5 ms·

I can't really blame him though, if you assume Amazon is the standard marketplace for everything all you'll find is Cherry blue and red switches, and Razer/Logi

I can't really blame him though, if you assume Amazon is the standard marketplace for everything all you'll find is Cherry blue and red switches, and Razer/Logitech's versions of those. It wasn't until I attended a mechanical keyboard conference that I found out about Zealios, by far my favorite switch but near-impossible to find in pre-built boards. Even Clears, which are really great and my favorite Cherry switch, are somewhat hard to find if you don't know specific keyboard sites.

mixmastamyk 7y ago
I have the wasd keyboard with red switches and thin o-rings and it is quiet, quieter than my mouse buttons.
- Root_Denied 7y ago
  Also using a WASD keyboard (Code) with brown switches and o-rings. It's clicky, but not terribly so. Next one will be clear switches with o-rings which I've tested and are even quieter.
  - nobleach 7y ago
    I have the WASD Code with Cherry MX Clears. And while it is a bit quieter, I find it not as satisfying. The keys feel pretty springy, and there's not much feedback. So that satisfying "click" of Greens, Browns and Blues, really is more my cup of tea. I did enjoy it originally though... so your mileage will vary.
Havoc 7y ago
So if I had to buy something off amazon, what would I be searching for? (Gamer & programmer, preference quiet keys)
- ryanmcbride 7y ago
  I recently bought a Vortex Pok3r off amazon, with the MX Silver switches. Relatively quiet 60% keyboard that I'd definitely recommend. I've used a Pok3r with MX Blue switches for years but wanted to get something quieter for work.
- PascLeRasc 7y ago
  If you want to buy one right this second, get the Vortex Race 3 with Clears. They sound and feel fantastic, and the aluminum case with the DSA PBT keycaps makes for a great build quality overall. If you want to spend some time deciding, we should go over what kind of keyswitch and what kind of layout you want. This [1] is a pretty good overview of the different kinds of layouts (60%, tenkeyless, fullsize) and linear vs tactile switches. You can listen to sound tests for any switch on youtube to get a better idea for how quiet it'll be. I personally use a Poker 2 with brown switches for 90% programming/10% CS:GO, and I love it. [1] https://kotaku.com/how-to-pick-the-right-mechanical-keyboard-1822737458 https://kotaku.com/how-to-pick-the-right-mechanical-keyboard...
  - Havoc 7y ago
    Well that's 2x vortex recommends. Bit more than I'd usually spend on a keyboard though... Size aside do the tenkeyless have any other advantage?
    - PascLeRasc 7y ago
      For me, tenkeyless allows me to keep my mouse much closer to my keyboard which is significantly more comfortable. It's somewhat common to have long-term shoulder injury from using a fullsize keyboard and mouse intensively, like for gaming: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/a5ques/has_anyone_else_had_one_rolled_shoulder_from/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/a5ques/has_anyone_...
- toxican 7y ago
  Okay so two things cause the sound of the mechanical keyboard. The switch itself, and the bottom of the key hitting the are beneath the keys (called bottoming out, I believe). You can buy rubber rings that quiet out the bottoming out issue, but as for the switch sounds, red or black cherrymx switches are quietest. If you want to cheaply try out mechanical keyboarding, I'd recommend the brand Redragon on Amazon. They've got a few options and they're in the $25-$50 range. I've had my K552 for almost two years now and I don't have any complaints. I program and game on it daily.
- dasKrokodil 7y ago
  Kinesis Edge
nickjj 7y ago
Exactly. And now 6+ hours and hundreds of comments later I went through the comments and I still haven't seen anyone post a single mechanical keyboard that matches my requirements at any price point. It's just dozens of posts about needing to be a keyboard surgeon and assembling a selection of carefully picked pieces without any end to end guides. For the most part I just want to plug it in, have it feel good and write code. Your $150 recommendation from below almost fits the bill but it looks like a super condensed keyboard with a non-standard layout that's missing a bunch of extra keys, and I can't find any concrete proof of what it sounds like on video. It also has a lower average star review than the Amazon Basics keyboard (but I wouldn't put much weight into that).
- jacobolus 7y ago
  It’s not my personal cup of tea, but one keyboard that should meet your requirements (and is a whole lot nicer to type on than the Amazon keyboard, assuming you are willing to pay a lot more) is the Topre Realforce, http://www.realforce.co.jp/en/products/R2SA-US4-IV/index.html http://www.realforce.co.jp/en/products/R2SA-US4-IV/index.htm... https://amzn.com/B07K9CH5WS https://amzn.com/B07K9CH5WS
  - nickjj 7y ago
    At a glance all I see is that it's missing a bunch of media keys and is $350 instead of $15. But ignoring price, what improvements will I see vs my existing keyboard? At a non-competitive level, the human level is likely dictating how many WPM I can type. At 80 WPM, upgrading to this keyboard won't turn me into a 120 WPM typist. Maybe I'll gain a few WPM but that's not the bottleneck for delivering code on time. Also how is your recommended keyboard different than a run of a mill $50 mechanical keyboard that I've tried in the past?
    - PascLeRasc 7y ago
      I used to live with a roommate who listened to music at 2x speed. He said it was more efficient since he could hear more music in the same amount of time. A lot of these comments remind me of that mentality - mechanical keyboards are basically just a toy for typists or a piece of nice industrial design. It's something to enjoy, there's not much more to read into it.

mixmastamyk 7y ago

I have the wasd keyboard with red switches and thin o-rings and it is quiet, quieter than my mouse buttons.

