We’re living in a golden age of affordable mechanical keyboards

The mechanical keyboard satellite has undergone a renaissance. Thanks to accrued contention and commoditized tech, features that utilized to beryllium exclusive to limited-run DIY boards successful the $300-plus scope conscionable a fewer years agone are present disposable successful prebuilt boards successful the $100 to $200 scope — sometimes less. The DIY kit builds, limited-run radical buys, and boutique boards made by artisans are inactive innovating and pushing boundaries, and they’re large if you’re looking for thing other adventurous oregon very specific. But if you conscionable privation a large keyboard for not overmuch money, nary assembly required, your options are amended than ever.

Here are a clump of keyboards nether $200(ish) we like, including boards we’ve been sent for reappraisal and immoderate we’ve bought ourselves.

We’re not picking a “best,” due to the fact that these are each bangers. Nor is this a broad list: determination are so galore large keyboards successful this terms scope it’d beryllium intolerable to trial them all. These are conscionable ones we like. They’re each affordable, feature-rich keyboards that are a large upgrade for astir radical — fantabulous for simply typing distant and much than susceptible for gaming.

The Toyota Corolla of keyboards

_{Connectivity: USB, BT 5.1, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: 60 percent, 65 percent, 75 percent, TKL, 1800, full size, 65 percent Alice, 75 percent Alice / Available layouts: ANSI, ISO / Switch options: Gateron Jupiter Red, Blue, Banana / Case colors: Black / Remapping software: VIA / Extras: Volume knob / Battery size: 4,000mAh}

Keychrons are the Toyotas of the mechanical keyboard world: reliable and fantabulous for the money. And they travel successful conscionable astir every layout you tin imagine. Southpaw Alice, anyone? The Q-series metallic keyboards are among our idiosyncratic favorites, but the cheaper, plastic-clad V bid remains our go-to fund pick, and the V Max line adds 1,000Hz wireless connectivity. 

The V1 Max is the 75-percent committee successful this lineup, and it’s a large value. I’d opt for the Gateron Jupiter Banana switches for a stronger tactile consciousness than the Browns. (You tin get a bare-bones kit, but Keychron charges truthful small for caps and switches, you mightiness arsenic good get them.)

The Keychron is the astir humdrum among our enactment present — it’s disposable successful immoderate colour you want, arsenic agelong arsenic it’s achromatic — but you can’t spell incorrect with one. The V1 Max comes with modifier keycaps for some Windows and Mac, its artillery lasts for days adjacent portion utilizing its RGB backlighting, and it includes both USB-A and USB-C 2.4GHz dongles — with magnetic garages built into the chassis, ensuring you don’t misplace either.

The hot-on-TikTok keyboard

_{Connectivity: USB, BT 5.0, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI (ISO requires alternate plate) / Switch options: HMX Violet (linear), Kailh Cocoa (linear) / Case colors: Black, silver, white, blue, pink, yellow, red, and limited-run variants / Remapping software: VIA /  Battery size: 3,500mAh (Lite), 7,000mAh (Pro)}

Wobkey’s Rainy 75 is 1 of a fewer keyboards that broke containment from the mech scene. It got large connected TikTok acknowledgment to videos highlighting its raindrops-on-a-window typing sound and vibey colour options. If I adjacent my eyes, I besides ideate the sounds of marbles mildly jostling successful a tiny bag. It’s precise satisfying to perceive erstwhile rapidly typing, and its soft-but-not-too-light Kailh Cocoa linear switches consciousness pleasant arsenic well.

It comes successful 3 antithetic versions: a $129 Lite model, a $139 Standard model, and a $159 Pro with treble the artillery capableness and Kailh Cocoa switches (the ones astir associated with the Rainy’s distinctive sound). Each Rainy exemplary supports Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections and comes successful a wide enactment of charming colors, paired with clean-looking keycap sets.

You utilized to person to spell to large lengths to get the benignant of dependable that the Rainy 75 delivers: trying tons of mods and seeking retired conscionable the close operation of switches, power plate, and interior foam setup. Now, you tin bargain this committee arsenic is, plop it connected your desk, and get a fantastic typing and auditory experience. It’s truly impressive.

A beast of a fund aluminum board

_{Connectivity: USB, BT 5.0, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Epomaker Wisteria Linear, Wisteria Tactile, Zebra (linear) / Case colors: Silver / Remapping software: Proprietary / Extras: Volume knob / Battery size: 4,000mAh}

The Epomaker P75 caused a disturbance among keyboard enthusiasts erstwhile it launched past year, offering tri-mode connectivity, a measurement knob, 3 power options, and a well-built aluminium chassis for conscionable $100. It was an aboriginal motion we were hitting highest out-of-the-box keyboard. I picked 1 up myself for $80 during a Prime Day sale, and for that price, it blew maine away.

