Top 6 compared
The best mechanical keyboards
Every key on its own switch, for a crisp, even feel whether typing emails or playing games.
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The top 6 at a glance
What sets a mechanical keyboard apart is the switch under each key. Linear switches go straight down smoothly, tactile ones have a small bump as the key registers, and clicky ones add an audible click; Hall effect switches use a magnet, so the point where a key registers can be set. Sizes run from full size, with a number pad, down to 60%, which tucks the arrows and function keys behind an Fn key.
Layout matters too. A UK board puts £ on the 3 key, has a tall Enter key and one more key than a US board, and swaps @ with the double quote mark. A US board has no £ key; set the computer to a US layout and every key types what’s on it.
What matters
- Hot-swap sockets, for changing switches without a soldering iron.
- A detachable cable, so the board can travel in a bag.
- Battery life with the lighting on, if it’s wireless.
- Onboard memory, so settings follow it to another computer.
#1Logitech G PRO Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (UK layout)
£94.99 RRP
Logitech built this tenkeyless board with esports players: clicky GX Blue switches you can hear and feel, LIGHTSYNC RGB lighting that can be saved to the keyboard itself, and a detachable cable that makes it easy to pack. It’s the UK layout.
What owners say: Owners praise the build, the crisp feedback and the black finish; the click splits opinion on noise, and some had lighting trouble or found it pricey.
Heads up: Blue switches click loudly: fine at a desk of your own, less welcome in a shared room or on late calls.
A closer look: Lighting patterns saved to its onboard memory carry over to computers without Logitech’s G HUB software, and the feet give three typing angles. The cable is Micro USB with a three-pronged plug, so keep the one from the box rather than relying on a spare.
- Lighting saved on the keyboard
- Three typing angles
- Detachable cable
- 12 programmable F-key macros
Best for: Clicky keys, less desk space
- Size
- Tenkeyless
- UK layout
- Yes
- Switches
- GX Blue, clicky
- Connection
- Wired (Micro USB)
- Hot-swap
- No
- Backlight
- RGB
#2YUNZII B75 PRO Wireless Mechanical Keyboard (US layout)
£50–£75
A gasket-mounted 75% board with five layers of padding for a soft, creamy sound, pre-lubed linear Milk switches in hot-swap sockets, and three ways to connect: 2.4GHz, Bluetooth or a USB-C cable. A knob in the corner turns the volume or the lighting. It’s the US layout.
What owners say: Owners love the creamy sound and the feel of the switches, like how it looks, and say every connection, dongle or cable, just works.
Heads up: This is a US-layout board, with no £ key and a short Enter: switch the computer to a US keyboard layout so the keys type what’s printed on them.
A closer look: Long-press the knob to flip between its gaming and office modes, and turn it for volume. The battery runs roughly three times as long with the lighting off, so dim it for a long day away from the cable, and keep the spare switches and puller from the box for any key that wears out.
- Padded for a soft sound
- Volume and lighting knob
- Pre-lubed switches
- 4000mAh battery
- Spare switches and puller included
Best for: Wireless gaming and typing
- Size
- 75%
- UK layout
- No
- Switches
- Milk, linear
- Connection
- 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, USB-C
- Hot-swap
- Yes
- Backlight
- RGB
#3AJAZZ x ATTACK SHARK X85 Wireless Keyboard (US layout)
£50–£75
Wireless three ways, with a gasket mount and five foam layers for a soft, muted sound, hot-swap sockets and an aluminium volume knob. It’s the US layout, so there’s no £ key and the Enter key is the short, wide kind.
What owners say: Buyers single out the soft, muted sound and the feel of the keys, and like how it looks on the desk.
Heads up: It’s the US layout: set the computer’s keyboard language to US English so every key types what’s printed on it.
A closer look: The letters are printed on the front face of each keycap rather than the top, where fingers don’t rub them away. Use the 2.4GHz receiver for games and Bluetooth for a tablet, and keep the two spare switches from the box for any key that wears out.
