Mechanical keyboards have been the craze in past few years. I heard about it but didn't really look into. Last year I got into mechanical keyboards. I will go thru my journey, what I learned, features/specs, and suggestions on what to look for. I hope this can be a starting point for those just learning about mechanical keyboards.
I was using Mac for around past 8 years. I just switched to Windows PC couple years ago during Covid, to get back into gaming. Even when I switched to Windows, I continue to use Apple Wireless keyboard. It is small and compact; stylish; excellent quality; well built; and last forever. I had these keyboards for around 8 years and zero issues.
Then my kid actually started my journey into mechanical keyboards. Kid wanted a cheap MageGee mechanical keyboard that friend was using. It was $35 dollars; has a few options on switch types; and comes with both blue and pink set of keycaps. Quality is not so great, which is not surprising consider it's only $35. Keys are quite jiggly. And we got the MageGee "blue" switches, because my kid thought clicky is best. And it is loud!
Check MageGee price on Amazon https://amzn.to/3aVTjh2
I thought I would get my own set of keyboard. My research started with gaming keyboards like Razer, HyperX, Logitech, Corsair, etc. I went to BestBuy to test out the keyboards. Unfortunately, they don't have any actual keyboard demo to trial out. They did have a Switch demo with 5 or 6 different switches that I can play with.
I first went thru Razer BlackWidow TKL, which I returned. Then I settled on Glorious GMMK TKL. My kid wanted a new keyboard because the MageGee is too loud. So I passed on Glorious GMMK TKL and purchased Epomaker TH80.
Glorious Gaming PC Gaming Race GMMK TKL:
Check Glorious GMMK TKL price on Amazon https://amzn.to/3J0i20g
Epomaker Theory TH80:
Check Epomaker Theory TH80 price on Amazon https://amzn.to/3aZZ8Kg
Let's me summarize what I learned regarding key factors (pun intended) in my mechanical keyboards journey. Some factors are affected by keyboard, some by the switches, and some by keycaps. I will list them so you know the dependences. The reason is that you want to understand how your decision today will impact future customization or upgrade capability.
Note that some electronics related l factors are actually PCB (printed circuit board) dependent. In general Keyboard and PCB go hand in hand. For simplicity, I will just combine Keyboard and PCB together. There are some cases that PCB can be replaced inside the Beyboard.
| Keyboard / PCB | Switches | Keycaps |
Size | X | | |
Wired / Wireless | X | | |
Hot Swappable Switch | X | | |
Switch Type | X | X | |
LED | X | | |
LED Shine Through | X | | X |
Keycap Material | | | X |
Switch Orientation | X | | X |
Keycap Profile | | | X |
Sound / Feel | X | X | X |
Size (Keyboard dependent)
Size should be the first consideration. What sized keyboard do you want? Does your workspace have room? Do you care about where your mouse placement for ergonomics? Larger keyboard means mouse will sit further to the right and you have to reach for it.
Here are some common sizes from largest to smaller keyboards:
Full size keyboard
TKL (ten-key-less) which is around 85% of full size
75% options with Function and Arrow keys
75% exploded, where Function keys are spaced separately from number rows
75% with Function keys sitting adjacent to number rows
60% options without Function and Arrow keys
For me, the decision is quite easy. I do not want full size keyboard as I do not have use for the ten-key. I prefer my mouse as close to the keyboard as possible; that is more ergonomic and comfortable for me. I want to have Function keys for gaming. So this means either TKL or 75% options for me.
Wired vs Wireless (Keyboard dependent)
Another easy consideration. Are you good with wired keyboard. Wired keyboard is more robust. Shortest delay and fastest reaction time (for gaming). Do not have to deal with potential wireless disconnects. Cheap keyboards have hardwired cable that is not replaceable. Some are only 5 ft long, which can be a bit short depending on your set up. Medium and higher priced wired keyboards have longer (6 ft), detachable cables, so you can replace the cables for function improvement, look, or if damaged.
Wireless offers more flexibility and mobility in setup. But downsides are having to deal with battery, potential connection issues, and possibly longer delay. Wireless can be 5.0GHz bluetooth or 2.4GHz USB dongle. Typically bluetooth has shorter delay compared to USB dongle.
Swappable Switches (Keyboard dependent)
Cheaper keyboards have switches that are soldered. These switches are not user replaceable or customizable, unless you can de-solder and solder entire set of switches. If you are buying something $50 or less, you might accept non-swappable switches. If a switch goes bad, you just throw away entire keyboard and buy a new one.
Keyboards above $70 are mostly hot swappable. The switches on these keyboard can be pulled and removed by user. The advantage is that user can change the switch type for personalized feel. And defective switches can be replaced.
Switch Type (Switch dependent but requires Keyboard compatibility)
The type of switch is one of the big knobs on the typing experience. This will change the feel or response; sound; amount of force needed to actuate/register key press; force for key to be fully depressed; how far the key needs to be depressed to actuate; and total travel distance before key hits the bottom.
