What's the best mechanical keyboard for Mac? It's time to party like it's 1989!
Updated April, 2017: Swapped out the Das Model S for the DK4 — Das Keyboard's newer offering. All the others are still top of the pops.
Many current keyboards are not mechanical – pushing a key pushes two membranes together, which sends an electrical current to your Mac to tell it to produce a letter. Mechanical keyboards have physical switches that cause that electrical current to be produced and sent, which makes them louder, and you really know when you've pressed a key. A lot of folks are going back to mechanical keyboards, since the "mushy" keyboards of today just aren't responsive enough.
If you're typing away on your Magic Keyboard and thinking, "once more, with feeling," then check out our favorite mechanical keyboards!
- Das Keyboard 4
- CODE 104-key illuminated mechanical keyboard – Cherry MX Clear
- KUL ES-87 tenkeyless mechanical keyboard – Cherry MX Brown
- Nixeus Moda Pro
- Matias Quiet Pro
- Logitech G710 – Cherry MX Blue
Das Keyboard 4
If you don't say "Das Keyboard" in your best Arnie impression, then you aren't living. The 4 from Das Keyboard is a tactile keyboard lover's dream. If you're someone who likes to feel and hear every stroke, then which keyboard should you choose? DAS KEYBOARD .
In the Das Keyboard 4, you have your choice of Cherry MX Blue, which gives tactile feedback and a very audible click, or Cherry MX Brown, which gives very noticeable tactile feedback but is much, much quieter.
You get the full keyboard experience here, complete with number pad, oversize volume knob (so nice!), and dedicated media controls, so if you're the productive type, you can do the thing with the numbers and control your tunes on the fly. You'll be able to keep your devices charged, thanks to the two USB 3.0 ports, and the instant sleep button helps you save on power. The only downside is the lack of backlighting and the price (around $170).
This slick, black mechanical keyboard is the kaiser of keyboards, and it's just plain fun to say.
CODE 104-key illuminated mechanical keyboard – Cherry MX Clear
Quiet, tactile feedback and lovely backlighting is what the CODE 104-key keyboard with Cherry MX Clear is all about. Clear isn't the most popular option, but if you want a quiet, smooth ride, while really feeling every stroke, then this is the mechanical keyboard for your Mac.
The full white LEDs have seven levels of brightness, so you can work comfortably in any light and the onboard memory saves your last lighting preference so that you're not going to work in the dead of night and suddenly blinded by the alphabet.
A comforting feature of the CODE keyboards is that, though they work with both Mac and PC, they don't have the Windows key by default, so you won't have to stare at the nastiness every time you want to hit command.
If you like a back-lit keyboard with great tactile feedback but not a ton of audible feedback, then go with the CODE 104-key with Cherry MX Clear. If you do want some more click, CODE has all the other MX options you could want.
KUL ES-87 tenkeyless mechanical keyboard – Cherry MX Brown
If you have minimal desk space or just no need for a number pad, then the KUL ES-87 is the perfect compact option to add to your Mac arsenal.
KUL bills this keyboard as perfect for gamers, power users, and professionals, so if you're all about productivity and enjoy tactile feedback with some clickety-clack as you type, this is one to consider.
Extendable feet allow you to adjust the ES-87's height to your comfort, and it has a modern style that's sleek, sexy, and sophisticated.
Rated up to 50 million key presses, the KUL ES-87 should last you a long, long time, without taking up too much space.
Nixeus Moda Pro
The Nixeus Moda Pro is a fairly classic-looking keyboard with its white caps, but it features a steel plate-reinforced aluminum chassis, so it's durable and can handle your busiest days for a long time to come.
It comes with Mac key caps, so you can switch out that dirty old Windows key and get your Mac on just the way you like it – the keys are easy to pop off and replace.
You have your choice of super clicky blue keys, smooth and quiet red, or good ol' brown, for a keystroke you can feel. The blue option is the only full-size keyboard, which features white caps – red and brown are tenkeyless and feature black caps.
Rated for 50 million keystrokes and built like armor, the Moda Pro is designed to help you get job after job done and then some.
Matias Quiet Pro
Matias makes some of the best Mac keyboards money can buy, and the Quiet Pro is no different.
It features a quiet keystroke, atop traditional, curved keys that help you stay in home position, with an overall curved design that's ergonomic and comfortable.
