Best Mechanical Keyboards

Mechanical keyboards have become all the rage in the past few years, making a comeback straight from the 80s and 90s. What's the difference between membrane and mechanical?

Mechanical keyboards actually use small switches. Underneath every key, there is a small, boxy switch that clicks every time you press a key. Because they're actual switches, there are many, many options to choose from in terms of how hard you have to press, if they're "clicky" or silent, etc. Many argue that these types of keyboards provide a better typing feel, and there is probably truth to that just based on the sheer customizability. It's worth noting, though, that most mechanical keyboards cannot exchange the switches, so what you buy is what you get. The good news is that mechanical switches generally last a long, long time. You'll probably want a new keyboard before you wear the thing out.

The downside of mechanical switches is that the keyboards are generally "taller" than membrane keyboards. Having keys that sit higher off the desk means more opportunities for poor wrist positioning. If you rest your wrists on the desktop to type and angle your keyboard up, having the taller profile is going to wreck your wrists over time. This can, of course, be mitigated by either good technique or wrist rests, but the latter can still cause issues of their own, so watch out for complacency in your wrist positioning! Another downside is that mechanical keyboards can be quite loud - much to your coworkers’ chagrin. Stay away from "blue" switches if you are sharing space. They are meant to be noisy.

Membrane keyboards use a sheet of electrical contacts that are overlaid by a bunch of tiny rubber domes. When the keys are pressed, these domes connect the electrical contacts and a keystroke is registered. If you have ever used a laptop, you've used a membrane keyboard. In the early 2000s, a big shift occurred, phasing out mechanical keyboards and replacing them with more and more membrane keyboards. The biggest draw with membrane keyboards is that they're much cheaper than mechanical keyboards and they have a lower profile - that's why they can get away with sandwiching them into a laptop. Plus, unlike their mechanical counterparts, they tend to be very quiet- which might be a huge issue if you work in cubicles.

The downside of membrane keyboards you can probably guess - if you've typed on a laptop for a long period of time, they're not the most comfortable thing in the world. They have a very short "throw" (the distance from unpressed to pressed) that can cause fatigue on your joints, and they just aren't as satisfying to type on, generally speaking.