Introduction
We’ll explore the best mechanical keyboards of 2024, analyzing their designs, switch types, build quality, and critical features. Whether upgrading your current setup or venturing into mechanical keyboards for the first time, our complete review will help you make an informed choice and enhance your typing or gaming experience. The Best Computer Mice to Buy in 2024
5. Akko 5075B Plus
If you’re interested in any of the keyboards featured in this Post, Amazon links for the US are provided below.
Design and Build Quality:
The Akko5075B Plus has a 75% form factor and features a two-piece plastic case design with a noticeable flex. However, it also includes bright and well-diffused RGB accents on the sides. There is storage for the dongle on the rear, as well as a knob with tactile bumps.
The keyboard is gasket-mounted and has silicone dampening in the case, a switch-dampening pad, and additional silicone between the plate and PCB. This dampening provides a high-quality sound, one of the keyboard’s standout features.
While the case doesn’t feel particularly expensive when held (hence its rank at number five), the overall typing experience and sound quality are impressive.
Switches:
One of the main reasons this keyboard made the list is its switches. It uses AO switches, and you can choose between the V3 Cream Yellow Pros (linear), V3 Cream Blue Pros (tactile), and V3 Silver Pros.
I prefer the Silver switches for this keyboard, as they offer a fantastic bottom out feel, making them excellent for gaming and typing. These switches are smooth and should satisfy most users. Additionally, the keyboard is fully hot swappable with three and five-pin switches.
Keycaps:
The keyboard uses AO’s classic ASA profile keycaps and double-shot PBT. These keycaps have excellent printing, great thickness, and a slightly grippy texture, making them a solid choice at this price point. However, if you’ve owned an AO keyboard before, these keycaps won’t be anything new.
As AO hasn’t updated them in a few years. This isn’t necessarily bad, but if you’re looking for something different and already have AO’s ASA profile keycaps, this might not be the most appealing option.
Stabilizers and Connectivity:
The stabilizers on this keyboard are well-tuned and come pre-lubed from the factory, with only a slight tick on the backspace key. Overall, I’m very impressed with AO’s purple stabilizers. This keyboard offers multiple connectivity options:
wired with USB Type-C, wireless with Bluetooth 5.0, or wireless for gaming with a 2.4 GHz USB dongle. You have almost every connectivity option available, including south-facing LEDs, making it a great keyboard to modify.
RGB Lighting:
Lastly, the RGB on this keyboard is excellent, bright, bright, and vibrant, with plenty of modes and static colors. Its per-key lighting is exactly what you’d expect.
4. Royal Axe R100
Design and Build Quality:
This keyboard offers a lot of value for the price. It has a 95% form factor, which is fantastic if you want nearly all the keys you need but still prefer a more compact design for extra desk space. However, you can also get this keyboard in different form factors, including full-size, TKL, and even 65%.
The build features a single plastic shell case with a top bump on the rear that acts as a riser. It includes integrated dongle storage, making accessing the dong convenient without disrupting the keyboard’s design. The sides of the case have swooping designs and glossy accents. There’s also a switch for toggling between Mac and Windows modes, as well as a gold knob for switching between different connection modes, which is very satisfying to click.
The only downside to the build is that, due to the bump design, it consistently sits at a slightly raised angle, with no adjustability for a flatter position.
Dampening and Colorways:
Silicone is between the plate and the PCB for dampening. The colorways available are also quite cool. The one I have is a brown and gold scheme, but other options include Whale Blue, Night Crimson, and Starry Cyan.
Switches:
The keyboard uses Gateron G Pro 3.0 Yellow switches, which have an actuation force of 50g. This makes them slightly heavier than a traditional red switch, but not by much. There is a bit of scratchiness, but overall, they feel great and match the keyboard well. The keyboard is fully hot-swappable with three—and five-pin switches.
Keycaps and Stabilizers:
The keycaps are AK profile, with excellent printing, nice thickness, and a matte finish with a grippy texture. The stabilizers are heavily lubed but not overdone, and they fit tightly in the plate. They were tuned perfectly from the factory with no ticks or rattles. The sound is slightly muted and creamy, which I enjoy.
Connectivity and RGB Lighting:
For connectivity, this keyboard can be used wired with a USB Type-C cable or wirelessly with Bluetooth 5.0 or a 2.4 GHz USB dongle for gaming. The RGB features north-facing LEDs that are bright and vibrant, with plenty of modes and static colors. The orange color is beautiful. This is a great keyboard if you want to use shine-through keycaps.
3. Epomaker Brick 87
Design and LEGO Theme:
This keyboard is unique and special, especially if you’re a LEGO lover like me. As the name suggests, it has a LEGO brick theme (though not officially licensed). This TKL form factor keyboard has a quirky design that lets you build onto your keyboard with LEGO pieces.
