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When you’re a typist, or a programmer, or anyone else who does a lot of typing at their computer, your keyboard isn’t just a keyboard. It’s a tool for work. That’s why many tend to invest into a mechanical keyboard – they’re durable, they offer an unparalleled feel, and they often have a lot of extras you won’t find elsewhere. Therefore, we have reviewed the 12 best mechanical keyboards for typing. Below are our top picks.
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Top Mechanical Keyboards for Typing Picks
Best Overall: DAS Keyboard 5Q
Runner Up: Corsair K95 RGB Platinum
Ergonamic Option: KINESIS Gaming Freestyle Edge
Budget Option: Eagletec KG011
Mechanical Keyboards for Typing – Buying Guide
Below are the top 12 mechanical Keyboards for typing. They come at various price points, but are all great options for typing – you just need to pick the one that works for you.
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DAS Keyboard 5Q
Even though their arguably most popular product is the Das 4 Professional, the 5Q takes it, and makes it a lot better, adding a lot of smart functionality that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s still a terrific typist’s keyboard, but it’s also one that will give you a lot of things that you wouldn’t expect from a keyboard.
To begin with, it comes with Gamma Zulu mechanical switches, which are made by Japan’s Omron, specifically for Das keyboards. They’re fast, they’re tactile, and they’re soft. They also have an unparalleled 100 million presses life cycle.
The RGB lights are where the Das 5Q shines (pun intended). Not only does it have backlight on the buttons, but it’s actually a pretty simple color-coded system. For example, if you’re typing code, and your build fails, the Das will change the color to let you know. Configuring it is pretty easy with the Das software, and you can even set up applets and custom macros. It’s overall the best mechanical keyboard for typing.
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Eagletec KG011
Not everyone who needs a mechanical keyboard for typing can actually afford to spend hundreds of dollars. Eagletec agrees, and hence they give us the KG011. It comes in at a fraction of the price of many popular competitors’ products, yet it does check all the boxes when it comes to a good keyboard.
To begin with, you get custom switches that are the equivalent of Cherry MX Blues. They’re tactile and clicky, so they aren’t the best for office environments. However, if you’re using them at home, they’re absolutely perfect for typing. You’ll know exactly when a key has registered.
There’s also a backlight, which makes using the KG011 in the dark a pleasure. Yes, it’s not RGB, it’s only a single color, but at this price, you really shouldn’t be complaining. The keyboard itself is made of a combination of aluminum and ABS, which is both lightweight and durable.
The great thing about this is that it’s a full-size keyboard. With an increasing number of tenkeyless, or even smaller boards, having an arrow cluster and a full numpad makes this an excellent pick for typists. Oh, and with 50 million presses rated switches, it’s going to last a good while.
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Corsair K95 RGB Platinum
Corsair is a well-known player in the mechanical keyboard world. Yes, they’ve got a lot of other products too, but they’ve got quite the reputation when it comes to some of the most versatile mechanical keyboards out there. The K95 RGB Platinum is a prime example of this. It has an aluminum frame, which makes it as durable as they come, and it’s very rugged.
There is USB passthrough, as well as media controls, and you’ll find no less than 8MB of onboard storage which allows you to save key macros and lighting profiles. The dynamic multicolor gives you per-key RGB illumination and a top light bar for a bit more of a dramatic effect.
The switches are Cherry MX Speeds. They’re a linear switch, but one that has a really low actuation of 1.2 millimeters. This means very fast actuation, and in turn, much faster typing. To add to that, you have six programmable keys that you can assign to do pretty much anything, as well as full N-key rollover. If you’re looking for a keyboard that’s also chock full of extras, this is the one to get.
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KINESIS Gaming Freestyle Edge
When you first look at the Freestyle Edge you could mistake it for two keyboards. But it’s one, and it comes with a pretty interesting split design, one that should be a lot more ergonomic than a conventional keyboard. This should be pretty beneficial to many users who spend hours typing away at their computers.
