Tel: +65 6338 9566. Hot-swap switches: This is a newer feature typically found only on expensive, high-end mechanical keyboards, but the ability to trade out switches at any time without having to break out a soldering iron is a nice bonus. It’s a bit less expensive than our top picks too, at around $100 for non-backlit models. DIP switches on the underside let you swap the locations of Caps Lock and left Ctrl, the OS key and left Alt, and the OS key and the Fn key; you can also lock the OS key. Just like the Varmilo, the Leopold comes with PBT keycaps, which are higher quality and more durable than those of most mechanical keyboards. Drop ALT. Compared with the Anne Pro 2, the One 2 Mini is nicer to type on thanks to its more solid construction, and it has better-looking keycap legends. I'm a mac (macbook pro) user and i'm trying to find a keyboard … The Leopold FC900R is almost identical to the FC750R, and we recommend it if you need a full-size keyboard with a built-in number pad. The FC750R has similarly excellent build quality and design, but it doesn’t offer as much switch or keycap variety as the VA87M, and its media keys aren’t labeled. The HHKB Pro 3 Classic is the same as the Pro 3 Hybrid but is not fully programmable and doesn’t support Bluetooth. All the media keys and other actions on the function layer are clearly labeled on both the ABS and PBT keycap sets. For compact keyboards that still have all the keys most people need—75% and 65%/68% keyboards—basic customizability is fine. Although the FC750R does have media keys, they’re not labeled on the keycaps or explained in the included manual. As far as actual programming, you can move the Fn or Pn keys and record macros if you switch to one of the non-default layers by pressing Pn+M, comma, or period. That opens up a ton of size, layout, switch, and programmability options beyond what our picks offer, but such keyboards are less readily available, tend to be more expensive, and require a lot of tinkering. Dust, skin particles, and hand oils will eventually accumulate on a keyboard and mouse. Ducky Keyboard Software. Most models have a tasteful white backlight, but some lack a backlight; Varmilo also has a Double Rainbow model with rainbow keycaps and RGB backlighting. You have to pay quite a bit more to get a better compact keyboard. We also love that the VA87M is available with a variety of fun keycap sets and matching cases; we tested the Moonlight model, but you can instead choose Sakura Pink, a white keyset designed for Macs, a straightforward black and gray set, or any number of options. 2. We do wish the One 2 SF had DIP switches for swapping the OS keys to Mac mode, and we wish it came with neutral OS keys instead of Windows ones. Even so, the Magicforce falls short of the pricier Ducky One 2 SF or Leopold FC660M in build quality. A compact mechanical keyboard takes up less space on a desk than a regular one—but you might need to be prepared to give up some keys in return. The One 2 SF has six profiles that you can switch between by pressing Fn+Alt+1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. The Anne Pro 2 is the most compact of our picks: It’s about an inch and a half narrower than the Ducky One 2 SF because it lacks dedicated arrow keys and the row of navigation keys on the right side. The Ducky x Varmilo Miya Pro is noticeably wider than other 68% options, but it does have all ANSI-standard keycaps. A few years ago, a "gaming keyboard" consisted of a regular old membrane keyboard with a few fancy lights slapped on it for good measure. But it’s available only with linear and clicky switches—no tactile options—and its programmability is too limited in the Razer Synapse software. The Drop Alt is an excellent pick for those who need a loud keyboard. Packaging wise, Ducky finally decided to keep the design standard (or at least) with the same unified color across its current product lineup. The One 2 SF is a solid keyboard that provides a delightful typing experience and has clearly labeled, easy-to-access volume keys, and as a fun bonus, it also offers customizable RGB backlighting. It also has clearly labeled media keys along the bottom alphabet row, and you can reach Fn plus the volume up, volume down, and mute keys with a single hand. We’ll keep testing new wireless options and looking out for improvements. You can also find two types of frame: a “high-profile” frame, which sets the keys within a plastic case, or a “low-profile” frame, which has the switches sitting on top of the case. We chose them not only for build quality, but style, size, and efficient layout. Plus, it has wireless support. This design makes it a little trickier to plug in and makes the usable cable length shorter, and it doesn’t provide much benefit. If you don’t already know what switches you like, we recommend Cherry MX Brown, because they offer a satisfying tactile bump without making too much noise for a shared space. Removable cable: A removable USB cable is preferable to a built-in one, because if the cable breaks it’s easier to replace just the cable rather than the whole keyboard. … (The warranty card in the box is in Chinese, the Amazon