Best keyboard 2024: Tried and tested USB and wireless keyboards
Tired of noisy keys, aching hands and typos? Treat yourself to one of the best desktop keyboards
Never underestimate the importance of a decent keyboard. If you do anything on your PC that involves typing, you’ll spend more time physically interacting with the keyboard than anything else bar your mouse or monitor. Spending just £10 or £20 more can take you to a different level of usability and comfort. If you do a lot of writing – whether for business, clubs or study – one of the best keyboards will help you get your work done faster with fewer typos, and with less strain on your poor pinkies. This is something you might only appreciate when you switch from your old, bad keyboard, but it makes a tangible difference all the same.
On this page, you’ll find our pick of the best keyboards to buy in 2024. If you don’t know where to begin, or you would just like to know more about keyboards, you can find our detailed buying guide directly below.
Best keyboards: At a glance
| Best wireless | Logitech MX Keys Mini (~£92) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best wired | Keychron V Series (~£100) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best premium | Keychron Q1 HE (~£193) | Check price at Keychron |
| Best on a budget | Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 (~17) | Check price at Laptop Outlet |
How we test keyboards
When it comes to keyboards, the best way to test is to simply use them. We connect each keyboard to a laptop or desktop PC that gets daily working use, then use it across a full range of office and creative applications over a period of roughly one week.
During that time, we focus on the layout, typing action, accuracy and comfort, and look at whether the keyboard improves or hampers productivity. We also install and run any supporting software, and check the construction for any signs of weak materials or shoddy build quality. With wireless keyboards, we’ll also check how easy it is to connect via a 2.4GHz dongle and/or Bluetooth, and at how consistent and reliable the connection is.
READ NEXT: Best gaming keyboards
The best keyboards you can buy in 2024
1. Logitech MX Keys Mini: Best wireless keyboard for most people
Price when reviewed: £110 | Check price at Logitech
The Logitech MX Keys Mini is a fantastic high-end wireless keyboard that more than justifies its relatively steep price. This sibling to the full-sized Logitech MX Keys loses the numberpad and home cluster for the sake of portability but sacrifices none of the unique features that earn the MX Keys a recommendation from us.
Logitech’s unusual concave chiclet keys make a comeback, providing an immensely satisfying typing experience. Given the size of the keyboard (just under 30cm wide) the keys are spaced suitably far apart and do not feel cramped in use.
Multidevice connectivity allows you to pair the MX Keys Mini with up to three devices at a time; you use the dedicated keys on the Function row to swap between connected devices instantly. Like the other MX Keys products, your copy/paste clipboard can be transferred between devices.
The MX Keys Mini also has Function keys that handle screenshots, mic mute/unmute and even emojis, if that’s your bag. Adaptive backlighting reacts to the brightness of your surroundings, potentially helping eke more out of the battery – although with a quoted battery life of ten days with lighting and one month without, you won’t find yourself having to top up very often regardless. We certainly didn’t have to.
The MX Keys Mini charges via USB-C but won’t connect to your PC/laptop/tablet that way: it’s only compatible with Bluetooth. This is perhaps the only blot on the MX Keys Mini’s otherwise stellar record.
Key specs – Type: Chiclet; Special features: Adaptive backlight, multidevice connectivity; Connections: Bluetooth 5.1; Dimensions (WDH): 296 x 132 x 21mm; Weight: 702g
2. Keychron Q1 HE: The best premium keyboard
Price: £193 | Check price at Keychron
For typists gamers, those who love customisability and the convenience of wireless connectivity, the Keychron Q1 HE is the ultimate keyboard. Not only is it a dream to type on but its magnetic Hall-effect switches also allow you to adjust sensitivity to your liking and even set different release and activation points.
It’s a keyboard that’s built so solidly it feels like it belongs in a nuclear powerstation, and its construction – the chassis is made up of a sandwich of thick metal plates and sound-absorbing foam – results in a typing experience like no other.
With USB-C connectivity bolstered by Bluetooth and fast 2.4GHz wireless, the ability to remap keys and assign macros at will, plus spare keys in the box that allow you to use the keyboard with both Windows and Mac machines, this truly is the ultimate keyboard. The price is high, but it’s worth every penny.
