The Best Keyboards of 2018

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Some newer keyboards mimic the low-profile, chiclet-style keyboards found on full-size and. Step Look at the Function keys at the top of the keyboard. Modern models come in a bunch of subtypes, from boards optimized for typing efficiency to sculpted ergonomic designs that cradle your hands and relieve stress on the joints.

For our full ranking methodology, please read about us, linked below. Here's how to buy the right one, along with our top picks based on our latest deep-dive reviews.

The Best Keyboards of 2018

Tom Brant John Burek The Best Keyboards of 2018 Hold up your fingers: Want all 10 to be happy? Whether you're working or playing, the right keyboard is the most important part of your desk set. Here's how to buy the right one, along with our top picks based on our latest deep-dive reviews. Put Your Finger on the Right-Fit Keyboard Maybe your trusty old keyboard has typed its last letter or absorbed its last bagel crumb. Perhaps your gaming ambitions have outstripped the mushy, mediocre typer that came with your PC. Or maybe your hands are simply shouting: Hey, cut me some slack here! Whatever the reason, anyone can benefit from a better keyboard. After all, is any part of your computer more hands-on? Before you go shopping, though, it pays to know what makes a keyboard a good fit. Modern models come in a bunch of subtypes, from boards optimized for typing efficiency to sculpted ergonomic designs that cradle your hands and relieve stress on the joints. Let's dig into the features to look for. Connectivity Options: Wired and Wireless The simplest way to connect a wired keyboard to your PC is via a standard USB port. Non-gaming keyboards are usually plug-and-play devices, with no additional software to install, meaning that plugging in the keyboard cable is all the setup you'll need. Gaming keyboards, the exception, will typically work as soon as you plug them in, but come with their own software that lets you adjust features such as onboard RGB lighting and the assignment of macro keys. More on that in a bit. Besides transferring your keystrokes to the computer, a USB connection also powers the keyboard, so there are no batteries to worry about. This isn't usually a problem, since you'll likely be connecting one of these keyboards to a large gaming desktop with many available USB ports. If you want more freedom and less cable clutter on your desk, however, it's hard to beat a wireless keyboard. Wireless models transmit data to your PC through one of two primary means: an RF connection to a tiny USB dongle, or via a Bluetooth connection with no dongles required. Both have their pros and cons. But if you want to reduce the number of cables on your desk and gain the flexibility to use your keyboard at a distance—whether that be on your lap at your desk, or from across the room—wireless is the way to go. Most wireless keyboards that use USB dongles transmit over the same 2. The dongle itself is usually a tiny rectangle—small enough to plug in and forget about. Not only is the dongle unobtrusive, but we find that the 2. Note that in some situations, these USB dongles can provide connectivity to more than one device, meaning you can use the single adapter for your wireless keyboard as well as a wireless mouse, assuming that both are the same brand and both support the same scheme. Bluetooth options make sense in certain situations; they don't monopolize a USB port, and newer versions of Bluetooth—the current one is 5. In regular use, a Bluetooth connection gives you roughly 30 feet of wireless range; we find, however, that Bluetooth keyboards tend to not match devices with a USB dongle on battery life. New innovations, including hand-proximity sensors, improve the battery life versus older Bluetooth devices, which maintained an always-on link, draining battery quickly. Among the only major drawbacks of mainstream wireless keyboards is that few of them feature key backlighting, which hampers one of their most useful roles: controlling a home theater PC in a softly lit living room. If you do find a wireless model with backlighting, be prepared to change its batteries or recharge it frequently. Layout and Ergonomics Not all keyboards are created equal. In fact, not all keyboards are even laid out the same beyond the standard QWERTY letter keys. Most mainstream and gaming models offer a 10-key numeric pad, which laptops frequently lack and is a necessity for anyone who needs to tally numbers or enter data into a spreadsheet. Bear that in mind if you're looking at gaming keyboards, as tenkeyless models are a recent trend especially in that subclass. Smaller distinctions include the placement of the directional-arrow, Page Up and Down, and Home and End keys. Additionally, most current