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The Best Keyboards For Programming👨‍💻 in 2024✨

ThemeSelection on May 11, 2021

Are you looking for a keyboard that can help you to work with ease and comfort? Then here is the best collection of the best keyboards for programm...
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pcjmfranken profile image
Peter Franken • Edited

Please stay away from the big brand gaming keyboards. They're clearly thrown together by their marketing departments, rather than actual caring engineers.

The difference between one of those keyboards and any proper mechanical keyboard can be extreme, even though they're often in the same price bracket. The big brand ones break easily, often come with terrible.. no.. horrible... even nightmarish software, and the typing feels mushy even when they have the same Cherry MX switches (probably cheaped out the extreme on all the other parts). You're also not getting any better customer support for that extra money, mostly worse even.

Look into enthousiast brands such as Ducky and Vortex, or something exotic like ErgoDox. From personal experience I highly recommend you stay away from Corsair (and from all their other peripheral products as well..). Logitech is not what it used to be either.. they have somehow managed to get even worse :)

Also consider picking up a TenKeyLess (TKL) variant - that is one without the numpad. Far better ergonomics because the extra space to the right of the board allows for your right arm to be placed in a more natural position. You could always pick up a separate USB numpad for cheap if you really need one occasionally.

And, lastly: don't skimp on items you'll be using for hours on end, multiple days every week. Get the best one you can afford and treat it well!

Awesome resources over at the wiki of /r/mechanicalkeyboards over at Reddit.

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Lorenzo Leonini

Hi All,
I have written an article about a keyboard that has been designed specially for developers.

Maybe the learning curve is a bit longer but at the end it is propably worth the effort:
My journey to create the ADM42 keyboard, optimized for developers

ADM42

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hinogi profile image
Stefan Schneider

The Baterang of keyboards :D

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oniichan profile image
yoquiale

I find tkl almost unusable. I need the numeric keypad to type numbers.

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pcjmfranken profile image
Peter Franken

Yeah many people prefer to have one. Luckily most keyboards are released in both form-factors, so plenty of options still!

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Juan A. Fuentest Torcat

Is there any good reason for a mechanical keyboard other than subjective stuff like aesthetics, touch, noise, and stuff like that?

I mean, I find scissor switches like the ones on laptop keyboard to be the most comfortable and silent (I like silent) but everywhere I look there's only talk about mechanical keyboards.

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Peter Vivo

My favourite is MacBook Pro 13 keyboard with touch bar and touch pad.

  • Because that touch pad fare better than ordinary mouse, and my hand keep always over the keyboard, meanwhile I can do really fast and smooth scrolling with touch pad two finger gesture. Even momentum are simulated.
  • Keyboard and whole computer size is fine, I can really fast overview my code.
  • Touch bar is fare better solution than function keys. That is situation dependent. And have touch capabilities next of keys, without release keys, and do not need glaze my touch screen.

Touch bar main feature which I use day by day:

  • clock ( I work with full screen editor so, desktop clock isn't fine )
  • screen shoot ( don't need remember crazy short key )
  • language switcher: Often change between Hungarian and English language, and important the visual feed back the current language set.
  • emoji : quick overview emoji.
  • volume settings
  • black light settings
  • plus many app have special interface like color selector in Sketch.
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ThemeSelection

Cool..!! 👍 Seems awesome.

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vinayhegde1990 profile image
Vinay Hegde

Very thorough article, @theme_selection , given people now use keyboards more than ever along with the SWOT analysis of multiple models.Liked the Keychron one (takes personalised touch to a different level)

I found the below articles useful when I was searching for 1

And the below keyboards

Hoping it helps as additional info, cheers!

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ThemeSelection

Hi, thanks for your review. It depends on users, some like gaming keyboard some will go for mechanical as choices differ from person to person.

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vinayhegde1990 profile image
Vinay Hegde

Definitely agree, personal choice is a big driving factor behind a keyboard.

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hinogi profile image
Stefan Schneider

Just to add more exotic builds
splittype.com/
keeb.io/

in the early days there were not so many pre built options but now I think that might be an alternative.

Also you have more variations of split and ortholinear keyboards

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🚩 Atul Prajapati 🇮🇳

I like the first one, its best for me!

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ThemeSelection

Great..!! Indeed Das is a good choice.👍

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Darren Harding

Last year I treated myself to a Ducky One 2 Tkl and I have to say I wouldn't use anything else now. I love it.

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ThemeSelection

Great... Would you please share the pic of your setup..!!?

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hinogi profile image
Stefan Schneider

Oh and one for the rich ppl out there naya.tech/

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classcruiser

Apple Magic Keyboard is still the best for me so far. Second is Logitech MX Keys. I just prefer a low profile keyboard overall

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Ruthvik Raja M.V

I like the apple keyboard 👌

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ThemeSelection

Yes, it is indeed a good keyboard.👍

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Dannick Bedard

I use the tkl of keychron k8, love the format!

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ThemeSelection

Great one...!!