Hi keyboard enthusiasts
Keen to see what type of mechanical keyboard are ppl using at home, wired or wireless and recommendation. Looking at 70% to 100% size keyboard, RBG, quiet switches (can't stand the loud clicking noises). There are so many brands, different features and prices, having trouble to decide as it's an expensive investment.
Thanks all
The term "mechanical" in keyboards is really poorly defined (people imagine cherry mx style switches, but there isn't any "catch all" definition so to speak especially now that we have more interesting switches like Hall Effect switches in keyboard). I kinda think it's used to describe fancy keyboards that feels nice to type (then there are keyboards like MX Keys that screws that definition up).
I do wonder why we started to call mechanical keyboards mechanical keyboards.
Hall Effect 'switches' aren't new, and they are certainly interesting in that its a very weird technology that people have for some reason gone back to.
A very good rule of thumb for technology is that if it saw wide-spread usage in the USSR and didn't get adopted in the West, its usually for a good reason.
Hall effects were used in the olden days in the West as well (Space Cadet colour scheme comes from that). I have a strong feeling that it would have been because of the cost associated with hall effect sensors that it didn't catch on (Even moden adaptations sometimes skimp out by only having certain keys, i.e. Steelseries Apex Pro).
I frankly wouldn't know when the terminology of "mechanical keyboard" came to be. I would not be surprised if this came to be after membrane keyboards took over as the dominant keyboards. The terminology makes absolutely no sense if you look at keyboards from before 1990s.
Probably should have used Topre and Model M, since that one definitely throws a wrench in a lot of people's definition of a mechanical keyboard.
I bought a Darkflash/Aigo GD101 with red switches from Aliexpress and the build quality is top notch. It does not have a backlight but I do touch typing so it does not matter. I also bought a Keychron K4 with brown switches; honestly, that felt flimsy compared to this, so I returned it.
I have changed the red switches with Keychron Pro banana switches ($23 from bpctech) which are far more tactile and the keyboard just feels perfect now. The red ones were a bit mushy. I charged it over a month ago and the low battery sign has not kicked in yet. My suggestion would be to also buy a wristrest to make your experience great. I got the 'HyperX Wrist Rest Tenkeyless' and it is great.
I started with keychron - they’re generally good quality. If you just want something that feels nice and is pretty quiet, I’d recommend their low profile red switches.
I ended up wanting to try different switches (like ‘silent’ ones), different keycaps, and a more ergonomic layout - so have gone to aliexpress for cheap experiments/combos until I find a setup worth investing in
I use RK ROYAL KLUDGE RK96 RGB Limited Ed. Nice keyboard. A significant upgrade from Logitech G613. Feels more clickty but not that noisy at all. Magnetic wrist rest. Wish the on and off button on the side not the bottom.
I can tell you what I would NOT recommend.. And that's the Logitech G613. I bought 2 of them. Both of them have had to be replaced because of phantom key presses. The new ones did exactly the same thing.
I had to disassemble the units and go through and reflow every single diode, resistor and capacitor on the board that I could find and reassemble. This has only made a slight improvement. It also doesnt like voltage sag. Anything less than full batteries and it starts to wig around again.
Last time I had to replace the batteries because it was playing up was at a voltage of 1.38v. New batteries I put in were 1.52v. You cant use rechargables in it, because they are typically 1.2~ volts and the keyboard just errors constantly. And this is the same across all 4 of these keyboards I have used.
Same here. I have to change from G613 twice due to duplicate keys issues
Logitech is headquartered In Lausanne's tech park not far from the Olympic Museum. Whilst there for a few weeks I had to provide a keyboard for a Taiwanese visitor to type in French.
I asked them students there and they recommended a Microsoft one to top their "best".
Talking about phantom letters appearing, even 3 swaps could not help on that operating system brand. So there is definitely worse stuff out there.
