Update (2/11/2013): Added a review of the Realforce 87U with Topre switches.

Update (1/14/2013): Added a review of the Filco Majestouch-2 with Cherry MX Red switches.

Update (2/1/2012): Filcos (my favorite mechanical keyboards at this point) are now available on Amazon!

Update (1/27/2012): Added a review of the Leopold Tactile Touch.

After sensing something profoundly lacking from the modern typing experience, I decided to delve into the world of mechanical keyboards. As is the case with most fetishes, I discovered that there are entire online communities, cultures, and movements surrounding the magic of the mechanical keyswitch. I could have easily spent many months and several thousands of dollars acquiring, experimenting with, and reviewing all of the mechanical options out there, but with both time and money in short supply, I decided to focus on five specific models: the Das Keyboard Model S Professional, Filco Majestouch-2, DSI Modular, Matias Tactile Pro 3, and the Unicomp SpaceSaver M.

There is a lot of personal preference involved in picking a mechanical keyboard. Factors like key travel, clickiness, tactile feedback, weight, force, build quality and more all contribute to the typing experience, and all of these things mean different things to different people. Keep in mind that the reviews below represent my own opinions, and I tried to differentiate between things that personally appeal to me (clickiness, for example), and more objective characteristics (like build quality). The upshot is that there is no clear winner, and you will probably just need to try a few of these out to see which ones inspire you to get out of bed in the mornings and begin your day of typing.

If you know you want a mechanical keyboard and you’re just here to see and hear about some different models, skip on down to the video reviews. But if you’re wondering why in the world someone would buy a relative expensive mechanical keyboard when you can get a membrane or scissor-switch keyboard for far less (and sometimes for free), read on.

Why a Mechanical Keyboard?

The short answer is because the direction that keyboards have been going in for some time now has not been motivated by the desire to create a better typing experience. Rather, modern keyboards are designed to be smaller and less expensive to manufacture. In the context of portable computers, smaller is usually better; you’re going to want something thinner and lighter in order to make your computer more portable, and since you’re probably paying a lot of money for other components (CPU, GPU, RAM, SSD, screen, exotic materials, etc.), it doesn’t hurt to go with a cheaper keyboard to keep the price down. But in the context of desktop computers (or, as in my case, an external keyboard paired with a laptop), there’s no need to have a tiny, cheap, lightweight, rubberized typing experience. The only reason your Dell or your Mac or whatever you use comes with a thin non-mechanical keyboard is that computer companies don’t want to have to manufacture two dramatically different types of keyboards: rubber-based for laptops, and mechanical for desktop typing experiences. And, of course, non-mechanical keyboards are far easier and less expensive to produce.

I’m not going to spend too much time exploring the aesthetic and physical benefits of mechanical keyboards over membrane and scissor-switch keyboards, but I will say that if you’ve been using computers for a long time, you probably have distant memories of a much different typing experience. It’s also very likely that you remember some of those experiences fondly, even if you don’t understand exactly why. It’s not just nostalgia for a simpler time before you had so many responsibilities and you could stay up all night playing Zork and dialing into bulletin board systems; it’s also because the typing experience on old mechanical keyboards was fundamentally different.

Mechanical keyboards have several very clear advantages over their more modern counterparts:

• Unlike modern rubber dome keyboards, mechanical switches actuate (register a keystroke) about halfway through their travel which means that you don’t have to bottom-out a key in order to type a character. That means less resistance against your fingers, less jarring, and less fatigue.
• Mechanical keys reset, or bounce back, faster than rubber dome and scissor-switch keys which means that you can frequently type faster.
• The tactile nature of mechanical keyswitches along with the audible component (clickiness) of some keyswitches allow you to use more of your senses while you type. With non-mechanical keyboards, the only way you know you’ve registered a keystroke is by seeing the character appear on the screen (assuming you’ve mashed the key hard enough). Mechanical keyboards allow you use your ears, eyes, and your sense of touch to be more fully engaged in the typing experience. (I know this sounds a little hokey, but if you consider that keyboards are to programmers and writers what knives are to chefs or what cameras are to photographers, this statement might seem slightly less over the top.)
• Mechanical keyswitches tend to last longer. Keyboards that rely on rubber to create resistance deteriorate much faster, and worse, deteriorate at an uneven rate meaning that the keyboard becomes inconsistent over time with respect to the amount of force required to register different keystrokes.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably at least moderately curious about different types of mechanical keyboards and keyswitches, so have a look at the videos below and see if any of these typing experiences speak specifically to you.

