Our guide to the best keyboards of 2024 is guaranteed to help you get the job done whatever that job happens to be – and the make and model that you go for will largely depend on what you need it for.
Are you after a keyboard for working during the day and gaming during the night? Do you need something compact and portable to take between home and the office? Would you like a satisfying clack or a silent click? It may sound ridiculous but these are all questions to weigh up.
We've combined newly released, high-end models through to very modestly priced but still responsive and attractive options. When you’ve found the best new keyboard for you, you’ll be able to click right through to the latest deals and save time and money.
If you're changing your keyboard for comfort reasons, or because you're kitting out or upgrading a home office, check out our guides to the best ergonomic keyboards and best vertical mouse – ideal for eliminating and avoiding hand pain and disorders like repetitive strain injury.
The best keyboards 2024: our top 3
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The best keyboard for most people is the Razer Huntsman Elite, which throws in every feature you could want and then some. It's a joy to type on and use for work and play, and you can customise it in a wide variety of ways too.
The best keyboard for Apple Mac users is the Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. It builds on the foundation laid by the earlier Magic Keyboard – style, polish, durability – and adds a Touch ID sensor for easier logging in.
The best affordable keyboard in our opinion is the Logitech G413 TKL SE, which will give you a lot of keyboard in return for not much money. Despite its low price, you can't argue with its build quality or what a pleasure it is to use.
1. Razer Huntsman Elite
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You won’t find a faster, more responsive keyboard than the Huntsman Elite. Razer have plugged years of research and innovation into this premium keyboards that redefines precision and speed, thanks to Razer’s new Opto-Mechanical Switch technology.
These switches have an optical light sensor inside, so when you press a key a receiver is activated by the light signal actuating your command instantly. Designed primarily as a gaming keyboard and excelling as such, it also delivers an equally incredible typing experience – the keys are super light and balanced but you still get that reassuring clicky feedback.
The icing on the cake is the Huntsman Elite’s durability – as the optical actuation provides less physical contact, so you can expect durability of up to 100 million keystrokes – about double that of other premium offerings. One of the very best keyboards on the market today and absolutely worth the money.
2. Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
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When it comes to using a Mac, it makes a lot of sense to stick with Apple accessories - so it’s a good thing the Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is such a great choice. For a start, it automatically pairs with your Mac right out of the box, so there’s no faffing about with setup.
That wireless design comes with a battery that can provide up to a months use on one charge, and when you add in that impeccable Apple build, you’re getting one of the best non-mechanical keyboards money can buy. Just make sure your Mac or iOS device supports Bluetooth.
The most recent version of this keyboard lets you log in with your fingerprint, and comes with black or white keys, so you can pick the version that suits you best. As elegant and as comfortable to use as you would expect from Apple.
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If you're looking for a more affordable keyboard that's going to serve you well whether you're typing out an essay or trying to navigate through the latest games, then the Logitech G413 TKL SE could well have everything that you need.
You miss out on some features to get to this low price, including customisable RGB lighting (not exactly essential but fun), wireless connectivity and a number pad, but we think most people are going to be happy with the trade-off considering the asking price that this comes in at. It's no-frills on the whole, but that's fine.
What's most important is that it's robust, nicely designed, and comfortable to type on – this is going to get you through years of typing, no problems at all. Of course, you've also got a ton of other Logitech kit to pair it with as well.
The best keyboards 2024: the best of the rest
4. Das Keyboard 5QS
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There's so much to like about the Das Keyboard 5QS that it's difficult to know where to start: the keyboard is beautifully put together, comes with a detachable wrist rest, has premium mechanical keys, and can even illuminate those keys to alert you about changes in the weather or incoming emails.
It's the smart notification aspect of the keyboard that's perhaps the most interesting aspect of it. You can customise the colours on the keys to alert you to a whole host of notifications from various apps – and you can even get a warning if too much CPU time or RAM space is being used up. It's an impressive setup and it's not difficult to configure through the supplied software.
We also like the chunky volume dial up in the top right corner: like everything else on the Das Keyboard 5QS, the intention is to make your computer easier to use. While the keyboard is aimed primarily at gamers, we think that everyone is going to want to take a look at what it offers.
5. Logitech MX Keys Mini
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Not everyone has loads of desk space for a big keyboard in their home office, if that sounds like you then the Logitech MX Keys Mini is the perfect solution. It’s a small form factor tenkeyless keyboard with plenty of smarts to help you get your work done without taking up too much room on your desk.
