If you work in an office or in tech, you probably spend a lot of time typing away at your keyboard. Your keyboard might even be your primary tool; it’s how you compose emails, write reports, or program the software your company uses every day.
The quality of your keyboard directly affects the quality of your workspace. Maybe it’s time for an upgrade! Let’s take a look at some of the best aesthetic, ergonomic, and mechanical keyboards to make your workspace better than ever.
Aesthetic keyboards
Aesthetic mechanical keyboards are all about style. Sure, some of them pull double-duty as quality typing or gaming keyboards. But these tools, specifically designed to “wow” your coworkers or enhance the visual appeal of your desk, prioritize aesthetics and are particularly sought after by those interested in the aesthetic mechanical keyboard trend.
Razer Pro Type Ultra
Price: £159.99 from Razer
Many think of the Razer Pro Type Ultra as a PC gaming keyboard, but it’s also a great choice for anyone wanting to enhance their office desk. It features faster than average switches, ahigh-capacity battery, and even a padded wrist rest so you can keep typing away all day without feeling fatigued.
More importantly, the Type Ultra has a modern white colour and minimalist lettering style. It’s a no-fuss interface, so it lacks the flash and flair of other cool keyboards. But for office workers who want to impress tastefully, the Type Ultra could be the best choice overall.
Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT.
Price: £189.98 on Amazon. Also available on Coursair site.
If you’re looking for an aesthetic keyboard, look no further. As a gaming keyboard, the CorsairK95 RGB Platinum XT looks as well as it performs. Forget the well-designed wrist rest, PBT Doubleshot keycaps, and macro controls. It’s great for aesthetics since it comes with a vibrant RGB backlight display.
Flip this wired keyboard on, and it’ll light up your desk (and maybe even your monitor). Of course, you can customise the backlights according to your preferences. Few keyboards make you feel as “plugged in” and ready to make magic happen as the Platinum XT.
Apple Magic Keyboard
Price: £99.00
Last but not least, there’s the Apple Magic Keyboard. The Apple Magic is arguably the best keyboard overall for Mac users. It’s a wireless interface with scissor switches and a thin, compact aesthetic. Of course, being an Apple keyboard, it’s also stark white all across the surface.
While you have to clean the keyboard regularly to maintain its aesthetic appeal, rest assured it’ll look sleek and slick much longer than comparable keyboards of the same size. Additionally, you can easily take this keyboard with you for work on the go since it’s so light and small. Aesthetics aren’t the only thing this keyboard brings to the table. It offers backlit keys, a Touch ID reader, and an excellent battery that should last for a month before needing to recharge.
Ergonomic keyboards
When it comes to ergonomic keyboards, comfort is king. They’re the best choices if you want to give your wrists and fingers a rest or lower your chances of developing carpal tunnel. Choose one of these keyboards to make typing reports or programming more comfortable than ever.
Logitech ERGO K860 Wireless Split Keyboard
Price: Starts at £61.62 on Amazon
First among quality ergonomic keyboards is the Logitech ERGO K860 Wireless Split Keyboard. This full-size keyboard has a gentle arch in the middle of the primary keys. The arch divides the keys into natural clusters for both hands while facilitating a more natural wrist posture as you type.
But that’s not all. The ERGO K860 comes with adjustable negative incline angles. As a result, you can tilt this keyboard away from your wrists, alleviating the pressure or fatigue you might feel otherwise. It has an attached wrist rest and can connect to up to three Bluetooth or USB devices.
Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB
Price: starts at £199 on Amazon
Next up is the Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB: a wired and highly ergonomic board that’s detachable down the middle. Thanks to this design, you can position either half of the keyboard wherever works best for your wrists and desk setup.
The wrist rests for each half of the keyboard, as well, are also detachable. Put simply, this is one of the most customisable keyboards on the market. You can even choose the types of switches that come with the board, such as Cherry MX Brown switches, Speed Silver switches, or Blue switches depending on your preferences.
While it doesn’t come with incline settings out of the box, you can purchase an optional Lift Kit for even more ergonomic flexibility. Combine this board with a Typaz speed course, and you’ll be able to write up documents faster than anyone!
Ergo Dox EZ
Price: Varies – customisable on ErgoDox.