Cherry was industry standard brand for switches. Cherry uses color to different switch models. Note that different brands have their own naming or color scheme. Often other brands will reference Cherry switches as baseline for comparison.
Here are the common Cherry switches. I have not seen Cherry publishing its specs. I collected this data from various sources online. I believe it is reasonable correct. But accuracy depends on the source.
Cherry | Feel/Sound | Actuation Force (g) | Bottom-Out Force (g) | Actuation Distance (mm) | Travel Distance (mm) |
MX Green | Clicky/Loud | 80 | 90 | 2 | 4 |
MX Blue | Clicky/Loud | 60 | 60 | 2 | 4 |
MX White | Clicky/Medium | 80 | 90 | 2 | 4 |
MX Grey | Tactile/Medium | 80 | 120 | 2 | 4 |
MX Clear | Tactile/Medium | 65 | 95 | 2 | 4 |
MX Brown | Tactile/Medium | 55 | 60 | 2 | 4 |
MX Black | Linear/Quiet | 60 | 85 | 2 | 4 |
MX Red | Linear/Quiet | 45 | 75 | 2 | 4 |
MX Speed Silver | Linear/Quiet | 45 | 80 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
The feel is by the change in force at activation and how the keys bounce back. Clicky has a strong bounce. Tactile has mild feedback. Linear is smooth. Then there is the sound the switch makes. Typically, clicky is louder; tactile is medium; and linear is quiet. Then there are different forces required when typing. Higher force means more weight has to be applied and keys feel heavier. Lighter force will cause keys to feel lighter.
Clicky and tactile typical are better for typing. You can feel the response while you type. Linear typically is geared toward gamer, to reduce the response time. And then there are even specialty gaming switches with shorter travel time to further reduce the response time. Unless you are professional gamer, few millisecond difference won't matter. Ultimately, it just depends on your preference.
Gateron is a Chinese knock-off brand that offers better value and pricing. Here are the specs of Gateron Pro switches:
If you go with custom keyboard, you can select or buy any switch you want, as long as it is compatible. But if you buy pre-built, the brand is typically not user selectable; they might offer a few popular switch types.
For me personally, I want a balance between general usage and gaming. I prefer tactile over linear. I want that tactile feedback when I type. And since I'm not competitive gamer, milliseconds saved by linear switches do not matter to me. And in terms of force, I prefer the lightest. So Brown switches is my preference. Lucky for me, this helps when shopping for pre-built keyboards. Most pre-built will offer at least 1 tactile switch (which often is Brown), along with a linear switch option.
LED (Keyboard Dependent)
LED lighted keyboard is popular. Most consumer and gaming mechanical keyboard have LED. For keyboard to have LED and to RGB array of colors, this has to be supported on the PCB.
Note there are mainly 2 types of LED keyboards:
LED with fixed color. These are on cheapest keyboards
LED with RGB that you can customize colors.
If you care about LED, then you want to consider software support. Most keyboards have a set of default patterns. Can the patterns be customized? Do you want key color to be customized, based on apps or games? Do you want keyboard color to match computer color?
On the other hand, if you don't care for LED, you can still go with standard LED keyboard. This will maximize available choices. You can always turn off LED if you don't want it.
LED Shine Through on Keycaps (Keyboard & Keycaps Dependent)
Since LED is such a big factor, there are 2 main type of keycaps related to LED.
Keycaps with shine-through legends. The legend is translucent, so LED lighting will light up the keycap legends (or letters).
Solid keycaps without shin-through. Here, the LED will light up the spacing around the keycaps.
And in order to maximize the LED look, there are additional factors below that are interdependent.
Keycap Material (Keycap Dependent)
Keycap material: can be either ABS or PBT. ABS plastic stands for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. It is light weight, cheaper to manufacture, and can develop a shine on the surface from constant rubbing from your fingers. PBT plastic stands for Polybutylene Terephthalate. It costs more to manufacture. Higher quality and thicker keycaps are most often PBT, rather than ABS.
Manufacturing process: Each keycap can be made with 1 or 2 molds. When 1 mold is used for the keycaps, then the lettering has to be printed onto the keycaps (such as using dye-sublimation or laser printing). When 2 molds are used (called double-shot), 1 mold is for keycap and another for the lettering.
Basically, the manufacturing process is typically associated with shine-through capability. In order to have LED shine-through, legend (the letters on the keycaps) must be translucent. This means manufacturing process is double-shot.
Then if keycaps have black (or other solid) key color, which do not allow LED to shine-through, then these keycaps are usually made by single mold. And legend is then printed on.
Switch Orientation (Keyboard and Keycaps Shine-Through Dependent)
Switch-Orientation: If you look at the top of the switch, the mechanical switch sits in the center. And LED is to 1 side. The switch can be oriented so LED is toward far edge (top edge) of keyboard; this is called north-facing. The opposite orientation is LED toward near edge (bottom edge) of keyboard; this is called south-facing.
Why are there 2 orientations? It is mainly due to LED shine-through capability. The legends on the keycaps typically are located toward top of keycaps. So for the LED to work well with shine-through keycaps, LED needs to be north-facing and sit right below the legend. This way, the LED light getting thru the keycap legends is the brightest.
