn't feel like a drastic change from the laptop's keyboard. However, the $250 sticker price doesn't put this in everyone's budget if that's the sole use case.

Das keyboard is another established keyboard brand known for robust products built to last. True to this ethos, the 5QS sports tactile switches made to last 100 million clicks each, while the average Cherry MX switch is rated to last just half as many cycles. Tactile switches make for a delightful typing experience where you feel the actuation point of every key press, making them ideal for touch typists. The Das keyboard 5QS also supports applets, small programs that run on a simple keypress.

These applets are greatly personalizable and can launch programs, open webpages, and display information like the current weather, CPU load, RAM utilization, or a simple reminder to take breaks in your productivity sessions. However, it is only possible to configure key bindings for applets through the Das keyboard Q software, which is proprietary. The utility also allows for configuring RGB profiles and recording one-click macros, but we are disappointed the software isn’t completely open-source.

Compared to the other keyboards on this list priced around $200, you may notice the Das keyboard 5QS doesn’t stand out in terms of hardware customization — it lacks a hot-swappable PCB, a detachable cable, and attractive color options. While the long-life switches shouldn’t be a demerit, you cannot switch out the keycaps because Omron’s switch doesn’t use the cross stem design popularized by Cherry MX switches, instead preferring a design resembling Logitech’s Romer G keys.

Shine-resistant PBT plastic keycaps would’ve offset the lack of keycap replacement options on a $200 keyboard, but we have ABS as the only option here. It should last you long, though. Double-shot injection molded legends instead of wear-prone laser-etched or pad-printed ones. The 5QS requires a devout commitment to its black sleeper keyboard aesthetic and may not be up everyone’s alley. If you like the appearance, the aluminum top plate, RGB backlighting, and volume knob in the upper right corner should be the cherry (pun intended) on top of your premium typing experience.

The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is for every passionate gamer from the 80s and old tech aficionados. The brand has a penchant for retro gaming controllers, and its keyboard has a striking vintage appeal with both its colorways. The board also uses nostalgic knobs wherever possible, including in the connection mode toggle. The keyboard supports a wired connection with a detachable USB-C cable, wireless via Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz using a dongle for lower latency. You can even stow the dongle in the board's magnetic receptacle when not in use.

The board also sports Kailh Box White switches, which have a box-shaped design around the typical cherry cross-type stem that helps reduce stem wobble on taller keycaps like MT3 and SA profile. Out of the box, the 6BitDo keyboard comes with an MDA-like keycap profile, which has a gentle sculpt. 8BitDo also uses aluminum for construction, helping the keyboard's heft and construction while lending it a premium feel.

Retro gamers may notice the two large red buttons, which 8BitDo calls Super Buttons, bundled with the keyboard. You can map these to any function or key combination you like, making them suitable replacements for a comically large enter key or a sneaky way to Alt-Tab or close browser tabs in a hurry. No matter the use case, it's cool to see 8BitDo go to these lengths with its time capsule of a mechanical keyboard.

A premium mechanical keyboard with triple-mode connectivity, metallic construction, PBT keycaps, a volume knob, and the Super Buttons is a great deal for $100. You may be tempted to modify this keyboard with Super Mario-themed keycaps or to add case foam to suppress the slightly hollow sound. While the former is a straightforward operation, 8BitDo doesn't make modifications easy — screws holding the board together are concealed underneath the pasted-on rubber feet, with one located under the central sticker on the underside. These are minor inconveniences to hobbyists and passionate gamers, and it doesn't dull the nostalgic value of this keyboard in the slightest.

We usually associate mechanical keyboards with visual bulk and physical heft, but it's amazing what low-profile switches and keycaps can accomplish. The Lofree Flow is a shining example, finished in an aluminum case with white or black color PBT plastic keycaps boasting impressive wear resistance and a chalk-like texture. The keyboard is impressively thin despite retaining a gasket-mount design known for the cushioned typing feel. The keyboard also boasts wired or Bluetooth connectivity, per-key backlighting, and key legends for both Windows and macOS.

Although low-profile cases have little space inside for sounds to resonate, Lofree has gone the extra mile and filled the inside with foam and silicone for better acoustics, and it shows. In our review, we lauded the Flow's ability to retain a deep and thocky sound profile. We attribute the sound largely to the Kailh switches, which use POM plastic in the top housing, stem, and bottom housing. Known for its self-lubricating properties, POM is a popular choice for mechanical key switch stems, but Kailh's choice of POM housing instead of polycarbonate or nylon helps the sound even more.

You can buy the Lofree Flow in white with a silver case and Kailh Ghost linear switches or in black with a gunmetal gray case and Kailh Phantom tactile switches. Lofree’s website lists clicky switches and other keycap colorways for sale separately. The white backlighting, non-adjustable typing angle, and two-day battery life demonstrate scope for improvement, but choices are limited in the low-profile mechanical keyboard space, and the Lofree Flow does everything else right. Once you slip this keyboard into your laptop bag, you won’t even notice it is there.

Mechanical has gone mainstream

Picking out the perfect mechanical keyboard can be quite an arduous task. However, the innate beauty of these products and their scope for additional customization and modification means you can build them to suit your tastes. However, if you’re just dipping your toes in the hobby, we suggest sticking to an affordable hot-swappable keyboard like the Redragon, so you can establish your switch preference before paying top dollar for an aluminum board.

If you've spent years tinkering with mechanical keyboards or have established your preferences, the best way to pick what you need is by purchasing a barebones keyboard like the Keychron Q1. This way, you can choose out your stabilizers, switches, and keycaps from another vendor if you prefer, creating the ideal balance between a ground-up custom build and a pre-built keyboard with parts you won’t be using.

Veteran hobbyists could also try buying mechanical keyboards with solder PCBs because every hotswap socket is essentially a potential point of failure. All things considered, there’s no question mechanical keyboards are in popular demand because more and more people are realizing they deserve a better typing experience.