The best mechanical keyboards will elevate your typing experience. With the right keyboard switches, you can type faster, more accurately and more comfortably than a standard membrane keyboard. Some options can be pricey, but if you do a lot of typing, the investment will pay off every time you sit at your desk. It doesn't matter whether it's your latest email, a new short story, or a congratulatory "GG" after your latest Helldivers 2 session.
Buying a mechanical keyboard can also open the door to a whole community of keyboard enthusiasts. If you care to step through that door, you can easily spend hours researching the best switches, keycaps and layouts for your ideal mechanical keyboard. This is why you want a mechanical keyboard: They're generally more customizable and more durable than your average membrane keyboard.
Whether you need a bright, loud gaming keyboard or a subtle, satisfying mechanical keyboard to type on all day without waking the neighbors, you'll find it in the following list, including some of the best gaming keyboards on the market.
The quick list
Here's a quick overview of the best gaming keyboards you can buy right now based on our testing and reviews.
The Cooler Master MK770 is a fantastic keyboard for both typists and gamers. The responsive Kailh Box V2 switches and sturdy gasket-mounted design create a comfortable typing experience. The Macaron color option is also quite nice, as is the hot-swappable design.
For $36, the Lemokey X1 offers awesome typing and gaming performance. It’s built like a premium keyboard and has customizable backlighting via user-friendly software. However, the premium construction doesn’t extend to the X1’s keycaps, and isn’t hot-swappable.
The Keychron V6 features an attractive design, smooth typing, lovely sound and fantastic build quality. It’s fully hot-swappable and available in a variety of guises to suit your needs. Unless you want wireless connectivity, there’s very little reason not to buy one.
The NuPhy Halo75 V2 is gorgeous to look at, listen to and type on. It polls at 1,000Hz in 2.4G mode, so it'll be fast enough for gaming, too. We have our gripes about it, but all are pretty minor. This is doubtless a worthy successor to the original Halo75.
The Corsair K70 Max bears the familiar Corsair keyboard design but its magnetic switches and high level of customization arguably make this the company’s best board yet. If you can ignore its high price, this is the keyboard to get if you’re looking to elevate your PC gaming experience.
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% isn't cheap but we argue it's worth every dollar thanks to its compact size, responsive tactile keys, hot-swappable design and comfortable typing experience. We like the new OLED display and wireless connectivity option.
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The Keychron Q1 Pro looks gorgeous and feels it too. It sounds decent out of the box but is hot-swappable and runs QMK firmware, opening up lots of customization potential. Like most of Keychron’s metal boards, the Q1 Pro is bulky, so isn’t one to carry around despite its compact 75% layout.
The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini offers a high-quality build and a versatile range of per-key customization options. Though designed for competitive gamers, it's also an excellent 60% keyboard for typists who want a compact board. However, it comes with a comparatively steep price.
The Keychron K11 Max is a wireless ergonomic keyboard that offers a comfortable typing experience thanks to its Alice layout, plus it’s hot-swappable with a premium construction which makes it a winner. That said, its finicky companion software and loose feet might turn you off.
The best mechanical keyboards you can buy right now
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The best mechanical keyboard overall
The Cooler Master MK770 is an all-around excellent keyboard for typists and gamers alike. The gasket-mounted design and KailhKailh Box V2 switches pair wonderfully to create a truly comfortable and pleasant peripheral, especially if you opt for clicky white switches. The Macaron color option also gives this otherwise standard board a stylish flair. And if you want to change the switches or mod the board, the hot-swappable design facilitates that.
Despite issues with the MasterPlus software, the Cooler Master MK770 is a fantastic keyboard, especially at the relatively affordable $119 asking price. That’s more than a typical membrane keyboard, but over $100 less than something like the equally excellent Meletrix Boog75. For what it offers, the Cooler Master MK770 comes with my highest recommendation.
Read our full Cooler Master MK770 review.
The best budget mechanical keyboard
The Lemokey X1 is a no-brainer if you’re on a budget but crave quality. Priced at just $36, it delivers an awesome performance for both typing and gaming, boasting features typically found in more expensive models. Its body feels premium and robust, and the tactile brown switches we tested offer a delightful typing experience. The keyboard's 1,000Hz polling rate ensures excellent gaming responsiveness, outperforming other budget options like the MageGee Sky87.
The X1 also has red-only backlighting which can be customized via Lemokey Launcher, its intuitive companion software, which can also be used to remap keys, program macros, and more. The keyboard isn’t without its flaws though, as the ABS keycaps feel less than premium and may suffer wear and tear over time. Additionally, it lacks hot-swappable switches which could deter modders. Despite these minor drawbacks, the X1 remains an outstanding choice for anyone seeking a budget-friendly mechanical keyboard with premium features.
Read our full Lemokey X1 review.