What the design allows you to do is have your two hands typing at the exact distance from each other that’s most comfortable for you. Sure, you are somewhat limited by the cable going from one half to the other, but there’s plenty of leeway there. You could even put something in the middle while you’re typing. Both halves have their own space bar, and on the right, you’ll also find on-the-fly macro customization buttons so you can set things up without any software.
Aside from this, you get linear Cherry MX Red switches. They’re meant for gaming, but if you’re looking for a light and fast switch for typing, they’re perfect. If you’re okay with the split design, as well as the pretty high price, the Kinesis Freestyle Edge might be a good pick for you if you care about ergonomics.
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Corsair K70 RGB MK.2
The K70 RGB MK.2 is the second iteration of Corsair’s K70 board. Unlike the first one, which only came with red backlight, this one has RGB and a few small extras that make it a great option for typists. First things first, it’s a really versatile board. It’s built like a tank, and it features USB passthrough as well as dedicated media controls – yes, even a volume scroll on the top right.
The keys are Cherry MX Speed switches. They’re linear, but the 1.2mm actuation makes them very fast and pretty much perfect for people who spend a lot of time typing. They’re genuine Cherry MX, too, so they’ll be pretty durable and maintain their feel as you use the keyboard.
The backlight is per-key RGB, and it works with Corsair’s iCUE software, so you can have it just right for your needs. Oh, and you also get a very nifty palm rest that’s going to make things a lot more comfortable when you’re typing, especially during extended sessions. If you’re looking for a full-size keyboard that has a couple of extra features, by all means, go for it.
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Razer BlackWidow Elite
Even though Razer is most famous in the gamer market, their BlackWidow Elite is a surprisingly good pick for typists. It comes in a selection of switches, so you can choose which one you like, and it’s got a lot of additional features that make it an excellent pick.
To begin with, it’s made with a metal top plate, and the switches are rated at up to 80 million clicks. It does also have USB passthrough, as well as dedicated media keys and a dial for volume. The switches are either green, which are clicky and tactile, orange, which are silent and tactile, or yellow, which are silent and linear. They’re all made by Razer, and they’re pretty durable.
The keyboard also has excellent software support. Not only does it support Chroma RGB lighting, but you can also use Razer’s Hypershift technology that lets you remap pretty much any key to a complex macro. Oh, and that Chroma lighting also offers integration with other Razer hardware, as well as things such as Philips Hue. The keyboard is rounded out by a magnetic wrist rest that’s made of plush leatherette.
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Massdrop CTRL
Massdrop is one of the most popular vendors in the mechanical keyboard community. They’re a middleman for a lot of niche products, and they recently introduced a few keyboards, the CTRL being one of them. It’s an 87 key, tenkeyless design, so it doesn’t have a numpad. It’s made of solid aluminum and comes with a built-in switch plate and magnetic legs.
The switches are HALO True switches, that are medium weight, tactile switches. However, if you don’t like them, they’re hot-swappable, so you can just use any switches you want, without needing to desolder and solder them again. The keycaps are doubleshot PBT keycaps, which are durable and very resistant to wear and shine.
You also get full RGB backlighting, as well as a USB Type C port, as opposed to the micro USB that’s somewhat of a standard for mechanical keyboards. The other ace up the CTRL’s sleeve is the complete QMK programmability. The firmware allows you to customize the entire layout of the board, and create things such as custom macros and keymaps, something you’ll love. And even though it is somewhat pricey, it’s a great option if you don’t need a numpad.
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Logitech G513 RGB
Logitech has their G series of gaming products, but the G513 is actually a perfect keyboard for typists, too. It comes with an excellent feature set at a pretty reasonable price, especially considering the good reputation Logitech has with their G products.
It comes with an aircraft-grade brushed aluminum top case that gives it plenty of sturdiness and is what makes the board pretty durable. The switches inside are Logitech’s own Romer G tactile switches, which are very responsive and allow for some really fast typing. The keycaps are also pretty durable and fairly resistant to wear and shine.