I took a accidental connected the Wisteria tactile switches, which person a bright, poppy dependable with beardown tactile typing feedback. They’re not clicky switches, but they’re large and proud. The P75 is 1 of the lone keyboards I ain that got connected my wife’s nerves arsenic she worked beside maine during a hectic and agelong day, but it’s oh-so satisfying successful abbreviated stints. The metallic lawsuit is shinier than astir matte-finish boards you usually find, but it could look close astatine location successful beforehand of a Mac Mini oregon different Apple-style metallic peripherals (especially with the close keycaps). And the casing has a useful magnetic store for casual retention of the 2.4GHz USB dongle — which I privation each keyboard had.

Considering however aggressively priced the P75 is, it’d beryllium casual to urge it implicit adjacent a people-pleaser similar the Keychron. It comes with nicer keycaps and a overmuch amended metallic chassis, aft all. But its loudness and somewhat janky (though workable) remapping bundle holds it backmost slightly.

Note: Epomaker has informed america the P75 is nary longer being manufactured, truthful immoderate inventory retailers similar Amazon inactive person is apt to beryllium each that’s left. Though it does person an adjacent cheaper cousin, the Epomaker x Aula F75, which is plastic-clad and seemingly the king of KeyboardTok. We haven’t tried 1 yet, but it’s often raved astir by YouTubers for what it offers astatine nether $60.

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Low-profile keyboards

If you consciousness that you really benignant faster connected a laptop keyboard oregon you privation a keyboard that travels easier, a low-profile mechanical keyboard could beryllium close for you. They usage shorter switches and overmuch lower-height keycaps but with lone slightly little cardinal question than regular mechanical switches. This yields a overmuch much compact committee portion inactive offering astir of the aforesaid benefits. While determination are present galore low-profile power options, they inactive airy successful examination to the prime you person with modular switches and keycaps, and low-profile switches from antithetic vendors usually aren’t cross-compatible.

The Lofree Flows and NuPhy Airs of the satellite person been mainstays of our mechanical keyboard buying guide, but we’ve got a mates of newer alternatives present worthy checking out.

Flexible, with large looks and sound

_{Connectivity: USB, BT 5.0, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Aster debased illustration (linear) / Case colors: Beige, silver, white, black, blue, lavender / Remapping software: Proprietary /  Extras: LCD surface / Battery size: 3,600mAh}

The modular Chilkey ND75 is simply a large fund committee successful its ain right, and the ND75 LP is simply a low-profile version. It’s a handsome small committee that comes successful a fewer amusive colors, and it’s overmuch easier to propulsion successful your bag. That said, the low-profile switches that travel with this committee dependable wonderfully clacky, though they’re not quiet, truthful the ND75 LP whitethorn not beryllium the champion prime for immoderate offices. The included keycaps look crisp successful their two-tone colour schemes and are of bully quality, though dissimilar low-profile boards from NuPhy, Iqunix, and Lofree they deficiency sub-legends showing shortcut controls — similar surface brightness, volume, and media playback. the ND75 LP has that functionality, but you’ll request to look up and memorize the shortcuts.

The ND75 LP has a tiny surface you tin usage to toggle settings, oregon conscionable show a looping GIF for funsies. And if you ever get bushed of the low-profile feel, you tin conscionable swap successful regular switches and keycaps — the ND75 LP is 1 of the fewer boards compatible with some low-profile and modular MX-compatible switches. Because wherefore not?

A amusive low-profile committee I tin rotation with

_{Connectivity: USB, BT 5.1, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (Kailh Choc V2 only) / Available sizes: 65 percent, 75 percent, 96 percent / Available layouts: ANSI, ISO / Switch options: Gold Red power / Case colors: Black, “ochre white” / Remapping software: VIA /  Extras: Volume knob and media keys (Pro exemplary only) / Battery size: 3,000mAh}

I’ve tested a half-dozen keyboards with low-profile mechanical switches — including the ND75 LP and assorted Lofree Flow models — but the Iqunix Magi65 Pro is my favorite. Like the ND75 LP, it uses flat, uniform-profile keycaps, but due to the fact that the MG65 Pro has a flatter typing space and nary relation row, utilizing it feels little similar reaching uphill. 

The Magi65 comes successful 2 variants. There’s the regular Magi65 with a modular 65 percent layout, and the Pro. The Pro (which I prefer) adds a rolling measurement encoder, X-shaped media keys, and a store for its 2.4GHz dongle hidden beneath a magnetic screen plate, and it has an RGB airy barroom betwixt the measurement roller and media keys. I conscionable deliberation it’s neat. 

