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Apr 02, 2024

The Best TKL Mechanical Keyboards for 2023

Want to free up space on your desk? Check out these great TKL mechanical keyboards. Tenkeyless (TKL) mechanical keyboards are incredibly popular for gaming, but they’re also a great way to free up

Want to free up space on your desk? Check out these great TKL mechanical keyboards.

Tenkeyless (TKL) mechanical keyboards are incredibly popular for gaming, but they’re also a great way to free up space on your desktop without sacrificing functionality. These are the best you can buy.

If you’re working with a small desk or want to free up space for sweeping mouse movements, it’s hard to go wrong with a TKL mechanical keyboard. These offer much of the same functionality as a full-size keyboard, though they lack a keypad---which frees up significant space and makes TKL keyboards so much smaller. They’re not as tiny as 60% keyboards, however, and with 87 keys they’re the perfect combination of form and function.

Shopping for a TKL keyboard is a bit complicated, as there are tons of factors to consider. The first is determining the types of switches you’d like. This is no different from shopping for a full-size mechanical keyboard, as the same switches work across both formats. Red switches are good for gaming, brown switches are good for typing, and blue switches are great for folks who love audible feedback on every keystroke.

You’ll also want to look at both wired and wireless connections. Wireless models are often more expensive than their wired siblings. Some cheap wireless keyboards might suffer input lag, but reliable products from big names like Logitech and SteelSeries are typically fine for all but pro gamers.

There are a few other factors to consider, such as RGB lighting, customization options, durability, and programmable buttons, but these should only be considered after deciding on your switches and connection format. If you need help sifting through all the products available, here’s a look at the five best TKL mechanical keyboards you can buy now.

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Pros

Cons

Adjustable actuation distance

Expensive

Includes a wrist rest

Impressive build quality

Built-in OLED display

The big selling point of the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Mechanical Keyboard is its OmniPoint adjustable switches. These allow you to customize the actuation distance anywhere from 0.4mm to 3.6mm---giving you more flexibility than most other boards on the market.

Aside from these innovative switches, the Apex Pro TKL boasts aluminum construction for durability, RGB lighting with access to over 16 million colors, and a magnetic wrist rest for improved ergonomics. Of course, you’ll pay for all these premium features, with the keyboard inching close to $200 when not on sale.

One of the quirkier features of the Apex Pro is its built-in OLED screen. Located in the top right corner, this tiny screen can be used to adjust settings on the fly or check info from Discord, Spotify, or other apps. It’s a great feature for streamers or folks who listen to music while gaming, although its usefulness may vary from person to person. Still, it’s a great inclusion you won’t find on many of its rivals.

Aside from its hefty price, there’s not much to complain about with the Apex Pro TKL. Reliable, durable, and highly customizable, SteelSeries knocked it out of the park with this nearly perfect keyboard.

The Best TKL Keyboard Overall

Offering adjustable switches, built-in OLED display, and a premium wrist rest, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL stands out in a market flooded with great keyboards.

Pros

Cons

Affordable price

Kickstands don't offer much incline

Multiple switch types

Versatile customization software

Clocking in at less than $100, the HyperX Alloy Origins Core is a well-rounded keyboard. With all the available switch types (HyperX Red, HyperX Aqua, and HyperX Blue), you’ll benefit from 100% anti-ghosting and N-key rollover that ensures all your keystrokes are registered.

Toss in tons of customization options using the NGENUITY Software and a detachable USB Type-C for portability, and it’s easy to see the appeal of this budget-minded board. Some users will find its kickstand to be a bit of a letdown—it offers three tilt angles, but it only ranges from 3 degrees to 11 degrees—but that’s a small price to pay for everything else the Alloy Origins Core offers.

Best of all, you’ll get an aluminum body and switches rated for an impressive 80 million keypresses, so it should serve you well for years to come. And if you want to customize your settings for different games, you’ll be glad to know that the keyboard supports multiple profiles.

The Best Budget TKL Keyboard

Built with a premium aluminum body and support for the HyperX NGENUITY Software, the Alloy Origins Core is a surprisingly robust keyboard despite its low price.