Root_Denied 7y ago
Also using a WASD keyboard (Code) with brown switches and o-rings. It's clicky, but not terribly so. Next one will be clear switches with o-rings which I've tested and are even quieter.
- nobleach 7y ago
  I have the WASD Code with Cherry MX Clears. And while it is a bit quieter, I find it not as satisfying. The keys feel pretty springy, and there's not much feedback. So that satisfying "click" of Greens, Browns and Blues, really is more my cup of tea. I did enjoy it originally though... so your mileage will vary.

Havoc 7y ago

So if I had to buy something off amazon, what would I be searching for? (Gamer & programmer, preference quiet keys)

ryanmcbride 7y ago
I recently bought a Vortex Pok3r off amazon, with the MX Silver switches. Relatively quiet 60% keyboard that I'd definitely recommend. I've used a Pok3r with MX Blue switches for years but wanted to get something quieter for work.
PascLeRasc 7y ago
If you want to buy one right this second, get the Vortex Race 3 with Clears. They sound and feel fantastic, and the aluminum case with the DSA PBT keycaps makes for a great build quality overall. If you want to spend some time deciding, we should go over what kind of keyswitch and what kind of layout you want. This [1] is a pretty good overview of the different kinds of layouts (60%, tenkeyless, fullsize) and linear vs tactile switches. You can listen to sound tests for any switch on youtube to get a better idea for how quiet it'll be. I personally use a Poker 2 with brown switches for 90% programming/10% CS:GO, and I love it. [1] https://kotaku.com/how-to-pick-the-right-mechanical-keyboard-1822737458 https://kotaku.com/how-to-pick-the-right-mechanical-keyboard...
- Havoc 7y ago
  Well that's 2x vortex recommends. Bit more than I'd usually spend on a keyboard though... Size aside do the tenkeyless have any other advantage?
  - PascLeRasc 7y ago
    For me, tenkeyless allows me to keep my mouse much closer to my keyboard which is significantly more comfortable. It's somewhat common to have long-term shoulder injury from using a fullsize keyboard and mouse intensively, like for gaming: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/a5ques/has_anyone_else_had_one_rolled_shoulder_from/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/a5ques/has_anyone_...
toxican 7y ago
Okay so two things cause the sound of the mechanical keyboard. The switch itself, and the bottom of the key hitting the are beneath the keys (called bottoming out, I believe). You can buy rubber rings that quiet out the bottoming out issue, but as for the switch sounds, red or black cherrymx switches are quietest. If you want to cheaply try out mechanical keyboarding, I'd recommend the brand Redragon on Amazon. They've got a few options and they're in the $25-$50 range. I've had my K552 for almost two years now and I don't have any complaints. I program and game on it daily.
dasKrokodil 7y ago
Kinesis Edge

nickjj 7y ago

Exactly. And now 6+ hours and hundreds of comments later I went through the comments and I still haven't seen anyone post a single mechanical keyboard that matches my requirements at any price point. It's just dozens of posts about needing to be a keyboard surgeon and assembling a selection of carefully picked pieces without any end to end guides. For the most part I just want to plug it in, have it feel good and write code. Your $150 recommendation from below almost fits the bill but it looks like a super condensed keyboard with a non-standard layout that's missing a bunch of extra keys, and I can't find any concrete proof of what it sounds like on video. It also has a lower average star review than the Amazon Basics keyboard (but I wouldn't put much weight into that).

jacobolus 7y ago
It’s not my personal cup of tea, but one keyboard that should meet your requirements (and is a whole lot nicer to type on than the Amazon keyboard, assuming you are willing to pay a lot more) is the Topre Realforce, http://www.realforce.co.jp/en/products/R2SA-US4-IV/index.html http://www.realforce.co.jp/en/products/R2SA-US4-IV/index.htm... https://amzn.com/B07K9CH5WS https://amzn.com/B07K9CH5WS
- nickjj 7y ago
  At a glance all I see is that it's missing a bunch of media keys and is $350 instead of $15. But ignoring price, what improvements will I see vs my existing keyboard? At a non-competitive level, the human level is likely dictating how many WPM I can type. At 80 WPM, upgrading to this keyboard won't turn me into a 120 WPM typist. Maybe I'll gain a few WPM but that's not the bottleneck for delivering code on time. Also how is your recommended keyboard different than a run of a mill $50 mechanical keyboard that I've tried in the past?
  - PascLeRasc 7y ago
    I used to live with a roommate who listened to music at 2x speed. He said it was more efficient since he could hear more music in the same amount of time. A lot of these comments remind me of that mentality - mechanical keyboards are basically just a toy for typists or a piece of nice industrial design. It's something to enjoy, there's not much more to read into it.