- Letters on the keycap fronts
- Five foam layers, muted sound
- Aluminium volume knob
- Two spare switches included
Best for: A quiet wireless board
- Size
- 75%
- UK layout
- No
- Switches
- White Jade, linear
- Connection
- 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, USB-C
- Hot-swap
- Yes
- Backlight
- RGB
#4Redragon K617 Fizz 60% Keyboard (US layout)
£30–£50
A 60% board that leaves out the number pad, function row and arrow keys, so it’s under 30cm wide with plenty of room for big mouse sweeps. Red linear switches sit in hot-swap sockets, and the USB-C cable detaches for the bag.
What owners say: Owners like how it looks and sounds, the bright lighting and the price; the small size suits fast shooters, though some report keys failing over time.
Heads up: It’s the US layout, and with only 61 keys the function row and arrows sit behind the Fn key, which takes a few days to get used to.
A closer look: The sockets take 3- and 5-pin switches, so a worn or noisy one can be swapped without soldering. Brightness and lighting speed change on the board itself, and Redragon’s free software adds macros and custom effects.
- Takes 3- and 5-pin switches
- Detachable USB-C cable
- Weighs about 430g
- 20 lighting presets
- Free software for macros
Best for: Shooter games and small desks
- Size
- 60%
- UK layout
- No
- Switches
- Red, linear
- Connection
- Wired USB-C
- Hot-swap
- Yes
- Backlight
- RGB
#5Keychron K2 HE Hall Effect Keyboard (Special Edition, UK layout)
£139.99 RRP
A compact 75% board in the UK layout with dark wood sides, working over 2.4GHz, Bluetooth or a USB-C cable. Its Hall effect switches sense each press with a magnet, so the point where a key registers can be set key by key; the effect is named after Edwin Hall, who discovered it in 1879.
What owners say: Owners praise the smooth key feel and solid build, and like being able to choose where each key triggers.
A closer look: Actuation and rapid trigger are set in Keychron’s Launcher, which runs in a web browser with nothing to install. A switch on the side flips between Mac and Windows, with keycaps for both in the box, and the hot-swap sockets take only Gateron’s double-rail magnetic switches, not ordinary mechanical ones.
- Dark wood sides
- Set each key’s trigger point
- Mac and Windows keycaps included
- Up to 110 hours’ battery
- Set up in a browser
Best for: Gamers who tune every key
- Size
- 75%
- UK layout
- Yes
- Switches
- Hall effect, linear
- Connection
- 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, USB-C
- Hot-swap
- Magnetic switches only
- Backlight
- RGB
#6Logitech G413 SE Mechanical Keyboard (UK layout)
£69.99 RRP
Tactile switches give a small bump as each key registers on this full-size UK-layout board, number pad included, with PBT keycaps and a brushed aluminium top. The plain white backlight looks as at home in an office as on a gaming desk.
What owners say: Owners enjoy the typing feel and sturdy build, and like that it stays quiet without a metallic ping.
A closer look: Volume, play and pause, and a Windows lock for games sit on the F keys, reached with the FN key, and the lighting’s brightness changes the same way. The cable is fixed rather than detachable, and a tenkeyless version without the number pad is sold too, for a narrower desk.
- Brushed aluminium-magnesium top
- Media controls on F keys
- Windows lock for games
Best for: Typing with a number pad
- Size
- Full size
- UK layout
- Yes
- Switches
- Tactile
- Connection
- Wired USB
- Hot-swap
- No
- Backlight
- White
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Logitech G PRO | #2YUNZII B75 PRO | #3AJAZZ X85 | #4Redragon K617 | #5Keychron K2 HE | #6Logitech G413 SE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best 75% board | Runner-up | Best budget | Best premium | Best full-size | |
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.7 |
| Price | £94.99 RRP | £50–£75 | £50–£75 | £30–£50 | £139.99 RRP | £69.99 RRP |
| Size | Tenkeyless | 75% | 75% | 60% | 75% | Full size |
| UK layout | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Switches | GX Blue, clicky | Milk, linear | White Jade, linear | Red, linear | Hall effect, linear | Tactile |
| Connection | Wired (Micro USB) | 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, USB-C | 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, USB-C | Wired USB-C | 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, USB-C | Wired USB |
| Hot-swap | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Magnetic switches only | No |
| Backlight | RGB | RGB | RGB | RGB | RGB | White |
| Best for | Clicky keys, less desk space | Wireless gaming and typing | A quiet wireless board | Shooter games and small desks | Gamers who tune every key | Typing with a number pad |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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