From clicky mechanical keyboards to slim scissor options and quiet membrane models, I’ve tested the best keyboards for typing and gaming

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There are several reasons you might be on the hunt for the best keyboard. You may want one to use with your tablet or phone, or you may need one to use with your laptop.

Laptop keyboards are generally rather good, but a separate keyboard allows for greater flexibility in your workspace setup. Those with a gaming laptop, meanwhile, will certainly want a separate keyboard and mouse as the basic laptop layout means the touchpad and palm rest get in the way of keyboard access.

The best keyboards will be subjective for every individual, but I’ve compiled options across the three main types of keyboards and various price points, from £20 to £160. You can read my full reviews below, as well as answers to frequently asked questions, but if you’re in a hurry to get typing, here’s a quick look at my top five.

The best keyboards: At a glance

• Best Buy keyboard: Razer Pro Type Ultra
• Best Value keyboard: SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL
• Best productivity keyboard: Cherry KC 200MX
• Best gaming keyboard: Corsair K70 RGB Pro
• Best ultraportable keyboard: Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 JUMP TO REVIEWS

How to choose the best keyboards

There are three basic types of keyboards: membrane keyboards, scissor keyboards and mechanical keyboards.

Membrane keyboards use a formed rubber mat to provide key activation. They are usually cheap and quiet.

Scissor keys use an interlocking plastic mechanism and a rubber membrane to deliver a stable, short-travel keystroke, making them great for slim keyboards.

Mechanical keyboards are mechanically actuated and use coil springs, providing a superior typing experience. However, they are typically more expensive and make more noise. Mechanical keys also come in several sub-types denoted by colour. Red is the most common and popular with linear switches that deliver a smooth, continuous action. Blue is clickier, while brown sits between red and blue in terms of click/linear trade-off.

Once you’ve considered the type of keyboard you want, you’ll need to decide on size. There are two basic sizes: full-sized with a numeric keypad and tenkeyless, or TKL, without a numeric keypad.

Other features to consider are a backlight if you plan on typing in low-light environments and dedicated media keys if you regularly change settings like volume. Connectivity should also be a factor: some keyboards will connect via a USB cable and wirelessly, either by Bluetooth or a USB receiver dongle, or both. Others will only connect by one or two of those methods.

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How we test keyboards

I tested a range of keyboards, from mechanical to ergonomic, to work and gaming Reviewing a keyboard is a subjective process. You can measure the activation pressure and polling speed of keys, but that will just generate numbers that are borderline meaningless to the vast majority of people. Typing speed is another possible benchmark, though I average around 75 words per minute on almost all keyboards other than ergonomic designs, which I’m less familiar with.

I therefore think the best way to test a keyboard is to use each review keyboard in place of my regular keyboard for several days. My current favourites are a SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL for gaming and a Cherry G80-3000N for work. With a cupboard full of keyboards, I am in the enviable position of being able to regularly swap my daily drivers, which has resulted in experience with with a vast range of options.

For each keyboard I test, I look to see how the review keyboard compares to my favourite regular keyboards in terms of usability, features, layout, design and overall quality. Again, keyboards are subjective, so what I like may not be the same as what you like.

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The best keyboards of 2025

1. Best Buy Keyboard: Razer Pro Type Ultra

Score: 10/10

**We like:**Great for work and play, quiet for a mechanical keyboard, detachable leatherette wrist pad, wireless and wired connectivity, looks good

**We don’t like:**Quite big, there’s no compact version, not the cheapest option

£159.99

Price at

Amazon

Looks shouldn’t be the primary reason to buy a new keyboard, so it’s just as well then that the Razer’s Pro Type Ultra is not only a beauty but also boasts the performance and build-quality to match. Typing is excellent thanks to Razer’s yellow linear mechanical keyboard switches. They are also nice and quiet and deliver a clean, precise action. If you want a balance between gaming and typing prowess, this keyboard is as good as it gets.

