The Best Mechanical Keyboards: Top Picks for Every Budget

A mechanical keyboard can help you dial in the right feel for your specific typing style. Many top manufacturers let you swap switches and keycaps to customize your board.

The keyboards below embody what’s excellent about mechanical keyboards for many users. I used these mechanical keyboards for several weeks, including typing up this review.

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Keydous may be an unfamiliar brand for the average tech user, but they’re known for making impressive, custom-tailored boards in the mechanical keyboard space. Their NJ80 is one of the most popular keyboards for the mid-tier price point.

I’ve chosen the NJ98 here because it provides a nearly full-sized, 96% layout and many of the bells and whistles of the NJ80. First, what does full-sized mean? One of the first considerations with a mechanical keyboard is its size and layout.

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A full-sized board (sometimes denoted 98% or 100%) has all the keys you’d want from a keyboard, including a separate function row and number pad. Smaller boards do away with these peripheral keys in the interest of compactness.

The NJ98 provides all that functionality and then some. This board also offers hot-swappable switch sockets, which means you can buy new switches and change the feel without soldering them onto a circuit board (called a PCB in the keyboard space).

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The NJ98 also has excellent connectivity, allowing for a wired USB-C connection, Bluetooth compatibility, or wireless transmission using the included USB dongle. It’s got a rotary knob on the top right and a little macro screen that can be used to display various info or fun pictures. My board came loaded with BOX Taro Ice Cream Pro switches, which are light and quick.

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The typing is responsive, and the high-quality keycaps on this keyboard also feel great for long sessions. However, I do find that the RGB lighting causes the battery to drain faster than I’d hoped in wireless mode.

Also, while the keyboard has some foam and dampening inside, it feels a bit more hollow and slightly thinner than I’d want—particularly with how the keys sound. It’s also the most expensive board on this list, so it’s meant for those who want performance, customization, and a nice middle-ground of features.

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Who else recommends it? Niche publications like Geekhack and The Gadgeteer found the features and customization available on the NJ98 top-tier. What do buyers say? Buyers across various sites have rated the NJ98 highly, though it’s important to note that the NJ80 has more reviews.