Mechanical keyboards are intimidating, especially if you just want a device that can make letters and numbers show up on your screen at your command. People who are into mechanical keyboards are very into them, but the nuances of switch types and keycap materials can be daunting. (If you’re not one of those people, we have a guide to help you buy the best mechanical keyboard, no thought required.)
I decided that I wanted a mechanical keyboard because I fell head over heels for a colorful keyboard with a strawberries-and-frogs motif. I knew that I couldn’t just buy it for the sake of cuteness—I assess my own purchases just as obsessively as I investigate products for Wirecutter—so I started researching how to shop for one. The Ducky x MK Strawberry Frog One 3 keyboard is not the best mechanical keyboard you can buy, but it made me want to learn more, and it showed me that choosing switches could be fascinating and fun. (Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write.)
I almost talked myself out of buying this cute keyboard. After all, are aesthetics a good enough reason to splurge on a gadget? But I was already dreaming of the little pink frogs on their lily pads and the strawberry accent keys click-clacking away on my desk. I just needed to decide on a few key components, starting with the click-clack itself. And that’s how I fell down the rabbit hole of mechanical keyboard designs—and how you might, too.
