Keyboard buying guide: everything you need to know

Keyboards come in a range of different shapes and sizes. The right one for you depends on the space you have for it, and the keys you really need access to. Smaller keyboards can be more affordable than their larger counterparts, but they do tend to sacrifice certain keys to achieve it. Here are the different sizes of keyboards you’ll have to choose from:

• Full-size, or 100%: These keyboards include the full complement of keys, numbers, function keys, editing and navigation keys (Insert, Delete, etc.), arrow keys, and the NUM pad. They typically have 106 keys in total.
• Compact full-size, or 96%: Includes all major key groups, but doubles up on a few of the editing or NUM pad keys, typically offering 100 keys.
• TKL, or 80%: Known as a tenkeyless keyboard, this smaller design ditches the NUM pad entirely and crams any remaining editing keys into a vertical line to save space. It typically offers 87 keys.
• Compact, or 65%: One of the smallest keyboard styles you’ll find, this style ditches the editing and navigation keys, the arrow keys, and usually the function keys, too. It typically offers 68 keys.

You’ll find variations on all of these designs, so consider a subtype if none of these quite fit your needs. But look out for a keyboard that has the keys you’ll need and few others, because you’ll end up with a more space-saving design.

The keycaps your keyboard uses tend to be a feature of its price more than anything else, but you may want to target one keyboard over another for its keycap type. They tend to come in two options:

• ABS: This is the cheaper of the two designs and is less durable. That can make replacing them more affordable, and you can get some lovely custom designs, but they won’t last as long.
• PBT: This is the more durable of the two designs, and the more expensive. These tend to come on more expensive boards and are something that those upgrading their keyboard will opt for. They also tend to have a matte finish, which can be less prone to building up dirt and debris.

Most keyboards come with some kind of media control, though it can vary, and some don’t have any at all. These include volume controls, which can come in the form of up and down keys, or a scroll wheel or dial. Some also come with a mute key. Many keyboards also offer track control, which includes a play and pause key.

Some of these controls can be pressed and actuated in isolation, while others require pressing a separate Function (FN) key. In the latter case, that can require the use of both hands, which may require removing it from the mouse. If that’s something you want to avoid, look for keyboards with media keys that don’t require a secondary press to actuate.

Backlighting was initially designed to make keyboards usable in the dark, but it’s since evolved to the point where you can set each individual key to a specific color, and they can even change automatically to show animations, or give you information about an app or game you’re using.

If that matters to you, look out for per-key backlighting, which gives you control over every individual key. This typically requires mechanical swtiches, however, which have LEDs built into them for that nuanced control. Membrane boards and some cheaper mechanical keyboards occasionally offer zone-based lighting, where you can set certain keys or certain sections of the board to have different colors, but not at the per-key level.

You also specifically want “RGB” lighting if you want to change to any color you can think of. If you are less interested in that, cheaper keybaords will typically offer single colors (or a selection of a few options) across the whole keyboard.

Some manufacturers let you unify your keyboard lighting with other peripherals and accessories, too. If you already have hardware from one company, consider buying a compatible keyboard to make your lighting uniform.

Wired keyboards tend to be cheaper than wireless models, and they offer better performance with less input lag from the keypress to it being actuated on the PC or in the game. However, the fastest wireless keyboards get very close to the same input lag and they can be more versatile, letting you use them anywhere within a set distance from the receiver.

With wireless keyboards, though, you do have to consider battery life and recharging. With office keyboards that use AA batteries, you might see months of life on a single pair of batteries, while some rechargeable keyboards can only last a few days to a week before they need recharging. Other factors, like RGB backlighting, can have a big impact on how long your keyboard’s battery life lasts.

The shape of a keyboard and its key layout make a big difference in how comfortable it is to use. Ideally, it should encourage a neutral position for your wrists and forearms, but not all do. The most ergonomic keyboards have the keys at unique angles to encourage that, but it can require quite a learning curve to get used to typing on such designs.

There are also split keyboards, which have the keyboard in two halves, which you can orient yourself at whatever angle that you find comfortable.