What is a mechanical keyboard: where to start and what to look for
8.24.2023
By Hayden Dingman, Contributor
Conventional wisdom holds that you should invest a lot of money on your mattress because you spend at least a third of your life in bed. That makes sense—but by that logic, shouldn't we think about how many hours we spend at a keyboard each day? Between working, chatting with friends, and playing PC games, chances are that it's quite a few. No matter your job, you deserve a good keyboard, and in this case, "good" almost always means going mechanical.
If you're ready to ditch the $20 keyboard with the sticky 's' key and upgrade to something better, we've got tips on what to look for and where to begin.
What is a mechanical keyboard?
Modern keyboards basically fall into two categories: membrane and mechanical. That's a little bit of an oversimplification, but for this guide, those are the two you need to know.
Membrane Keyboards
Most of the keyboards you'll encounter out in the world are membrane. If you sliced one in half, you'd find two membrane layers inside. When you press a key, these membrane layers smush together and actuate, making a letter appear on-screen.
Some membrane keyboards are quite nice. Most laptop keyboards are membrane, for instance, and I'm currently hammering out this article on a laptop keyboard that I love very much. That said, the vast majority of membrane keyboards are cheap and utilitarian. When a company needs to order hundreds of keyboards to outfit every workstation in their office, they buy $15 devices with cheap rubber dome switches that feel like typing on a wet sponge. You deserve better.
Even great membrane keyboards have some drawbacks. The materials used in these devices wear out quicker than those used in mechanicals, with the cheapest typically holding up to one or two years of typing. You also need to "bottom out" each keystroke, meaning you need to press a key all the way down for it to register. This can be hard on your fingers and wrists over time.
Mechanical Keyboards
By definition, mechanical keyboards employ an individual switch under each key. This is what separates them from membrane keyboards.
The differences don't stop there, though. Mechanical keyboards are typically more resilient and reliable, since they're built from higher quality materials. And because every key has its own switch, mechanical keyboards usually feature "N-key rollover," which means that you can press every key on the board at the same time and the PC still receives all of those inputs. Cheap membrane keyboards might get confused if you type on even three keys at the same time, and even high-end membrane boards typically top out at 10-key.
But the standout feature of mechanical keyboards is the variety of typing experiences on offer. Mechanical keyboards are a large category, encompassing many, many types of switches. Some are easy to press down, but others provide more resistance so you feel like you're doing serious work. Some actuate on a hair-trigger; others are more deliberate. And then there's tactile feedback, which is probably the feature most people associate with mechanical keyboards. It's the clack clack clack you hear in the next room—though not all mechanical keyboards make such noises. Let's get into it.
Tactile Feedback
Unlike membrane keyboards, most mechanical keyboards don't need to bottom out before a keystroke appears on-screen. Instead, there's something called an "actuation point," which is usually a few millimeters from the bottom of the mechanism. This is the point where the two metal pieces of a mechanical switch actually make contact, form a circuit, and create a letter.
Different mechanical switches feature different ways to indicate—or not indicate—that you've reached this actuation point. They're generally sorted into three large buckets termed linear, tactile, and clicky.
Linear Switches
Surprise! Linear switches feature no tactile feedback. When you press a key, it goes down in one smooth, straight motion. This is why they're called linear.
Linear switches are popular for games because they're quick and responsive. A low-resistance linear switch will slam to the bottom and back up before you can even process the movement. They're also quieter than other mechanical switches, which is important if you're streaming—or if your roommate is asleep across the hall.
However, there are some downsides. Since there's no feedback to indicate that you've reached the actuation point, you can sometimes press the keys harder than is necessary, given that they don't need to bottom out. This can make linear switches harder on your fingers and wrists.
Also, some people like loud.
Clicky Switches
Clicky switches are essentially the opposite of their linear counterparts. They're what most people associate with mechanical keyboards—because they're loud. If you use a linear switch in the office, most people (probably) won't notice. But if you use a clicky switch in the office, someone might complain. At the very least, you'll get some glares.
Clicky switches combine two bits of sensory feedback. You'll both feel and hear a loud click when you reach the actuation point. Because of this, clicky switches are great for typing. You'll quickly learn to feel the actuation point instead of bottoming out, which gives your wrists and fingers a break. You might even find that you type faster. Oh, and did I mention they're loud?
You might love clicky switches, but the people around you may not. That's why you might want to go with the compromise option, which we detail below.
Tactile Switches
Tactile switches split the difference between linear and clicky. As you press a key down, you'll feel a little "bump" in the mechanism. This bit of feedback indicates you've successfully reached the actuation point.