Read our full Keychron Q1 HE review
Key specs – Type: Mechanical (Gateron double rail magnetic nebula switches); Special features: Adjustable actuation and release points, fully programmable, customisable layout, gamepad simulation mode, RGB backlighting Windows and Mac keys supplied; Connections: USB-C, Bluetooth 5.1, 2.4GHz wireless; Dimensions (WDH): 327 x 145 x 22.6-35.8mm (WDH); Weight: 1.7kg
3. Keychron V Series: Best wired keyboard
Price when reviewed: £100 | Check price at Amazon
If build quality, modification options, ultra-crisp typing action and proper support for Mac and Linux, as well as Windows, are what you are looking for in a mechanical keyboard then you absolutely need to look at the Keychron lineup. The V Series is basically an affordable take on the premium and highly regarded Q Series and carries over all the Q’s strengths while giving little away.
Nine models are available in the V Series range, including two Alice layouts available, plus three different switch options and a swappable, customisable layout, the V Series has something for everyone just as long as you are happy with a wired connection. We’ve linked to the V4, however you can also get the V6 for £90 or the V4 for £73.
The typing action on the 60% V4 we were sent for review was superb for a keyboard costing less than £100, as was the build quality, and that key action is the same across all models, whether that’s the 80% V3 or the 100% V6. It’s very hard to do better at the price.
Read our full Keychron V Series review
Key specs – Type: Mechanical (Keychron Pro Red, Blue or Brown switches); Special features: Hot swappable, programmable, customisable layout; Connections: USB-C; Dimensions (WDH): 304 x 117 x 26mm without keycaps (Keychron V4); Weight (V4): 730g
Aesthetics shouldn’t be the primary reason you buy a keyboard, but that doesn’t detract from the appeal of Razer’s new Pro Type Ultra. It’s an absolute beauty and, luckily, its performance is just as good, courtesy of Razer’s Yellow mechanical keyboard switches – near-silent linears with a nicely judged actuation force of 45g and a very precise action.
Don’t expect the usual Razer gaming RGB light show, though. The Ultra’s bright backlight is white only, but while this isn’t a colour scheme you would think would work, Razer has judged it well so the keycap graphics are always fully legible.
The Ultra can be connected via either 2.4GHz wireless with the supplied USB Type-A dongle (usefully this can be stored inside the keyboard when not in use), Bluetooth or a good old-fashioned cable. Included with the Ultra is a very comfortable leatherette wrist rest that further enhances the Ultra’s typing ergonomics, and it should last the distance as Razer reckons the key switches are good for 80 million actions.
Sadly, there’s no tenkeyless (without a numberpad) version, so make sure you have the desk space to accommodate the Razer if it takes your fancy.
Key specs – Type: Mechanical, Razer Yellow Switch; Special features: Leatherette wrist rest; Connections: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth; Dimensions (WDH): 439 x 131 x 40mm; Weight: 1,039g
5. Logitech MX Mechanical Mini: Best compact wireless keyboard
Price when reviewed: £141 | Check price at Amazon
Most mechanical keyboards are designed for gamers or hobbyists but the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is different. This is a keyboard designed primarily for working, for those who prefer the premium typing experience of mechanical switches over membrane or scissor switches. It’s available in this compact tenkeyless size, which we love for its convenience, but also in full size for those who need a separate number pad.
It’s crammed with top-end features. You can pair it with up to three devices simultaneously and switch between them at the touch of a button. It works beautifully with both MacOS and Windows computers, connects via Bluetooth or with Logitech’s own “Logi Bolt” RF dongle. And it has a backlight that illuminates automatically as your hands approach and adjusts automatically to the ambient light level. There’s even a specific MacOS version (pictured) but that tends to be more expensive; we prefer the universal model, which looks less clean but has icons for both operating systems.
Most importantly, it’s a great keyboard to type on. The low profile tactile Kailh brown switches won’t please the clicky crowd (there are “clicky” and “linear” options but only for the US International layout, not the UK model) and so won’t be for everyone. However, we’ve used one extensively over the past few months and have found it a comfortable, reliable and (important for the office) quiet companion. Moreover, the battery life, rated at up to ten months with the backlight off, is stupendous. Recharging, when you need to do it, takes place over USB-C. The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini is a brilliant keyboard. It’s well made, packed with features and lovely to use. The price is high but not unreasonably so, given how good this keyboard is.