The best wired mechanical keyboard
If you’re after a wired, full-size mechanical keyboard, the Keychron V6 should be your first port of call. It’s built like a tank, using layers of internal insulation that keep the board rigid, as well as dampening the sound for a deep, linear thump.
As standard, it comes with lovely doubleshot PBT keycaps that feel wonderful to type on and will stand the test of time (especially versus ABS keycaps). It has customizable RGB lighting, can be purchased with either red, blue or brown switches, and is fully hot-swappable and easy to disassemble, making it a great platform for modding. You can also buy the V6 in a “bare bones” format, without keycaps or switches — the ideal base for a custom build.
This is a wired board, so if you want a battery-powered keyboard with wireless connectivity, it won’t be for you. As a full-size, well-insulated keyboard, it’s also quite heavy, but the V6 is designed to sit at a desk instead of being taken to work. If you find the standard keycaps a little mundane, Keychron offers a range of different keycap sets in spicier colors to customize the board as you like — with all the money you save over rivals, buying extras won’t be a problem.
Read our full Keychron V6 wired review.
The best wireless mechanical keyboard
The NuPhy Halo75 V2 is a 75% custom-style keyboard that looks and sounds gorgeous, and types like a dream. It features six layers of internal padding and dampening, giving the keyboard a resonant sound. This is perfectly complemented by heavy doubleshot PBT keycaps and lovely sounding NuPhy x Gateron switches (Lemon tactile, Raspberry linear or Mint linear), which give the board an elegant thocky sound.
Most impressive though are those keycaps, which NuPhy has redesigned from the original Halo75 to create its mSA profile. These are super comfortable to use and sit somewhere between low- and high-profile keycaps. This results in the typing benefits of low-profile caps, with the styling, sound and feel of high-profile ones. This keyboard is an absolute joy to type on.
Its eponymous halo lighting system looks the part too, casting a soft glowing halo on your desk, and battery life is pretty good given the amount of lighting on the board. It should last you two to three weeks on a single charge.
Read our full NuPhy Halo75 V2 review.
The best gaming mechanical keyboard
The Corsair K70 Max is one of the most impressive gaming keyboards out there. The big selling point is its linear magnetic switches, which let you adjust the key's actuation point. Since the keys are magnetic, you're also able to program two functions on the same key. On top of that, it also has sound-dampening technology for quieter keystrokes, a tough aluminum frame and even a comfortable memory foam wrist rest. Overall, it's one of the best mechanical keyboards out there.
The comfortable wrist rest and insane level of customization are also strong bonuses. $230 isn't cheap, but if you're in the market for a gaming keyboard with more features than you might need, the Corsair K70 Max is worth checking out.
Read our full Corsair K70 Max review.
The best hot swappable keyboard
If you’re after a highly customizable keyboard that sticks to a classic tactile style, aren’t interested in the magnetic switches offered by our favorite Hall Effect gaming keyboards, or want a well-built gaming keyboard that supports switch hot-swapping, look no further than the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%.
With a hybrid metal and plastic case, including a fancy little OLED screen, the BlackWidow looks very sleek, but with enough personalization so that you can make it your own. I loved customizing the color scheme of the pretty RGB lighting, including a strip on the side of the case, as well as uploading my own custom GIFs to the display using the Synapse companion app.
The customization doesn’t stop with the visuals, though. The BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is fully hot-swappable, so you can customize the switches to your liking. This is a great keyboard for those who want the advantages of a custom keyboard, without all the fuss.
The standout aspect of the keyboard is its in-game performance, which is great. The keyboard comes with tactile switches, which feel responsive enough to make the most of Razer’s ‘Snap Tap’ feature. Thanks to the keyboard prioritizing the last key held, it’s easier to strafe and movement feels more reactive overall. The tactile switches are fantastic and are a must for those who prefer them over linear switches.
If this all sounds too good to be true, there is just one problem. At $299, this is one of the most expensive keyboards on the market, and there are cheaper keyboards that have slightly more to offer. With all that said, if this keyboard is within your budget, you will certainly not be disappointed by the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%.
Read our full Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review.
The best TKL mechanical keyboard
Proving that you don’t have to compromise when it comes to your keyboard, the Keychron Q1 HE is a full metal, Hall Effect-switch-equipped beast. An upgraded version of the Keychron Q1 Pro and Keychron V1, two of our favorite keyboards, it has all of the features you could ever ask for on a custom deck, and is fully customizable thanks to QMK firmware.
The more you use the Q1 HE, the more you’ll realize how powerful it is. The Hall Effect switches are individually configurable, and you can set the point at which a keypress is registered to be as low as 0.2mm — if this sounds like a big deal for gaming, it is. You will notice a massive improvement across games that require quick response times. If that's not enough, the keyboard offers quad actuation points (as opposed to only dual points on gaming boards like the Corsair K70 Max and SteelSeries Apex Pro), and also supports Rapid Trigger, allowing for multiple keypresses to be registered without fully releasing the key — the latter is game-changing for games that require quick keystrokes in succession.
