The best keyboards: Ergonomic and productive home office options – PC World

Whether youre looking for a keyboard with every feature under the sun, ergonomics to cure wrist pain or something to use for work and play theres a keyboard for everyone

The keyboard of a computing setup is one of the essential components. It is the primary input method for every word you type, but millions of us just use whichever one is lying around or the one thats built into the base of the laptop we could afford.

More thought can and should be put into which keyboard youre using because theres a dizzying range of options. If you dont want to be bent over your laptop as you work from home, then you can elevate it to head height and attach an external keyboard.

If you use a desktop computer already you may think that the keyboard you have is perfectly adequate. But how fast can you type on it, and do you get wrist pain after a long working day? Does it have a number pad and media controls? Do the wires annoy you?

Well be the first to admit that there are far too many keyboards out there but there really is one for everyone and were firm believers that most people wont appreciate how much positive difference a change in keyboard can make to your comfort and productivity.

Here are our picks of the five best keyboards you can buy to improve your work, play, and comfort.

Buy it via Amazon or the Logitech website.

$229.95 / NZ$249.99

It aint cheap but its one of the best wireless keyboards available right now. The design of the keys means they have a decent amount of travel and a satisfying feedback. Each key also has a spherical indent to match your fingertips. Bear in mind its quite flat, and theres no tilt adjustment.

The unit is incredibly solid with its metal frame and its comfortable to type at for hours despite not having an ergonomic shape. We love the proximity sensor that lights the keys up when your hands approach them, and the board can be used with Windows or Mac thanks to its flexible key layout and labelling.

But its the software trickery thats the secret trick of the MX Keys. When paired with the MX Master 3 mouse, you can astoundingly move the cursor from a PC to a Mac. It works very well, and you can even click and drag items from one OS to another.

Buy it via Amazon or the Microsoft Store.

$99.95 / NZ$109.95

This Microsoft ergonomic wired keyboard will help with wrist pain in a design that could offset injury but might disrupt your typing flow at first as you relearn the spacing. The split keyboard is at a good angle and distance, and after a bit of relearning you should be typing up to speed.

The included palm rest is a god send combined with your newly tilted wrists you should hopefully experience less wrist fatigue after typing all day. Its tilt adjustable and despite not being a mechanical keyboard offers a great combination of key travel and comfort in a board thats not too loud.

Its USB-A so if you have a modern laptop with fewer ports you might need to buy a USB-C adapter. There are also handy Windows shortcut keys for Office, emojis and even screen grab tools. You can customise these keys and features with Microsofts Mouse and Keyboard Center app.

If youre strapped for cash then the incredibly good value Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 is only thirty bucks but lacks the ergonomic design.

Buy it via Amazon or Apple.

$149 / NZ$149

If youre a Mac user and still have an older keyboard or you want to connect your MacBook up to a monitor, then Apple offers its wireless Magic Keyboard if you want to keep things first-party. Its a divisive keyboard, but we like it for its sleek design, simplicity, and good typing feel.

Its divisive because the travel of the keys a long way from the satisfying thunk of a mechanical keyboard but if you prefer low travel and dont mind a clicky sound then youll be able to get up to a decent typing speed. It has all the media and macOS control keys you get on a Mac, charges via the included Lightning cable and lasts at least a month of use on a charge when used wirelessly, if not more.

A longer version with a numeric keypad costs an additional $30 but we prefer the smaller version for its compact design and the ability to chuck it in unnoticed in a bag if you hot desk.

Buy it via Amazon or Mwave.

$249 / NZ$289

Things can get intimidating and complicated if youre after a mechanical keyboard, so put simply: the best mechanical keyboard weve used is the Corsair K70 MK2. If you dont mind the gaming aesthetic, or indeed are after a keyboard for work and play, then this is the one wed recommend. Its low 29mm profile is excellent when combined with the included detachable palm rest.

Paired with the choice of quieter Cherry MX Silent keys (others are available so check before you buy), the K70 has a lovely feel to it with long travel but relatively muted feedback for a mechanical. If you hate hyping on clicky keys with low travel and like to feel each word as you type, then its a great fit.

After hours its also a gaming keyboard with included different texture keys and highly customisable RGB lighting, plus two USB-A plugs for input and passthrough. Youre paying a premium for all those extras though. If you want to pay less, then you can shop around for something else that uses the Cherry MX Silent keys.

A much cheaper alternative is Kogans Full RGB mechanical keyboard with a choice of three switch types.

Buy it via the Razer Store or Amazon.

$169.95 / NZ$179.95

Another mechanical alternative is this work-focused wired keyboard from Razer so doesnt have RGB lighting. It is suitable for gaming, but in a subtler, smaller, and cheaper package than the Corsair.

Its Razer Orange switches good if you prefer a louder, clackier sound but it comes with O-ring for you to individually dampen key sound if you want though taking each key off with a tool and adding a ring is a bit of a chore.

We found we could get up to a decent speed on the BlackWidow and its a particularly good looking keyboard though it has quite a high profile so you may need to get a wrist rest.

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The best keyboards: Ergonomic and productive home office options - PC World