- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Best Keyboard
- Best Mid-Range
- Best Budget
- Best Cheap
- Notable Mentions
- Recent Updates
- All Reviews
- Comments
A 60% keyboard is a small keyboard that typically lacks a numpad, a navigational cluster, and a function row. Instead, you can still access most of these missing commands with hotkey combinations. These little units are having their moment in the sun right now, and it's easy to see why. They offer gamers—and on-the-go typists—much more room on their desks for dynamic mouse movements while gaming or to keep a coffee close at hand. While many of these picks are gaming-focused, they're still versatile for general work or typing tasks.
We evaluate every keyboard using the same standardized testing process to ensure fair, consistent comparisons between products. Plus, we purchase each model ourselves, maintaining complete independence from manufacturers. See just how we test keyboards and judge for yourself.
We've tested over 250 keyboards and over 20 compact 60% units. Below are our picks for the best 60 percent keyboard. Most of our recommendations below are dedicated gaming keyboards, but if you'd like to explore other gaming options, see our list of the best gaming keyboards or the best RGB keyboards. Alternatively, If you're a programmer or writer, check out our curated picks for the best keyboards for programming and best keyboards for typing articles.
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Best 60% Keyboard
Gaming8.6Office7.8Programming8.1Mobile/Tablet8.6Entertainment / HTPC6.4Connectivity WirelessThe best 60% keyboard we've tested is the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless. It's a compact version of the enduringly popular SteelSeries Apex Pro. Like its full-size cousin, this keyboard allows you to adjust individual switches' actuation and reset distance. Whether you want a nearly instant 0.2mm actuation point for competitive gaming or a longer pre-travel of up to 3.8 mm for general typing, you can fine-tune your preferences for each key, making this a versatile unit that's great for both work and play.
This keyboard also connects using a USB receiver or Bluetooth, so you don't have to worry about cable management. Depending on the connectivity you rely on, its battery supplies enough power for 30 to 40 hours of use, which is on the lower end of the scale, but that's not too surprising given its fully customizable RGB backlighting lighting. If you're concerned about the battery life, there's a wired version of this board, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini. The wired version offers the same high-end performance and features, and it's typically cheaper, especially when it goes on sale.
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Best Mid-Range 60% Keyboard
Gaming8.6Office7.0Programming7.6Mobile/Tablet3.2Entertainment / HTPC2.8Connectivity WiredAround a mid-range price point, we recommend the Razer Huntsman Mini Analog. While its price fluctuates quite a bit, it's at its best value when it's around the $100 USD mark, but more recently, it's gone on sale at some online retailers and may be much closer or even a bit cheaper than our best mid-range pick below. Like our top pick, this keyboard's switches allow you to adjust the actuation/reset distance. However, its optical switches are somewhat less consistent and accurate than the magnetic Hall effect switches on the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless. Plus, the range isn't as wide as the lowest and most sensitive setting you can set, which is 1.5 mm. It performs similarly to the SteelSeries model, with equally low latency and excellent RGB backlighting. However, the Razer has a few more interesting features that the SteelSeries lacks.
One such feature is the 'Analog Mode.' When enabled, the switches register how far down you've pressed a key to respond in-game, like a gamepad controller, instead of registering it as a binary on/off input. This feature is beneficial if you're a fan of racing games or flight simulators, as it gives you much finer movement control than you'd typically get with your average WASD keys. It's worth noting that this is a wired-only unit, unlike our top pick above, so you'll have to do some cable management. Thankfully, the cable is a detachable USB-A to USB-C cable, so if you find it too stiff or bulky, you can easily change it for something more flexible.
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Best Budget 60% Keyboard
Gaming9.0Office7.0Programming7.7Mobile/Tablet3.0Entertainment / HTPC3.0Connectivity WiredWhile the Razer and SteelSeries models above offer in-depth customization, the Corsair K65 RGB MINI is a straightforward budget pick focused on raw gaming performance. Instead of non-standard switches with adjustable pre-travel distances, the Corsair comes with typical Cherry MX switches. You can get your choice of switch type, including Cherry MX Speeds, a classic gaming switch with a feather-light actuation force and a short pre-travel distance for a sensitive and smooth keypress throughout—though beware, these switches can make you more prone to making more mistakes while typing as even light touches can register a keystroke.