On the other hand, if the keycaps are not shine through, south-facing switches will allow more light to get to the user, since your eyes are toward the bottom edge of the keyboard.
This LED orientation is defined by the PCB, which also dictates how the switch is inserted into the PCB. This orientation is not user changeable. So you have to decide when you buy the keyboard. There is no better or worse. It just depends on your preference.
LED Shine-Through / Keycap Material / Switch Orientation Combined
Most mainstream consumer and gaming keyboards have the following design, mainly driven by the LED capability:
LED shine-through keycaps.
Keycaps are double-shot ABS. ABS is cheaper to manufacturer, and double-shot for the translucent legends
North-facing switches. To maximize the LED effect on keycap legends
Customized keyboards can have either shine-through or non-shine-through options. Shine-through option is already described above. Non-shine-through keyboards typically have:
Solid keycap legends without shine-through capability.
Keycaps can be single shot ABS or PBT; print is done with dye-sublimation or laser printing. PBT is preferred over ABS. Dye-sub is preferred over laser printing.
South-facing switches.
You can always change the keycaps. However, you cannot change the switch orientation. If you want LED shine-through, get keyboard with north-facing switches. If you don't care, then getting south-facing switches is best to prevent potential interference with certain keycap profile, particularly Cherry profiles. And this brings us to the next section on Keycap profiles.
Keycap Profiles (Keycap Dependent)
If you buy mainstream consumer or gaming keyboards, they will most likely come with OEM keycap profiles. Among higher end boards and custom keycaps, there are various keycap shapes. Below are couple photos I found online that cover many profiles, but not all.
Again, OEM is the default among mainstream keyboards. Then the other profiles supposedly improve on the ergonomics. It really depends on your preference. Unfortunately, it is impossible to test or experience these without a full set of keycaps.
As you can see, there are so many variations. Here is a link I found that is quite informative on the various profiles: https://hirosarts.com/guide-to-different-keycap-profiles/
Sound & Feel
I previously mentioned that switch type has different resistance and sound. When I first got into mechanical keyboards, I thought by choosing switch type, I can control the entire typing sound and feel. But soon, looking at YouTube videos, I realized that switch is not the only factor.
Sound and feel depends on everything: keycap thickness, switch type, keyboard material (plastic vs aluminum), design (gasket mount), PCB plate material (plastic vs metal), stabilizers, damping or isolation material, lubing of the switches and stabilizers. This is beyond the scope of this blog entry. I will just say that most consumer and gaming keyboard have a hollow sound. Then enthusiast keyboard can have deeper (thocc) sound, which many prefer. The best bet is to check YouTube videos on typing sound test.
Pricing
Then above $150 (including custom build where you buy a keyboard for $70+, switches for $50+, and keycaps for $50+), you get better material, better design, better components. And if you go custom route, you can customize the keyboard to your preference.
Conclusion & Pricing
With so many different components, customizations can result in unlimited combinations. You can imagine why there is a hobby on mechanical keyboards.
At $60 or below, most of these keyboards do not have hot swappable switches. You cannot personalize the feel of the switches. And you cannot replace defective switches. Unless you are really constrained on funds, I suggest paying a bit more to get hot swappable switch capable keyboard.
Most important factors on the keyboard experience are visuals and feel/sound. For mainstream consumer and gaming keyboard, visual tend to focus on LED, with black or white keyboards and keys. And feel/sound are mainly driven by switches, with keyboards typically being less solid or hollow. Keycaps tend to be double-shot ABS with typical thickness and OEM profile.
On the other hand, enthusiast and custom keyboards tend to focus on quality/feel. Switches can be chosen. Keycaps of different quality, thickness, and profiles are available. And keyboards themselves have various options: PCB plates of different material, foam and padding, gasket inserts. Visual tend to focus on keycap color rather than LED.
Around $80 to $120, there are complete pre-built keyboards (including "gaming" keyboards) that will offer most features that are needed to get started. However, there are compromises to get the price down in this price range. Material is mainly plastic. Switches might be off-brand. Thin damping material might be used. You have to determine what is more important, and then find the right keyboard.
If you are just starting out, I recommend skipping "gaming" keyboards, where focus is on look instead of performance; and value is poor. I recommend looking at budget entry-level keyboards from Keychron, Royal Kludge, and Epomaker. And look at options where you can upgrade and customize what you consider important in the future.
Keychron Keyboards on Amazon https://amzn.to/3SRXCuG
Royal Kludge Keyboards on Amazon https://amzn.to/3AmpgZK
Epomaker Keyboards on Amazon https://amzn.to/3QFgkEJ
If you are willing to spend more and want better quality keyboard, look at Glorious, Ducky One, and Drop keyboards.
Glorious Keyboards on Amazon https://amzn.to/3SPfPcv
Ducky One Keyboards on Amazon https://amzn.to/3JU7X5q
Drop Keyboards on Amazon https://amzn.to/3bXX6uz
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