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Using a good gaming keyboard will have a direct impact on your in-game performance.

From quicker response time to how the buttons feel to the touch, the benefits of using a quality gaming keyboard are endless.

To help you find the best gaming keyboard for your needs, we researched the market and compiled a long list of great options. We then considered each individual keyboard’s:

  • Value for Money
  • Size
  • Connectivity
  • Type
  • Integrated Features

This allowed us to narrow down our list to the 9 best gaming keyboards, which you can read about below.

Our top value-for-money pick is the FNATIC Streak65 LP, a two-thirds-sized gaming keyboard with ultra responsive silent keys.

Let’s take a look at all of the options you have in more detail.

How We Picked

When picking the gaming keyboards for our final selection, we considered the following:

Value for Money

You shouldn’t spend more money on a gaming keyboard than you need to. To prevent that, we carefully reviewed every aspect of every keyboard and made a decision based on our knowledge and expertise whether or not a particular product is worth its market price or not.

We will always strive to recommend you the best products while saving you as much of your hard-earned money as possible.

Keyboard Size

The three most common keyboard sizes are full-size (104 key), TKL (tenkeyless), which has 87 keys, and 60%, which has 68 keys.

There are some other less common keyboard sizes such as 75%, 65%, 40%, and even an individual gaming keypad, but we decided to stay away from those and focus on what is popular.

In our final selection today, you will find a number of full-sized, TKL, and 60 percent gaming keyboards to pick from.

Keyboard Connectivity

There are two main types of keyboards when it comes to connectivity; wired and wireless. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. While wired is a little bit more responsive, when going wireless you won’t have to deal with yet another cable.

To ensure we have plenty of great choices, we’ve included a number of great gaming keyboards that offer either wired or wireless connectivity.

Keyboard Type

There are two types of keyboards – membrane and mechanical. While membrane keyboards are more affordable, their more expensive counterpart, mechanical keyboards, offer better performance, feeling, and longevity.

During our research, we found some great products from both categories, which we decided to include.

Integrated Features

Most gaming keyboards offer a number of integrated features in the likes of RGB lights, wrist rest, additional USB ports, and more.

To accommodate with the needs of the gaming community, we’ve ensured that all of the products we recommend today feature at least one of the above.

Now, keep in mind that you don’t need to make use of them. If you don’t like RGB lights, you can turn them off. If you don’t want a wrist rest, you can take it off and store it away.

Top Value Pick: Fnatic Streak65 LP

TypeMechanismSizeConnectivityRGBNumpad
MechanicalLinear65%WirelessYesNo

Our number one recommendation for a gaming keyboard if you’re looking for bang for your buck is the Fnatic Streak65 LP.

This high quality, super-low profile gaming keyboard offers ultra fast switches that boast just a 1mm actuation distance and require 45 gramforce for activation. In simple terms, this means the buttons are really easy to press and they don’t have to travel very far when you press them either, which is great for fast-paced gaming.

With a 65% size, the StreakLP gives you every button you need and nothing more – no frills. It’s no surprise that this keyboard was made by Fnatic – a leading organisation in professional esports.

You can pick this up on Amazon or on the official Fnatic website.

Best Overall: Razer Huntsman V2

TypeMechanismSizeConnectivityLightingNumpad
MechanicalTactileFull-SizeWiredYesYes

Upon concluding our research, we found that the Razer Huntsman V2 is the best gaming keyboard.

The best price at the time of writing was $249.99.

Visually speaking, the Razer Huntsman V2 looks awesome. This full-size wired keyboard features a sleek and high-quality build design, which will last you for years.

With a nearly identical design, the Razer Huntsman V2 is a direct upgrade of its predecessor, the original Huntsman Elite.

One of the most notable features is its plush wrist rest. Thanks to its magnetic nature, you can easily put it in place and take it away in a split second.

If you like RGB lights, you definitely won’t be disappointed with going for this keyboard. With over 16.8 million colors and the ability to sync it with your entire setup, you have everything you need to make a memorable lightshow.

It’s worth mentioning that the Huntsman V2 is a direct upgrade from its predecessor, the Huntsman Elite. This time around, the Huntsman V2 features doubleshot PBT keycaps, which are much harder and more durable than ABS.