The Quiet Pro features dedicated volume up/down and mute keys and the characters are laser-etched and burned into each key, so you should never see any fading.
Every keystroke is designed to be comfortable and quiet without sacrificing any tactile feedback, and the extended legs make it adjustable to your comfort. There are also two USB ports so that you can charge your iPhone or iPad (or both!) while you work.
Logitech G710 – Cherry MX Blue
The G710 from Logitech is a blue key lover's hot rod. It's made for gamers, so it's super responsive and clicky as all getout. You can even adjust the brightness of the WASD keys separately from the rest of the board, and the six G keys can be configured to up to 18 different actions per game.
The anti-ghosting keys will be welcomed by gamers and even writers who have a habit of mashing the keys sometimes, and the one-touch media keys will let you control volume and media playback in a snap (or a click).
You do have the option of Cherry MX Brown if you'd prefer a more tactile and less clickety-clackety experience.
If you're a gamer or just like to go to town on your keyboard on a regular basis, then consider the Logitech G710.
What's your type?
Are you using a sweet mechanical keyboard with your Mac that you think deserves a mention? Let us know in the comments below!
Reader comments
Best Mechanical Keyboards for Mac
Somebody needs to build a Microsoft Sculpt with MX Cherry or similar switches...people with RSD like me would be appreciative.
You forgot Steelseries. All of their keyboards, including the mechanical ones, include direct Mac support. Their top end line even has Mac keycap replacement keys.
Can anyone tell me why there are so few Bluetooth mechanical keyboards? Is it because gamers don't like bluetooth and they buy the majority of mechanical keyboards? Anyone have any Bluetooth mechanical keyboards they want to recommend?
The problem with Bluetooth is that you have to replace the batteries. Though, if you’re going to use a Bluetooth keyboard, use alkaline batteries. the problem with rechargeable AA batteries is that they only last a month or two of daily use. It’s nice to not have to replace batteries every two months. With wired keyboards, you never have to replace the batteries. Besides, with Bluetooth, you can’t have things like USB ports and backlighting.
You didn't answer their question you just said why you might not want a bluetooth keyboard.
I'd love to be able to get one of those IBM keyboards from the eighties to work with my Mac.
The Kinesis Ergo Advantage 2 is a sweet keyboard for an office setup. All of the shift-keys are thumb actuated, and they can be easily configured for a sane Mac configuration. Your brain will go through about a week of complete disorientation on this kbd, and then you will forget it and start typing quicker than before. For many with Carpal Tunnel pain, this kbd will have symptoms completely disappear. The latest Apple Trackpad will fit exactly in the gap right above the thumb-keys (cool!). I used this kbd in the day of SmartCat trackpads, which were a distinctly inferior to Apple's current trackpads. See image at http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/shop/advantage2-graphite/
The main downside is that it's a USB keyboard. IMHO, Kinesis should have engineered a BT keyboard years ago, but they've never done that. USB cable may be a bit cumbersome to deal with.
My issues with Apple and their keyboards is the lack of an ergonomic or split keyboard. Everything has to be solid lines, ultra thin. Some of us need to an ergonomic keyboard and having to go Microsoft keyboard and mouse to me is stupid after I spend $2k on an iMac and will likely spend $2500-3k on a new MBP early next year. I want a nice Apple ergonomic keyboard. Of course we have been waiting nearly 10 years for the 27" display to be updated too.
I've been very happy with the new Das Keyboard 4 Professional for Mac. It was confusing since their site still didn't say it had Cherry MX and same at Amazon where I got it. Yet when mine came it had Cherry MX Brown switches. I mentioned this to them but still their site said it had some other switch. Confusion aside I am still happy. I've been ordering a few things from WASD to improve it more to my liking though like using some of the dampeners they sell and also their full double shot PBT key set. Its nice to have the Cherry MX Brown base and be able to do all these tweaks to get the keyboard exactly the way I want it.
I would definitely get one the DAS keyboards but the lack of backlighting holds me back. :-(
DK4 is the best bet with the only drawback being the missing backlights. The keyboard just falls short of being "perfect" because of this drawback. I also found a few more nice keyboards and have listed them here: gadgetscanner. in/best-mechanical-keyboards-for-mac/