The only drawback is the price — for $80 cheaper, you can get your hands on our favorite gaming keyboard, the Keychron K2 HE. These are very similar boards, both equipped with the same features but in slightly different layouts and with different case materials. If the metal case of the Q1 HE isn’t a big draw for you then it's hard not to recommend the K2 HE instead. With that being said, fans of the full metal design can grab the Q1 HE for not much more than your average metal Keychron keyboard, at just over $200.
Read our full Keychron Q1 Pro review.
The best mini mechanical keyboard
What the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini lacks in number of keys, it makes up for with its brilliantly responsive Hall Effect switches. This 60% gaming keyboard offers a plethora of great features thanks to its OmniPoint switches, such as useful dual actuation points and adjustable distance, on top of a fantastic build quality and sleek appearance. The Apex Pro Mini offers a more affordable pathway into Hall Effect switches, while saving on desk space compared to the full-sized Apex Pro.
You will need to look past some issues— there are minor brightness issues with the RGB lighting and the Hall Effect switches are not ideal for long-form typing. The Apex Pro Mini does not offer the smoothest experience for productivity, but makes an effort to account for this with handy shortcuts to the most used keys. Offering powerful per-key customisation in a small package, the Apex Pro Mini is an excellent mini keyboard for gaming.
Read our full SteelSeries Apex Pro review.
The best ergonomic mechanical keyboard
The Keychron K11 Max is an excellent wireless keyboard for all your ergonomic needs. It’s got a 65% Alice layout which means it’s split and slightly tilted to relieve strain on your wrists. If you aren’t used to a keyboard like this, getting to grips with it might feel like an uphill walk, but it’s worth it. The K11 Max offers a great typing experience and its low profile keycaps and switches are very comfortable to type on. It’s built really well too, with an aluminum frame plus double-shot oil-resistant PBT keycaps which won’t fade over time.
But the K11 Max’s companion software feels finicky as you can’t use it to change the hue and brightness of the RGB lighting, nor can you remap the metallic knob. Furthermore, while its body is built well, the feet are slightly loose making the board easy to knock and move. There’s also no onboard dongle storage, so keep a close eye on that small 2.4GHz adapter.
If you’re willing to overlook these flaws, the K11 Max is a great keyboard that excels at providing its users with a comfortable typing experience.
Read our full Keychron K11 Max review.
How to choose the best mechanical keyboard
Design: What size keyboard do you want? Most of us are used to a full-sized keyboard, which has the separate number pad on the right-hand side. But if you don't care about that number pad and/or want something a bit smaller, consider getting a tenkeyless keyboard, which doesn't have the separate number pad. There are a variety of sizes to choose from based on your needs, usually denoted as percentages of a full keyboard (so a 60% mini keyboard is 60% the size of a full keyboard and typically only includes the main typing keys and the number row, for example).
Switches: What kind of switches do you want on your keyboard? There are lots of options to choose from, but they generally vary in two big ways: how noisy they are, and when they register a keypress. Switches that register a keypress (or actuate) when you press them all the way in are called linear switches, whereas those that actuate when you press them roughly halfway down are called tactile switches. Once you know whether you want quiet vs noisy and linear vs tactile, you'll have narrowed your options down from dozens to a handful.
Our guide to mechanical switches will give you more details on some of the top switches on the market, but if you're not sure, it's a safe bet to get Cherry MX switches on your keyboard as they're some of the best in the business.
Price: A good mechanical keyboard will likely cost you between $100 to $200, depending on which one you want and when you buy it. (Hint: Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great days to find good deals on keyboards.) While that might seem high for a keyboard, remember that you're paying for quality: A $20 to $30 membrane keyboard from Microsoft or Dell will work well enough, but it won't be nearly as comfortable (or last as long) as a high-quality mechanical keyboard. Still, if you're looking for something a little cheaper, you can get a quality mechanical keyboard like the Razer BlackWidow Lite for roughly $70.
How we test mechanical keyboards
To determine the best mechanical keyboard, we run each keyboard we review through a variety of tests. The first, and most important, test is to play through a number of different games, and see how the keyboard holds up. I usually like to try at least one FPS, RTS, RPG and MMO apiece, since these are the genres that benefit most from a good keyboard. (You can generally get away with a controller for most action/adventure titles.)
After that, we take a deep dive into a keyboard's software suite, evaluating how easy (or difficult) it is to reprogram keys, set up macros, adjust lighting and create profiles for games. Particularly intuitive software gets high marks; convoluted software can lose some points, even if it's very robust otherwise.
Finally, we make sure to use a keyboard for productivity and personal gaming for at least two or three days. Most of us don't swap keyboards in and out; what you use for gaming, you'll need to use for work and general computing as well. The better a keyboard is at everyday tasks, the better its recommendation.
For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom's Guide.
Next: How to clean a mechanical keyboard.
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