As a result of this, the feeling of typing and gaming on the Huntsman V2 is a significant upgrade to the Huntsman Elite.

Another feature, which might come in handy is the USB 3.0 passthrough located on the left side of the keyboard, near the power cable. There, you can plug in and charge your phone, headset, speakers, and other.

If you’re a fan of the Razer Huntsman V2, you can buy this gaming keyboard from Microsoft, the official Razer website, or Amazon.

Budget Pick: Corsair K55

TypeMechanismSizeConnectivityLightingNumpad
MembraneTactileFullWiredYesYes

If you are looking for the best bargain when it comes to gaming keyboards, the Corsair K55 is a great choice.

The best price at the time of writing was $56.09.

The K55 by Corsair is a full-sized keyboard certified with IP42 dust and water resistance rating. Out of the 120 buttons (110 keys) spread out strategically throughout the 18.6″ (L) x 6.6″ (W) keyboard, 6 of which are fully programmable.

Thanks to the dynamic RGB backlighting across three different zones, you can make this keyboard part of your RGB gaming setup. Using the powerful Corsair iCUE software, you can customize the lighting to your preference and sync up the keyboard with the rest of your setup.

As you could guess, the keyboard features membrane keys, which are surprisingly quiet and responsive. I owned this keyboard for just over two years before upgrading to the SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL, and have absolutely nothing bad to say about it.

The only real downside to this keyboard is that the RGB lights aren’t as advanced as in the SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL for example, but it’s always important to remember that the K55 has been around since 2016 and costs just a fraction from that of the Apex 7 TKL.

For comfort, you can take advantage of the detachable palm rest, which is made out of soft rubber for reducing the stress on your wrists those long gaming sessions.

If this budget-friendly gaming keyboard satisfies all of your needs, you can buy it from the official Corsair website.

Runner-Up: SteelSeries Apex 7

TypeMechanismSizeConnectivityLightingNumpad
MechanicalLinearTKLWiredYesNo

If you are looking for a compact, comfortable, and performance-driven gaming keyboard, then the SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL is a fantastic choice.

The best price at the time of writing was $100.72.

Aesthetically speaking, the Apex 7 TKL is easily in our top 3. Its sleek and high-quality build is enhanced by rich RGB illumination offering unmatched customization with over 16.8 million colors per key.

The design is further enhanced by aircraft-grade aluminum alloy built to last your lifetime while the linear red switches are guaranteed for 50 million keypresses. The 84 red switches are also responsible for providing you with consistently smooth movement without any bumps, allowing you peak level of performance.

The Apex 7 TKL features a OLED smart display, which can be programmer to display a number of things such as a pre-set text, current Spotify song, or in-game information.

For comfort, you can use the premium magnetic wrist rest, which provides a supreme level of comfort and protection against RSI and other wrist-related issues. If you don’t want to use it, you can simply take it off in a split second.

Having used this keyboard myself, I have nothing but great things to say about it. The RGB is next level.

This gaming keyboard is available on Amazon and the official Steelseries website.

Other Great Gaming Keyboards

If you didn’t find a suitable keyboard from above, check out five other great gaming keyboards.

Corsair K95 Platinum

TypeMechanismSizeConnectivityLightingNumpad
MechanicalLinearFullWiredYesYes

The Corsair K95 Platinum is another top-end gaming keyboard widely used by professional e-sports players in the likes of Overwatch’s iRemiix and CS: GO’s now retired FNS and DeadFox.

The best price at the time of writing was $170.92.

From an aesthetical standpoint, the K95 Platinum by Corsair really does look and feel great. As its frame is reinforced with aircraft-grade anodized aluminum, you can tell it was built to withstand a lifetime of gaming.

If you are big on RGB, the K95 is one of the top choices. It features per-key RGB backlighting and a 19-zone LightEdge across the top of the keyboard. This delivers dynamic and vibrant lighting effects with near-limitless customization and synchronization with the rest of your setup.

One of the most notable features is the integrated 8MB profile storage with hardware macros and lighting playback. This allows you to create, store, and access up to three customized profiles on the go.