Pros

Cons

Eye-catching design

Typing can be noisy

Short actuation distance

Programmable macros

Razer knows how to make premium gaming gear, and its years of experience are on full display with the Huntsman V2 TKL. With an 8,000Hz polling rate for improved latency, the ability to save five onboard profiles, and a durable design, the Huntsman V2 TKL is ready for anything you throw at it.

Everything about this board was designed for gaming. From switches rated for 100 million keystrokes to shine-resistant doubleshot PBT keycaps, Razer made sure the Huntsman V2 TKL was durable, reliable, and able to handle the rigors of competitive gaming. You’ll even benefit from an included wrist rest for enhanced ergonomics during extended gaming sessions.

Of course, you’ll also have access to the usual assortment of RGB lights, allowing you to personalize the appearance of the Huntsman V2 TKL.

A few different switch options are available (including Clicky and Linear), although some users might find them to be noisier than expected. Razer uses a variety of sound-dampening technology to mute the noisy behavior of its mechanical switches---but your mileage may vary depending on how “angry” you type and the surface you’ve placed your keyboard on. It’s a minor knock, but something to keep in mind if you share a game room with any family members or roommates.

The Best TKL Keyboard for Gaming

The Huntsman V2 TKL offers a great polling rate for improved latency, reliable construction, and allows you to choose between a few different switches depending on your preference.

Pros

Cons

LIGHTSPEED wireless technology

Limited number of programmable keys

Per-key RGB lighting

Bluetooth and USB receiver connections

It’s a bit pricey at over $200, but the Logitech G915 Lightspeed is the best option if you’re looking for a wireless keyboard with little to no lag. The Lightspeed technology packed into the G915 supports ultra-fast 1ms performance, allowing your keystrokes to be registered in the blink of an eye.

There are a bunch of other cool features packed into the keyboard, including per-key RGB lighting, a rechargeable battery that gets up to 40 hours on a single charge, low-profile linear switches, and dedicated media keys so you can quickly access your favorite content.

If you want additional control over the G915, you can dive into the Logitech G HUB Software to create macros, adjust your settings by game, or sync with third-party software like Discord. Some folks might notice fewer programmable keys than the competition, but there should be enough ways to personalize its performance to keep most folks happy.

The Best Wireless TKL Keyboard

Wireless keyboards don’t get much better than this. The G915 TKL is a compact, responsive board with tons of customization options and an impressive 40-hour battery life.

Pros

Cons

Durable build

N-key rollover only supported in wired mode

Great for typists

Multiple available switch types

Keychron makes tons of keyboards with Mac support, but the K8 Wireless is among the best. Not only is it reasonably priced, but it offers everything you’d want from a premium mechanical keyboard--including brilliant RGB lights, a durable aluminum frame, and the availability of Brown, Blue, and Red switches.

As you’d expect, the K8 Wireless features a Mac-specific layout, complete with Command and Option keys. But aside from full support for Mac, Keychron allows you to connect the board to up to three devices via Bluetooth---making it a great multiplatform tool for all your typing (or gaming) needs.

The main drawback to the K8 Wireless is its support for N-key rollover, which requires a wired connection. If you’re using it wirelessly, you’ll only get 6-key rollover. That’s probably not an issue if you’re using it for word processing or browsing the web, but if you decide to play a game with the K8, you’ll likely need to set up a wired connection.

But considering the K8 can run for up to 200 hours on a single charge, is rated for 50 million keystrokes, and includes extra keycaps if you decide to swap over to PC from Mac, there’s a lot of value packed into this responsive keyboard.

The Best TKL Keyboard for Mac

The Keychron K8 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard offers full support for Mac, boasts 200 hours of battery life, and gives you a variety of switch types to choose from.

TKL is short for tenkeyless. Specifically, it means the keyboard does not include the numeric keypad found on the right side of traditional keyboards.

A TKL keyboard will have 87 or 88 keys, although you may find some models with macro keys that slightly inflate this number.

Yes, TKL keyboards are good for programming, as they typically offer all the keys needed for the majority of programming languages. They’re also compact and easy to carry from one workstation to the next.

Yes, TKL keyboards are good for gaming, as they free up space on your desktop for larger mouse movements. However, if you like to play MMOs and program your skills to the numpad, you might want to stick with a traditional keyboard.