So, you are in the market for a mechanical keyboard but not sure which keyboard to go for? The world of mechanical keyboards is a saturated and scary place right now, with so many options available. But you don’t need the local salesmen to upsell you to a top-of-the-range keyboard that you probably won’t need at all.
This is where this article comes in, to help guide you and inform you. This article will go over 8 of the best budget mechanical keyboards available and help you decide which one is best for you and your needs.
If you are looking to upgrade your current setup entirely, why not have a look at some of the best 21-inch monitors to make your experience even better?
Best Budget Mechanical Keyboard – The Winners
Best Mechanical Keyboard for Typing
The Havit 89 mechanical keyboard is the best for typing with its focus on comfort and ergonomic design. This compact keyboard is not only lightweight but still offers the use of a number pad and is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. Other notable mentions include:
Best Budget Gaming Keyboard
When it comes to gaming, the legendary Razer BlackWidow V3 is the best mechanical gaming keyboard on a budget. The sheer number of customizable options and the fact that this is a tried and true design make it a reliable workhorse. Other notable options include:
- Corsair K60 RGB Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
- Redragon K552 Mechanical Keyboard
- Durgod Taurus K320 TKL Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Best Value Mechanical Keyboard
When you don’t quite have the budget for the upper end of the scale, the RK Royal Kludge RK61 mechanical gaming keyboard is the best value for money. This board can keep up with the more expensive boards with its performance, just without too many bells and whistles. It is also versatile for a relatively low price. Other mechanical keyboards that offer value for money include:
Budget Mechanical Keyboard Comparison Table
This table will provide a quick look at all the different mechanical keyboards available and reviewed below.
8 Top Mechanical Keyboards Reviewed
If you are looking to upgrade your desktop experience, then a budget mechanical keyboard is the way to go. Add some new colorful lighting effects and bold designs to make it a fun place to be.
Redragon K552 Mechanical Keyboard Review
If you are looking for a small and compact mechanical keyboard, then the Redragon K552 mechanical keyboard is a good choice. This ergonomically designed keyboard features a non-slip splash-proof design with conflict-free Nkey rollover.
This budget gaming keyboard has 19 different lighting effects, so it will satisfy all the lighting needs that you may have. This compact design without a number pad leaves more room for your mouse to move freely.
This keyboard is equally suited for typing, with a loud click to ensure that you know it’s been pushed. High-speed typing confidence is bound to happen with this keyboard. If you are looking to get into mechanical keyboards, this is an affordable gaming keyboard with amazing value for money.
- Windows keyboard with limited Mac support
- Wired connection
- Tested to 50 million keystrokes
- Reasonable price
- This is a good entry-level mechanical keyboard that would suit both a home office and a gaming session.
RK Royal Kludge Rk61 Mechanical Keyboard Review
This 60% mechanical gaming keyboard is packed into an ultra-compact design. It is suited to anything from gaming, copywriting and even programming. The RK Royal Kludge Rk61 has decent build quality with a good layer implementation.
It has a high-profile case design that hides the switches, giving a cleaner aesthetic when compared to the floating key design. For those who want bright colors, this RGB keyboard uses surface-mounted LEDs that can produce up to 16.8 million colors.
The switches are RK switches that are close to Outemu switches when it comes to overall feel while typing. If you are wanting more tactile feedback while gaming, the blue switches are the ones to go for. If you want to use this board more for typing, then the brown switches are better, being less noisy and easier to trigger.
For general office use, the red switch is ideal, with it being a linear switch providing a smoother and faster response. This is the best affordable mechanical keyboard for those who need a versatile keyboard.
- Compatible with Windows/Mac/Android
- 18 RGB backlight modes
- 61 key layout
- Fully programmable keys
- 3 different color switch options
Keychron K2 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard Review
This Keychrin K2 keyboard is designed with Mac users in mind and can connect with up to three devices at once. This is a solid entry-level budget mechanical keyboard that offers great typing quality, making it good for office use. Made with an aluminum frame, this sturdy design doesn’t allow for any flex with no key rattle.
