Mechanical keyboards have grown in popularity over the last few years. Here are 6 of the best mechanical keyboard brands – and 6 you should avoid at all costs.
The number of mechanical keyboards and brands making them has expanded over the last few years, driven by boutique custom makers, online forums with small, localized group buys, and new technology from a few that dared to break the mold. No longer the province of gamers who know that every millisecond of speed can make the difference between winning or not, mechanical keyboards are bought by office workers who want the best typing experience during the workday.
Due to the pandemic, the rise of work-from-home arrangements also spurred the expansion of keyboard hobbyists, who spend hundreds of dollars tailoring every aspect of their mechanical keyboards for sound, feel, and looks. After all, if you’re using something for eight hours a day, it should be something you enjoy. Not long ago, you had to spend more to get a mechanical keyboard than the membrane one bundled with most prebuilt computers. Now the gap has narrowed with mechanical keyboards that are both performative and budget-friendly. The premium end of the market has also expanded, with more options for switches and other customizations. We’ve had our eye on the market makers and the old guard who are being left behind.One to watch – Wooting
Wooting is one of the most exciting mechanical keyboard companies on the market. That’s no hyperbole, as its keyboards have one feature that no other keyboard can do — full analog control on every single key. Imagine having a controller joystick axis on every switch, enabling analog controls of games or anything else you can think to map in the keyboard’s software utility. The first keyboard, Wooting One, was a Kickstarter in 2016, with a TKL form factor using Flaretech light-actuated switches with complete analog control over the full travel of the switch. That was followed up in 2018 with the 104-key Wooting Two, again using the same laser-actuated switches.
The small team thought they could do better and created their own custom switches, the Lekker. This switch uses magnets and the Hall Effect to detect the analog input. These switches were designed for keyboard enthusiasts to customize to their liking. Wooting used housings, springs, and stems that are Cherry MX-compatible. The result is accurately sensed switches that can enable analog movement in games, customizable actuation points at any point in the switch’s travel, or multiple key actions at different points of the keystroke. The latest keyboard, the $174.99 Wooting 60HE, is one of the best gaming keyboards you can buy today, if not the best if you go by the many glowing YouTube reviews from creators like BadSeed Tech and Optimum Tech. The PCB and top plate are compatible with many 60% custom keyboard shells, so they can drop straight in.One to watch – ZSA
ZSA makes some of the most solid, customizable, sustainably-made mechanical keyboards we’ve used, whether the diminutive $245 40% ortholinear Planck EZ or the $365 Moonlander Mark I with its split construction and tweakable ergonomics. Every keyboard they design can be configured to your liking in software, which then downloads to the keyboard. The company also has a live training tool for learning the newly created layout, with a feedback loop driven by the user. These are keyboards for power users who demand the best construction, customizability, and ergonomics.
ZSA builds its keyboards to last, with a focus on repairability, which should be commended in our ever-disposable society. The key switches sit in hot-swap sockets, so if one fails, it’s simple to swap in a new one. They come with a two-year warranty, which is almost unheard of in the peripheral market. All cables are detachable, the keyboards are built to be easily opened, and the keyboards run on open-source firmware called QMK, with the code available on GitHub for customizing every aspect. The company is also structured to be sustainable, with employees with overtime, benefits, paid holidays, and an office-based working environment. If you care about the who, the where, and the why connected to the devices you purchase, ZSA should be on your list to check out.One to watch – Angry Miao
Boutique mechanical keyboard maker Angry Miao makes some outlandish keyboards with cyberpunk sensibilities that won’t please everyone. Still, arthouse anything is always aimed at niche users, and the wacky, custom keyboards market is more extensive than you might think. Yahoo! Finance reports that Angry Miao has completed several VC funding rounds, with the last one accumulating over $100 million for the company. New products are sold several times a year, with a hypebeast model where highly marketed, limited-release products are sold in preorder rounds.
The company takes a futuristic cyberspace mentality to its devices, like the $1,600 split ergo AM Hatsu, inspired by the opening credits of HBO’s « Westworld. » Built with a complex five-axis CNC process, the wireless, sculpted halves have embedded wireless charging, designed to be used with AM’s Cybermat, which has 12 Qi charging coils to charge the keyboard, your phones, or your Logitech Powerplay compatible mouse. For something more regular but no less eye-catching, the Cybertruck-inspired Cyberboard brings a 75% form factor with a customizable LED lighting panel for a minimum of $670 if you get one before they sell out. The current keyboard offering is the $402 AM Compact Touch, which has an HHKB layout, customizable leaf springs for a bouncy typing feel, and a thumb-centered touchpad that functions as arrow keys or media controls. They recently branched into earbuds with the « Horizon: Zero Dawn » inspired $328 Cyberblade, which features a dock that enables a low 36ms wireless latency for gaming use.One to watch – Keychron
Hong Kong-based Keychron has built a reputation for budget-friendly, well-designed keyboards with a size or layout for almost every taste.
