The 5 Best TKL Keyboards - Black Friday 2024

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023) is the TKL keyboard we recommend for most people. Designed for gaming, it has excellent latency performance and build quality, durable PBT keycaps, and a detachable wrist rest for added comfort. It even has a customizable OLED screen and control wheel. This keyboard's Hall effect switches, which use magnets to register your keystrokes, set it apart from the pack. They allow you to precisely adjust the travel distance of individual switches. In practice, this means you can set your keys to super a low setting for the quickest, lowest-latency performance on frequently used keys, like the WASD cluster, or dial down the sensitivity on any keys you tend to register accidentally.

Another software feature, Rapid Trigger, allows you to customize the switch reset distance. This can be a game changer for tap strafing or other situations that call for fast, repeated keys. On top of it all, the software offers further options, including RGB effects and custom profiles. At the end of the day, this keyboard is a standout gaming pick if you like to customize settings to match your needs. If this keyboard has a standout weakness, it lacks some of the more typing quality-oriented features found on other options, like our budget pick, the Keychron V3 Max.

At a mid-range price point, we recommend the Corsair K70 RGB TKL, a dedicated gaming keyboard. This keyboard frequently goes on sale, so you may occasionally see it closer to the price of our budget pick below. Also, note that you may see it listed as the Corsair K70 RGB TKL "Champion Series." This is just a later variant that has some small additions to the case design with several new dedicated hotkeys, including a Windows lock key. It's also available in one additional switch option that we'll touch on at the end of this entry.

The major difference between the K70 RGB TKL and our top pick, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL (2023), is that the Corsair offers slightly better raw gaming performance, largely thanks to its higher maximum polling rate of 8000Hz and effective update rate of 4000Hz, which produces marginally lower and more consistent latency performance. However, the tradeoff is that its switches don't provide the ability to adjust pre-travel and reset distance. While it also lacks a programmable OLED screen, it does have a scroll wheel and a full set of dedicated media keys. Its software also allows you to customize a range of expected settings, including macros, custom profiles, and RGB lighting effects.

As switch options go, this keyboard is available with either Cherry MX Red or more sensitive Cherry MX Speed mechanical switches. The Champion Series variant is available with Cherry MX Speed or OPX Optical switches, which are even more lightweight and sensitive. Ultimately, each of these switches offers exceptional latency performance. The MX Speed and OPX Optical switches will offer slightly, though not noticeably, better performance due to their lower pre-travel distance. However, they may feel too sensitive for more casual or everyday use, leading to more accidental keystrokes.

We bought and tested this keyboard family's larger (96%) model, pictured above. However, we recommend its smaller TKL variant, the Keychron V3 Max, as the best tenkeyless model to buy if you're on a budget. This model isn't a dedicated gaming keyboard like our two top picks, but it's an inexpensive wireless model that takes heavy inspiration from the more niche, custom keyboard market. It has a gasket mount design that produces a softer, slightly springy-feeling typing experience. It's also available to purchase with pre-lubed linear or tactile switch options and has a hot-swappable PCB if you want to change these switches out for others of your choosing. It even comes with a toolkit to disassemble your keyboard if you want to customize the hardware further.

Also of note are its multiple layers of sound-absorbing materials inside the case. These materials make it a significantly quieter pick than the other models on this list. They do a great job of minimizing rattling or pinging noises that mechanical keyboards are often susceptible to. Lastly, in terms of connectivity, it includes a 2.4GHz USB Type-C USB receiver that provides excellent performance suitable for gaming in all genres, as well as Bluetooth support that's well suited for work or everyday desktop use and allows you to pair with up to three devices simultaneously. Overall, this keyboard is a highly flexible option that takes many of the best ideas of more expensive custom keyboards and offers them in a budget package.

The Keychron C1 Pro is essentially a more basic, wired-only model similar to the Keychron V3 Max above. While it doesn't quite compare in terms of typing quality, it still has a few surprising features in common with the V3 Max and other more expensive custom keyboards, including pre-lubed switches, PBT keycaps, and south-facing LEDs that allow for greater compatibility with aftermarket keycap sets. You can also choose between several configurations at purchase, with choices between white-only or full RGB backlighting and the option to add a hot-swappable PCB that allows you to change out the stock switches easily.

Again, this keyboard is compatible with VIA configuration software that lets you record macros, create custom profiles, and adjust backlight settings, among other options. This keyboard is a surprisingly full-featured and well-built option that provides excellent value at an entry-level price point.

If you're in the market for the best TKL mechanical keyboard that offers the widest range of hardware customizability options, we recommend the NuPhy Gem80. This keyboard is currently only available directly from NuPhy's website. Also, it's only available as a barebones kit in either a wired or wireless configuration. All the internal components—including the PCB, sound-dampening material, and stabilizers—are in place straight out of the box. However, you'll have to buy and install your own switches and keycaps.

But that's just scratching the surface of the customizability. It also comes with an impressive selection of mounting hardware, including several gasket mount pieces so you can dial in how soft or springy your typing experience feels. It's also compatible with VIA for additional software-level customization. Lastly, while this isn't designed specifically for competitive gaming, it still has impressive raw performance, making it more than suitable for gaming in any genre and at any competitive level.

The only real downside to this keyboard, and the reason it doesn't snag our top spot in this article, is the added hassle of adding your own switches and keycaps, which isn't something everyone will be happy to tackle. It's also worth noting that the added cost of switches and keycaps means the total package of this keyboard is more expensive than other picks on this list, which come fully assembled.