I bought a Keychron Q6 Max (100% size) and it's been so nice to type on. I was a little worried that the height profile would bother me coming from a DAS Keyboard 4 Professional sitting flat but with the Keychron silicon wrist pad it completed it for me.
Really solid keyboard, it weighs 2.2kg, literally could use it for self defence if you were getting house invaded.
I added the aviator keyboard cable for some sweet desk bling - looks amazing.
But yeah keys feel so much better to type on that my DAS which I had been using for four years or more.
Keychron bit more expensive but the build quality and overall use for the last couple of weeks has been noticeably enjoyable.
My keyboard refuses to die or I would try a Logitech MX
Cheap basic keyboards lasts forever as they're so basic, there's little room to F up.
We have a basic Microsoft keyboard that is probably at least 20 years old.
Kinesis Gaming RBG!
I'm not even a gamer, but got this because it's
mecahnical (dark brown keys)
RGB, and customisable
Split keyboard.
It was like $400 or something, worth more than my phone or laptop, but i imagine that it will last over 10 years.
There are so many good Chinese keyboards that popped up in market over the years, that I think it's dificult to give a "bang for the buck" recommendation without it getting outdated in less than a year.
If you are looking for a new keyboard and is looking at mechnical keyboards few things I will flag are:
I personally liked and bought a few AKKO keyboards from PC Case Gear, Monsgeek (which from my understanding is from same company as AKKO) was getting touted as bang for the buck for the aluminum body keyboards until wireless keyboard trend caught on.
If I were getting a new keyboard right now I would probably have my eyes on Bridge75 which is on pre-order right now (just because of the price and the features it ticks off). Though I would not be surprised if there are better value for the money options out there.
If you are after low profile switches that are quiet, Razer Deathstalker V2 is a good option. They use low profile switches with silicone dampeners inside.
Excluding the ones I've built with barebone kits my current daily driver is the Lofree Block retro keyboard and Langtu LT104 wireless with different switches. The Langtu's display for settings is pretty much the same as a lot of other Chinese brands and you can set it to play a GIF all the time. Good if you're wanting a "themed" keyboard with custom keycaps.
Soon I'll be getting the AJAZZ AKP846 with the cool 10.1" display.
Have multiple G915s with no issue.
Wooting 60HE
Nothing else comes close in features or performance.
I feel like that's… probably not true?
Don't get me wrong, Wooting has been amazing with my Wooting 2 HE and the supports that they provided when I reached out for spare parts have been beyond what I would expect (I bought mine from 2021). That said, new switches came out and newer generation hall effect switches are a thing now.
Wooting is not the only company that's making hall effect keyboard nowadays and I think that basically stops blanket statement on features or performance (since many of the advantages came from the fact that they've been one of the first companies to utilise hall effect switch's analogue capacity. I think Wooting is trying new things, like 8K polling rate with 80HE, but I feel like their target demographic is more towards competitive gamers rather than for someone who want a nice keyboard for different reasons.
Analog Input (without the need for software)
Web Based software
Neither Steelseries or Razer's offering has these things, sure they use switches capable of this and could offer these things but they dont.
Analog input has been there with Steelseries for a while now I believe. Razer had analog input features, but it's bit limited (due to how optical switches work from my understanding). While I agree that Wooting has been one of the first companies to really utilise analog input, it kinda became the "new mechanical keyboard" of gaming keyboard. Even Corsair has introduced a hall effect keyboard, which I personally think is saying a lot.
Anyways, Chinese companies are trying to get into that market, AKKO, Keychron, and more, so I don't think you can really say those features are something that you can only get from Wooting. I frankly love the fact that this is happening, since more and more hall effect switches from Gateron are actually popping up.
In terms of software, I wasn't even aware that Wootility also was available on the web like VIA is. That actually is amazing, given how VIA and QMK tend to be what people look for because of how terrible keyboard softwares can be.