listing directs us to the manufacturer website, and there is no manufacturer website.) The Topre Realforce TKL R2 is very expensive and lacks important features, but its unique Topre switches are truly delightful to type on. I got the Ducky One 2 mini pure white as my first small form factor mechanical keyboard a few days ago, so please bear with me if my questions are stupid. The Leopold FC660M is a 65%/68% keyboard similar to the Ducky One 2 SF, and we prefer its superior build quality, more minimalist design, flatter profile, and wider variety of keycap colors. It’s available with a wide variety of switches and keycaps. The FC900R has the same depth and height measurements as its tenkeyless counterpart, 5.51 inches and 1.3 inches respectively. Sort by. If you spend all day typing, it can be satisfying to customize the size, switches, keycaps, and layout to your exact needs. No dedicated macro keys, but you can bind macro to keys and move the FN key also for extra convenient ( for example on my Ducky One tkl I have FN key moved to right alt, and FN + [ ] \ as volume control, FN + ; ' enter as tracks control which are very easy to reach ). If you spend most of your day typing or coding, a mechanical keyboard is a worthwhile upgrade over a cheaper, less comfortable keyboard. It has more keys, yet it’s no wider than our 65% and 68% picks, and it still provides a solid, satisfying typing experience. This keyboard has pad-printed ABS keycaps and decent, but not exceptional, build quality. It has a one-year warranty that covers manufacturer defects if you purchase it from MechanicalKeyboards.com. We tested 40 gaming keyboards by playing dozens of hours of games, and we found that the Cooler Master MK730 is the best RGB gaming keyboard. And I personally prefer the Alt’s low-profile design, where the keys appear to float above the case, over high-profile keyboards, where the keys are set into the case. Here’s what to look for and what makes a good keyboard. (But it does have feet in the back if you need them.). We recommend prebuilt keyboards that you can plug in and use immediately, but you can find a whole world of custom mechanical keyboards out there. Though the Magicforce has a cable-management channel built into the underside of its case, the only option it gives you is to route the removable Mini-USB cable from the plug to the back-center of the keyboard. The Varmilo comes with a wire keycap puller, which we prefer over the cheap plastic keycap puller included with the Leopold FC750R because it’s less likely to damage the edges of keycaps. Plus, its low-profile, mostly flat case is better for your wrists than a keyboard with a steeper slope or a higher profile. Its aluminum backplate is solid and stylish, it stays put on a desk, and its open design looks nice. Availability is an issue with the Leopold FC750R—it may not be immediately available with the keycaps or switches you prefer. The Varmilo VA87M is available with many different switch types, including Cherry MX Clear, MX Brown, MX Blue, MX Black, MX Red, and more. Instead of the VA87M’s minimalist, low-profile case with cable management built into the underside, the VA108M has a closed-profile case that’s similar to the Leopold’s but suffers from a tacky fake-wood texture and no cable-management channels on the underside. The media keys are on an Fn layer along the top row; by default you need two hands to activate most of them, and none of them are labeled on the minimalist keycaps. You can disguise the effect by cranking the LEDs all the way up, but then the other key is conspicuously unlit. Although the VA87M comes with all the functions most people use frequently and allows a bit of customization, it does not support macro programming and does not let you customize it to the degree that some other mechanical keyboards do. The Drop Alt offers the best typing experience and the most customization with hot-swappable switches and full programmability, but it’s expensive. Linear switches feel smooth when you press them, from top to bottom. See our review; Ducky One 2 RGB TKL: The Ducky One 2 RGB TKL has one of the best typing experiences we've tested, but it may be hard to find. Its 65%/68% layout is similar to the Ducky One 2 SF’s, with dedicated arrow keys and a small navigation cluster, but it’s a bit wider than our top pick. The VA87M’s one-year warranty is serviced by MechanicalKeyboards.com if you purchase from that seller, but we’ve seen reports of people who bought directly from Varmilo having trouble getting their keyboards serviced. See our review SteelSeries Apex Pro: The SteelSeries Apex Pro is an excellent all-around keyboard, but the Razer offers better typing quality. You can switch between Windows and Mac modes with Pn+Q and Pn+W, respectively. Mechanical switches come in three main varieties: linear, tactile, and clicky. Akko is a brand that often comes up in the same conversations as Ducky. You cannot record macros to the default Profile 1, so you have to switch to one of the other profiles to start recording macros. But it does offer conveniently located, clearly labeled media keys on F7 through F12 that you can reach with one hand. Many