Razer keyboards are typically designed for the gaming community and come with full RGB lighting shows, but the Pro Type Ultra’s bright backlight is white only. Given the white and silver design of the Ultra, you might initially think this is a bad idea. Razer has judged it to perfection though, resulting in fully legible keycap graphics. One word of warning, though, with the backlight at 100 per cent, the rechargeable battery will drain in a couple of days if connected wirelessly.

The Pro Type Ultra can be connected using the supplied USB-A dongle, Bluetooth or via a USB-C cable. Included with the Ultra is a comfortable leatherette wrist rest that further enhances the Ultra’s typing ergonomics. It should last the distance, as Razer says its key switches are good for more than 80 million actions.

Key specifications

• Type: Mechanical, Razer Yellow Switch
• **Features:**Leatherette wrist rest, ultra-bright white backlight
• **Connections:**Wireless, Bluetooth, wired USB-C
• Dimensions: W 439mm, D 131mm, H 40mm
• Weight: 1.62kg

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2. Best Value Keyboard: SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL

Score: 9/10

**We like:**Outstanding value, available in compact and full-sized formats, splash resistant

**We don’t like:**No wireless option, some colours exclusive to US

£34.90

Price at

Amazon

If you’re prone to splashing a cup of coffee over your keyboard, the SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL could be just the keyboard for you. It’s IP32-rated, dust and water-resistant and great for work and gaming. SteelSeries claims aren’t just marketing fluff either: I spilt half a glass of beer over my Apex 3, but a quick rinse and it was as good as new.

Typing on the Apex 3 is a surprisingly peaceful experience, thanks to the whisper-quiet rubber dome membrane switches that are a great compromise between mechanical keys and standard membrane keys. The Apex 3 also feels remarkably solid for a keyboard that costs less than £50 in compact (TKL) form and £70 for the full-size version. For such a versatile keyboard, it truly is remarkably good value.

The keyboard lighting stretches the whole board, rather than lighting each ley For that price, you do forgo certain features. There’s no per-key RGB lighting, for instance, although the eight-zone reactive illumination you do get is impressively bright. There is no wireless connectivity either, but there is a handy volume roller and if you fire up the SteelSeries GG Windows app, you can set up customised key shortcuts.

Key specifications

• **Type:**Membrane
• Features: IP32 water resistant
• Connections: USB
• Dimensions: W 364mm, D 150mm, H 40mm
• Weight: 639g

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3. Best Ultraportable Keyboard: Logitech Keys-To-Go 2

**Score:**9/10

**We like:**Small, light design, scissor keys are surprisingly good to type on, cover folds over as a stand

**We don’t like:**No backlight

£79.99

Price at

Logitech

Logitech’s Keys-To-Go 2 is a great keyboard for travel, being a mere nine millimetres thick and weighing a piffling 222g. Logitech also claims the coin-type batteries are good for around three years, so you can leave it in your backpack safe in the knowledge that if you need a keyboard to use with your tablet, phone or laptop, it’s ready to go.

For a super-slim travel keyboard, the Keys-To-Go 2 is remarkably accomplished. The scissor-style keys have one millimetre of travel and are surprisingly satisfying to type on. There’s Windows and Mac graphics on the keycaps (and a dedicated iPad version,) tri-mode Bluetooth so you can hop between devices at the touch of a button and support for Logitech’s impressive Options+ personalisation software.

You can fold the lid back underneath the keyboard to raise it slightly Of course, all these features would be useless if, like some ultraportable keyboards, it had the same structural integrity as a wet piece of cardboard. The Keys-To-Go 2 is an unusually solid affair, though. The body is largely flex-free and its protective lid folds around to add some height so you are not typing on a flat surface as you are with many folio keyboards. This is one of the few ultraportable keyboards that won’t leave you pining for a proper keyboard every time you use it.

