The best mechanical keyboards you can buy

Mechanical keyboards are some of the most beloved among typists and gamers, and typically find themselves on lists of the best keyboards you can buy. They can offer the fastest and most accurate switches, great RGB lighting, and fantastic durability. But even among the best keyboards, some simply outshine all the others. Our favorite is the Logitech G915 TKL, which has a great compact design, excellent switches, and a fast and responsive wireless connection.

Whether you’re looking for a wireless keyboard or a gaming keyboard, we’ve gathered the best mechanical keyboards for everyone.

Logitech G915 TKL

Best wireless gaming mechanical keyboard

The Logitech G915 TKL is an amazing mechanical keyboard that has just the right blend of typing and gaming features to make it an awesome all-round model -- even if it is designed with gaming in mind.

For this model, Logitech ditched the age-old Cherry MX switches for its own, lower-profile, fast-response GL switches. They’re rated to last for up to 70 million key presses and go through rigorous testing. They have a short actuation distance, which makes them respond faster than classic mechanical switches, and yet they use a standard mechanical design, with options for tactile, clicky, and linear switches.

These aren't optical or magnetic, though, so you can't adjust the actuation distance. The sturdy frame includes rubber feet so that your keyboard won’t slip out of position during a crucial moment, and it offers three different angles depending on what your wrists most prefer. The result is a compact, high-performance mechanical keyboard that will last a lifetime.

Whether you’re customizing the RGB LED backlighting (onboard storage can hold multiple profiles) or remapping the keys, the software tools are intuitive and powerful. You can even create bespoke profiles for individual games so the G915 TKL responds exactly as you want as soon as the game starts.

Thanks to the combination of fast — and surprisingly quiet — switches, a compact and light package for LAN gaming, great Lightspeed wireless technology, impressive RGB backlighting, and a price tag that’s not exorbitant, the Logitech G915 TKL is our favorite wireless mechanical keyboard for gaming.

It's all backed by the Logitech G-Hub, too. Learn how to use that, here.

Das Keyboard 4 Professional

Best mechanical keyboard for professionals

German-engineered and American-made, the Das Keyboard 4 Professional stands out among all others in the Das lineup. It features a standard 104-key layout with multimedia keys located in the top right along with an attractive dial, which fine-tunes your system volume with just a single turn. It flaunts full n-key rollover, so you can press as many keys as you like without interruption.

Additionally, the 4 Professional’s gold-plated Cherry MX keys are rated to endure more than 50 million keystrokes, which is now a mechanical keyboard standard. The key caps even feature a new Das Keyboard font for a more refined look and easier reading.

The ergonomics and aesthetics of the Das Keyboard 4 Professional remain intact regardless of the key switches you choose, but the tactile feedback and active response rate are entirely up to you. We prefer the Cherry MX Blue key switches due to the satisfying audible click, but check out the brown or red key switches if you’re looking for something a bit quieter with less action.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3

Best premium mechanical keyboard

SteelSeries' Apex Pro keyboards have been some of the most exciting for gamers and typists alike for many years. The latest generation is no different, as it takes the mechanical switch technology to new heights with its latest generation of Hall Effect Omnipoint 3.0 switches. These can have multiple actionable commands built into them, with multiple actuation points, all of which are customizable by you.

That makes it superfast if you want it to be, as well as very quiet and comfortable to use thansk to a number of sound-dampening features, including per-key lubrication, sound-dampening foam, and new switch stabilizers. There's detailed per-key RGB lighting, too, a detachable USB-C cable, and double-shot PBT keycaps for added durability.

HyperX Alloy Origins 60

Best compact mechanical keyboard

Sometimes a full-sized keyboard isn’t the right fit: This HyperX keyboard has a 60% layout, a compact design that’s ideal for traveling or saving on space while still providing a reliable mechanical experience. It’s also one of our most affordable picks, so you’ll save some money along the way.

That compact design is supported by aircraft-grade aluminum, and the PBT keys are made to last no matter where the keyboard ends up. Even the in-house key switches are high-quality and offer great durability with a rating of 80 million keypresses. The keyboard comes with plenty of customization for macros, RGB lighting, a dedicated gaming mode, and more.

Redragon K552

Best cheap mechanical keyboard

The Redragon K552 is a super budget mechanical keyboard with real mechanical switches. That's a real surprise at this sort of price, but they are genuine mechanical switches. Sure, they don't have the features of top models and they don't have the durability of new optical designs, but they will still respond far better than your average membrane board.

You get RGB lighting across a range of zones, and you can customize the colors, though it's not per-key. The compact deisgn makes it easy for this keyboard to fit just about anywhere, though it still has all the arrow keys for those niche use cases.

Want more affordable options? Check out our guide to the best budget mechanical keyboards.

Razer Pro Type Ultra

Fast mechanical keyboard for typing and gaming

The Razer Pro Type is the Razer keyboard for Razer fans, who don't want a Razer keyboard. It has all the same great features as its top gaming board, but with a clear, unfettered design. It's stark white, with white backlighting, so it doesn't have the look or feel of a gaming keyboard, but it still offers fast and responsive typing (and gaming) abilities, and is very comfortable to use.

The wrist rest provides cushioned support during longer typing and gaming sessions, and you get a full-size board, so if you make use of the End, Insert, or number keys, you have them at your disposal here.

At around $150, the price is pretty average for a high-end mechanical keyboard, and the fact you can use it wirelessly, or with Bluetooth is a real bonus. This is an all-round solid mechanical keyboard that would suit just about anyone, but it's great for professionals who want the performance of mechanical without the gamer styling.

Asus ROG Azoth

Best customizable mechanical keyboard

The Asus ROG Azoth is an amazing mechanical keyboard right out of the box, with sturdy and responsive switches, a comfortable feel when typing and gaming, and an attractive and useful OLED display which you can tweak to your heart's content.

But it's that customization that makes this board so attractive. It lets you swap out the switches for a range of options, helping you find the right feel for your keyboard. You can have faster keys for gaming, and more clicky tactile switches elsewhere for typing. Thanks to its gasket mount, you get a very comfortable and satisfying feeling typing experience whatever switch you use.

The switches are stabilized and lubricated, too, so they are smooth, and super quiet, so this is a great keyboard for typing in an office setting, just as it is for gaming.

Want more options? Check out our guide to the best gaming keyboards.

Keychron Q11

Best ergonomic mechanical keyboard

Ergonomic keyboards are all about improving the comfort and long-term health of you and your wrists, and the best way to achieve that for the widest number of people is with a split keyboard design. The Keychron Q11 lets you place each half of the keyboard in whatever position is most comfortable for you, helping you achieve a neutral wrist and hand position for improved comfort and health.

It's expensive, and there's a steep learning curve to a split-design board, but you'll feel right at home with every other part of it. It's a 75% layout, with all the most important keys within reach. Its mechanical switches are superfast and responsive for both typing and gaming. You can change them to anything you want, though, thanks to support for 3-pin and 5-pin alternative switches, and you can swap out the keycaps to whatever design you prefer, too.