Tenkeyless options
The Keychron V3 is the previous version of our top pick, the Keychron V3 Max. It has many of the same features, but it lacks wireless, and the rotary knob costs extra.
The Epomaker Shadow-S provides a pleasant typing experience, wireless support, and VIA compatibility, but it’s available only with linear switches, and its plastic case can’t match the quality of the metal Galaxy80.
The Vortex Multix 87 has a sturdy case, durable PBT keycaps, smooth stabilizers, and hot-swappable switches. But it lacks a backlight, full programmability, and a rotary knob.
The Varmilo VA Series V2, Varmilo VA Series V2 Mac, and Leopold FC750RBT lack hot-swap, and they aren’t fully programmable.
The Epomaker Brick 87 is a fun tenkeyless keyboard with a scroll wheel on the thumb rest and a strip to attach Lego bricks for decoration along the top. But the angled top row makes the function keys difficult to press, and it’s available only with linear switches.
The Mchose K87 had inconsistent-feeling stabilizers in our testing. It also lacks a knob and Mac keycaps, and its software was unintuitive.
For a keyboard that lacks wireless and comes with ABS keycaps, the Drop CSTM80 is expensive.
The Keychron K8 and Keychron K8 Pro are dealbreakingly tall in the front and uncomfortable to type on. The K8 Max and K8 QMK are also too tall, and their included cables are too short.
The Monokei Standard, ironically, doesn’t have standard keycaps. It also lacks a backlight, its spacebar rattled, and its Enter and Backspace keys emitted a high-pitched ping.
The Ducky One 2 TKL lacks media and volume keys out of the box; you have to program them yourself, and there are enough missing or incorrect instructions to make the process a real pain in the ass. We had to rely on GitHub user Chris Schmich’s correct instructions for programming media keys on the One 2.
The Ducky One 3 TKL is even worse to program media keys and other macros on—it doesn’t come with a manual, and the unit we bought wasn’t able to record macros until we installed a firmware update. (The 1.09 firmware I installed had its own set of issues that the company was aware of.) The Ducky subreddit is full of owner reports of problems with the One 3.
Buckling-spring keyboards don’t meet Wirecutter’s criteria for switch variety, and they’re not compatible with MX-style keycaps. But people who love buckling-spring keyboards really love buckling-spring keyboards. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. The Unicomp Mini M is the loudest keyboard I have ever encountered—my partner could hear me typing on it rooms away, across the entire 2,000-square-foot apartment, with his headphones on. If you have a buckling-spring keyboard and love it, I’m happy for you. But I can’t recommend this keyboard to anyone who doesn’t already know what they’re getting into.
The Durgod Taurus K320 doesn’t match our picks in build quality, keycap quality, or design. Buyer reviews indicate that the company has a poor track record of support.
The ABS keycaps on the KBParadise V80 feel cheaper and will wear out sooner than the PBT keycaps of our top picks. We also experienced an annoying, loud pinging noise during typing.
The Cherry Xtrfy K4v2 TKL has a nonremovable cable and ABS keycaps, and it lacks hot-swap.
For more information on the gaming keyboards we dismissed, see our gaming keyboards guide.
Full-size options
The Keychron V5 and Keychron V6 are the previous versions of our top picks, but they lack wireless, and not all versions include the knob.
The Epomaker TH99 feels nice to type on, but it lacks a knob, is harder to program, and is available only with linear switches.
The Mchose K99 lacks a knob and Mac keycaps, and its software is unintuitive and difficult to navigate.
The Keychron K10 Max, K10 QMK, K4 Pro, and K10 Pro have too-short cables and lack rotary knobs.
The Varmilo VA108M costs more than the Keychron V6 Max, yet it lacks RGB, hot-swap, wireless, and programmability, and it is covered in a tacky, fake-wood texture.
The Leopold FC900RBT also lacks hot-swap and programmability.
The Ducky One 3 Full-size has the same macro-recording issues as its tenkeyless counterpart.
The Cherry Xtrfy MX 3.1 lacks hot-swap, wireless, and Mac keycaps.
The Cherry KC 200 MX looks and feels cheap, and its cable isn’t removable.
Budget options
Compared with our budget pick, the full-size Keychron C2 Pro has higher-quality PBT keycaps and a white backlight, but it costs nearly twice as much.
The Keychron C1 and Keychron C2 were our previous budget picks, but the C3 Pro provides a similar typing experience for a lower price.
Typing on the full-size Lemokey X2 feels harsher and sounds louder in comparison with the Lemokey X5 because it lacks the X5’s gasket-mounted design. The Lemokey X3 is gasket-mounted and sounds more pleasant, but the entire case feels flimsy and flexes under light pressure.
The Lemokey X1 doesn’t feel or sound as nice to type on as the C3 Pro, and it lacks Mac keycaps and an easy way for you to swap between operating system layouts.
The iKBC TypeMan CD87 V2 and iKBC TypeMan CD108 V2 have PBT keycaps, but they cost more than our budget pick. They also have non-removable cables and lack labeled media keys, Mac-specific keycaps, and a backlight.
The full-size Logitech K845 has rattly stabilizers and gritty-feeling TTC switches. It also has a built-in cable and no Mac-specific keycaps.
Upgrade options
The Keychron Q3 Pro, Keychron Q5 Pro, and Keychron Q6 Pro were our previous upgrade picks, but the new Q Max models have an improved typing sound and feel. And they support a 2.4 GHz wireless connection for the same price.
The Keychron Q3, Keychron Q5, and Keychron Q6 are similar to our upgrade picks, but they lack wireless.
We love the flatter profiles and RGB light bars of the Drop Ctrl V2 and Drop Shift V2, but for keyboards that lack wireless, they’re expensive. They’re also more confusing to program than our picks, and their Holy Panda X Clear tactile switches don’t feel as nice to type on.
The Topre Realforce TKL R2 has unique Topre switches that are delightful to type on. But this keyboard is very expensive, it has a nonremovable cable, and it’s incompatible with most third-party keycaps.
Drop’s Expression keyboards lack hot-swap, have limited switch options, and are expensive. Their ABS keycaps will wear faster than the PBT keycaps on our top picks, and the unit I tested scooted around easily on my desk.
Drop’s Signature keyboards are even pricier than the Expression line. Their included switches feel scritchy, many of the keycaps are ABS, and they offer no option for a rotary knob.
The Cherry Xtrfy MX 8.2 TKL wireless is expensive, lacks hot-swap, and has a plastic case beneath its aluminum shell.
We tested several Hall Effect keyboards, including the Keychron Q3 HE, Q5 HE, and Q6 HE, as well as the Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL Pro. But the extra customization is primarily useful for gaming, and these keyboards are limited to linear switches that aren’t ideal for typing.
Number pads
The Epomaker Cidoo V21 is lovely to type on, is programmable in VIA, and supports wireless, but it’s only available in beige with linear switches.
The Epomaker EK21-X is similar to the Cidoo V21 in quality and features, but we were unable to reprogram it with VIA in our testing.
The HP 430 Programmable Wireless Keypad is not as customizable as our picks, and its low-profile switches feel scritchy.
The Leopold FC210TP has a built-in cable, and its alt functions don’t work on Mac. The FC210TP also lacks RGB backlighting, hot-swap, and programmability.
This article was edited by Signe Brewster, Caitlin McGarry, and Arthur Gies.