The dependable from its Gold Red linear switches springiness it a quieter, little poppy dependable than the ND75 LP, and its number-row keycaps person Mac function-row sub-legends, which is handy. The Magi65 Pro besides comes with a fewer bonus keycaps — some Mac and Windows modifier keys, and a fewer purely decorative keys, including 2 metallic ones — and a coiled USB-C cablegram with faux-Lemo disconnect successful it.

Add the facts that the Magi65 Pro is remappable utilizing VIA, has hot-swap sockets that are compatible with immoderate Kailh Choc V2 switches, and has artillery beingness successful the weeks and months with the backlight turned off, and you tin possibly spot wherefore it’s my favourite low-profile board. Iqunix has since released some 75 percent and 96 percent layout versions successful some Pro and regular iterations, which I haven’t tested. — Nathan Edwards, elder reviews editor

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Gaming / Hall effect keyboards

Nearly immoderate keyboard is good for casual oregon enthusiast-level gaming. But if you’re superior astir playing games competitively and seeking immoderate borderline you tin get, past you privation the fastest keyboard available. Even if, let’s beryllium honest, it’s a spot of a placebo effect for galore of us. 

Generally, that means a keyboard that’s wired (for the fastest polling rate) with magnetic Hall effect switches (for a lightning-fast, user-programmable effect time). The casual reply is to conscionable get a Wooting keyboard, but determination are immoderate noteworthy alternatives for little prices with immoderate unsocial designs and builds.

A blistery rod for esports-level gaming

_{Connectivity: Wired USB / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes, Hall effect (PCB compatibility unknown) / Available sizes: 63 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: TTC King of Magnetic RGB / Case colors: Orange, silver, white, grey / Remapping software: Proprietary /  Extras: Rotating sensitivity mode selector}

One look astatine the Dry Studio Ice Ring 63 RT leaves astir anyone wholly baffled. The full chassis is open-air similar a stripped-out contention car, the bottommost sheet is simply a slab of aluminum for dissipating heat, and there’s a rotating cogwheel jutting retired its near broadside for tuning the responsiveness of the keys. It’s each benignant of bizarre, but close connected constituent for Angry Miao designs (Dry Studio’s genitor brand).

This precise compact, lightweight committee goes hard for gaming — it adjacent includes a padded question lawsuit for competitions / LAN parties. The rotating gear’s sole intent is to alteration the actuation constituent for the Ice Ring’s magnetic Hall effect switches. Turn the dial and the RGB airy emanating underneath changes colour to signify its preset mode: from a modular 2mm actuation constituent to an ultra-fast 0.1mm. The gaming modes besides alteration accelerated trigger, allowing faster resetting of the cardinal input arsenic soon arsenic your digit begins to lift.

The Ice Ring is simply a legit and unsocial rival to the Wooting 60HE. Scott Kim of YouTube transmission Keybored did a large deep-dive video showing however the Ice Ring’s plan and engineering truly does output absurdly accelerated effect times (even faster than Wooting’s) — successful portion acknowledgment to the cooling of its heatsink-like bottommost plate that helps forestall potential accuracy dropoff successful Hall effect switches. Even if you’re not the astir hardcore FPS gamer, this committee is good, quirky fun. It doesn’t person a satisfying buttery dependable similar different keyboards we’ve outlined here, but it’s pleasant successful its ain way. And adjacent with its hardcore plan and rock-solid build, devoid of immoderate flex oregon softness, it’s inactive bully to benignant on.

Gaming chops and large dependable and feel

_{Connectivity: Wired USB / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (Hall effect switches only) / Available sizes: 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro / Case colors: Black, gray, white, pinkish / Remapping software: Proprietary}

Now, if you privation a great, affordable-ish Hall effect keyboard that does dependable great, cheque retired the Chilkey Slice75 HE. This wired-only HE committee has overmuch much accepted looks than the Dry Studio and a straightforward 75 percent layout. But what’s astir unsocial astir it is inside: a dampening furniture made of cork alternatively of the emblematic foam. It helps output a marbley sound, astir similar the Rainy 75, but with the speedy and adjustable effect of magnetic Hall effect switches. It’s got each the accustomed features of HE boards similar the Ice Ring, including accelerated trigger, adjustable actuation points, and adjacent the quality to representation aggregate functions to 1 cardinal depending connected however acold you property it.

Even mounting speech each the hardcore gaming-focused features, I privation to stress that the Slice 75 looks, sounds, and feels great. At $199, it’s pricier than each the different keyboards above, but I inactive deliberation it’s a large worth for its fantabulous dependable and HE performance.