You can’t forget the Ergo Dox EZ. It’s another customisable model that lets you choose the switches, RGB lighting, tilt settings, colour scheme, and wrist rests that work best for your desk. No matter what you pick, you’ll find that this keyboard provides excellent ergonomics. All the printed keycaps are the same shape, and the keyboard’s ability to split into two halves allows you to position your wrists where they want to naturally rest. Blocks of important keys are positioned closer to the thumbs for fast typing and ergonomic ease.
The only downside to this board is that it takes a little effort to program correctly. Still, with a bit of practice, you’ll find this keyboard to be a great choice – especially if you combine it with touch typing courses for maximum typing speed!
Mechanical keyboards
Gamers, programmers, and PC enthusiasts all love mechanical keyboards – and for good reason! These use clicky, tactile switches that just feel right and always receive typing inputs very quickly. On top of that, mechanical keyboards are often tougher than their non-mechanical counterparts.
Corsair K70 Mk. 2
Price: £149.99 on Amazon
The Corsair K70 Mk.2 is a top-of-the-line tactile keyboard with five switch types to choose from: Brown, Red, Cherry MX Blue, Silent, or Speed. No matter the key switches you select, you’ll find that your new board is made with high-quality, durable components without compromising on aesthetics or visual appeal.
Indeed, this board looks and feels phenomenal from start to finish. The mechanical keys are responsive and sound delightful. Since it’s designed as a gaming keyboard, you can use it at home for recreation as much as you can for office typing.
HyperX Alloy Origins 60
Price:£89.99 on Amazon
As a 60% or “mini” keyboard, the HyperX Alloy Origins 60 has a smaller than average profile. Therefore, it might be perfect for office workers who need a compact keyboard to fit on a crowded desk.
Nevertheless, this keyboard has all the main switches and keys you need to succeed. RGB backlighting, comfortable key switches, and loud (very loud, mind) keys make this a joy to use day in and day out. Note that this keyboard doesn’t have a Numpad, function keys, or arrow keys. If you use those keys in your day-to-day typing, you may wish to look for a mechanical keyboard elsewhere.
Logitech G915
Price: £209.99 from Logitech
Alternatively, you could opt for the Logitech G915. Some call it the top wireless mechanical keyboard overall due to its high-quality key switches, robust software suite, and gorgeous design.
The G915 is very thin and can connect to your computer using Bluetooth or a USB dongle. Regardless, you’ll experience no lag when you punch in sentences or strings of code. The switches are low-profile and shine brightly from RGB backlighting. Should you buy this board, you can choose between tactile, clicky, or GL linear switches. The only downside? It does have a relatively high asking price.
What is the best keyboard for typing?
Maybe you’re looking for a keyboard that does its primary job – typing! – better than anything else. While all the above options facilitate pleasurable typing, none let you put words or code to the screen quite like the Drop CTRL.
Drop CTRL Keyboard
Price: £228.23 on Amazon. Also available from Drop.
The Drop CTRL is a mechanical keyboard meant for coding, typing, or gaming. It’s designed without a numpad, so it’s a little smaller compared to full-size keyboards. This can be advantageous if you have a crowded desk and want to enjoy coding or writing without having to move your wrists back and forth, or if you’re tackling a Typaz professional course and want to get through the material without straining your hands.
Most importantly, this keyboard boasts six mechanical switch options, ranging from Kailh Box Whites to Cherry and more. Because you can swap the keyboard’s switch mounts, you can fit it with other MX-style key switches if needed.
The Drop CTRL feels hardy and durable thanks to its aluminium construction. The clean aesthetic certainly doesn’t hurt – it evokes an “old school” feel that, combined with RGB backlighting, marks the board as a top choice for anyone. Ultimately, this is the best keyboard for typing for most office workers, gamers, and everyone in between.
Speedy Keys
There are too many keyboards on the market to count. But if you’re looking for an aesthetic, ergonomic, or mechanical keyboard to make your workspace look or feel better, one of the above models should be perfect. Finding the best keyboard for typing can depend on your personal preferences and needs. Take a closer look at each, then pick the one that seems like the right fit for your desk (and your wrists!).
Of course, getting a new keyboard doesn’t mean you’ll instantly become a master typist. But you can become one of the fastest touch typists in the UK with Pitman Training Programmes. With Pitman, you can take the ideal training programs to start a new career or “upskill” for better professional prospects. So test your typing speed in our Speedy Keys competition to see if you are the fastest typist in the UK! And check out our wide variety of training programmes as well.