Key specs – Type: Mechanical (tactile switches on UK layout); Special features: MacOS and Windows compatibility, quick switching between up to three devices; Connections: Bluetooth, USB-C, Logi Bolt; Dimensions (WDH): 313 x 132 x 26mm including keycaps; Weight: 612g
6. Cherry G80-3000N RGB: Best budget mechanical keyboard
Price when reviewed: £90 | Check price at Amazon
The Cherry G80-3000 is one of those keyboards that’s been around for donkey’s years. It first landed on office workers’ desks back in the late 1980s and Cherry still makes a version today.
The new G80-3000N RGB is a reinvention of that classic, designed to appeal to today’s more demanding users. Carryovers include the classic ergonomic keycaps and original typing feel, but these are now combined with a much slimmer, more contemporary housing, 16-million colour illumination and state-of-the-art electronics. Does the new model actually feel like the classic model? We’ve not used a G80-3000 for more than 15 years but the reworked model certainly felt familiar once we started tapping away on it.
In stark contrast to the original, the 3000N comes with all the latest tech, including anti-ghosting, per-key lighting and full-N-key rollover, which lets you press as many keys as you want at once and still get the desired result. The Cherry MX Silent Red key switches make for a pleasantly quiet, if not completely silent, typing experience, but that’s more down to some resonance in the plastic body. If space or money is tight there’s a tenkeyless version without the numerical keypad, and Cherry says the laser-etched keycaps are abrasion-resistant, too, which is a nice bonus.
Read our full Cherry G80-3000N RGB review
Key specs – Type: Mechanical, Cherry MX Silent Red switches; Special features: 16 million colours, configurable RGB backlighting; Connections: USB; Dimensions (WDH): 440 x 140 x 35mm; Weight: 810g
7. Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600: Best budget keyboard
Price when reviewed: £17 | Check price at Laptop Outlet
Microsoft’s entry-level keyboard is something of a bargain-basement classic. On the one hand, it doesn’t do anything special and there’s no mistaking the plasticky build for something more expensive. On the other, the sensible layout and slightly concave shape make it an easy keyboard to work with. The feel is pretty good, too. Sure, it’s a traditional effort with old-school membrane switches, but the combination of a shortish travel and a subtle thump on actuation makes for a decent – and quiet – typing experience. If you’ve got a cheap and nasty keyboard on your PC, this will feel like a tangible step up.
In this case, the fact that the design hasn’t changed in over a decade is probably a good thing, and spill resistance only enhances the impression of a simple, reliable product. Frills are limited to a calculator hot key, but for basic needs you won’t get much better for just over a tenner.
Key specs – Type: Traditional; Special features: None; Connections: USB; Dimensions (WDH): 456 x 160 x 22mm; Weight: 898g
8. Logitech Craft: Best high-end keyboard
Price when reviewed: £190 | Check price at Logitech
Logitech’s Craft is an instant classic, giving you just about everything you could want from a desktop keyboard. The chiclet-style keys are a bit unusual, with standard square keytops but a sizable round dimple in the centre of each one, though once you get used to this it’s an aid to typing, with your fingertips falling dead centre every time. The action is as good as Microsoft’s Surface, being springy and easy on the fingers, but with a solid and responsive weight. We love the modern style of the labels, with some clever workarounds that make this keyboard work as well for Macs as it does for PCs, while the backlighting is bright enough to be effective without being blinding.
It’s a pleasure to use, then, without any compromises on the layout or the feel, but this model has two brilliant extras. First, you can connect to up to three different devices using the bundled wireless USB dongle or Bluetooth, then switch between them with a press of a quick-switch button. Second, note the round knob at the top left of the keyboard, which Logitech calls the crown. You can use this to make fine, analogue adjustments while using features in a range of apps, including Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator and InDesign, plus a varied selection of photo-editing, drawing, painting and video apps. It even comes in useful for Office applications and browsers, giving you an instant zoom or paragraph style switch. It’s not cheap, but the Craft could be the ultimate keyboard for creative types.