The K95 uses 100% Cherry MX Speed RGB mechanical key switches, which are super fast, with just 1.2mm actuation while having the durability of gold contact Cherry MX mechanical key switches.

If you play video games that require programmable buttons, you can take advantage of the 6 programmable g keys for setting up in-game macros. It’s also worth mentioning that this keyboard is 100% anti-ghosting, making it ideal for pressing a large volume of keys at the same time without missing a single interaction.

If you’d like to make the Corsair K95 Platinum part of your gaming setup, you can buy this gaming keyboard from the official Corsair website.

Cooler Master MK730 TKL

TypeMechanismSizeConnectivityLightingNumpad
MechanicalTactileTKLWiredYesNo

The Cooler Master MK730 TKL is another super reliable TKL gaming keyboard.

The best price at the time of writing was $109.73.

The MK730 by Cooler Master is the smaller, TKL version of the full-sized MK850. Though the design is more compact, allowing you to save desk space and increase portability when on the go, it still features a brush aluminum frame.

As part of the package, you will also get a removable magnetic wrist rest allowing you to rest your wrists during long gaming sessions.

The integrated On-the-Fly Controls let you modify your keyboard settings in real-time while the hybrid key rollover ensures all your rapid key pressing gets registered.

Besides those, the keyboard is also fully loaded with a number of useful features like the Cherry MX Switches for a higher level of responsiveness, durability, and tactile satisfaction. Those same switches are good for over 50 million keystrokes and are available on tactile, linear, or click.

The MK730 TKL also hosts RGB backlighting with a light bar to illuminate your keyboard in over 16.7 million different colors.

If you’re a fan of the Cooler Master MK730 TKL, you can buy this keyboard from sites like Amazon and Newegg.

SteelSeries Apex Pro

TypeMechanismSizeConnectivityLightingNumpad
MechanicalTactileFullWiredYesYes

The SteelSeries Apex Pro is a top-of-the-line gaming keyboard widely used by eSports pro athletes mainly within the CS: GO, Fortnite, and Warzone community.

The best price at the time of writing was $189.51.

From a visual standpoint, the Apex Pro by SteelSeries is an RGB masterpiece. Made out of Aircraft-grade aluminium alloy, this keyboard is build to last you a lifetime.

One of the most notable features of this gaming keyboard as compared to the rest within our final selection is that it hosts OmniPoint adjustable switches. Those are faster and more durable than the Cherry MX Speed switches.

You can customize the OmniPoint switches to your liking with an actuation distance ranging from as little as 0.4mm all the way to 3.6mm, which even then is faster than the Cherry MX Speed key switches.

It’s also worth mentioning that OmniPoint switches are twice as durable as the Cherry MX Speed, allowing over 100,000 million key presses.

For comfort added comfort to your wrists, you can use the included premium magnetic wrist rest, which can be attached and detached in a split second.

The RGB illumination of this keyboard is truly unmatched. It features the same technology as the SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL, allowing the customization of individual keys of up to 16.8 million colors.

If the above sounds like something you’re looking for, then you can get this gaming keyboard from Amazon and the official Steelseries website.

CORSAIR Strafe RGB MK.2

TypeMechanismSizeConnectivityLightingNumpad
MechanicalLinearFullWiredYesYes

The linear CORSAIR Strafe RGB MK.2 mechanical keyboard is another top-end gaming peripheral widely used by pros in the eSports community.

The best price at the time of writing was $173.68.

The Strafe M.2 is the pride of Corsair when it comes to gaming keyboards. To compete with the market, they have gone above and beyond to create one of the best mechanical keyboards on the market.

Featuring Cherry MX mechanical switches with gold contacts, you can expect a very high level of performance and durability.

For an added level of comfort to your wrists, the Strafe MK.2 also comes with one of the best keyboard wrist rests that you can make use of.

Unlike most other RGB-enabled keyboards, the Strafe MK.2 features per-key RGB backlighting, which means you can customize every key as you see fit.

To customize the keyboard’s programmable keys and RGB lights, you can use the iCUE software provided by Corsair. There, you can also sync the keyboard with all other compatible gaming peripherals in your gaming setup.

The Strafe MK.2 also features an integrated 8MB profile storage space, allowing you to save a number of different profiles that you can change on the go.