Key specifications

• **Type:**Scissor
• Features: Tri-device Bluetooth
• **Connections:**Bluetooth
• Dimensions: W 250mm, D 105mm, H 9mm
• **Weight:**222g

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4. Best Keyboard for Mac/Linux Users: Keychron B6 Pro

**Score:**9/10

**We like:**Thin and light, wired and wireless connectivity, comes with a silicone skin

**We don’t like:**No backlight

£49.99

Price at

Amazon

If you want a keyboard that looks the part next to your MacBook, Mac mini, iPad or iMac, there are three obvious choices: Logitech’s MX Keys S, Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Keychron’s B6 Pro. I’m giving the nod to the Keychron B6 because it’s by far the best value at just £50, and Keychron throws a silicone skin in the box to guard against dirt and spills. It also lets you connect via a USB-C cable, as well as Bluetooth and a wireless dongle.

With the B6, we are firmly in the land of ultra-thin keyboards; it’s less than 15mm thick at the back. That slenderness is thanks to the scissor mechanism keys, which, despite their low profile, deliver impressively good typing quality. The keys are stable and well-spaced, while the switches have a lightweight and near-silent action with a satisfying end-stop. The keycaps themselves have a shallow concave profile too, which feel good under your fingers.

At the back of the B6, you’ll find two switches, one to swap between the three connectivity modes and one to move between Mac and Windows preferences, so you get the same multimedia and Fn key functions found on Apple’s keyboards. You can also customise the keyboard settings with Keychron’s ZMK web app, which lets you remap keys as well as set up macros and shortcuts. Being a web-based app, it works with Linux devices as well as Windows and Mac.

Key specifications

• Type: Scissor
• **Features:**Free silicon skin, Mac/Windows switch, Linux-friendly software
• **Connections:**2.4Ghz Wireless, Bluetooth, Wired USB-C
• Dimensions: W 429mm, D 130mm, H 14.5mm
• **Weight:**623g

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5. Best Gaming Keyboard: Corsair K70 RGB Pro

Score: 9/10

**We like:**Dedicated media keys and volume roller, big and solid build quality, choice of mechanical keys, per-key RGB lighting

**We don’t like:**Weighs nearly two kilograms, quite loud

£179.99

Price at

Amazon

Corsair’s K70 gaming keyboard has been knocking around since 2015, which is a testament to the underlying excellence of the original design. In the latest Pro incarnation, it remains one of the best gaming keyboards on the market. There’s an aluminium deck, heavy-duty grippy keycaps and it is available with a choice of switches, making it suitable for hardcore gamers and eSports pros.

The K70 Pro ticks all the boxes for a serious gaming keyboard. It has bright per-key RGB backlighting, dedicated media keys including a fast volume roller and rapid polling rates, which means near-instantaneous response times in the heat of combat. It’s a solid keyboard, too: I thoroughly hammer away at my keyboard when things get intense and the K70 Pro never feels or sounds like it’s going to bend or break.

Next to the detachable USB cable, you’ll find a unique feature in the form of the “tournament switch”, which disables custom actions, macros and profile switching and changes the backlighting to a static single colour to reduce distraction. Corsair calls this a “competition-compliant mode,” which prevents you from falling foul of any eSport competition rules. If the K70 Pro has a drawback, it’s the rather resonant typing noise that made it the loudest keyboard in this guide.

Key specifications

• Type: Mechanical, Cherry Brown/Cherry Red/Cherry Speed/Corsair OPX Switch
• **Features:**Tournament mode, magnetic palm rest, media keys and roller
• Connections: Wired USB-A detachable
• Dimensions: W 444mm, D 166mm, H 40mm
• **Weight:**1.72kg

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6. Best Productivity Keyboard: Cherry KC 200MX

**Score:**8/10

**We like:**Superb typing action, cheap for a high-quality mechanical keyboard, great design

**We don’t like:**No backlight, no wireless connectivity, only the bronze model is available in UK layout

£95.93

Price at

Amazon

When it comes to professional workplace keyboards, few manufacturers have a reputation to match Cherry. The KC 200MX is the first keyboard to feature the brand’s latest MX2A mechanical switches. It lacks a backlight and wireless connectivity, but it is designed to offer the best typing experience at a fairly affordable price.