The high-quality PBT keycaps have a bit of texture, so your fingers won't slip off of them, even during tense, competitive games. They also have clear legends that allow the RGB lighting to shine through them, making them easy to read in darker rooms. Overall, this keyboard's gaming performance is unparalleled at this price point, with its higher-than-average maximum polling rate and split-millisecond latency for a highly consistent and responsive in-game experience. It's also compatible with Corsair's iCUE software, meaning you can sync up your lighting effects with other Corsair products, like your mouse or PC components, for a unified theme in your setup.
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Best Cheap 60% Keyboard
Gaming7.1Office7.0Programming7.3Mobile/Tablet8.4Entertainment / HTPC6.0Connectivity WirelessAlthough it has higher latency than all our other recommendations and feels less well-built than the Corsair K65 RGB MINI, the ROYAL KLUDGE RK61 is your best bet for a cheap compact board. It's well-suited for casual gamers or on-the-go professionals looking for a smaller home and office board. Surprisingly, for its price, it has a hot-swappable printed circuit board, so you can swap out the stock switches with other mechanical switches of your choice for a typing experience tailored to your needs.
It's a great choice if you're just getting into keyboards since it's a cheap way to test out what switches you like without spending a small fortune. Plus, it comes in several variants that offer wireless connectivity options, different backlighting configurations, and a range of sizes, so you'll surely find the best version for you.
Notable Mentions
- Wooting 60HE:
The Wooting 60HE is a mechanical gaming keyboard with Hall effect switches that let you customize each key’s actuation and reset points—just like the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless. It's wired-only and more expensive than the SteelSeries but offers extra software features for enthusiast gamers, including low-latency Tachyon Mode, up to four inputs per keypress, and an Analog Mode that mimics gradual joystick input.
See our review - Keychron Q60 Max:
The Keychron Q60 Max is a premium wireless keyboard with an uncommon HHKB 60% layout, placing Control where Caps Lock usually is and moving Backspace down a row. Its aluminum case and typing feel are more premium than our top pick, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless. It also offers slightly better gaming performance, though it's not gaming-focused. However, it lacks the SteelSeries' analog customization and is significantly more expensive.
See our review - Keychron Q4:
The Keychron Q4 is a premium 60% keyboard. It's a wired-only model with a solid aluminum case design that offers a higher-quality typing experience compared to the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless. It's also much easier to customize if you want to change out switches or stabilizers. However, its latency is much higher than that of the SteelSeries, so the Q4 is a better match for typists and casual gamers.
See our review - NuPhy Air60 V2:
The NuPhy Air60 V2 is a standout wireless alternative at a similar upper mid-range price as the Razer Huntsman Mini Analog. While the Razer is gaming-focused, the NuPhy is more versatile for work, browsing, or casual gaming. It offers better typing quality, plus wireless flexibility and a low-profile design that's great for portability. It's also hot-swappable and available with various stock switch types.
See our review - HyperX Alloy Origins 60: The HyperX Alloy Origins 60 is a great 60% gaming keyboard that's typically cheaper than the Corsair K65 RGB MINI and has flip-out feet that offer a couple of different incline settings, which the Corsair lacks. That said, it doesn't provide higher-than-average polling rate settings and doesn't quite offer the same level of raw gaming performance, so it isn't as well-suited for competitive play. See our review
Recent Updates
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We reviewed this article but haven't changed our recommendations. All picks continue to represent the best options available at this time.
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We've made a few small tweaks to the text for clarity and verified prices and stock availability, but none of our recommendations have changed with this update.
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Sep 11, 2024 : We've added the Keychron Q60 to our list of Notable Mentions. We've also removed the Ducky One 2 Mini V2 as it's now a less compelling option than newer releases for a similar price.
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Jun 18, 2024 : We've adjusted some of our category names to more accurately reflect current pricing, and we've removed the Obinslab Anne Pro 2 as it's become difficult to reliably find in stock.
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Apr 22, 2024 : We've verified all our picks for pricing and availability but haven't changed our lineup with this update.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best 60 percent keyboards available. We factor in the price (a cheaper product wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), the feedback from our visitors, and availability (no keyboard that is difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is our list of 60 percent compact keyboard reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no product is perfect for every use, most keyboards perform well enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
Recommended Articles
Comments
Best 60% Keyboards: Main Discussion
What do you think of our picks? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying recommendation from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.