Key specs – Type: Chiclet; Special features: Input dial, backlight; Connections: Bluetooth 4, USB, USB wireless dongle; Dimensions (WDH): 430 x 148 x 32mm; Weight: 962g
9. Logitech Pop Keys: Best keyboard for social media
Price when reviewed: £100 | Check price at Amazon
Two years ago, a keyboard with dedicated emoji keys would have been regarded as something of a joke, but now that using social media is a recognised and lucrative way of making a living, this retro mechanical 75% keyboard will probably find a ready market.
The design of the Pop Keys keyboard, from the eye-catching colour schemes to the retro keycaps, is unique, as is the design of the matching Pop mouse. Looks aside, it’s a very solid and well-made keyboard, the build quality belying the almost toy-like styling.
The circular keycaps sit on TTC Brown switches, which we’ve always thought sounded just a bit louder than the real Cherry MX Browns, but the difference is marginal. They do take a while to get used to unless you’ve recently been typing on an antique typewriter – circular keycaps are easy to miss-hit for the unfamiliar.
At the far right of the keyboard you’ll find the Pop’s USP: four programmable emoji keys and a fifth that opens the emoji menu. Four common emoji keycaps come fitted while another four are included in the box. And if you want the emoji keys to do something rather more useful, you can reprogram them. Indeed, the Fn 4 through 12 keys can also be repurposed if you wish using Logitech’s Options software.
It’s a bit of a triumph of style over substance, but there’s no denying it’s just about the most unusual keyboard you can own and is surprisingly satisfying to use once you’ve got the hang of it.
Key specs – Type: Mechanical TTC Brown; Special features: Dedicated emoji keys; Connections: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth; Dimensions (WDH): 321 x 138.5 x 35.5mm; Weight: 779g
10. Cherry XTRFY K5V2: Best compact mechanical keyboard
Price when reviewed: £118 | Check price at Amazon
The Cherry XTRFY is ostensibly for gamers – it comes with per-key RGB lighting, 1,000Hz USB polling and its compact 65% form factor leaves more room next to it for strafing and sweeping mouse manoeuvres – but we found that its MX2A Red switches were just as good for typing as they are for indulging in a little lunchtime Call of Duty session.
It’s a solidly made keyboard as well, and its metal keyboard deck comes with sound-dampening foam that creates a truly luxurious feel. But the keyboard’s biggest strength is how much you can customise it at the point of purchase (if you buy it from the Cherry website). As well as the latest MX2A Red switches, you can specify Brown, Blue or Black, choose from the full range of older MX switches and Cherry even lets you choose switches from rivals Gateron and Kailh. You can swap out the frame for one of a different colour, too, pick from all manner of different key caps – the list goes on.
We also loved the ability with this keyboard to alter settings on the keyboard itself, without needing to install software on your PC. The RGB lighting, in particular, is vivid and bright and you can customise it to your heart’s content. The keyboard is expensive – more so if you opt to customise it instead of buying one prebuilt from Amazon – but we reckon it’s worth it for the sheer quality.
Read our full Cherry XTRFY K5V2 review
Key specs – Type: Mechanical (Cherry MX2A switches as tested); Special features: Per key RGB backlight; Connections: USB-C; Dimensions (WDH): 374 x 218 x 70mm; Weight: 703g
11. Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard: Best keyboard for minimalist setups
Price when reviewed: £96 | Check price at Amazon
The Designer Compact is Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Magic Keyboard. It’s super thin, incredibly stylish and, surprisingly, it’s also very satisfying to type on.
As you might anticipate, the key action is very shallow at only 1.35mm, which takes some getting used to if you’re used to a mechanical keyboard but, once you’ve adapted, it proves a surprisingly pleasant, fast and silent typing experience. The dedicated Windows keys to open the Snipping Tool application and emoji picker are features we didn’t expect to use as often as we did.
The compact 80-key form factor lacks a numeric keyboard but, happily, Microsoft will sell you a standalone one for £30. Something else the Designer lacks is a backlight, a shortcoming that owes its existence to Microsoft’s decision to power the keyboard with CR2032 watch-style batteries.