The layout of the 108-keys may be entirely conventional and firmly rooted in the philosophy of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but the bronze anodised metal plate that sits below the keycaps gives this Cherry keyboard a distinctive look. Sadly, the equally handsome white and pink model is not available in a UK layout.

The keys feature redesigned springs, a new socket dome shape and new spring guidance in the switch stem, as well as a new lubricant, which Cherry claims reduces noise and produces a smoother typing action. Whatever the technical changes, the KC 200MX offers one of the most rewarding and pleasant typing experiences I’ve ever encountered on a mechanical keyboard.

Key specifications

• **Type:**Mechanical, Cherry Red or Cherry Brown Switch
• **Features:**Metal base plate, latest generation Cherry switches
• **Connections:**Wired USB-A
• Dimensions: W 430mm, D 121mm, H 39mm
• **Weight:**832g

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7. Best Ergonomic Keyboard: Kensington Pro Fit Ergo EQ

**Score:**8/10

**We like:**Supremely comfortable, outstanding value, typing angle can be adjusted, dedicated video conference keys

**We don’t like:**The tenkeyless keyboard is big, no wired option, plastic construction feels a little cheap

£51.40

Price at

Amazon

Ergonomic keyboards range from those that look broadly similar to normal keyboards to two-piece affairs that leave you questioning if they were in fact designed for extraterrestrial species rather than humans. The Kensington Pro Fit Ergo EQ sits in the middle: it’s certainly not a standard keyboard, but the design is not so extreme as to scare the horses.

The size of the Pro Fit Ergo EQ is striking, however. It’s massive thanks largely to the wrist rest, which spans the entire length of the keyboard width and adds about 95mm to this keyboard’s depth. It’s also an entirely plastic affair and feels a little bargain basement, though at around £50 (or circa £88 for the model with a numeric keypad) it’s superb value and the typing action is good.

The two-section ergonomic layout has a nice curve to it. When combined with the different-sized keys and adjustable three-leg stand that allows for a negative typing angle (the keyboard deck sloping away rather than towards you), I found a supremely comfortable user experience. Connectivity is via either Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz wireless dongle, but there’s no backlight.

Key specifications

• **Type:**Membrane
• **Features:**Video conferencing keys, negative angle feet
• Connections: 2.4Ghz Wireless, Bluetooth
• Dimensions: W 376mm, D 221mm, H 35mm
• **Weight:**600g

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8. Best Solar-Powered Keyboard: Logitech K980 Signature Slim Solar+

**Score:**8/10

**We like:**Solar collector gives 10-year battery life, AI key for Windows and ChromeOS users, light and positive typing action, virtually silent

**We don’t like:**No backlight, no feet to increase typing angle, the dedicated Mac version is North America-only

£99.99

Price at

Logitech

If your wireless keyboard running out of power is the bane of your life, then Logitech’s K980 Signature Slim Solar Plus+ keyboard could be the answer to your prayers. It features a solar collector that works with both artificial and natural light to keep the keyboard’s battery topped up. Logitech claims that the Signature Slim Solar+ will keep running for around 10 years, which is of course something I have to take its word for.

Solar collector aside, the Signature Slim Solar+ is the first Logitech keyboard to feature what the company calls an ‘AI Launch Key,’ which works as a Copilot button on Windows 11 machines, while launching the Gemini AI interface on a ChromeOS laptop. Of course, that renders it superfluous for macOS or Linux systems, but you can always reprogram the key to do something different.

