I’ve been covering mechanical keyboards for quite a while now, dealing with the whole
spectrum, but I’ve never really talked about why.
Why mechanical keyboards?
Why spend a tonne of money on a keyboard, when a cheap $10 one does the same thing?.
And this is absolutely true.
We can't deny that a cheap one does what it's supposed to do.
But there's more to it.
For many of us a keyboard is an essential tool that we use everyday, whether it be at
home or at work; or both.
So like many other everyday items, why not get something that may potentially better
your experience?
​ The cool thing about mechanical keyboards
is the variety, and the ability to pick out a keyboard that suits your needs.
Variety in how a key press feels, layout, programmability, aesthetics, materials and
so on, is very limited with the membrane keyboards we see in normal electronic stores.
​ Don't need a number pad?
Just get rid of it with a tenkeyless or smaller.
Need dedicated macros?
Macro away.
Want better ergonomics?
Get a split or ergonomic keyboard.
You like the colour blue?
Then just find a blue themed keyboard or keycaps.
It's all there.
And honestly, that’s not even really mechanical specific, but is just something that’s grown
and has been made available with the mechanical aspect, as majority are based on the MX style
keyswitch, meaning universal parts, modularity. and so on.
So if you look at your desk and what you need, and just think about it in your head.
You may say, okay, so I don’t need a numpad because I don’t do any real work.
Now I have more space on my desk and for my mouse for gaming, which is pretty comfortable.
But now I’m really missing my dedicated arrow keys.
I’ll need some colour to brighten up my existence.
But I’m not that girly.
And fortunately, these keyswitches won’t wake anyone else up in the house.
And see, now I have a keyboard that suits my needs.
But the main drawpoint of mechanical keyboards is how they feel.
This isn't something you can really control with membrane keyboards, since they're just
a sheet of collapsing domes.
But with mechanical switches, you can get a range of weights.
You can go with a clicky, tactile, or a smooth linear switch, loud, silent, low profile,
whatever you want with everything in between.
Getting something that feels good to you, and serves your needs can potentially impact
on your efficiency, performance, and just straight up enjoyment.
Now that’s a pretty big word when you think about it.
Doesn’t it just sound right to turn an otherwise boring daily tool into something that’s
enjoyable to use?
I certainly think so, because they really do feel so so good.
And then there’s the functional side.
There’s the durability of the keyswitches, which are usually at around 50 million keypresses.
Honestly, I haven’t even had a membrane keyboard die on me, and it’s more likely
you’ll do something else to break the keyboard first.
But in general, mechanical keyboards are heavier, tougher, and more nicely built.
​ But the deeper you go, the more expensive
it gets, and the more it starts to not make sense to the outside world.
But this is when it starts to get more fun.
And this is what's usually shown to the outside - all these mad decked out boards; showing
the expensive end.
But it’s just like other hobbies, so why not?
​ And that's one of the underlying misconceptions
of mechanical keyboards.
Not all mechanical keyboards need to rip your wallet apart, and this is one aspect I'm quite
passionate about.
Objectively mechanical keyboards cost a lot of money, especially to those who live in
certain areas in the world.
But there are many keyboards coming out of China that can be affordable; at say $30 and
upwards.
While the quality and tolerances won’t be as good, and sometimes not worth it, so do
your research, these will still deliver the mechanical experience - and that's the important
part.
​ I've been thanked by many people for covering
these lesser known and cheaper keyboards, since most of the mainstream outlets concentrate
on Razer, Logitech, Corsair etc - which are indeed expensive.
​ And on top of all of that, we have the wonderful
community.
I’ve met so many awesome people through keyboards alone, and it’s become part of
my daily routine to just talk to people about keyboards.
Obviously it’s a bit different for me, but I just love how we’ve built these communities
around the world, where people can talk and meetup.
So in the end, it's an important tool that we use everyday for extended periods of time.
It can boost our productivity, or make for a more enjoyable gaming experience.
And it really is all about options.
Options to get what you want.
You could go for a cheap one, or indulge yourself and find yourself digging a deep continuous
hole in that is the hobby of mechanical keyboards.
Let me know in the comments if you have anything more to add, because I’d really love to
hear your thoughts.