On a positive note, Microsoft says a new set of batteries will last for 36 months, and the price is eminently reasonable.
Key specs – Type: Chiclet; Special features: Windows screen snipping and emoji picker keys; Connections: Bluetooth; Dimensions (WDH): 284 ×111 × 9mm; Weight: 288g
12. Logitech K780: Best wireless keyboard for versatility
Price when reviewed: £90 | Check price at Logitech
Looking for a keyboard that can handle all your devices? Look no further than the Logitech K780. Hook it up using the bundled wireless dongle and it will work with your PC or Mac, but you can also connect it via Bluetooth to an iPad or Android tablet, your big-screen smartphone or a convertible laptop, then work on that. What’s more, there’s a built-in cradle that holds tablets safely for comfortable typing, and you can switch between devices instantly using the three easy-switch buttons at the top left.
None of this would matter if the typing experience was lousy, but Logitech has got the basics right. The circular keytops might seem peculiar, but you get used to them surprisingly quickly, and while the travel isn’t long the actual feel is crisp, light and very fast. The only layout issues are the weird integration of the navigation keys with the numeric keypad, along with the decision to move the Delete button to the top row with the F keys. Neither is a deal-breaker, and the battery life is rated for two years from a pair of AAAs, making this a smart and flexible option.
Key specs – Type: Chiclet; Special features: Multidevice switch, integrated tablet cradle; Connections: Bluetooth, USB wireless dongle; Dimensions (WDH): 380 x 158 x 22mm; Weight: 830g
13. Logitech Ergo K860: Best ergonomic keyboard
Price when reviewed: £115 | Check price at Logitech
Where the Microsoft Sculpt offers ergonomic comfort in a compact form factor, the Logitech Ergo K860 goes all out for the bells and whistles. Like most ergonomic keyboards it’s split in the centre and humped to promote a more neutral typing position, the aim being to reduce wrist strain and RSI (repetitive strain injury), but it has its own unique appeal.
Its best feature is its deep, memory foam wrist rest, which is made up of multiple layers of foam – just like a premium mattress – and a knitted fabric cover to provide genuinely luxurious typing comfort. As a result, we’ve found this to be among the most comfortable keyboards we’ve ever typed on.
It can be paired with up to three devices at once, and switching between them is as simple as tapping a button. Plus, it comes with both Windows 10 and macOS markings, making it easy to use no matter what platform you happen to be using. Powered by a pair of AAA batteries (included) and connected via Bluetooth LE or 2.4GHz, this is a superlatively comfortable and flexible ergonomic keyboard.
Read our full Logitech Ergo K860 review
Key specs – Type: Chiclet; Special features: Device switching; Connections: Bluetooth LE, 2.4GHz RF; Dimensions (WDH): 456 x 233 x 48mm; Weight: 1.1kg
14. Cherry KC6000 Slim: Best-value keyboard for typing
Price when reviewed: £50 | Check price at Amazon
If you lack the Bluetooth connectivity and budget for Microsoft’s top keyboard, Cherry has a cheaper wired alternative. Buy the KC6000 and you’ll have to make do without the premium materials, but with its slimline housing and weighty metal plate on the top, it feels more expensive than it looks. There are precious few holes to pick in the layout, and there’s much to like about the elegant styling and discreet red lights on the caps, scroll and num lock keys.
More importantly, it’s a fine keyboard for typing. Cherry seems to have tuned its scissor-switch mechanism to near perfection, giving you a crisp action with just enough travel and a little weight. It’s surprisingly similar in feel to Apple’s Magic Keyboard, with the additional benefit of slightly raised labels and a concave surface that seem to help your fingertips fall into place. With a two-year warranty and keys predicted to last ten million actuations, it feels like it’s built for long-term use, and the laser-etched keys shouldn’t let you down, either. If you’re buying for business or you do a lot of writing, there’s really little reason to spend more.
Key specs – Type: Chiclet; Special features: None; Connections: USB; Dimensions (WDH): 440 x 120 x 15mm; Weight: 662g
How to choose the best keyboard for you
What should you look for in a keyboard?