keyboards have basic media-file-control features, usually volume, play, pause, and track-change controls. These are typically dedicated media buttons located above the numeric pad, or built into the top row of Function Fn keys as shared-key shortcuts. Bonus points if the keyboard maker implements the volume control as a dial or roller, like on some high-end Corsair and Das Keyboard models. To help users stave off carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress injury, many keyboards are available with designs that put your hands into a neutral position as you type. The result is not only greater comfort, but reduced stress to the joints and tendons, ultimately helping you to avoid painful inflammation and the potential for worse: expensive surgery. Ergonomic features can range from the simple padded wrist rests to the elaborate a key layout that is sculpted to curve and slope, or a split design. One very important ergonomic feature to look for is the ability to perform angle adjustment. This is usually accomplished by flipping out two plastic feet on the back of the keyboard to alter its angle relative to your wrists and forearms. Many keyboards—not only models designed specifically to be ergonomic—have these feet, and that it's important to experiment with them until your keyboard is flat or, ideally, angled slightly away from your wrists. Keys and Switches: The Basics One aspect of keyboard design that you'll see mentioned in reviews—but about which most people don't give a second thought—is the type of switches used for individual keys. You may not care about the specific mechanisms that reside beneath the keys, but you will feel the difference. The three primary types of switches are silicone dome switches, scissor switches, and mechanical switches. Most budget keyboards, such as those that come bundled with new desktop PCs, use silicone-dome switches, which use two dimpled layers of silicone membrane that form a grid of rubber bubbles or domes as the springback in the switch for each key. The springiness of the silicone rubber makes for a soft, mushy feel as you press each key. Because repeated flexing of the rubber membrane causes it to break down, silicone dome switches lose their springiness and responsiveness over time. Some newer keyboards mimic the low-profile, chiclet-style keyboards found on full-size and. While a few of these use plain silicone-dome switches, many use scissor switches, which add a mechanical stabilizer to each key for a uniform feel, and an attached plunger under each keycap allows for shorter key travel. As a result, scissor-switch keyboards have a shallow typing feel, but they are generally more durable than rubber-dome switches alone. Models That Just Click: Mechanical Keyboards Most keyboard enthusiasts, however, won't have much to say for either of the two above styles—instead, they'll be singing the praises of mechanical keyboards. The switches used in these are a bit more intricate, with a spring-loaded sliding keypost under every key. The sturdy switch mechanisms and springs are significantly longer-lasting, too. These switches can also register each keystroke with a much shorter amount of travel, making them ideal for touch typists. The downside to mechanical switches? They usually require a lot more vertical space than silicone dome switches, which means the keyboards tend to be thicker. You won't often find them on shallower, low-profile keyboards. That could change now that venerable switch maker Cherry has a new low-profile mechanical switch, but the vast majority of mechanicals are chunky. In the past, most mainstream mechanical keyboards made use of switches from Cherry Industrial, with the switches coming in various-feel MX Blue, Red, Black, and Brown varieties. Deep Customization: Gaming Keyboards While all keyboards offer the necessary QWERTY layout of keys for everyday typing, sometimes typing isn't your main concern. Gaming boards are equipped for maximum specialization and control, optimized for specific styles of gameplay, and built to exacting standards of responsiveness and durability. They also appeal to the gamer aesthetic, with designs that impress and intimidate with pulsing backlighting and dramatic color schemes. Premium gaming models almost exclusively use high-grade mechanical key switches and sculpted keycaps, and offer lots of customizable features, such as programmable macro keys, textured WASD keys, and swappable keycaps. Others let you tweak the color and intensity of the backlighting to make finding certain keys faster and to personalize the look of your keyboard. Anti-ghosting is an essential feature, allowing multiple keystrokes hit at the same time to be registered simultaneously—something not all standard keyboards can do. Other extras include pass-through USB ports or audio connections