Mechanical keyboards have been around almost as long as personal computers, and the basic switch technology we’re still using first popped up in the 1980s. But it’s not an exaggeration to say that mechanical boards have never been as popular, or as stunningly variable, as they are right now. If you’re just getting into the craze, you might feel paralyzed by the number of options available.

Allow us to remove some of the questioning and doubt. Below are the best mechanical keyboards we’ve reviewed, in a variety of categories—best overall, on a budget, for gaming, wireless, et cetera. Though they excel in different areas, each mechanical keyboard pick is absolutely the best in its class, and well worth both your attention and your hard-earned dough.

If you’re looking for even more options, be sure to check out our roundup of the best gaming keyboards as well.

If you’re just getting into mechanical keyboards, then you’re probably most interested in how it “feels” to use one. In short, mechanical switches offer a deeper and more satisfying press on each key, which is preferred over standard inexpensive keyboards by heavy-duty typists and gamers. (Not all of them, of course, but most people seem to favor at least a certain level of clickiness.) But there are a lot of different variables that can affect how those keys feel.

Key switches

Modern mechanical keyboards come in a staggering array of switch varieties, from smooth and linear to loud and clickly, with tons of options for mechanisms and spring strength. The only real way to know which one you prefer is to try ’em out (retail store displays are great for this). That being said, more expensive keyboards tend to come with nicer, high-quality switches from name brands like Cherry and Gateron. For the ultimate in customization, track down a keyboard with hot-swap switches, which let you swap out the switches for new and different ones whenever you want.

Keycaps

Keycaps are the little pieces of plastic that sit on top of the switches—what your fingers press down on. Switching out the keycaps for a set of nicer ones, maybe made of better PBT plastic or themed after your favorite TV show, is a popular and easy keyboard mod. Some keyboard makers even sell their own upgrade sets. Keycaps with a Cherry MX-compatible stem will work with almost all modern mechanical switches, just make sure you find a set that matches the layout of your keyboard.

Layout

The layout of the keys on your keyboard varies more than you might think. Full-sized keyboards include a 10-key area to the right of the arrow cluster, but gaming models often omit this in order to make more room for mouse movements, calling this the “10-key-less” layout. Some keyboards go even smaller, with 60% being the smallest that mainstream brands use, chopping off the Function row, 10-key area, and even the arrow keys (which have to be accessed via a Fn button). A few designs go even larger than the full layout, with an extra column or two of programmable keys for custom bindings or macros. Which one you want comes down to use-case, available space, and, perhaps more pertinently, taste.

These general layouts shouldn’t be confused with country- and region-specific key layouts, like ANSI and ISO. Most popular designs are available in at least those two variants.

Wireless options

Mechanical keyboards start with a standard wired USB connection, which may or may not be detachable from the keyboard itself for easier cable routing. Wireless boards tend to default to Bluetooth these days, since pretty much all PCs and mobile devices can use it. More premium models offer both Bluetooth and the faster, more reliable USB wireless dongle, typically on a 2.4GHz connection. Gamers definitely want to stick to wired or dongle options as Bluetooth’s susceptibility to input lag and interference can hinder gaming.

Lighting

Even budget gaming keyboards come with LED backlights these days, though they might not be the fully programable, device-synced lightshow that companies like Razer and Corsair delight in. Unless you’re constantly playing in the dark and you can’t touch-type, it’s entirely cosmetic. It’s fun, that’s about it.

Keyboard makers are forever trying to one-up each other with extra features. For a mechanical board you can generally expect a removable USB cable (maybe a braided one for nicer boards), and possibly an included keycap puller and wrist rest. Larger boards usually include dedicated media controls, and the nicer ones get a fully programmable wheel or knob, as well as hot-swap switch sockets that let you experiment with different types of key switches. An especially nice option is on-device memory, allowing you to keep key layout programs without running a driver program on each new computer.