First of all, there’s no perfect, best keyboard that will work for every user. Some people love ergonomic keyboards with split layouts, some hate them. It’s the same with modern, laptop-style chiclet keyboards, mechanical keyboards and just about every other type. The best thing you can do is try a range of types and work out which feels best for you, though that’s easier said than done – unless you have a big PC store nearby.
Keyboards break down into four different styles:
Traditional: These have old-fashioned, typewriter-style keys above a membrane or mechanical switch. The keys tend to have more travel (the distance the key moves before a press is registered), although the action (the weight and feel of the keys) can vary enormously from keyboard to keyboard.
Chiclet: These use the flatter “Scrabble-tile” keys introduced with Sony Vaio and Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops. These generally have a shorter travel and a lighter action, which can improve typing speeds when you get used to the overall feel.
Ergonomic: Ergonomic keyboards combine traditional keys with a specially shaped form that aims to put each key at the most comfortable position and angle for the finger that you should – with good typing habits – use to press it. The idea is that your hands are supported by the generous wrist rests while the fingers do the heavy lifting. This reduces strain and the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. Many ergonomic keyboards have a split design, with the left-hand keys tilted outwards to sit under the left hand and the right-hand keys doing the same in the opposite direction to sit under the right hand.
Compact: These keyboards have all the extra keys, such as the numeric pad, removed, and are designed to be as small and light as possible. In this way, they reduce the space they take up on your desktop and are easier to travel with.
As we said, one of these keyboard types will usually work better for you than the rest. However, making the transition from one type to another can be worth the effort if, for example, you’re finding that using a chiclet keyboard all day is making your wrists ache at night.
READ NEXT: Best ergonomic keyboards
Does the switch technology matter?
The growth of gaming keyboards has raised interest in the switch mechanisms used in various keyboards. At the most basic level, you have membrane keyboards. In these, the keys don’t cover any separate switches, but instead are mounted on plungers that press on a membrane, which itself contains a matrix of electrical switches.
Above these you have dome-switch keyboards, where the key presses a metal or plastic dome, which creates a connection between two layers of circuit printed on silicone or rubber. This gives you a more responsive, clicky keyboard than the membrane keyboard, but without the cost of a mechanical construction.
Scissor-switch mechanisms can be found in most respectable chiclet-style keyboards, and augment the dome-switch with two interlocking metal or plastic pieces that hold the keytop in place. The result is a low-profile keyboard that still has some travel and a satisfying tap.
Finally, mechanical keyboards have a switch and spring arrangement under each key. This inevitably costs more to produce – and thus to buy – but it does allow the manufacturer to tune the feel of the keyboard and every key on it.
Each technology has a different feel. Membrane keyboards are quiet, but can feel cheap and unresponsive, while mechanical keyboards have more weight and a satisfying – but noisy – click. Dome-switch keyboards and scissor-switch models sit somewhere in the middle.
What else should you look for?
The layout is crucial. Most keyboards have a conventional layout with a dedicated numeric pad, function keys and a cluster of Home, Insert and Delete keys, though some will ditch certain of these to save space. If you use the numeric pad or the PgUp and PgDn keys a lot, this is something you ought to bear in mind. Shrunken Shift keys and Enter/Return keys are a perennial problem, while some keyboards have a cramped layout, where the keys are smaller and very close together, or a smaller spacebar.
Similarly, many keyboards have additional media or internet keys, which you may (or may not) have a use for. They may also have switchable function keys, with different roles when an additional Function Shift key is pressed. If you use the F keys all the time, this can be hugely annoying. Finally, watch out for oddities. For instance, Lenovo keyboards have a great reputation, but Lenovo has a tendency to stick a Function Shift key in the bottom-left corner, right where you would expect to find Ctrl. This isn’t a disaster, but it takes some getting used to.
Needless to say, you also have to choose between wired and wireless keyboards, and between wireless keyboards that use Bluetooth and those that work with a bundled USB receiver. Wired keyboards don’t run out of batteries and sometimes come with extras, like a built-in USB hub. Wireless models have an obvious advantage, though, and some will even support several different PCs or mobile devices, allowing you to switch between them with the click of a switch. The only problem is you’ll sometimes have to splash out on a wireless desktop bundle to get them, whether or not you need the included mouse.
