5 Compelling Reasons for Professionals to Invest in a Mechanical Keyboard
In the last 5 years in this space, mechanical keyboards have evolved faster than any other product that I can think of. It feels like we are experiencing Moore’s Law being applied to the tools that support computers. What you can buy today is radically better and more cost-efficient than what you can get 5, even 10 years ago. As Professionals, this is great news. It has never been a better time to invest in a mechanical keyboard.
And if you are still skeptical about making the plunge, I hope by the end of this article that this is an investment worth every penny.
Professionals Deserve Quality Tools
More than any other reason on this list, this needs to be at the top. If you are reading this, chances are, that using a keyboard is one of the primary tools you use to generate income in your life. And even if isn’t your daily income driver, it’s still being used for leisure after a long day. In any case, we spend endless hours in front of our keyboards. This goes from writing your next blog post, getting out emails for the day, or playing video games at the end of it all. Typing on a keyboard shouldn’t be a drag. It should be something you want to do, not something you have to do.
It only makes sense that we use tools that we genuinely want to use.
Think about other professions that people put their time in and the tools that they use. Podcasters and radio talk show hosts need great audio equipment and sound-treated rooms. Musicians need specific instruments. Truck drivers and grounds crew need semis and pickups to haul things around. Chefs need knives, spices, quality food, the whole gambit. I could on and on.
I believe that taking care of yourself means investing in and doing what’s right for you. Yes, mechanical keyboards do command a higher premium than your typical rubber dome keyboard. But it’s for good reason. That means time and energy are being spent refining that experience of typing. And if you do this as a job, then getting something for yourself that you want to use will pay itself many times over for the lifetime of your keyboard.
You owe it to yourself to have quality gear like other professionals in the world.
Premium Build Quality
Alright, so I keep talking about why mechanical keyboards are higher quality than your run-of-the-mill rubber dome keyboard. But what about a mechanical keyboard makes them better?
Right off the bat, the overall construction of mechanical keyboards is more often than not, outright better than rubber dome keyboards. The Keychron V1 that I am typing on right now is made of hard plastic that has quite a bit of weight to it. It’s not flimsy and it’s planted on my desk. Moving it around doesn’t have any stray pieces moving around and hitting components inside the keyboard. This keyboard is just solid.
If you want something even heavier, you can opt for an aluminum chassis for a keyboard. Some options there would be the Keychron Q1 or the Monsgeek M1(W). Aluminum keyboards are going to be a bit more expensive than plastic, but the costs of those have been going down significantly in the last year. At the time of writing, I hadn’t had the chance yet to experience an aluminum keyboard, but that might change shortly.
Now what about the typing experience? These newer keyboards are just sublime to type on right out of the box. I remember when I got my Steelseries 6vG2 back in 2010, I thought that was great. But newer keyboards are just on another level. Nowadays, the switches that keyboards come with come pre-lubed right out of the factory. That means you will have a smooth typing experience right out of the box. Every key press is consistent and slides like butter.
A Canvas for Expression
If you have ever frequented places like r/MechanicalKeyboards or r/BudgetKeebs, a lot of the keyboards people have are downright beautiful. Everything from retro designs, to colorful fonts, and artisan key caps are shown off there. Not only can you get keycaps to express yourself with, but you can also get keyboard cases that come in multiple colors as well if you know where to look. The sky truly is the limit if you decide to dive into the custom side of mechanical keyboards.
But even if you decide that you don’t want to get too crazy with buying everything separately, stock mechanical keyboards have also gotten a facelift as well. I remember 10 years ago, everything being black was your only choice unless you bought 3rd market keycaps yourself. That is no longer the case. Coming back to my Keychron V1, those keycaps on that keyboard came right out of the box. I recently watched a video by Hipyo Tech looking at the Rainy75 keyboard and the keyboards you get out of the box are downright gorgeous.
This is the one area that has impressed me the most as of late. Keyboard manufacturers are taking the presentation of mechanical keyboards more seriously than ever. And this is yet another thing that’s great for us. No longer are the days where you get just plain black keyboards that has great switches underneath. Everything from start to finish can be tailored to your unique tastes. What can be better than that?
When Your Tastes Change, Your Investment Can Change With You
Not only can you swap out keycaps and get colorful cases, but the switches themselves can be swapped out as well. This is yet another advancement with mechanical keyboards that has become commonplace. A lot of keyboards have the feature of being “hot-swappable”. This means that you can pull each switch out and replace it with a new one! And everything works like nothing even happened.
The most common types of switches that are available are linear, tactile, and clicky switches. Linears are 100% smooth down the stem of the switch. Tactiles have a small bump that is felt near the top of the switch to give a bit of touch feedback when pressing down. Clicky switches are for those who prefer having typewriter-esque audio cues on each press.
This is yet another area that has improved dramatically as of late. The Akko Cream Blue Pro V3 shown above comes with a dustproof stem to increase the stability of the switch, as well as improve longevity. The overall housing that more recent switches are coming with these days is coming with better materials. And the technical nature of switches has popped off as well. There seems to be a lot more experimentation on travel times, operating forces, tactile positions, and the location when a key press “registers”. If you have highly specific needs for a key switch, there is a switch out there ready for you.
All of this means that the keyboard you end up buying doesn’t have to be the one you have to live with forever. Mechanical keyboards come with the ability to swap out switches on demand. So if you tastes change, or if you simply want to try out a new batch of switches, this option will always be available to you.
Comfort
With all of these highlights in mind, this all comes together for a feeling of comfort. Nothing feels better than typing on a keyboard that just feels like home. From the construction of the case to your choice of keycaps and switches, all of these elements should come together to invite you to get some work done. Or at least take a breather from a long day’s work. Your keyboard should be there to support you, not be another tool working against you.
If I haven not iterated on these recent advancements enough, mechanical keyboards nowadays are better than they ever have been. They come with a plate, multiple layers of thin foam, and solid case housing. This results in a refined experience of typing.
What are you waiting for?
The first mechanical keyboard I got for myself was fourteen years ago, which was the Steelseries 6vG2. I had upgraded from a basic rubber dome keyboard straight into that one. That one was bought with my own money I had earned from a minimum wage job washing dishes and cutting pizza. So burning $100 at the time was a huge leap.
I have to say that was completely worth it.
Gone are the days of mushy keyboards where if one of your letters doesn’t work properly, you get hosed. My investment protects me from individual component failure. That in itself should be reason alone to go mechanical.
When I think about the journey my mechanical keyboards have taken me, it truly is a wild ride. It has taken me through my high school diploma, six years of college, and multiple job opportunities. Now my keyboard is here again taking me to the next destination in my life.
I imagine those who are reading have the same sort of experience.
We deserve to have great companions throughout our lives. This comes in the form of friendships they make along the way. But this also comes in the form of our tools. Our tools should be reliable and ready for us whenever we need them. Our battles should be what is seen ahead, not with the gear we have right next to us. Investing in ourselves makes us safe.
If you haven’t experienced a mechanical keyboard, make the plunge. It will make all of the difference.