Best Keyboard for 2024
A good desk setup needs a good keyboard. Whether your desk is for working from home, gaming, or both, a good keyboard is essential. The problem is, there are a ton of keyboards on the market, so choosing one that fits your needs can be tricky. That’s why we’ve combed through the best options on the market and tested a few keyboards to find the best one for you. Major brands like Logitech, Apple, and Microsoft offer a lot of great choices, but smaller brands also have some pretty high-quality options. You’ll find some worthy picks from them on this list, too.
For this list, we focused primarily on productivity-focused keyboards for those long days in your home office, compact keyboards for a model that works well in a small dorm room, and budget keyboards. We’ve compiled a list of the best keyboard options so you don’t have to search for them yourself.
In this list, we’ve included wired and wireless keyboards designed for work and everyday use, with different models at different price points. We have a special guide to the best gaming keyboards we’ve tested.
Additionally, unlike phones, TVs, laptops, and many other tech products, keyboards don’t get updated very often. There’s a good chance that the best keyboard for you is a model that’s been around for a while. However, the market is huge, with a variety of keyboard features like weighted keys or a wrist rest, and we’ll continue to test new models and update this list so you can find the best keyboard for your needs.
Logitech’s MX Keys is one of our favorite Bluetooth keyboards for everyday use, and it now comes in two smaller versions that lack the number pad and a few other keys: MX Keys Mini And MX Keys Mini for Mac. Available in pink, light grey and graphite.
We find that the smaller version is better for most people than the full-size MX Keys. It takes up less space on your desk and is ergonomically better because you can hold your mouse closer to your keyboard, meaning less reaching and better shoulder alignment. The Mini also has three new keys, which give you shortcuts to dictation (available in select countries for Windows and macOS users), emojis, and most importantly, muting and unmuting your microphone for video conference calls.
The old-school Mac keyboard and its convenient scissor mechanism are the keyboards most Mac users need. It’s a Bluetooth keyboard that connects directly to MacOS, and a charge from the built-in battery lasts for months. This standard keyboard is sleek, minimal, and a perfect match for Apple’s hardware. And it’s available without numeric keypadat.
If your office is open again but you don’t use the same workstation every day, the K3 Bluetooth Keyboard is a great option. The slim, compact mechanical keyboard is 75% full-size, meaning it doesn’t have a 10-key number pad, but it still has function and directional keys. The chassis, made of aluminum on top and plastic on the bottom, is lightweight and sturdy.
The compact keyboard is available with Keychron’s own low-profile optical mechanical switches – brown tactile, blue clicky or red linear – with a white LED backlight or Gateron low-profile mechanical switches with an RGB backlight. I tested all the Keychron switches and preferred the blue switches for their bright sound and feel, but all three options worked well. Also, if you go with the Keychron switch versionThe switches are hot-swappable, allowing you to customize your typing experience by easily removing and replacing the switches, without soldering. (A hot-swappable version with RGB backlight (will be available soon.)
Out of the box it’s set up for Mac use, but Windows-specific keys are included in the box too. A switch on the back left lets you choose between macOS/iOS or Windows/Android. Another switch lets you toggle between Bluetooth (can connect up to three devices) or a USB-C to USB-A cable. Battery life is good, but leaving the backlight on all the time, especially on higher settings, will drain it quickly.
A nice alternative to the Apple Magic Keyboard with its numeric keypad, this dual-zone version of Satechi’s slim wireless keyboard saves some desk space by ditching some of the directional keys. You still get arrow keys and a full numeric keypad, though. It’s similar in feel to the Magic Keyboard, too, with a bit more travel, and it has a Mac keyboard layout, so you get all the shortcuts in the function key row. (It also works with Windows PCs, and can connect to up to three other Bluetooth devices.) It’s backlit around the keys, something you don’t get from Apple at this price. It will drain your battery, so you probably won’t want to use it all the time. It charges via a USB-C connector on the back, and can be used wired if you want to keep working while it’s charging.
While it doesn’t quite match the comfort of the Zergotech Freedom, the K860 is a compact, one-piece, curved, ergonomic keyboard. It’s no different than other keyboards like the Microsoft Sculpt , but it’s not bulky, clunky or ugly — or needs add-ons. It also gives Logitech a full-desk lineup of ergonomic devices when paired with the MX Vertical mouse or MX Ergo trackball mouse.
Despite its low-profile design, there’s ample key travel and a nice, responsive bounce. This compact keyboard isn’t backlit, but the gray keys with white markers have enough contrast to be visible in low light, though not complete darkness. The K860 is powered by two AA batteries and can connect to your computer via Bluetooth or Logitech’s USB-A Unifying receiver, making it a good option if you need a single keyboard that can quickly switch between computers, phones, or tablets.
In terms of easy multi-device use, the K780 remains one of the best. Larger than the company’s K780 Bluetooth K380 Multi-Device KeyboardThe K780 can connect via Bluetooth or with a wireless USB receiver. The K780 also adds a number pad and — importantly — a slot on the back of the keyboard to hold your tablet or phone while you type.
The keyboard also supports Logitech’s Flow software feature. When this wireless keyboard is paired with one of the company’s Flow mice, you can move your cursor between paired devices on the same network and the keyboard will follow. It’s like having a virtual KVM switch.
For travel, the K380 is the best choice, but if you use a phone, tablet, and computer at home or in the office, the K780 is a better choice.
The BK10 is a Bluetooth keyboard that can connect to up to three devices, and lets you quickly switch between connections using keys above the numeric keypad. Better yet, the keyboard is configured to work with Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, and Android devices.
It has a sleek, lightweight body with matte-finished stainless steel on the top and sides and ABS plastic on the bottom. It is available in other finishesalso. The keyboard’s scissor keys give it a responsive key feel and it lasts up to three months on a single charge.
While it’s a full-sized keyboard with a number pad, it looks more like a laptop keyboard, with half-height up and down arrow keys squeezed between two full-sized left and right arrow keys, below the right-hand Shift key. It’s essentially the same size and layout as Apple’s smaller Magic Keyboard, but with a number pad. One potentially frustrating difference: the left-hand Control and Function keys are reversed. Otherwise, this is a great choice if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option for your macOS and iOS devices, your Windows and Android devices, or a mix of the two.
Large, wired, and designed primarily for Windows users, this is the overstuffed recliner of ergonomic keyboards. It’s more affordable than most ergonomic models, though it’s a full-size keyboard and will take up a fair bit of desk space. You’re probably better off using this on a under-counter keyboard drawer and your mouse on your desktop.
Like most ergonomic keyboards, this one takes a little getting used to — partly because of the split keyboard design, but also because of the high actuation force. It’s comfortable, though, and an attachable front lift puts your hands at a negative angle for better positioning.
There are three programmable hotkeys at the top left, followed by a row of media controls and quick launch buttons for the calculator, screen clipping, TaskView to see your open windows, system lock, and search. There’s even a hotkey for symbols and emoji.