Das Keyboard Model S Professional

What I like:

• The MX Cherry Blue switches are great. I also love the MX Cherry Brown switches available on the quiet model.
• The USB hub is powered which means you can sync devices and also charge them. Very nice touch.
• Das keyboards are readily available. You can get them on Amazon, or simply order them directly from Das Keyboards. (Some other brands of mechanical keyboards aren’t as easy to come by in the US.)

What I don’t like:

• The glossy finish. This is purely personal preference, but the glossy finish (of the keyboard itself, not the keycaps) picks up smudges and shows dust more than a flat or matte finish.
• There’s no tenkeyless version available (meaning a smaller version without the number pad on the right side). I prefer tenkeyless keyboards, but if you like or don’t mind the number pad, this won’t matter to you.
• Not quite as solid and satisfying to type on as the Filco Majestouch-2 (see below). The difference is minute in my opinion, but worth mentioning.

Filco Majestouch-2 (Cherry MX Brown Switches)

What I like:

• Great switches. You can get the Majestouch-2 with several different kinds of switches. Mine has MX Cherry Brown which I really enjoy typing on.
• Great build quality. All the Filco keyboards I’ve used (a total of three) have been very solid and well made.
• Lots of configuration options. Filcos are available with several different kinds of switches, and with or without number pads. There are no Mac layouts as far as I know, but they work fine with Macs (especially if you remap a few keys).
• Good for gaming. I like the MX Cherry Brown switches for gaming because I can focus on the sounds from the game rather than from my keyboard. When I’m coding or writing, I like the clickiness of the MX Cherry Blue switches, but for gaming, I like a quieter mechanical keyswitch. Again, a matter of preference.

What I don’t like:

• No USB ports. I use this keyboard for gaming, so I don’t need USB connectivity (my gaming PC has USB ports in the front), but if I were to use this keyboard on my main work laptop computer, it might be nice to be able to plug the odd device in occasionally.
• Several Filcos are now available on Amazon! Pretty hard to get. I don’t know of any US retailers who sell these keyboards, so you’ll probably have try eBay, or buy from an Asian website using Google Translate.

Filco Majestouch-2 (Cherry MX Red Switches)

What I like:

• Great for gaming. The linear action and relative quiet make this the perfect keyboard for gaming.
• Keycaps and puller included. Comes with brightly colored WASD and Esc keys as well as a very good key puller.
• Excellent build quality. Like all the Filcos I own (a total of three right now), the build quality is great. Nice and substantial with no creaking or rocking.

What I don’t like:

• The Cherry Red MX switches aren’t great for typing. If you want a keyboard that’s good for both gaming and typing, go with the Cherry MX Brown switches.

Leopold Tactile Touch

What I like:

• The variety. Leopold keyboards can be found with brown, blue, red, or black MX Cherry switches, and in a white or black finish. (Mine is black with MX Cherry Brown switches.)
• The configurability. You can pitch the keyboard at an angle by extending the feet, and you can thread the chord through multiple channels in the back (left, right, or straight ahead) in order to suit the configuration of your desk.
• The price. At only about $110, the Leopold is one of the most affordable mechanical keyboards I’ve tested.
• The sound. Even keyboards with identical switches make dramatically different sounds. The Leopold (with brown switches) is one of the quietest mechanical keyboards I tested.

What I don’t like:

• It’s not the highest quality keyboard I tested, especially when compared to the Filco. That said, by no means does it feel cheap. And at $110, it might just be the best value.
• The paint on the keycaps is starting to come off after about a month of heavy use. I’m guessing after about a year, it will be pretty noticeable on a couple of the keys. Honestly, that doesn’t bother me very much, and in my opinion, actually adds a bit of character, but if it bothers you, it’s something to consider.