The case is a two-piece plastic shell with switches on the right side for changing connection modes and one on the left to turn the keyboard on and off. One of the most exciting features is the two roller scroll wheels on the bottom front chin of the keyboard—one for volume control and the other for RGB brightness.
Dampening and Colorways:
The keyboard also has extensive dampening layers of EVA foam, switch pads, and cotton between the plate and the PCB. The sound profile is excellent, giving it a custom, expensive feel. The available colorways include Clear Smoky Black, Gray, Green, Gray, Pink, and White Purple. I have the Flamingo Pink color, which I love.
Switches:
As for the switches, it uses Epomaker’s own, including the Wisteria, Flamingo, and Lily switches, all of which are linear, or you can choose Gateron Pro Yellows. I prefer the Flamingos, as they are excellent switches for the price. However, there is no stock option for tactile switches, so if you want tactile switches, you’ll need to modify the keyboard yourself. Fortunately, this keyboard is fully compatible with three and five-pin switches. Acer Nitro V16 Review
Keycaps and Stabilizers:
The keycaps are PBT with a smooth texture and a matte finish. They are thicker, though the printing can be slightly inconsistent in terms of boldness. The stabilizers are well-tuned and heavily lubed, with only a slight tick on the space bar.
Connectivity and RGB Lighting:
You can use this keyboard wired with USB Type-C or wireless with Bluetooth 5.0 or a 2.4 GHz USB dongle. It also has a 3000mAh battery. The RGB is bright and well-diffused, with plenty of modes and static colors, and it includes south-facing LEDs, which was a pleasant surprise.
2. Royal Kludge M75
Design and Build Quality:
This is a 75% form factor keyboard with a hefty two-piece plastic case, a metal knob, an extra USB-C port when in wired mode, and a small OLED screen in the bottom right corner. The knob has nice tactile bumps and great functionality, allowing you to control the keyboard’s connectivity through the screen, which also displays battery level, volume, and whether you’re using Windows or Mac.
Dampening:
For dampening, this keyboard is gasket-mounted with foam between the polycarbonate plate and the PCB, a silicone switch dampening pad, and a silicone mold in the case. The sound profile is perfect.
Colorways and Switches:
The first release of this keyboard came in purple, which is the one I have. It’s a unique color, which I love, but there are other colors to choose from. You have AO’s options for switches, including the New Moon V2 switch (linear), Forest Ranger V3 (tactile), and Linear 67g V3 switch. My favorite is the Moon Switch, which feels great in the stock configuration. The keyboard is fully hot-swappable with three and five-pin switches.
Keycaps and Stabilizers:
The keycaps are AK profile double-shot PBT with thick printing and a nice grippy texture. I’m a big fan of these keycaps; the stabilizers are just as suitable. They come pre-lubed from the factory with no ticks or rattles, though they may need a slight adjustment after extended use. The sound profile is creamy and muted.
Connectivity and RGB Lighting:
For connectivity, you can use this keyboard wired with a USB-C cable or wirelessly with Bluetooth 5.0 or a 2.4 GHz USB dongle. It has a 3000mAh battery, which should last around a week with regular use.
The RGB is south-facing, with bright and vibrant pre-key lighting pre-key lighting, which is perfect for using shine-through keycaps. This keyboard offers a lot for the price, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a feature-rich mechanical keyboard.
1. Keychron Q1 Pro
Finally, for the number one spot on the list, we have the Keychron Q1 Pro. This high-end mechanical keyboard offers a fully customizable experience, a premium build, and top-tier features.
Design and Build Quality:
The Q1 Pro is a 75% layout keyboard with a CNC-machined aluminum body, giving it a solid, premium feel. It’s gasket-mounted for a softer typing experience, with multiple layers of sound-dampening foam inside the case. 5 Best Laptop Bags for Men.
Switches:
This keyboard can choose between Keychron’s switches, including the K Pro Red, Brown, or Banana (linear, tactile, and a more exotic tactile, respectively). These switches are smooth and feel great to type on. If you want to swap them out, the Q1 Pro is fully hot-swappable, supporting three- and five-pin switches. HP Spectre x360 14 Review
Keycaps and Stabilizers:
The keycaps are double-shot PBT with a sculpted profile, offering a comfortable typing experience and a premium feel. The stabilizers are excellent, pre-lubed from the factory with almost no rattle, providing a very satisfying typing experience. The sound profile is also top-notch.
Connectivity and RGB Lighting:
Connectivity options include wired with USB-C, Bluetooth 5.1, and a 2.4 GHz wireless mode, making it versatile for different setups. The battery life is excellent, with a 4000mAh battery that should last several weeks of regular use.
The RGB lighting is fully customizable, with bright and vibrant per-key lighting, and it includes south-facing LEDs, making it ideal for using shine-through keycaps.
Conclusion:
Overall, the Keychron Q1 Pro is a top-tier mechanical keyboard that offers a premium experience, making it the best choice on this list for 2024. But It’s your choice which one you would like to select.