The keyboard does come with a USB passthrough port, as well as customizable RGB that works with Lightsync, Logitech’s RGB software. You can have game-driven effects and lighting colors, something that might come in handy if you do use it for gaming as well. For those who are going to be typing on it for extended periods of time, you’ll love the fact that Logitech has included a memory foam palm rest that’s massive and very, very comfortable. This is definitely one of the best boards out there.
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Roccat Vulcan 121 Aimo RGB
Sure, Roccat might not be the first name that springs to mind when you’re looking at peripherals. However, the brand has been around for a good while, and they’ve got some really good products – the Vulcan Aimo is one of them. It’s a full-size mechanical keyboard with an included removable palm rest that’s pretty comfortable and checks all the right boxes.
To begin with, you have a premium build with an anodized aluminum top plate. This not only adds to the durability but also makes for a very stiff keyboard with little to no switch bounce. The brown switches are tactile yet silent and have a 1.8mm actuation. They’re pretty responsive and an excellent choice for typing.
Add to this the AIMO intelligent lighting system, you get per-key RBG backlight that you can customize as much as you want and make the keyboard your own. There’s also media keys and a wheel that gives you quick control over your music while you’re typing. It’s a pretty versatile keyboard, one that’s only made better by the fact that it costs as much as the competition, but offers a lot more.
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Redragon K552 Kumara
Redragon has become somewhat of a household name when it comes to budget peripherals, especially keyboards. They’ve got some great boards, feature-wise, which combined with a really affordable price make for a great budget proposition. The K552 Kumara is no exception to this rule. Make no mistake, the fact that it’s a budget board by no means indicates a lack of key features, so read on.
First of all, the switches inside are equivalent to Cherry MX Blues. They’re tactile and clicky, so you have plenty of feedback when typing – something a lot of typists love. The fact that the keyboard is made of a combination of metal and ABS makes for a very sturdy and durable design. It’s also tenkeyless, which adds to the overall stiffness and reduces flex.
While there’s no RGB here, you will get a red backlight that should make things a bit easier when you’re typing during the night. Overall, it might not come with too many bells and whistles, but if you’re looking for a good budget board, the K552 Kumara is actually pretty good.
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SteelSeries Apex M750 RGB
The SteelSeries 6Gv2 is arguably one of the most popular mechanical keyboards of all time. Even though unofficial, the Apex M750 is somewhat of a successor to it, coming with a similar, minimal design, but a lot better construction and a lot more features.
The keyboard is made of 5000 series aluminum alloy, something that’s really durable and makes for a stiff and sturdy keyboard. The switches inside are SteelSeries’ own QX2 mechanical switches, which are linear rated at 50 million key presses. It has a full N-key rollover, so every keypress is registered, with no exceptions.
With the Apex M750, you will also get RGB backlighting that works with SteelSeries’ Prism engine and allows for synchronization across devices. It also works with in-game events, as well as Discord notifications, something that might come in handy if you use the Apex for gaming.
All things considered, even though it doesn’t have any extensive customization for the keys, except for macros, the Apex M750 is actually an excellent keyboard for a lot of users.
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Redragon K556 RGB
If you need a full-size board, look no further than the Redragon K556 RGB. It comes in at a fraction of the price of some of its more popular brethren, yet offers most, if not all of the functionality they do. Interested? Read on.
First things first, the aluminum base means that even though it’s budget-oriented, the K556 is stiff, sturdy and durable. It will last you a good while. So will the mechanical switches, which are meant to resemble Cherry MX Browns in the fact that they are tactile, yet silent. A great pick if you’re using them in a crowded office, for example.
You also have 18 backlight modes to choose from. Yes, it’s not per-key RGB with extensive software customizations, but at this price, can you complain? The keycaps are made to reduce the time it takes for your actions to register, and they won’t develop shine anytime soon. All things considered, this is an excellent pick for a full-size mechanical keyboard for typing.
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