Though they have been around since the ’70s, mechanical keyboards remain a popular ergonomic upgrade from the mass-produced membrane keyboards that ship with most desktops. Mech keyboards offer a premium typing experience because of their clicky and tactile switches under each key, which makes them particularly appealing to gamers and typists. Here are our favorite ways to ditch the mushy membrane keyboard while keeping to a budget.

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What Are the Advantages of a Mechanical Keyboard?

Individual mechanical switches beneath each key in this type of keyboard offer a number of advantages. The biggest benefit is an improved tactile response that speeds up typing. When you hear the click of a mechanical switch, you instantly know that your keystroke has registered and that you can move onto the next one.

The most feather-fingered typists use this satisfying click as a signal that they've depressed the key far enough, and can now begin the next keystroke. With a bit of practice, you can use this technique to type entire paragraphs without bottoming out your keys once. You'll notice an immediate improvement in typing speed to match.

Mechanical keyboard can also be more easily customized than membrane keyboards. Most mechanical keyboards out there (and all of the ones we reviewed here) have the same stem profile, which means you can add custom keycaps to your keyboard to give it an even more unique look.

Mechanical keyboards do have some downsides, though. They are loud and heavy, so they don't work well in shared workspaces. They are also often quite expensive. But even if your budget for peripherals is tight, a budget mechanical keyboard will far outperform a traditional membrane keyboard.

How We Picked the Best Cheap Mechanical Keyboards

There are a lot of moving parts underneath each mechanical keyboard, so there is an almost overwhelming number of factors to consider when shopping for an inexpensive mechanical keyboard.

The most important factor is the style of switches that are used on the keyboard as well as which brand manufactures them. This article from Tom's Guide outlines the core differences between common switches like Blues, Reds, and Browns. However, the best way to familiarize yourself with these switches is to try them out.

We considered a variety of switch styles for this roundup since each switch type is better suited for different task loads. That said, you will also find a number of brands other than Cherry amongst these offerings. Cherry keys still tend to have the best longevity out of all available options but other "off-brands" still tend to perform just as well.

What Is the Best Backlit Mechanical Keyboard?

The other major factor that we considered in selecting the best cheap mechanical keyboards is whether or not they are backlit. This is a great feature to have but it is not necessary, especially when you have budget limitations to keep in mind.

That said, you can still find plenty of cheap backlit mechanical keyboards on our list. Standouts include the Beatron Sapphire, the Eagletec KG011, and the Velocifire VM011, to name a few.

There are now quite a few budget mechanical keyboards with fully customizable RGB LEDs too. Our favorites are the Havit Mechanical Keyboard and the Aukey 104-Key Keyboard. Of course, a lot of non-gamers consider this feature over the top. It is certainly not necessary for making it on this roundup.

What Is the Best Mechanical Keyboard for Gaming?

Pretty much any mechanical keyboard will beat out membrane keyboards for durability but are they still the best choice for gaming? The answer is yes, depending on which switches we're talking about.

Linear switches like Cherry MX Reds tend to be the best choice for their consistent actuation force and smooth action. Some budget boards actually have Cherry MX Red switches, including the HyperX Alloy FPS Pro and the Gigabyte GK-Force K83.

Some will instead prefer the tactile click of a Blue switch or the tactile bump of a Brown switch when they are performing a high number of actions-per-minute. Just keep in mind that this all comes down to personal preference.

See Also

11 Best Cherry MX Blue Keyboards: The Ultimate List

9 Best Cherry MX Red Keyboards: The Ultimate List

11 Best Cherry MX Brown Keyboards: The Ultimate List