PC Peripherals come in all forms and ranges. They come fine-tuned for each purpose and some balanced choices that work for all. Of all the components, Mouse and Keyboard are the most used input devices. Keyboard arguably the more important of two.
So picking the right keyboard becomes a crucial step to ensure a smooth and productive flow. However, with hundreds of different keyboards on the market, it is a very difficult choice to make. For something seemingly as simple as a keyboard, there are so many variations that each choice brings to the table. So we break down some of these differences in our list of the best keyboards for 2020.
Best Keyboard for Productivity and Work
Das Keyboard 4 Professional
Das Keyboard 4 Professional has been on our list of the Best Keyboards for many years in the row now. It makes another expected appearance in this list of the best keyboards for 2020. For the past 6 years, many people have used this Das keyboard and have grown loyal to it.
In terms of aesthetics, it has a 104 key layout with dedicated media controls and a big volume knob. The Aluminum panel gives the keyboard a lot of sturdiness. It has two USB 3.0 ports. One extra for the enthusiasts who like to connect some extra USB powered accessories. There is also a choice between Cherry MX Blue (louder and clickier) and Cherry MX Brown (quieter and softer feel) switches. Even at the price tag of $145, this is a work and productivity centered keyboard. Not an ideal choice for gamers as they may be missing many things like an RGB
setup.
A cheaper alternative would be the Logitech G610 Orion. G610 Orion is a $73 keyboard that packs all the essentials for offering you a good workflow along with a customizable white backlight.
Best Gaming Keyboard
Corsair K95 RGB Platinum
Corsair is a respected name among gaming accessory manufacturers. It doesn’t shy away in Gaming Keyboards either. Up till last year, Corsair K70 RGB Rapidfire was our pick. This year Corsair has given us the K95 RGB Platinum to overtake its own predecessor as our pick for the best keyboard for 2020.
A highly durable aluminum built with a plethora of RGB customizations, metal-plated volume scroll wheel, and seven programmable macro keys. It comes with a choice of Cherry MX or Cherry MX Speed switches. While essentially the same, the latter variant comes with a lower travel distance of 1.2 mm against 2 mm in the former. As for other add-ons, there are pre-programmed keys for volume, brightness and media management, and a fine-textured rubber palm rest. You can have this for $170 or go for the budget Logitech G513 available at $125.
Best Wireless Keyboard
Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800
There are so many of us who just like more freedom and less cable clutter on the desk. The idea of being able to move the keyboard freely without being bothered by the fear of its cable accidentally spilling coffee is kind of comforting. So we definitely had to include the category for wireless keyboards in our picks for the best keyboards of 2020.
This year we pick the Logitech K800 Wireless Illuminated Keyboard. It has just the perfect balance between key size, space, and comfort. It has a sleek design that is well tapered and feels really comfortable. As the name suggests it is wireless and has a backlit keyboard. But to take it a notch up, Logitech has added an ambient light sensor to detect the environment and dynamically adjust the brightness accordingly. Even better is the motion-sensing that activates
the backlight only when your hand is near. This is aimed to save battery.
On the battery side of things, this keyboard can stay up for almost 10 days with the included rechargeable AA batteries which can be charged by a micro USB cable. There is a dedicated power switch to turn off the keyboard when not in use for extended periods of time. At $100, there isn’t anything else just like it.
Best HTPC Keyboard
Logitech Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard K830
Logitech K830 is a full-sized $66 keyboard is a no brainer in this category. It is a standard tenkeyless keyboard layout with a built-in touchpad left and right mouse buttons, and dedicated volume control keys.
Packed in a very small form factor with smaller key spaces, it is clearly aimed as a home entertainment device and not your regular productivity purposes. Similar to K800, the Logitech K830 packs an ambient light sensor to adapt backlighting brightness and even turn it off altogether while watching a movie in darker environments. The top row keys are pre-programmed to perform functions like showing desktop, media controls, closing and switching between windows.
Best Bluetooth / Multi-Device Keyboard
Logitech K780 Wireless Multi-Device
Logitech’s K780 is a unique keyboard offering support for wireless operations with a regular PC, Mac, Andriod, iOS, and Chrome OS devices. Plus, you can connect and control up to 3 devices at a time.
Logitech K780 has round keys that feel unusual at first but sometime later, grows on you. This $ 60 keyboard offers a comfortable and responsive typing experience. At this price point, it lacks some features like adjustable stand and backlighting. The built-in battery should serve you for around 3 years before requiring to be replaced. Among the best keyboards for 2020, this is our pick for the ‘does it alls’.
Best Budget Keyboard
Logitech MK270R
Concluding this our picks for the best keyboards for 2020, we bring up the final category. The Best Budget Keyboard. Logitech makes another unsurprising appearance here with its MK270R. Available easily under $30, the MK270R is a Keyboard + Mouse combo.
It offers a decent typing experience for the asking price. While not as sleek as some of its competitors, Logitech has packed some tricks up its sleeves. Housed in the top of the keyboard is a set of programmable hotkeys. Default mappings for basic operations like calculator, media controls, and system power switch are already quite apt but can be further tweaked to match your requirements. Though there are many alternatives, at $30 it doesn’t get much better than this.
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