Elsewhere, the rest of the package is similar to Logitech’s well-regarded MX Keys S keyboard, though it’s a little larger and it doesn’t have a backlight. The K980 Signature Slim Solar Plus+ connects via either Bluetooth or Logitech’s latest Logi Bolt USB-C receiver, it has a short but positive typing action that’s incredibly quiet and it offers a full-size numeric keypad. My only criticisms are that the dedicated Mac version is currently only available in North America and the lack of fold-out feet mean you can’t increase the typing angle.

Key specifications

• **Type:**Scissor
• **Features:**Solar powered, AI key
• **Connections:**2.4Ghz Wireless, Bluetooth
• Dimensions: W 431mm, D 143mm, H 20mm
• **Weight:**700g

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9. Best for Content Creators: Logitech POP Icon

**Score:**8/10

**We like:**Distinctive design, customisable action keys, Logi Options+ app is excellent, good value

We don’t like: No backlight, the typing angle can’t be adjusted

£69.99

Price at

Logitech

If the design of your keyboard is as important as the quality, Logitech has you well-covered with the uber-trendy POP Icon keyboard and mouse combo. The POP Icon is available in four colour schemes: rose/off white, lilac/off white, graphite/green and off white/orange, each with a colour-matched mouse. They perform as well, and are great value at £70, including a high-quality mouse.

Typing action is good by the standards of a non-mechanical keyboard. The keyboard is generally quite quiet, though the space bar was a little more rattly than the other keys on my test sample. The layout isn’t entirely orthodox, but it does a great job of squeezing a lot of keys into a small space. Connectivity is Bluetooth-only and power comes from a pair of AAA batteries, which, in the absence of a backlight, should last for years rather than months. Usefully, you can quickly switch between three connected devices using the F1-F3 keys.

The POP Icon’s ace is Logitech’s Options+ app. This allows you to set up shortcuts and then assign them to the keyboard’s buttons. You can allocate shortcuts to the Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys, as well as the brightness controls and the F4 to F12 keys. These shortcuts can be used to control settings and actions, as well as app-specific tasks, depending on which app you’re using. It’s powerful, easy to use and surprisingly useful software. It’s also available for both Windows and Mac.

Key specifications

• **Type:**Membrane
• **Features:**Customisable Action Keys
• **Connections:**Bluetooth
• Dimensions: W 325mm, D 137mm, H 22mm
• Weight: 530g

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10. Best Budget Keyboard: Logitech K250

**Score:**7/10

**We like:**Full-sized numeric keypad, works with Mac, great typing performance for price

**We don’t like:**No backlight, no wired connectivity

£19.99

Price at

Argos

Logitech is arguably the best known keyboard and mouse manufacturer in the UK and can be relied upon to deliver a good quality product no matter the category or price bracket. That’s why there are four Logitech keyboards in this guide. The K250 is one of Logitech’s cheapest keyboards, selling at just £20 (or £24.99 as the MK250 when bundled with the decent companion mouse,) but despite that, it delivers a reliable and enjoyable typing experience.

For this sort of money, you don’t get much in the way of fancy features. There’s no backlight and connection is via Bluetooth only. The key travel is a little shallow too. The rubber membrane keys have a solid, well-engineered feel to them however and the keycaps, which are made from matte plastic, feel pleasant under your fingers, while the white-on-black graphics are clear. The K250 also has a full-sized numeric keypad, making it well suited for data entry.

Unusually for most cheap keyboards, the bottom row of keys are set up to work with both Windows and macOS, so they are dual-captioned as start/opt, alt/cmd or ctrl/opt, which makes it easy to switch between operating systems. Power meanwhile, comes from a pair of supplied AAA batteries that should last for many months. For the money, you can’t ask for more.

Key specifications

• Type: Membrane
• **Features:**Multi OS keycaps
• Connections: Bluetooth
• **Dimensions:**W 370mm, D 137mm, H 23mm
• Weight: 380g

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Best keyboards FAQs