If analog input and typing experience is something I really was looking for, I would probably go for something like Q1 HE or Zoom75 HE since they use the same technology. Wooting's offering really feels like a gaming keyboard company's offering, with similar oversights you would see from gaming companies (not saying one is better than the other, but rather different priorities from different companies).
When I was getting mine, Wooting was the only company that I can think of that had features like rapid trigger, but now, there are more options out there. So I don't think I can say, get wooting keyboard, look into other options if you are interested in hall effect switches and keyboards.
@iridiumstem: Razer is limited to only working with software
Steelseries doesnt support full 0% to 100% analog movement, it only has 2-in-1 Action Keys as advertised. (feel free to corect me with proof, Ive tried to find it somewhere but cannot.)
Having Analog switches is one thing but no one but Wooting actually has the software for it to be utilised.
I remember this from the fact that Steelseries introduced feature after the feature became big with Wooting and competitive game players (and laughed at how they pretended that this is something revolutionary that has never happened before).
My understanding is that the smaller window of adjustment is due to how they use optical sensors instead of hall effect sensors.
I basically copied and pasted the exact sentences so that you can find it easily on the respective websites. Since there has been surge of keyboards, there have been new cool toys that piqued my interest.
I feel like the next feature sets that would slowly become the "norm" would be:
8Khz polling rate given how talks have been on 8khz polling rates on mouse (and how smaller companies started to look into that as a feature):
Different switches like:
This supposedly has better stability (which I am guessing is talking about off-center presses and how that can be an issue on keys like capslock).
This apparently sound better as it has closed bottom housing (instead of open one like Lekker switches).
I am kinda hoping things from Cherry MX style switches flow through (things like longer spring or 2 stage springs on linear, different housing material etc) onto hall effect switches. I bet it's going to happen soon enough given how Gateron produces a lot of those switches and newer companies are joining the party.
@iridiumstem: Im not talking about rapid trigger or the adjustable actuation point.
Analog input unleashed
The Wooting 60HE+ detects full switch motion with 0.1mm accuracy from start to end. Every single key outputs an analog signal that can be used for numerous features that enhances your typing and gaming experience. There is no compromise to be made in what a regular ol’ keyboard might have to offer. Welcome to the future.
https://wooting.io/wooting-60he
Have a look at trackmania and Fortnite for examples.
@Axelstrife: Now I get you, you mean the feature where you can use the switches similar to how an analog stick would work (where it registers how far the switches have gone in). I completely forgot about that feature.
I guess that is a feature that I haven't seen advertised elsewhere, though I feel like it's such a niche feature. I personally couldn't get the feature to work reliably enough for me. 4mm travel distance for me was too short a distance, especially for 60g springs. I frankly haven't heard that feature being touted as a killer feature from streamers (the killer feature I have been hearing have been rapid trigger, for games like Apex Legends or Osu!)
Ducky One 2 SF. Have 2 of them. Ducky is GOAT.
Kailh BOX Silent Pink is what you want. Silent, non-tactile, but a semi-firm feel for typing and gaming.
Love my Ducky (I think its a DK9008 S2?), don't use it as my daily keyboard anymore (I have a Corsair that has USB passthrough), but it still works after God knows how long.
Love my Ducky One 2! I have cherry brown switches but I'm sure they could be switched out for a quieter set. I'm a transcriber, so having a great keyboard makes my work a lot easier, and I can't fault the Ducky at all so far.
ETA: I bought mine for $229 from PC Case Gear in 2021.
Keychron is my recommendation for people who want a trouble free experience and don't want to read through pages of reviews.
VIA firmware is decent if you need to customise keys.
I'm currently using a Q2 with browns. I planned on buying barebone but there was no stock at the time. I swapped keycaps but the stock switches faces been fine.
i have bought 3 - i will never get another one. they're all awful in different ways.
Stock keycaps?
Yes and I need a replacement cap which is broken 😫
@magnitude: Stock keycaps are a weakness in my opinion. I've heard of broken keycaps a few times.