Not only is it small but it’s completely wireless as well, connecting to your computer through Bluetooth. It stays powered for up to 10 days, or 5 months if you switch the backlighting off. There are also proximity sensors built-in which illuminate the backlighting when you go near it which helps the battery last longer.
Typing on the Logitech MX Keys Mini is an absolute pleasure: the keys have a spherical dish shape to match your fingers as you press down on them. It feels natural and satisfying with little room for mistyping. There are even dedicated keys to switch on dictation, bring up the emoji keyboard or mute your microphone.
This keyboard comes in three different colours (graphite, pale grey and rose) so you can match it perfectly to your setup. This is a fantastic compact keyboard well suited to home working!
Make sure you check our Logitech discount codes to save on your order.
6. Corsair Strafe RGB MX
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Coming in with Cherry MX Red mechanical switches, the Strafe MX from Corsair remains one of the firm's most impressive offerings, delivering a robust steel core that reduces flexing and retains a distinctly premium feel.
Those MX Red switches are the star of the show, offering superb accuracy and speed when typing and gaming, and there are dedicated gaming keys just ready for macros, too. Naturally, the Strafe MX's keys are fully programable.
There's plenty of extra goodness here as well, such as dedicated media keys, USB 2.0 Type-A pass-through and Full Key, 100 per cent anti-ghosting key rollover, too. A great all-round keyboard that will perform in games as well as in documents.
7. Logitech K480 Multi Device Bluetooth Keyboard
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The Logitech K480 works with almost everything device out there. You can use it with your PC, Mac, Android and iOS devices so it’s bound to suit some of the devices in your life. You can also switch between them really easily, so you flit from your PC to your Android tablet with minimal fuss.
It’s nice and comfortable to use, although it isn’t quite small enough to be used as a portable device. It’s also really affordable, and with a strong Bluetooth signal you’re rarely going to get a dropout. It’s lacking a few keys you’d find on a full-size keyboard but it’s an easy trade-off considering what you get in return.
This being something from Logitech, you know everything is going to be well put together and solid, and last a long time. The bright yellow stripe won't be to everyone's tastes, but it's something we like a lot.
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To add a splash of colour to your desk, there's no better keyboard than the Logitech Pop Keys. It comes in three cool colours including daydream (mint, yellow and lavender), heartbreaker (rose) and blast (black and yellow). You can even buy it alongside a matching Logitech Pop Mouse.
The keyboard itself is tenkeyless with mechanical keys that make you feel like you're using a typewriter because they have a loud click and they're raised from the board. Because they're tightly packed together and rounded they can be a little prone to mistyping but that will only matter if you write all day every day.
You can use it with your PC, tablet or even your phone - you can even have all three connected at once, and switch between them in an instant using the device keys along the top.
If you're always on social media, there's one more feature that you need to know about - the swappable emoji keys. You can four on the board at once, but the Logitech Pop Keys come with eight keys you can use with the most popular emojis. Take a look at the Logitech Pop Keys review to find out more.
9. Microsoft Modern Keyboard with Fingerprint ID
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Tech giant Microsoft has gone all out with the Modern Keyboard. While not a cheap outlay, we say the price is justified as this keyboard is a quality bit of kit – well made in aluminium with flat square keys, it doesn’t look dissimilar to Apple’s Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.
Microsoft’s Modern Keyboard also has a finger print scanner, which has been subtly included into the design (it looks like any other key and sits next to the right Alt key) and unlocks with a single press of the fingerprint key – faster and more secure than typing in a password.
Really well put together, this offers you everything you could want from a deluxe keyboard: a full set of keys, a very comfortable typing experience, and all the quality that's guaranteed from a Microsoft device.
10. Microsoft Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard
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With so many of its own smart devices on the market, it was only a matter of time before Microsoft designed its own multi-purpose travel keyboard. With its folding design, you can easily fit it in your bag for use on a commute or when you’re working away from the office.
Using Bluetooth it offers an extremely reliable wireless signal, while Microsoft claims its battery can go for three months on a single charge (although this will drop if you’re using it consistently). It’s so easy to use you just open it to start it up, and close it to shut it down.
If you're in the market for something that's very portable and yet which won't fall to pieces after a few weeks of using it, this could be what you're looking for. It could make a huge difference to your productivity on the go.
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Rob has been writing about computing, gaming, mobile, home entertainment technology, toys (specifically Lego and board games), smart home and more for over 15 years. As the editor of PC Gamer, and former Deputy Editor for T3.com, you can find Rob's work in magazines, bookazines and online, as well as on podcasts and videos, too. Outside of his work Rob is passionate about motorbikes, skiing/snowboarding and team sports, with football and cricket his two favourites.