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Some large step-up / mid-tier options

As with immoderate hobby, adjacent arsenic things get cheaper and commoditized there’s ever a mode you tin dive adjacent deeper down rabbit holes — and of people walk much money. Since it feels similar everyone and their parent present makes hot-swap gasket-mounted keyboards with foam inserts and a metallic chassis, that besides means the mid-to-high-tier committee makers are apt to commencement experimenting with immoderate the adjacent blistery caller happening whitethorn be. And speech from being cutting-edge, the different gully of higher-end keyboards is the dizzying magnitude of ways you tin customize and physique them.

Affordable luxury

_{Connectivity: USB, BT 5.0, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Dye-sub PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: TKL, 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Keygeek Oat linear, HMX Azure linear / Case colors: Black, purple, white, silver, pink, sand, red, airy blue, cream, yellowish / Remapping software: VIA / Extras: Magnetic ball-catch speedy release / Battery size: 8,000mAh}

Evoworks is simply a lower-cost sub-brand of Qwertykeys / Owlab, a institution that’s made immoderate of the best-quality, astir trendsetting mechanical keyboards of the past fistful of years. The Evoworks Evo80 is 1 of the nicest built mechs I’ve utilized — and I’ve tried immoderate nice ones. The anodized metallic lawsuit has a brushed decorativeness that feels truthful creaseless and precious to the touch, I’d judge idiosyncratic if they told maine this keyboard outgo good implicit $300 earlier adjacent adding keycaps and switches. But it really costs conscionable $169.99 afloat assembled with everything, including a monolithic artillery and a decorative two-piece bottommost value plate.

The existent foodstuff of the Evo80, though, is its sound. You tin prime from a low-pitched “thocky”-sounding exemplary with Oat switches and polypropylene interior sheet oregon a high-pitched clacky setup with azure switches and FR4 thermoplastic-based plate. I cognize america keyboard fans overuse the word thock, which is meant to correspond the deepest of marble-y sounds, but the low-pitch mentation of the Evo80 I tested is an implicit delight. Compared to thing similar the Rainy 75, which is fantastic successful its ain right, the Evo80 has a noticeably deeper, heftier tone. It’s a bass to the Rainy’s tenor oregon P75’s alto. As overmuch arsenic I’ve grown fond of galore different keyboards successful the low-$100 scope we’re covering here, it’s precise hard not to look astatine the Evo80 oregon caller Evo75 that conscionable launched and think, “What’s different 50 bucks, right?”

A tinkerer’s dream

_{Connectivity: USB, BT 5.0, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Not included / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: 65 percent, 75 percent, TKL, 98 percent / Available layouts: ANSI, ISO / Switch options: Not included / Case colors: Black, gray, lavender, purple, aquamarine, acheronian green, red, entity blue, airy green, brown, white, e-white / Remapping software: VIA /  Extras: Magnetic ball-catch speedy release, LCD surface / Battery size: 8,000mAh}

Over successful the build-your-own keyboard kit world, the Zoom bid from Meletrix is 1 of the champion of the mid-tier, starting astatine $200 and up. With truthful galore large prebuilt options retired determination it mightiness not dependable logical to assemble your ain keyboard, but a kit similar the Zoom75 Tiga has near-endless possibilities. You find its interior mounting method, benignant of power sheet (if you adjacent enactment 1 in), and dampening worldly (like cork oregon foam). You tin adjacent acceptable it up with alternate layouts similar ISO oregon a divided backspace key. And that’s earlier you take your stabilizers, switches, and keycaps.

Building the Zoom75 Tiga took maine a fewer hours. It’s been a fewer years since my past kit, truthful I’m a small rusty. But it wasn’t precise difficult, and erstwhile assembled with its cork dampening kit, polyoxymethylene (POM) plate, and WS BigLucky linear switches, it felt similar a amusive task worthy the clip spent.

The Tiga, arsenic I built it, sounds satisfyingly clacky but not overly agleam oregon loud. But, support successful mind, you tin alteration it whenever and nevertheless you want. It’s a clip concern to portion down your keyboard and physique it backmost up, but mid-tier boards similar the Tiga (and adjacent the Evo80) person caller innovations to easiness the pain, similar a ball-catch quick-release apical screen that releases with unit alternatively of screws and magnetic pogo pin connectors alternatively of tiny ribbon cables for the PCB. The lone downside of the Zoom75 was immoderate spotty 2.4GHz wireless performance, requiring re-flashing the PCB and USB dongle firmware — yet requiring a replacement USB dongle from Meletrix. (Users connected the company’s Discord seemed to tally into akin problems.) 

That’s the hazard with DIY kit boards: they’re infinitely customizable, but you tin besides tally into tiny issues oregon quirks on the mode (especially if you assembled it wrong). And lawsuit enactment usually means troubleshooting successful a Discord community. But if you’re the hobbyist type, the process tin consciousness rewarding.