Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
for Hardware 2.0
| November 11, 2021
| Topic: Hardware
Das Keyboard Prime 13
Minimalistic yet solid, and well-made keyboard
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$129 at Das Keyboard
Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard
Great value ergonomic keyboard
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$46 at Amazon
Logitech MX Keys Advanced
Beautifully crafted wireless keyboard
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$100 at Amazon
DSI Left-Handed Keyboard with Cherry Mechanical Red Switch
Mechanical keyboard for lefties
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$92 at Amazon
Logitech K780
Physical keyboard for mobile devices
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$59 at Amazon
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Apple Magic Keyboard
Keyboard with numeric keypad
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$115 at Amazon
Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
The keyboard for those with an Apple Silicon Mac
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$149 at Amazon
You deserve a good keyboard. You really do. Take it from someone who struggled with an awful keyboard for years.
Having the right keyboard can make a huge difference, not just to your productivity, but also comfort and even your health and longevity. And there’s one bit of equipment that can make a massive difference, and that’s the keyboard.
Here are a few top-notch productivity-boosting keyboards (not gaming — that brings a whole raft of additional considerations into play) for those of you considering an upgrade. I’ve also picked a great all-rounder keyboard for all you left-handed people out there.
Also: Best gaming keyboard: All the hits and clicks
Das Keyboard Prime 13
Minimalistic yet solid, and well-made keyboard
This is a solid, well-made, minimalistic keyboard that can last you a lifetime. Each key is equipped with a high-precision Cherry MX Brown switch, which is good for a whopping 50 million presses. Each key feels like a work of art.
The Das Keyboard Prime 13 also features beautiful LED back-lighting which makes typing in low-light a pleasure.
This beautiful keyboard is one of the very best money can buy.
$129 at Das Keyboard
Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard
Great value ergonomic keyboard
Microsoft makes great hardware, and the Microsoft Keyboard is no exception. The split-style keyboard encourages a more natural wrist and shoulder posture, and the shortcut buttons can speed up your productivity across a huge array of applications and web services.
The keyboard is wired for reliability, so there’s no battery to change or recharge, and nothing to get in the way of your typing.
$46 at Amazon
Logitech MX Keys Advanced
Beautifully crafted wireless keyboard
This is a keyboard that’s designed for people who have grown up on laptops. It has the look and feel of a high-quality laptop keyboard, from the key sizes, travel, and backlighting.
It’s also great for people who want to have one keyboard for multiple devices. The Logitech MX Keys Advanced is multi device and multi OS, compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android systems. Best of all, you can pair a single keyboard with three devices.
This wireless keyboard has a battery life of 10 days (or up-to 5 months with backlighting off), and is recharged using USB-C.
$100 at Amazon
DSI Left-Handed Keyboard with Cherry Mechanical Red Switch
Mechanical keyboard for lefties
I’m right-handed, but statistically some one-in-seven readers will be left-handed, and having to force yourself to fit into a world built for right-handers can be hard. So, why not grab yourself a keyboard made for people like you.
The DSI left-handed keyboard is built around the Cherry mechanical Red switch, each good for 20 million hits.
This is a wonderfully solid keyboard that’s an absolute pleasure to use.
$92 at Amazon
Logitech K780
Physical keyboard for mobile devices
If you work primarily with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, then you’ll know just how awful on-screen keyboards are for any sort of long-term sustained typing.
It doesn’t have to be!
This Logitech keyboard offers you the ability to work with a physical keyboard when the need arises. Can’t choose what device to use? This keyboard offers the ability to switch quickly between multiple devices.
A great space saver!
$59 at Amazon
Apple Magic Keyboard
Keyboard with numeric keypad
This is the best solution for Mac users. It’s stylish, practical, and very robust. I suggest getting the version with the numeric keypad, but if you are short of desk space, you could go for the basic keyboard.
The keyboard uses Apple’s scissor mechanism, giving each key a great feeling of solidity and great tactile feedback.
$115 at Amazon
Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
The keyboard for those with an Apple Silicon Mac
One of the most perfect Bluetooth keyboards ever made.
Beautiful to use, long-lasting battery, easy pairing with your Mac, and a convenient Touch ID pad fo your fingerprint.
It’s not cheap, but nothing Apple makes is cheap!
$149 at Amazon
Considerations
Some considerations to bear in mind when choosing a keyboard:
Wired or wireless: Wireless offers greater flexibility, but means batteries or recharging. Wired is fixed but there’s less care and feeding to do.Backlit or not: Some find backlit keyboards a must, others hate them. The good thing is that most keyboards that have backlighting can be put into dark mode.Size: Small keyboards are nice, but they can be cramped for extended sessions. Bluetooth dongle included or not: If you want a wireless keyboard for a desktop, remember that a lot of systems don’t have Bluetooth, so check if the keyboard comes with a dongle (most do).Ergonomic or not: Again, a personal taste thing. Some find ergonomic keyboards comfortable (especially if they suffer from ailments such as RSI or carpal tunnel syndrome), while others loathe anything that isn’t a regular layout.
Are Bluetooth keyboards less secure than wired keyboards?
If you are worried about this attack surface — and I’m not — then buy a wired keyboard.
Are Cherry Switches really that good?
Yes. There’s something about a Cherry keyboard switch that’s hard to explain. A preciseness. A positiveness. A very satisfying sound. They are awesome.
Why would I want a keyboard for a smartphone or tablet?
I’ve been using on-screen keyboards for years, and I’m still less efficient — far less efficient — using them compared to using a real keyboard. The single most important thing I can do to improve my efficiency when using a tablet or smartphone is to hook up a keyboard.
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