Unicomp SpaceSaver M

What I like:

• The buckling spring switches. These are not easy switches to get, so if you want a brand new keyboard with buckling springs, as far as I know, the Unicomp keyboards are your only option.
• Available in a Mac configuration. Mechanical keyboards are difficult enough to get, and finding them in a Mac configuration is even harder. Although most of Unicomp’s keyboards are designed for PCs (after all, they share ancestry with the old IBM Model M keyboards of the 1980’s), the SpaceSaver M is designed specifically for Macs.
• Cheap. Only $94 ordered directly from Unicomp. However, it appears that in the world of anachronistic mechanical keyboards, you get what you pay for (see below).

What I don’t like:

• The buckling spring switches require a little more force than what I’m used to with MX Cherry switches (at least the Blues and Browns). This is personal preference, however — many people older and wiser than myself consider buckling spring switches to be the best typing experience ever conceived of by humankind.
• Poor build quality. They keycaps were not well finished, and my keyboard has beads of what appear to be dried hot glue in several places. Additionally, the case is separated in the back right corner. Unicomp is happy to replace it for me, but I feel like it’s an indication of their lack of concern for quality in general. (I have a friend with a Unicomp keyboard, and he has some of the some complaints.)

DSI Modular

What I like:

• The MX Cherry Blue switches. This is the only keyboard I know of that offers either MX Cherry Blue or MX Cherry Brown switches in a Mac layout.
• Powered USB hub. They keyboard connects to your computer via USB, but it also has a power adapter in order to turn it into a powered USB hub. That means you can use it for both connecting and charging USB devices. Additionally, it has three USB ports — one on either side, and one in the center.
• It’s tenkeyless (no number pad). Of course, this is only an advantage if you don’t like number pads. If you want a number pad, file this one under disadvantages, instead.
• Easy to get. The DSI Modular Mac Keyboard can be ordered directly from DSI for $139 shipped.

What I don’t like:

• I feel like they could have trimmed at least an inch off of each side of the keyboard. I specifically wanted a tenkeyless keyboard so I could use the space on my desk more efficiently and reach my mouse more easily, so that extra inch on each side is somewhat annoying.
• After only about a month of use, the paint on the command and option keys is already starting to wear away. I guess it’s going to have “character” earlier than I expected.
• Some people complain about the media keys being positioned vertically down the left side (not common on Mac keyboards). The layout can sometimes throw me off when I’m positioning my fingers (I’m not accustomed to there being an additional column of keys on the left-hand side), but for the most part, once you get used to it, it’s not a big deal.

Matias Tactile Pro 3

What I like:

• The Alps switches are very satisfying to type on. When you’re done typing a sentence, you (and everyone around you) have no doubt whatsoever that you just did some serious typing. If you like the old Apple Extended keyboards, you’ll probably like the Tactile Pro 3.
• The build quality is pretty high. Everything about it feels solid with the exception of the Caps Lock key which jiggles after you hit it (because of the LED, it uses a different kind of switch which appears to be of lower quality). I’ve only used it for about six weeks, but it certainly feels like it’s going to hold up very well.
• Easy to get. Just order one from Amazon, or directly from Matias. At $149.95, it’s not the cheapest mechanical keyboard you can get, but it’s hard to put a price on pure typing clamor.

What I don’t like:

• The Alps switches are nice, but they require a little more force than the MX Cherry switches which I’ve come to prefer. I love the sound and the feel of the Alps switches, but I find that I can type faster and more accurately with MX Cherry Blue or Brown switches.
• No powered USB. Of course, even Apple’s keyboards don’t offer powered USB, but that would have been a nice way to offer something above and beyond Apple’s meager keyboard selection. The point of this keyboard is the switches, however, so this is a very minor point.

Realforce 87U “Silent”

What I like:

• The Topre key switches are quiet, but still feel very good. Although some people can’t get used to variable weight switches, I actually like them.
• The configurable cable channel in the back means you can adjust the keyboard for your particular workstation.

What I don’t like:

• Price. This keyboard is currently running about $310, and new keycaps will cost you another $90 or so.
• The build quality is good, but not quite as good as a Filco. For the price, it should be as good as keyboards get.

Once I recover financially from this most recent obsession, I might try out a few more typing experiences. There are several more keyboards and keyswitches I’m anxious to try out. To keep updated, hit me up on Google+ or follow me on Twitter.

Additional Resources

• Mechanical Keyswitches, Membrane Keyswitches, Scissor-Switch Membrane Keyswitches
• The Mechanical Keyboard Guide on Overclock.net
• William Judd’s Mechanical Keyboard Guide