Full size, TKL or mini?

Razer knows a thing or two about keyboards, and the Huntsman V2 is a terrific testament to that fact. Armed with optical switches, delectable doubleshot PBT keycaps, and subtle good looks, this board is a perfect ten in our eyes. It even goes above and beyond by wielding built-in dampening foam, which helps ditch rattling and clattering while preserving pleasing ASMR clicks.

The Razer Huntsman V2 is more expensive than most, and it’s arguably designed with keyboard enthusiasts in mind. Nevertheless, it will still provide any gaming PC setup with accurate and speedy input, thanks to its 8,000Hz polling rate.

That’s going to matter if you’re looking to enhance your skills in the best FPS games, as you’ll be able to swiftly dip, dive and dodge your way to safety during standoffs without worrying about latency. You can even swap out its keycaps to give it an aesthetic edge – a feature that’ll inject a bit of personality into your PC gaming space. It’s one of the best quiet gaming keyboards, and if you can afford it, is well worth the money.

Read the Razer Huntsman V2 review.

We’re a big fan of modularity, and the Moutain Everest Max fully embraces the idea of hot-swappable addons. While many other gaming keyboards out there feature removable switches, the Everest Max supports an additional numpad and media bar, both of which elevate its functionality beyond what you’d expect from standard PC peripherals.

If you’re a streamer, you’re going to dig the optional Mountain Everest Max Displaypad, as it essentially functions like a Stream Deck replacement. Equipped with LCD keys, we reckon the addon’s macro abilities could give Elgato a run for its money, all while taking up less precious surface space by being effectively part of the keyboard’s footprint.

A complete setup will set you back a hefty amount, but the core keyboard comes in at $150. Not unreasonable considering it packs Cherry MX switches and great build quality to boot, and it certainly makes more of a statement than most of its premium rivals on the market.

Read our Mountain Everest Max review.

If you’re strapped for cash or looking for something to bridge the gap between two premium gaming keyboards, look no further than the Corsair K55 Core. Where it lacks in gaming-specific features, it more than makes up for in build quality and value.

Rarely will you find an RGB membrane keyboard with an MSRP below $40, but Corsair sets the standard for how to design a budget gaming keyboard and make it well worth the purchase. Better still you’re getting a full-size board here, so the K55 Core makes no compromises on size to achieve its value.

It is fully supported in iCUE, allowing you to play around with the RGB zones and create whatever color pattern your heart desires, and the dedicated media keys give you quick access to what can sometimes be rather awkward function key shortcuts. The value Corsair packed into the K55 Core is hard to ignore, even if it won’t compete with the more expensive options on this list.

Read our Corsair K55 Core review for more.

As keyboard modding becomes more popular, Drop is leading the charge along with a few other brands like Ducky, in creating products that a re simple to customize and make unique. First and foremost, we called the Drop CSTM80 one of the prettiest keyboards we’d ever seen, and praised it’s feel while typing.

The gasket mounting provides a light feel, but there is still plenty of feedback in the mechanical switches to ensure you don’t suffer from any missclicks. It’s also very responsive, but beyond that, the gaming benefits are light, as it’s built for a different purpose and we respect that.

We also highlighted the driverless approach from Drop, meaning you can plug the CSTM80 in without needing to download any additional software. Should you wish to customize the inputs, you can download software, but it is not required under any circumstances.

Read our Drop CSTM80 review for more.

Not got a lot of desk space to spare for your gaming keyboard? Well, in that case, the Lofree Flow 100 may be just what you need. It occupies a tiny amount of space but remains a rugged and durable piece of hardware.

One small downside of it being so small is that the CTRL key is slightly awkwardly placed and I often end up accidentally pressing it with my palm when typing. I still love the keyboard, but it is annoying when it happens.

Something that most users will appreciate is just how smoothly this thing works. Writing a sentence on the Lofree Flow 100 is like spreading butter with a hot knife.  You’ll never find yourself having to give a key a second, harder press because it didn’t pick it up the first time, or that the opposite has happened and one press registered twice.

The biggest flaw is probably with the wired connection, which I couldn’t get working properly. I keep it plugged in all the time, which keeps it charged up, but it’s connected to my laptop via Bluetooth, as my device didn’t recognize it when I plugged it in. It’s not a huge problem, since it still works just fine, but an important bit of nuance to be conscious of.

All in all, it’s a well-made keyboard that looks as good as it feels. It may lack dedicated media keys for volume control and so forth, but the keys are hot-swappable (with Kailh Full POM Switches), and I’ve not encountered any latency.  If you’re after something small that you can plug in and play right out of the box, but which offers some decent potential for customization, this could be the one.

Read our full Lofree Flow 100 review.

Corsair casually released one of the best all-around gaming keyboards we’ve seen in recent years in the K65 Plus Wireless. It’s got something for everyone, starting with enthusiasts who love to tinker with switches and keycaps as they’ll find no barriers preventing full customization.

Out of the box, it may be missing hardcore gaming features but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in performance. The Corsair MLX Red switches are super responsive and also have a lovely tactile feel when you hit your typing flow.

Finally, it’s wireless with up to three savable Bluetooth profiles and a steady 2.4GHz connection possible. All this is backed up by a super long batter life, that can be extended if you disable the delightfully muted backlighting.

Read our Corsair K65 Plus Wireless review for more.

Modding a keyboard is great, not only can it refresh the design, but you can isolate issues that arise and potentially fix them without having to worry about replacing a whole keyboard. The Razer Blackwidow V4 is a great example of trying to appeal to two markets and leaving no features on the cutting room floor.

We enjoyed our time with the Blackwidow V4 75% massively, praising how simple it was to play around with and disassemble while still managing to offer responsive gaming performance. There was always the risk that appealing to two hobbies could create a Frankenstein monster of a mess, but no such outcome is present here.

If you want to give modding a go but retain the core gaming performance, there may be no better option. We would have liked to have more pre-purchase customization options, to prevent the need to purchase new switches and keycaps after the fact, but it’s a small price to pay in the long term.

Read our Razer Blackwidow V4 75% review for more.

The Glorious GMMK 3 can easily claim to be the most customizable off-the-shelf gaming keyboard you can buy. With users able to quite easily upgrade the outer case, internal gasket mounts, switchplates and of course the switches and keycaps, this is the ultimate easy route to a full-custom build.

What’s more, the core design of the GMMK 3 and GMMK 3 Pro is great, with a clean overall look that you can make your own. Build quality generally is excellent and the starting price of the range is just $120. That rises a lot, though, when you really start speccing these keyboards up, with the priciest units costing north of $500. But that’s still a lot cheaper than an indivudual custom build.

With the option to add Hall Effect switches, these keyboards, which come in a range of sizes, can also step up to offering the sort of gaming performance many users now desire, though there are no extra keys or other features to speak of, other than a volume knob. There are a few factors to note before ordering one of these keyboard – so check our full review – but if you’re after a high-quality custom keyboard without the hassle and extreme cost, this is the way to go. A quality alternative that isn’t quite as customizable is the Drop CSTM80.

Read our full Glorious GMMK 3 Pro HE review.