The keyboard ergonomics are decent with a fairly high profile, so you might need a wrist rest to avoid fatigue. The Gateron brown switches provide good tactile feedback, but red and blue switches are also available. There is some latency with this keyboard at 25.3 ms with the Bluetooth connection and 15.7 ms with the wired connection. This might be too high for competitive gamers.
Overall this makes for one of the best budget keyboards with more options to customize your needs than the best membrane keyboard. But, this does come at a cost, with it being on the more expensive side.
- 75% 84 key layout
- Mac layout with extra keys for Windows layout
- 4000 mAh capacity battery
- Gateron mechanical switches with 50 million keystroke lifespan
- Overall, if you’re looking for the best mechanical keyboard for gaming, this is an option, but it is better suited for designers and writers.
Durgod Taurus K320 TKL Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review
A strong contender for the best budget keyboard, the Durgod Taurus K320 is a sturdy and versatile design. This 80% wired keyboard offers a variety of switch options to suit your tactile feedback needs. The Cherry MX Brown switches are quiet and accurate, with little force required to push them. This keyboard is more on the expensive side compared to others on this list.
The onboard memory allows you to save one custom profile after reprogramming keys and setting macros. This particular keyboard you can buy with or without RGB lighting if you don’t want to distract your friends or co-workers.
- Easy to use
- Versatile with a number of switch options available
- Compact design
- Media control hotkeys
- This keyboard is the most customizable keyboard, with the amount of different switch options available. The sheer number of options available and ability to program all the keys make this a good choice if you need a budget keyboard.
Epomaker SK61 Mechanical Keyboard Review
The Epomaker Sk61 is a 60% mechanical gaming keyboard in three different colorways with RGB. This keyboard is built with the user in mind with a number of ways to customize the keyboard to your personal preferences. It also comes with a keycap puller to swap between the Mac and Windows function keys included.
This study design comes with several programmed RGB effects, but you can also download their software to edit the effects to suit your needs. It has full N-Key rollover and 100% anti-ghosting, so press as many keys as you want at once and this keyboard will register them all.
The three programmable layers allow you to change to different key combinations and macros. This is an amazing function that allows this small keyboard to have all the abilities that a full-size keyboard may have.
This keyboard also comes with Gateron optical switches that are hot-swappable. Normally, you can only pick one, but this keyboard has both! This allows for an extremely smooth typing experience and low latency thanks to the optical switches that are also water-resistant.
With all of these perks, this is why this is the best budget mechanical keyboard.
- Gateron optical switches that are hot-swappable
- Three layers and NKRO
- Windows and Mac compatible
- USB Type C connection
- This is the best budget mechanical keyboard and also probably one of the best gaming keyboards available. This is an immensely versatile and powerful keyboard in a compact size for an affordable price.
Razer BlackWidow V3 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review
Razer is well known and established in modern gaming and the Razer BlackWidow V3 mechanical gaming keyboard is another amazing offering. This is a legendary full-size that features an aluminum top plate. A choice of Razer Green switches or the linear Razer Yellow switches is also available.
The biggest selling point of this keyboard, among many, has to be its outstandingly low latency. The backlighting is superb. You can fully customize it via the Razer Chroma software, although there is no mixing of colors. The ergonomics are good with a straight design and a wrist rest that can be placed below the keyboard.
Although it will take up some space on your desk, this is the best mechanical keyboard for gaming.
- Full-size keyboard
- Tactile and clicky or linear and silent key options
- Includes magnetic wrist rest
- Dedicated media controls
- USB connectivity
- With all things considered, this legend in the gaming world is the best gaming keyboard for those with a slightly higher budget.
Havit 89 Mechanical Keyboard Review
For a simple and clean aesthetic, the Havit 89 mechanical keyboard will suit the minimalist style. This isn’t exactly a gaming keyboard, especially with its lack of RGB patterns and tactile clicking. Yet, this stylish keyboard still provides the right amount of quality for the everyday use it will get.
This keyboard is a better fit for the office, being a workhorse for copywriters and designers alike. This is an understated keyboard that puts function over all the bells and whistles with the inclusion of the small number pad on this 89 keyboard. This wouldn’t fall under the best budget mechanical gaming keyboards but would be ideal for other uses.
The layout is better suited to writers and editing, especially with the PBT keycaps and red switches. Where this keyboard shines is its ergonomics and comfort. And even though this is a small keyboard, it is still somehow spacious.