The tactile bump is primarily felt rather than heard. This is the crucial distinction between tactile switches and clicky switches, and it makes tactile switches a great choice for people who want the typing benefits of a mechanical keyboard without annoying their family, roommates, coworkers, neighbors, pets, etc.
Optical Switches
The last few years, another switch has made the rounds in gaming circles. Optical switches fall into the same linear-to-clicky range as mechanical switches, but with one key difference: Instead of two pieces of metal coming together to form a circuit, optical switches use lasers to actuate. Futuristic, right?
Manufacturers make a lot of claims around optical switches, but the one that matters most is durability. Since they have fewer moving parts, they have less wear-and-tear. Still, we're talking about the difference between a mechanical keyboard that lasts maybe 10 years and an optical that lasts 15. Given the price markup on optical switches, a mechanical keyboard will probably suffice for most people.
Keyboard materials, layout, and lighting
Once you've settled on a switch, the next step is finding the right keyboard for you. A lot of this is subjective. Do you like a thick industrial keyboard with aggressive styling? Or do you want something you could use in an office without anyone noticing? Do you prefer pastels, or do you prefer more traditional "gamer" colors like black and red?
No matter how you feel, chances are there's a keyboard out there for you. However, if you really want to customize your device, you can try custom keycaps and build-your-own kits, which are beyond the scope of this article. However, these options are quite expensive, and constitute a whole hobby unto themselves.
If you're buying an off-the-shelf keyboard, there are a few final aspects to consider.
Backlighting
If you spend any time in a dark room, you'll probably want backlighting. It comes in handy. Some keyboards still come with single-color lighting (i.e. white). However, the vast majority of gaming keyboards are RGB-enabled, meaning you can set it to whatever you'd like. Either way, we'd recommend having some lighting.
Keycaps
Keycaps are the bits of the keyboard that you actually see and touch. They're made primarily out of two different plastics: ABS and PBT.
ABS is more common. It's smooth, it's lightweight, and it's cheap and easy to manufacture. It also tends to develop a "shiny" look over the course of many years, as the plastic wears out. Additionally, it comes in a lot of colors.
PBT is more resilient and it doesn't develop that telltale shiny look, making it a popular choice among enthusiasts. It's also more textured than ABS; that said, it's also more expensive. If your keyboard comes with PBT, that's great, but it's not a must-have.
Case
You should pay attention to the build materials of the keyboard case. If it's encased in plastic, that's fine—just make sure it's well-constructed and durable. Most mechanical keyboards also mount the switches on a metal backplate, which gives the entire casing some additional heft.
If you're serious about your typing, try getting a keyboard encased in metal. My personal day-to-day keyboard uses an aluminum frame. It's heavier, yes, but also bomb-proof.
Then there are keyboards that eschew the outer case and instead allow the keys to "float" above the naked backplate. These are great if you want to show off your RGB lighting, and they also make it easier to blow compressed air through your keyboard to clean it. Unfortunately, you'll need to clean it a lot, because when hair, dirt, and other detritus falls between the keys, it's very visible.
Layout
You should consider what layout you want before you buy. When you think of a keyboard, you probably picture what we call a full-size or 100% keyboard. In a standard American layout, that's 104 keys. But you can get keyboards without a numpad, which are called TKL (for tenkeyless), or 80%. You can even get 60% boards that eschew function keys, arrow keys, and more. These options are popular for games because they eliminate keys that players don't use anyway, and it makes your setup slightly more ergonomic. Plus, it gives you more space for your mouse.
Forget trimming keys—what about adding them? You should consider whether there are any additional features you'd like, including macro keys, media keys, volume rollers or dials. You might also see if the keyboard has "gaming mode," which usually disables the Windows key.
A good starting point
Now, we're back to our original question: where do you start with mechanical keyboards?
For most gamers searching for their first mechanical keyboard, I'd recommend one in the $100-150 range with backlighting, some form of dedicated volume control, a TKL or 80% layout, and linear switches. You get bonus points if you find one with a decent pack-in wrist rest, though it's easy to purchase a third-party one after the fact.
Now, if you spend a lot of time typing, you might find linear switches unworkable. In that case, the rest of the above recommendations still apply, but your switch choice will depend on your living situation and how much noise your loved ones will tolerate. Though I personally love clicky switches, nowadays you're more likely to find me using tactile switches because I stay up late and don't want to annoy anyone. This is part of growing up, as they say.