And the keyboard acts as a hub, so you can use its other USB-C port to connect devices, too. Smaller keyboards allow you to place your mouse closer to your body, which can reduce strain on your shoulders, neck, and back. The black model we tested came with an extra spacebar and a handful of bright red accent keycaps for the arrow keys, Esc, Enter, and 1.75u Shift key. Whereas the VA87M has a tasteful, smooth case and an open design, the VA108M is covered in a tacky fake-wood texture and has a partially closed design. The Qisan Magicforce 68-key model is the best budget mechanical keyboard. We do wish the One 2 SF had DIP switches for swapping the OS keys to Mac mode, and we wish it came with neutral OS keys instead of Windows ones. If you can’t wait that long for a new keyboard, take a look at our other picks. *At the time of publishing, the price was $180. It’s a 68% keyboard just like the Ducky One 2 SF, but it offers superior build quality and a more ergonomically friendly and attractive design. If Cherry switches are regular butter, Topre switches are Kerrygold—smoother and richer. It’s available with a few different tasteful keycap sets too, though it doesn’t provide as much variety in that regard as the VA87M, and it comes with a removable Mini-USB cable and works on both Windows and Mac. As far as actual programming, you can move the Fn or Pn keys and record macros if you switch to one of the non-default layers by pressing Pn+M, comma, or period. (We recommend Browns.) It also has clearly labeled media keys along the bottom alphabet row, and you can reach Fn plus the volume up, volume down, and mute keys with a single hand. Unlike our other picks, the Alt is fully programmable—but doing so is tricky. If you’re willing to pay more for an even better typing experience and a keyboard that you can tinker with—but you don’t want to learn how to solder—get the Drop Alt. Some keyboards we tested, such as the Ducky One 2, lack media keys entirely. Other keyboards offer onboard programming, where you press certain keys to record macros and customize backlighting. That opens up a ton of size, layout, switch, and programmability options beyond what our picks offer, but such keyboards are less readily available, tend to be more expensive, and require a lot of tinkering. The WASD Code V3 and WASD V3 are both solid keyboards, and the previous version of the Code (the V2) was our former top pick. The Vortex Race 3 is the predecessor of the Tab 75. Plus, it’s expensive. We tested 33 gaming mice this year to find the five best mice for wired or wireless gameplay, including some lower-priced options. It can work wirelessly and comes with Mac-specific keycaps. Like many of the best keyboards we tested, the Ducky One 2 SF is available in the US primarily from specialty retailers such as MechanicalKeyboards.com, so it may not be immediately available with the design or switches you want. The Magicforce is about half an inch wider than the One 2 SF but still notably smaller than tenkeyless boards. Switch options: We cover all the different switch varieties in depth in our intro guide to mechanical keyboards, but here’s the TL;DR. Still others come with software you can use to record macros, remap or customize certain keys, and futz with the backlighting. Simple, durable, and easy to use, this keyboard comes with a variety of switches, works with or without extra software, and has vibrant lighting. You have no way to turn off the Page Up or Page Down LEDs (which indicate whether the top row consists of number or function keys), not even by disabling the LEDs or turning the backlight all the way down. We’ll keep testing new wireless options and looking out for improvements. And compact keyboards—which nearly match the size and layout of a laptop keyboard—take up less space on your desk. Keycaps made of PBT, though less common, tend to be more durable, develop less shine, and have a grittier texture. As a 65%/68% keyboard, the Ducky One 2 SF is compact, yet it doesn’t sacrifice the keys most people can’t do without—it has all the letters, numbers, and modifiers, plus dedicated arrow keys and a few navigation keys on the right side. Its layout is similar to that of the Ducky One 2 SF, with dedicated arrow keys and a small navigation cluster, but it takes up a bit more horizontal desk space. 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