- 89 Keyboard layout design
- Red switches with 50 million click durability
- Designed based on ergonomics to reduce wrist fatigue
- Windows and Mac compatible
- 8 Multimedia keys
- This is the best mechanical keyboard for typing with its comfort and ergonomic design focus. A definite must-have for daily computing for copywriters and editors.
Corsair K60 RGB Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review
The Corsair K60 RGB Pro SE Mechanical Keyboard is an impressive entry-level gaming keyboard with some similarities to the flagship K100 RGB keyboard. This is a full-size 104 key keyboard that uses Viola switches in its slim design making the feedback sound quiet and the RGB really stand out.
This is aimed at gamers who enjoy a fully customizable keyboard with almost limitless colors and effects. The feel and response is good, but the ergonomics aren’t suitable for typing for long periods of time.
The cord isn’t removable and the switches are not hot-swappable. The new Viola switches can be an issue for those not used to different kinds of switches. There are also no dedicated multimedia keys but they are there under the function controls. If you want a budget keyboard that has a host of features and solid build quality, this is a good option.
- Brushed aluminum frame
- Full Nkey rollover with 100% anti-ghosting
- Corsair ICUE software enables dynamic RGB lighting control
- This is a good option from the well-known brand of Corsair. This budget-friendly keyboard offers good value for money and will provide hours of fun.
Best Mechanical Keyboard Accessory Reviews
Now that you have had a look at some of the best budget gaming keyboards and others suited for typing, some accessories that would go well are reviewed below.
Keyboard Lube Kit with Switch Puller
This is the perfect way to service your mechanical keyboard and keep it running well. This kit comes with a keycap puller, a switch puller, a stem holder and a lube pen.
This is to remove all the dirt and bacteria that are hiding under your keys. It is important to look after your equipment so that it will last longer.
Click to Check PriceOculus Link Cable USB 3.1 to USB C
For those who don’t have a USB C port on their computer, this adapter will allow the keyboards above to work. This is also a 5 Gbps high-speed cable suited for gaming to ensure a low latency.
Even if you just want to upgrade the standard cable that came with the keyboard, this is a good choice to keep those gaming reactions quick.
Click to Check PriceBlade Hawks RGB Gaming Pad
If you want to ensure that your new keyboard wont slip and add some protection to your desk, this large pad will provide space for your keyboard and mouse.
The RGB will add some more color to the setup and the anti-slip rubber base will ensure that none of your accessories move. It will hold up to even the most rigorous of typers.
Click to Check PriceBest Budget Mechanical Keyboards Buyers Guide
When it comes down to choosing the best budget mechanical keyboard for your needs, there are a few things to consider. Below are a few considerations that should be taken into account when choosing a mechanical keyboard and why you should choose one.
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Choose Switches for Your Needs
Choose a keyboard that suits your specific needs. Make sure to also choose the correct switches based on the feedback and how loud of a click you want. In an office environment, the linear switches would be better, but blue switches provide more feedback for gamers.
Size of Keyboard
Always consider the workspace and don’t get a full-size, keyboard if your desk won’t allow for it. There are small and compact keyboards available for this reason that are just as capable of handling the job of larger keyboards.
System Compatibility
Whether it’s for Windows or Mac, make sure that the keyboard will work fully on the operating system that you use. You don’t want to buy a new keyboard and then find out that it won’t work with your Mac or only partially works on that system.
Budget Mechanical Keyboards – Worth the Money?
When it comes to keyboards, you spend so much time on them that accuracy is everything, whether for gaming or typing. Mechanical keyboards offer a customizable option that allows you to tailor your keyboard to your typing style.
There is a price range to suit everyone so a mechanical keyboard is a solid investment to make your life easier. If you want to add to your mechanical input tools, why not check out this guide to the 10 best mechanical pencils for drawing to pair with your new mechanical keyboard or try one of these pink gaming keyboards for something different.
Are you going to invest in a new setup?
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Matt is about 80% nerd, 10% writer, 10% animal lover. His love for PC’s started at the tender age of 4 and his love for animation and motion graphics fairly soon after. You can normally find him behind a computer screen or playing with his dog Rusty.