A good mechanical keyboard is the work-from-home product I can't go without


Here's why you should switch to a mechanical keyboard if you're working from home.

I used a mechanical keyboard for the first time nearly a decade ago. It was a barebones office-focused keyboard with Cherry MX Blue switches, and while it wasn't much to look at , the experience of using a tactile switch immediately drew me into the world of mechanical keyboards.

I went through over a dozen keyboards over the course of the last seven years to dial in on the perfect keyswitch for my use case. I finally settled on Cherry's MX Brown as it offers a similar level of tactile feedback as the MX Blue switch while being relatively quiet. If you've used a mechanical keyboard in the past and it was uncommonly loud, chances are you used one with the MX Blue switch. Thankfully, there are plenty of mechanical switches nowadays that don't make a lot of noise.

My current keyboard of choice is the Das Keyboard 4Q. It comes with RGB backlighting and Cherry MX Brown switches, and it also has a few smart features thrown in for good measure. The particular option I'm using costs $200, but you can find a good mechanical keyboard with the same keys for under $100.

Das Keyboard 4Q

From $149 at Amazon

The Das Keyboard 4Q has a sturdy build quality and Cherry MX Brown switches that are designed to last over 50 million keystrokes. You also get RGB backlighting with customizable lighting effects, unique cloud-connected features, and dedicated media and volume control keys.

Now, $200 is a lot to pay for a keyboard, and if you don't particularly care about RGB lighting, you can get the same keyboard for $50 less . Of course, you can also pick up a budget mechanical keyboard for just $35, and while these options don't have Cherry MX keys, they utilize the same design for spring-loaded actuation, and you won't notice any difference in real-world usage.

Regardless of whatever mechanical keyboard you pick up, you will see an immediate difference in day-to-day use. Switching from a membrane keyboard or from the scissor-loaded keys on a laptop to a mechanical switch is a big jump, and you'll love the tactile feedback on offer. More than anything else, using a mechanical keyboard is fun.

A mechanical keyboard is an invaluable tool in any work-from-home setup, and that's even more so true in my line of work. I average over 2,000 words a day, and having the right keyboard makes all the difference. Mechanical switches use physical spring-loaded actuators under every key for much better tactile feedback when typing, and they also last longer: a mechanical switch usually delivers over 50 million keystrokes, while a normal membrane key lasts up to 5 to 10 million keystrokes.

Mechanical keyboards last longer and provide much better tactile feedback. You'll have to use one to see the difference.

And because the actuation point (the point where the keystroke is...

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