of them involve buying a kit or all the components and then soldering and programming it yourself. It also lacks a warranty. In that time they’ve tested hundreds of laptops and thousands of peripherals, and built way too many mechanical keyboards for their personal collection. The manufacturing company was originally founded in 1998 and saw some success in creating high-quality PC peripherals. You can use Drop’s keyboard configurator tool to customize your layout and backlighting, and then hit Compile and Download. It comes with plain gray keycaps, and even though the online manual has instructions for controlling the RGB backlight, none of the models we’ve tested have offered a backlight. The Cooler Master CK530 is an excellent budget RGB gaming keyboard, but its build quality and ABS keycaps can’t match the quality of our other picks. And these keyboards aren’t compatible with the vast majority of third-party keycaps, so your customization options are limited. This could be fixed with a future firmware and software update from Vortex, and we’ll retest the Tab 60 if that happens. The VA108M does have more switch and keycap options compared with the Leopold FC900R, and its media keys are helpfully labeled whereas the FC900R’s are not, so if the texture and cable-management differences don’t bother you, the VA108M is otherwise a solid keyboard. (And it comes with a manual that explains all of that clearly.) As a 65%/68% keyboard, the Ducky One 2 SF is compact, yet it doesn’t sacrifice the keys most people can’t do without—it has all the letters, numbers, and modifiers, plus dedicated arrow keys and a few navigation keys on the right side. © 2021 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, The best full-size keyboard: Leopold FC900R, use macOS’s built-in settings to switch what each key does, How To Pick The Right Mechanical Keyboard, The complete guide to mechanical keyboard switches for gaming, Programming Media Keys on the Ducky One 2 Skyline, Why I Love Compact Mechanical Keyboards and You Will Too. It connects via a USB-A wireless dongle instead of Bluetooth, and it shares all of the TKL02’s other flaws. The FC900R typically costs around $125, though some switch options cost an additional $5. And clicky switches feel similar to tactile ones but have an added click sound to match the tactile bump. If you’re willing to pay more for an even better typing experience and a keyboard that you can tinker with—but you don’t want to learn how to solder—get the Drop Alt. Unfortunately, availability is an issue with most great mechanical keyboards. Tactile switches have a noticeable bump partway through the keypress, which lets you know that you’ve activated the key. For these reasons, we recommend the Leopold FC900R, with its simple, no-nonsense texture and cable management. It has equally excellent build quality and a similarly compact, minimalist design, and it comes with all the most popular switch types. ALL. The WASD Code V3 and WASD V3 are both solid keyboards, and the previous version of the Code (the V2) was our former top pick. How to I type the degrees character ° on this keyboard? Like the One 2 SF, the Tab 75 has a gentle slope and doesn’t sit quite as flat as the Alt. Zero Series. And its gentle slope is better for your wrists than a keyboard with a steep upward slope at the back. ALL. Most of the people using 60% keyboards are gamers just so they have … F8 through to the Pause Break key control the LED options – … (We don’t recommend the Varmilo VA108M, the full-size version of our top pick, because its case is significantly different and not as good.). Of the dozens of keyboards we’ve tested, we think the Ducky One 2 SF is the best compact mechanical keyboard for most people’s needs. Like the One 2 SF, the Magicforce has a gentle slope that isn’t as bad for wrists, and it has feet to raise the back if you need them. If you want an entry-level mechanical keyboard, the Qisan Magicforce 68-key model is the best place to start. It has volume and mute keys that you can reach one-handed with Fn+M, comma, and period, and they’re clearly labeled on the keycaps and in the included manual. Mechanical keyboards, called such because they have individual mechanical switches under each key, are more enjoyable to type on, more durable, and more customizable than the typical membrane, butterfly, or scissor-switch keyboards that come with laptops or desktops. If you frequently use the row of function keys along the top of a keyboard, we recommend the Vortex Tab 75. 1 Rochor Canal Road, Sim Lim Square #02-21. Still others come with software you can use to record macros, remap or customize certain keys, and futz with the backlighting. As with our other picks, we recommend Brown switches for most people, unless you know you want a different kind. The black model we tested came with a wire keycap puller and some cute, colorful extra keycaps for the modifiers. And the keycaps don’t feel cheap or hollow to type on. Kimber Streams is a senior staff writer and has been covering laptops, gaming gear, keyboards, storage, and more for Wirecutter since 2014. 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