I have a Drop WOB set on mine which I really like - an AliExpress set would likely be a decent upgrade.
@ihfree: i'm interested :) can you link one please? my current one is the k8pro which is prob the best keychron ive used but it's frustrating all the same
@magnitude: This is the set I use on my Q2 - https://drop.com/buy/gmk-white-on-black-custom-keycap-set
This is another set I purchased, but haven't got around to using though, they seem fine - https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005001555824196.html
I also used HyperX pudding on an Anne Pro for a while, though I'm not really into RGB.
There's deal on keycaps as well - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/880156
Any issues beyond the Keycaps?
I've got a couple of full sized Tecware Phantoms from a while back that are still kicking along, plus one TKL, all with outemu brown switches. They're still going alright, just bought a box of spare switches because they do tend to fail after a few years.
Also have a Ducky Shine II which is older than all the Phantoms with zero failed switches but one dead LED. It's also brown switches I think. And nicer than the Tecware ones. You definitely get what you pay for.
Brown switches are still marketed as a bit clicky, but not as sharp a sound as the blues.
I have a 5 year old Tecware TKL with outemu brown switches, cost me $60 from mwave. I have had no issues. Very good value.
Excellent, yeah I think my TKL from memory has had no issues also, just the full sized ones, strangely. The TKL lives in the server room at work now, it's the perfect size for the little foldaway keyboard track in the server rack.
I bought a Logitech linear mech keyboard and put o rings on it to quieten the noise somewhat. I sold it after a month. I honestly couldn’t deal with the noise they make even with a linear one.
Linear switches are not necessarily quieter, as you still make noise from bottoming out and switch coming back up. There are "silent switches" that have things inside the switch that reduce the overall noise that the switches make.
There are bunch of newer generation silent switches that are really quiet (to the point where I think you can actually make a mechanical keyboard that are quieter than membrane keyboards). Switches aren't the only things that contribute to the noise level (stabiliser noises, housing amplifying the sound from the keyboard etc etc), but changing the switches do have dramatic impact on the noise level.
Ones with silicone dampener inside do sound lot quieter, but it has huge impact on the typing feel unfortunately (newer silent switches are doing funky things like installing the dampeners on the housing instead of the stem, and more to reduce the impact of silencing mechanisms on typing feels).
Im sure there are other varieties. I gave up the quest and got a silent membrane keyboard. So quiet and I enjoy the typing more.
I just didn’t want to go any further down the rabbit hole and discover a $500 keyboard.
Find a keyboard you like with hot swappable switches and put in silent switches. I ordered 100 Outemu Silent Cream Yellow tactile switches for about $20 and they're great.
Fair, picking up a hobby is costly unfortunately :'(
I use a Razor Huntsman V2 linear but I bought my daughter a ducky one 2 & every time I use it I'm jealous af. Amazing feel & sound.
Depends on your budget, Akko or Keychron are good for the price but if you had a $300 budget you could make something awesome and custom for the price.
Purchased a Mionix Zibal wired keyb like 15 years ago. Still using it to this day.
Over that time I have split water, coke and pretty much bathed it in apple cider one time. Still going strong with everything working fine (backlights, USB ports etc).
I did manage to break an arrow keycap after washing them and trying to put it back on wrong a couple years ago, Mionix were out of stock for keycaps ($60) on website at the time so I emailed them, received a quick response where they then sent a full set of keycaps free of charge.
So I recommend Mionix, I don't think these other companies products mentioned would provide such support 10+ years after purchase.
I have Keychron and love it. It doesn't mean others are not better.
Corsair not an option?
Love mine. K70 RGB Pro.
Check Mchose GX87
How do you define the word mechanical?
My Commodore had a crappy keyboard.
100 keyboards later I use the loudest $25 wired Kmart mini for $25.
At least I know when the button registeres.