Thanks to the dedicated multimedia and volume controls, you can adjust your in-game audio without interrupting your game.

If this gaming keyboard satisfies all of your needs, you can purchase it from Amazon and the official Corsair website.

ANNE PRO 2

TypeMechanismSizeConnectivityLightingNumpadBattery Life
MechanicalTactile60%BothYesYes8 hours

The ANNE PRO 2 is the only 60 percent gaming keyboard worthy of a recommendation in our final selection. It is also the only keyboard that can be used both wired and wirelessly.

The best price at the time of writing was $94.00.

Measuring just 11.18″ (L) x 3.82″ (W), the ANNE PRO 2 is the smallest mechanical gaming keyboard featured on our list. By category, it’s considered a 60% keyboard, which makes use of just 61 keys, almost half as compared to a full-sized keyboard.

The minimalistic design of this keyboard is perfect for gamers who travel or have little space on their desk. If you play Warzone, as an example, you won’t need a keyboard any bigger than the ANNE PRO 2.

One of the most notable features of the ANNE PRO 2 is that it can operate both wired and wirelessly, though wired is the preferred choice due to the keyboard’s fairly small 1900 mAh battery. When idle, the keyboard can last for up to four weeks, whereas when in full use, it lasts just 8 hours.

The ANNE PRO 2, is also a step up from the original ANNE PRO. Some core improvements include the inclusion of an on/off switch, better battery life, stronger Bluetooth connection, and easier switching between multiple devices.

On the downside, it doesn’t come with a wrist rest, which can be an issue for some gamers who suffer from RSI or another wrist-related condition.

If this gaming keyboard is what you’ve been after, you can purchase it either from the Anne Pro website or retailers like Amazon.

Shopping Tips

Shopping for a gaming keyboard isn’t an easy process. You need to find the right size keyboard that provides the level of functionality that you need for the games you play.

After concluding our research, as a general guide as to what you should be looking for, take a look at the three tips we shared beneath.

Size

The three most popular keyboard sizes include full-size, TKL, and 60%. Full-sized keyboards feature 104 keys, meaning you get everything including the numpad. TKL or tenkeysless keyboards host 87 keys. The difference between TKL and full-sized is that the numpad is missing from TKL, ultimately making the keyboard smaller in size.

The last most popular keyboard size is the 60 percent. This keyboard features all main keys on the left side of the keyboard up until the CTRL button on the right-hand side. This means that 60% keyboards don’t have arrow keys. They are much smaller in size and are often preferred by pro players because of their size and ease to carry around for LAN events.

Which one you go for should depend on your gaming needs and desk space. The size of the keyboard doesn’t impact its performance.

Mechanical or Membrane?

There are two different types of gaming keyboards; mechanical and membrane keyboards. Which one you pick is a personal preference. If you were to ask us, we’d always go with a mechanical keyboard (provided all other requirements are met by the keyboard).

The core difference between mechanical and membrane keyboards is that mechanical keyboards provide more direct feedback to the player, whereas the membrane keys feel more “mushy” when pressed down. They don’t offer the same speed and snappiness.

Both types are great for gaming. Keep in mind the mechanical keyboards are also more expensive. If you are on a budget, go for membrane. Our budget-friendly pick is a great membrane option.

Wired or Wireless?

Wired gaming keyboards are slightly faster in response time compared to their wireless counterparts. The difference between the two in response time, especially in high-end keyboards is almost unnoticeable and won’t really bring you any significant advantage.

Which one you go for solely depends on your needs. If you want one less extra cable, go for wireless. If you don’t particularly care, go for wired.

Which Should You Pick?

We reviewed a number of amazing gaming keyboards. We’d struggle ourselves if we had to pick one. To help you with choosing the right keyboard for your needs, we created three different scenarios alongside the best keyboard for each.

Scenario 1: If you are on a budget but would still like to get your hands on a decent gaming keyboard, we would recommend you the Corsair K55.

Scenario 2: If you are looking for a fine combination of RGB lights, performance, and size, we’d suggest that you go for the SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL.

Scenario 3: If you are on the hunt for the best gaming keyboard we could find, then the Razer Huntsman V2 is a great choice.