Keyboards matter more than you might think. Sure, they are the most prosaic of peripherals, so we tend to take them for granted. But given the sheer percentage of our lives that we spend hacking away at them, finding the right ones can be surprisingly beneficial – may even smoothing off the rough edges of our daily grind.

When you set out to buy a keyboard, you’ll be confronted by a surprising amount of diversity – there are cheap and pricey ones, mechanical and membrane ones, wired and wireless ones, wacky ergonomic ones and downright retro ones on sale. So we’ve picked out ten of the best, designed to suit multifarious needs and pockets.

How to select the best keyboard

It’s worth noting that if you demand the feel and feedback only offered by keyboards with mechanical keys, rather than keys that press a membrane, you might want to peruse our top 10 best gaming keyboards round-up.

Gamers more or less demand mechanical keys, but mechanical keyboards tend to be very noisy, so can be frowned on in office environments – hence the fact that most non-gaming keyboards take the membrane route.

1. Cooler Master NovaTouch TKL

Interface: Wired | Keyboard backlighting: No | Programmable keys: No

Topre switch great for typing

Cherry MX compatible keycaps

Compact

Bland design

No backlighting

Cooler Master has achieved a number of firsts with the NovaTouch TKL. It’s the first affordable keyboard to use topre switches, a hybrid variation that feels halfway between using a membrane and mechanical keyboard. Though linear, rather than tactile, the NovaTouch TKL’s keys have a typewriter-like quality and make ‘bottoming out’ (striking the key so it depresses all the way down) curiously satisfying. It’s the first affordable topre keyboard, with other models retailing at twice the price. It’s also the first of its type to use stems compatible with Cherry MX keycaps, allowing you to chop and change keycaps at your leisure. We’re quite keen on the stock ones, funnily enough, but the choice is great to have.

2. Cherry MX-Board 3.0 Wired Professional Keyboard

Interface: Wired | Features: Cherry MX Red or Brown switches, low-travel design, Included wrist rest

Cherry MX switches

Wrist rest included

No media controls

No backlit keys

Some keyboards just ooze class, and the Cherry MX-Board 3.0 is one of them. Its low profile makes it much more suitable for marathon typing sessions than conventional mechanical keyboards, and comfort is increased by the included wrist rest. With Cherry’s MX Red or Brown switches under the keycaps, you’re given a choice between linear and non-linear offerings with a range of actuation points. It’s a poor option for media enthusiasts due to a lack of dedicated keys, and its lack of backlighting is unfortunate. But if those aren’t deal-breakers, the MX-Board 3.0 is one of the best keyboards for ardent typists.

3. Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard

Interface: Bluetooth | Features: 24-month battery life, LED indicator lights, special keys (Home, Back, App-Switch, Contextual Menu, Easy-Switch), 10m wireless range

Versatile

Long battery life

Very plasticky

These days it’s normal for households to own several devices, usually consisting of a combination of laptops, tablets and smartphones. Logitech’s K380 solves the conundrum of having to pair different keyboards to different devices, allowing you to switch between three using dedicated “EasySwitch” buttons on the top-left hand side. It makes the keyboard shareable among family members, or convenient if you own multiple devices. The K380 is comfortable to type on thanks to its round buttons, which possess a decent amount of travel and are slightly curved for comfort. Better yet, two AA batteries keep it powered for up to two years.

4. Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard

Interface: Bluetooth | Features: Compact, USB charging, works with Android, Windows Phone and iOS

Compact

Comfortable keys

Unsuitable for laps

Packing the same key feel as Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 Type Cover, Microsoft’s Universal Foldable Keyboard is the most compact offering in our guide. Fold it over and you have one of the most travel-friendly Bluetooth keyboards around, barely bigger than a wallet. Typing on it feels just like bashing away on Microsoft’s aforementioned Type Cover, and like that accessory, it isn’t too suitable for typing on your lap. Still, its USB charging and easy Bluetooth pairing means it’s a much preferable alternative to typing on your device’s on-screen keyboard — so long as you have a flat surface handy.

5. Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750

Interface: Wireless | Features: Light-powered, Streamline design, Power monitor app, Six-on-one wireless receiver, 2.4GHz wireless, plug-and-play

Solar-powered

Thin

Lacks macros

If freedom to sit back from your PC and perch your keyboard on your knees, say, is what you seek, a wireless keyboard is ideal. But there’s a downside: wireless keyboards are notorious for munching through batteries. However, that’s not a problem for this clever effort from Logitech, which has built-in solar panels that can recharge the K750’s juice, even under interior lighting. Even though it’s a membrane keyboard, it has a decent amount of feel, and the wireless dongle can accommodate other Logitech devices (such as a mouse). Quite keenly priced, too.

6. Cherry G80-3000

Interface: Wired | Features: Durable build, Gold Crosspoint contacts (MX Technology), Codset 3 support, High service life of individual keys

Durable build

Comfortable key press

Compact

Pedestrian design

As keyboards go, Cherry’s G80-3000 is considered to be something of a classic. There’s nothing flashy about it whatsoever, but it does use Cherry’s own MX mechanical keys, generally held to be the best available (and beloved of the gaming keyboard fraternity). It’s fairly compact, despite having a full complement of keys, not offensively ugly, built like an absolute tank and, most importantly, fairly cheap. Will last for years, and shouldn’t ever let you down unless you subject it to the most extreme mistreatment.

7. Qwerkywriter

Interface: Bluetooth | Features: Retro design, mechanical switches, Macro Return Bar, Vintage inspired key caps, Aluminium metal construction, integrated tablet stand, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android support

Retro design

Comfortable to type on

Loud keys

Qwerkywriter costs a bomb, but if you’re into your retro-themed typewriters then you won’t care. Its steampunk-style design is enough to catch anyone’s eye, but it’s the keyboard’s squishy mechanical keys, which make a satisfying clackety sound when actuated, that really impress. Qwerkywriter’s Macro Returns Bar only adds to its write-a-novel-in-a-dark-room appeal, and if you want to give it the modern touch, its integrated stand lets you slide in (and wirelessly connect) a tablet. It possesses a reassuringly weighty feel, but its rounded keycaps and price tag – which makes it cost more than many decent mechanical keyboards out there – means it’s one for retro purists only.

8. Matias Tactile Pro 4

Interface: Wired | Features: Aps Mechanical Switches, Mac-friendly keys, Easy symbol reach, Laser etched keys, Sculpted keytops, 3-port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 hub, Anti-Ghosting Circuitry

Retro cool

Mechanical keys

Looks a bit weird

Matias’s Tactile Pro 4 might just be the oddest keyboard money can buy. Although designed exclusively for use with Apple Macs, it has Alps mechanical keys, and is modelled on one of the first Mac keyboards. So if you’re a Mac user and feel you must have a mechanical keyboard, it’s pretty much the only one that’s officially supported. And adding a retro touch to a Mac is an interesting idea (although not, we suspect, one that will appeal to all Mac users). Whatever will they think of next? A Mac mouse with more than one button?

9. Logitech Washable Keyboard K310

Interface: Wired | Features: Washable, Laser printed and UV coated keys, F-keys and number pad

Washable

Cool design

Basic functionality

Some of us are just plain clumsy – there’s no denying it — while others find themselves working in environments in which coffee-cup-toppling is more or less inevitable (if, say, there are toddlers tearing around the place). So if you’ve ever had to replace a keyboard due to spillage, you might want to consider Logitech’s Washable Keyboard K310. Its most notable feature is a set of drainage holes that allow you to put it into the sink and simply wash off all traces of anything that has been spilt on it. As a keyboard, it’s basic, but functional nevertheless.

10. Logitech Wireless All-In-One Keyboard TK820

Interface: Bluetooth Features: Keyboard with built-in touchpad, Large touch surface, Space-saving design, Logitech PerfectStroke key system with incurve keys, Logitech Unifying receiver with 2.4GHz wireless

Has a touchpad

Low-travel membrane keys

Not mechanical

Hate mice? There’s no shame in that – we all have different tastes. And Logitech has created a keyboard especially for the rodent-phobic: its TK820 has a built-in touch-pad, which is notably larger than the ones found on laptops, so it gives you more control over fine-tuning sensitivity. Plus it supports tablet-style gestures. The TK820 is wireless, and thanks to its low-travel membrane keys is nice and quiet in an office environment. It’s handsome, too, but won’t suit typists who demand clicky, long-travel keys.

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