- 21010
Hi Andrew, I agree that our gaming usage may suggest the MacBook is better than it actually is but it also performed quite well in games that weren’t designed to run on Mac which is impressive. We try to keep a standardized testing suite across laptop which sometimes puts us in a tight corner. Here it’s tough since the MacBook may lack in GPU and pure gaming but the gaming score also includes other elements that make for a good gaming laptop, like display and thermals. These two are where the MacBook is miles ahead of traditional gaming laptops. We’ll keep this in mind and how we can improve our gaming score in the future. It’s possible that we can rebalance some of the score components and it would be a better representation of it’s viability as a gaming option. Thanks!
One suggestion would be to find a selection of popular games and give a score based on the percentage of those games being compatible.
On an unrelated note. In the gaming laptop page there is a serviceability score shown. I’m coming here from the best laptops page and I didn’t see it there. I mention this because the only reason I am not buying a macbook is it’s poor serviceability.
- 21010
You should reconsider the gaming review part, since gaming on iOS is limited in game titles, like Linux. Most games released for windows, and most games are optimized either Nvidia or AMD. So a number in GPU performance doesn’t indicate that it’s good to play on a MacBook.
Hi Andrew,
I agree that our gaming usage may suggest the MacBook is better than it actually is but it also performed quite well in games that weren’t designed to run on Mac which is impressive. We try to keep a standardized testing suite across laptop which sometimes puts us in a tight corner.
Here it’s tough since the MacBook may lack in GPU and pure gaming but the gaming score also includes other elements that make for a good gaming laptop, like display and thermals. These two are where the MacBook is miles ahead of traditional gaming laptops.
We’ll keep this in mind and how we can improve our gaming score in the future. It’s possible that we can rebalance some of the score components and it would be a better representation of it’s viability as a gaming option.
Thanks!
- 43230
You should reconsider the gaming review part, since gaming on iOS is limited in game titles, like Linux. Most games released for windows, and most games are optimized either Nvidia or AMD. So a number in GPU performance doesn’t indicate that it’s good to play on a MacBook.
The full review has been posted here. Let us know what you think!
- 21010
Interested in display response times, and keyboard quality and consistency (particularly any stiff keys, and whether the arrow keys actuate when pressed off center).
Our testers have started testing this product; is there anything specific you’re looking to see? Let us know in this thread.
- 21010
Hi Andrew, I agree that our gaming usage may suggest the MacBook is better than it actually is but it also performed quite well in games that weren’t designed to run on Mac which is impressive. We try to keep a standardized testing suite across laptop which sometimes puts us in a tight corner. Here it’s tough since the MacBook may lack in GPU and pure gaming but the gaming score also includes other elements that make for a good gaming laptop, like display and thermals. These two are where the MacBook is miles ahead of traditional gaming laptops. We’ll keep this in mind and how we can improve our gaming score in the future. It’s possible that we can rebalance some of the score components and it would be a better representation of it’s viability as a gaming option. Thanks!
One suggestion would be to find a selection of popular games and give a score based on the percentage of those games being compatible.
On an unrelated note. In the gaming laptop page there is a serviceability score shown. I’m coming here from the best laptops page and I didn’t see it there. I mention this because the only reason I am not buying a macbook is it’s poor serviceability.
- 21010
You should reconsider the gaming review part, since gaming on iOS is limited in game titles, like Linux. Most games released for windows, and most games are optimized either Nvidia or AMD. So a number in GPU performance doesn’t indicate that it’s good to play on a MacBook.
Hi Andrew,
I agree that our gaming usage may suggest the MacBook is better than it actually is but it also performed quite well in games that weren’t designed to run on Mac which is impressive. We try to keep a standardized testing suite across laptop which sometimes puts us in a tight corner.
Here it’s tough since the MacBook may lack in GPU and pure gaming but the gaming score also includes other elements that make for a good gaming laptop, like display and thermals. These two are where the MacBook is miles ahead of traditional gaming laptops.
We’ll keep this in mind and how we can improve our gaming score in the future. It’s possible that we can rebalance some of the score components and it would be a better representation of it’s viability as a gaming option.
Thanks!
- 43230
You should reconsider the gaming review part, since gaming on iOS is limited in game titles, like Linux. Most games released for windows, and most games are optimized either Nvidia or AMD. So a number in GPU performance doesn’t indicate that it’s good to play on a MacBook.
The full review has been posted here. Let us know what you think!
- 21010
Interested in display response times, and keyboard quality and consistency (particularly any stiff keys, and whether the arrow keys actuate when pressed off center).
Our testers have started testing this product; is there anything specific you’re looking to see? Let us know in this thread.