on the keyboard, which simplify the process of connecting peripherals to a desktop PC whose ports may be inconvenient to reach under a desk. Finally, any gaming keyboard worthy of its name comes outfitted with dedicated software and discrete keys for triggering macro commands, letting you pre-arrange complex strings of commands and activate them with a single press of a button. The number of macro commands that you can save, and the ease with which you can create them, vary from one model to the next; our reviews are handy for summaries of this kind of software. These aren't the sorts of customization features that everyone will use from day to day, but for players who invest time and money into gaming, these keyboards offer a competitive edge. The keyboard market is vast, so start your search with our roundup below of the best keyboards available. In the market for a mouse, too? Check out our , as well as our. Pros: Dedicated media controls. Attractive brushed aluminum finish. Bottom Line: The Corsair K95 RGB Platinum is a pricey gaming keyboard with an ideal blend of aesthetics and functionality that leaves little room for improvement. Cons: Ho-hum plastic wrist rest. Bottom Line: This durable mechanical keyboard comes paired with great software. The custom lighting is a bit tricky at first, but once you figure it out, the possibilities are endless. Includes dedicated hardware media, sleep controls. Integrated hub now supports USB 3. No onboard audio ports. Inconvenient footbar for angling up keyboard. Bottom Line: A superb typing experience and excellent new features characterize the mechanical Das Keyboard 4, but those benefits don't come cheap. Cons: May require an adjustment period. Bottom Line: For the hardest of hard-core typists, the Unicomp Ultra Classic pegs the quintessential PC typing experience like no other keyboard on the market. Kailh Blue mechanical switches. No dedicated media keys. No key remapping or macros. Bottom Line: It's pricey, but the Azio Retro Classic is a distinctive and elegant take on 1940s Remington typewriters. With Kailh blue switches and a metal frame, it's a productivity keyboard that's also built to last. Allows for five custom backlighting profiles. Cons: No wrist rest. Bottom Line: The Havit HV-KB390L Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard is a highly portable mechanical keyboard that is excellent to type on. Cherry MX mechanical switches. Cons: No dedicated media keys. Raised feet sold separately. Keys recessed within plastic frame. Can't remap key to key. Bottom Line: The price is high, and Kinesis' configuration utility needs more work if the company wants to compete for gamers' dollars, but the Freestyle Edge's ergonomics and Cherry MX switches are truly solid. Comfortable and quiet for typing and gaming. Cons: Software takes patience to learn. No dedicated macro or media keys. Very good wireless range. Built-in touchpad and mouse buttons. Supports gestures, including Windows 8. Good typing and touchpad experience. Cons: Somewhat cramped keyboard. Keys are not backlit. Bottom Line: The wireless Microsoft All-in-One Media Keyboard lets you easily stream music and other content from a home-theater or living-room PC from the comfort of the sofa. Excellent backlighting and function customization options. Cons: No dedicated media keys, G-keys or USB pass-through. Bottom Line: The SteelSeries Apex M750 is excellent for seasoned gamers who care less about bells and whistles and more about fast actuation and fine control of backlighting and key assignments. As a hardware analyst, Tom tests and reviews laptops, peripherals, and much more at PC Labs in New York City. He previously covered the consumer tech beat as a news reporter for PCMag in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, where he rode in several self-driving cars and witnessed the rise and fall of many startups. Before that, he worked for PCMag's s... John is PCMag's executive editor for hardware. A veteran of the popular tech site and magazine Computer Shopper from 1993 to 2017, he has covered just about every kind of computer gear—from the 386SX to 18-core processors—in his long tenure as an editor, a writer, and an advice columnist.

The number of macro commands that you can save, and the ease with which you can create them, vary from one model to the next; our reviews are handy for summaries of this kind of software. Modern models come in a bunch of subtypes, from boards optimized for typing efficiency to sculpted ergonomic designs that lighted computer keyboard your hands and relieve stress on the joints. You may not care about the specific mechanisms that reside beneath the keys, but you will feel the difference. Integrated hub now supports USB 3. Cons: No dedicated media keys, G-keys or USB pass-through. Pros: Dedicated media controls.