Choosing a great keyboard is crucial to your programming productivity. Different developers have different criteria for what is "great" about their keyboard. Programmers often prefer mechanical keyboards with mechanical switches and other switch options.
Some developers prefere a particular sound from their keyboard. Other programmers value the tactile reponse, or the way the key springs back after they click it. One critical factor of your productivity will be the keyboard layout/size. In general, keyboard layouts/sizes range from full size with 100% of the possible keys to 80% (no keypad) to 65% (without function keys) to mini 60% keyboards.
What is the Best 65% Keyboard?
To recap (no pun intended), a 65% keyboard does not have a ten keypad or the function key row and the home/end/paging/arrow keys are compact along the right side. Here is an example.
Many factors go into determining the best 65% keyboard. You can see more details at the end of the article.
For now, here are my picks for best 65% keyboard.
1. HyperX Alloy Origins 65 - Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
The HyperX Alloy Origins 65 Mechanical Keyboard is an excellent compact keyboard that allows more room on your desk for your mouse and other devices you may need while programming. This excellent keyboard has an aluminum body casing and an RGB backlight. The best 65% mechanical keyboards offer a variety of color modes and lighting effects. The double shot PBT keycaps have function names printed on side of keys for easy secondary function. This secondary function eliminates the needs for a function row.
Technical Specs:
- Brand: HyperX
- Series: Alloy Origins 65
- Dimensions: 12.4" x 4.2" x 1.5"
- Color: Black
- Weight: 1.74 lbs.
- PBT keycaps: Yes
- Hot swappable: No
2. Keychron K6 Bluetooth 5.1 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard
The Keychron K6 Bluetooth 5.1 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard is a great option for those programmers who wish not to deal with extra wires on their desk. It is compatible with both Windows and MacOS, and features Gateron Blue Switch. These loud, clicky switches provide a satisfying sound and touch, but may annoy coworkers or family members if you program at home.
Technical Specs:
- Brand: Keychron
- Connection: Bluetooth
- Weight: 1.92 lbs.
- Switches: Gateron G Pro Blue Switch
- Battery Life: Up to 200 hours (backlight off)
- Hot swappable: No
3. RK ROYAL KLUDGE RK68 (RK855) Wired 65% Mechanical Keyboard
The RK ROYAL KLUDGE RK68 (RK855) Wired 65% Mechanical Keyboard is an incredibly comfortable keyboard due to it's smooth and light click sounds from it's use of red switches. If you prefer a different sound and feel, the keyboard features hot-swappable switches you can change to your liking. This level of customization allows you to experiment with different typing experiences to find what works best for you as a programmer.
Technical Specs:
- Brand: RK ROYAL KLUDGE
- Series: Alloy Origins 65
- Dimensions: 12.95" x 6.02" x 1.77"
- Color: White or Black
- Weight: 0.317 lbs.
- Hot swappable: Yes
4. FNATIC STREAK65 - Compact RGB 60 Gaming Mechanical Keyboard
The FNATIC STREAK65 - Compact RGB 60 Gaming Mechanical Keyboard features low profile switches that are lighting fast and quiet. Designed by Fnatic, one of the leaders is esports comptetivite gaming, this keyboard is sleek, ergonomic and completely customizable. This keyboard allows up to 4 profiles for custom keymaps and macros you can program to accelerate your development.
Technical Specs:
- Brand: Fnatic
- Series: STREAK65 US Layout
- Dimensions: 12.44" x 4.3" x 0.79-1.1"
- Color: Black
- Weight: 0.925 lbs.
5. Drop ALT Mechanical Keyboard — 65% (67 Key) Gaming Keyboard
The Drop ALT Mechanical Keyboard — 65% (67 Key) Gaming Keyboard comes in a variety of switch styles to suit your needs. With hot-swappable switches you can change them out or adjust the keycaps to your liking. Similar to others, this keyboard is fully programmable using QMK for those programmers who want to customize their keyboard's function.
Technical Specs:
- Brand: DROP
- Series: ALT Mechanical Keyboard
- Dimensions: 12.7" x 4.4" x 1.25"
- Color: Black
- Weight: 1.531 lbs.
Are 65% keyboards worth it?
Consider the following when choosing the best 65% mechanical keyboard.
If you're limited on desk space, the smaller form factor from a 65% mechanical keyboard is a benefit. Or if you need a portable keyboard to take with you as your travel, 65% mechanical keyboards may benefit you.
Some keyboards, especially mechanical keyboards, have bluetooth connection options. When deciding between two keyboards with bluetooth, consider which one has better battery life.
The best 65% mechanical keyboards will be those that fit your preferences of key feel, affordable price, and typing experience.
What are 65% mechanical keyboards?
Mechanical keyboards differ from other keyboards in how the the keys operate. Most keyboards have a bit of form underneath the keys that push the key switch back up. Mechanical keyboards use spring loaded switches to push the key back up against the fingers of the person typing. The spring is the "mechanism" that switches the key back into the up position, hence the name mechanical switches.
Popular switch options, include cherry mx switches (especially cherry mx red switches), gateron switches and outemu (brown) switches.
A 65% keyboard just means it has a 65% layout of keys (see above).
Mechanical keyboards often times allow the customer to make a custom keyboard by changing different switches or key caps. For example, custom keycaps for caps lock, shift key, Windows key, etc. can be swapped out. You can use your own switches if you have some you like better that what ships with the keyboard.
What are my switch options?
A lot of programmers prefer cherry mx switches for typing experience. The cherry mx switches feature a special cross design that attaches to the keycap for a more secure typing experience.
Different switches provide different levels of sound or "clickyness" often designated by a color. For example, blue switches will be louder than silver switches, etc. The level of nuance with switch options is beyond the scope of this article. There are many great online resources if you want to learn more.
If you're not sure which switches you want for your typing experience, consider buying a 65% keyboard that has a hot swappable feature. A hot swappable feature is where you can change the mechanical keyboard switch without having to solder them to the board.
Other considerations for a a 65% keyboard
Deciding on a 65% keyboard mainly centers around what keys can you live without. For programmers, we use a lot different keys to do lots of different things. So consider how you use your current keyboard. What are your essential keys that you can't live without?
Do you regularly use the navigation keys to move around your code editor? If so, a 65% keyboard is a great choice because it has dedicated arrow keys. The is in contrast to a 60% keyboard which does not and relies on the function (fn) key a lot.
Side note: I use a 60% keyboard for programming and can attest that the arrow keys are important keys. I will hopefully upgrade to a 65% keyboard soon!
Are there certain keys important for the software you use regularly? Delete keys are important if you use Microsoft Excel. From personal experience, I realized that the delete key erases contents of cells rather than the backspace key. Luckily a 65% keyboard has a delete key.
What's missing from a 65% keyboard?
Your 65% keyboard will not come with a ten key number pad. But you have modifier keys to help you get that functionality back.
Some programmers, regardless of which 65% keyboard they get, will choose to get a one handed mechanical keyboard pad. These devices have fully programmable keys. Having fully programmable keys on a special keypad can be a great compliment to your 65% keyboard.
Features to look for in a 65% keyboard
Your 65% keyboard should come with features to match your use case. For programmers, we like to program so programmable keys are something to look for.
Check to see if your keyboard comes with software to define a custom key mapping (or several). You can then rebind keys to operate differently on your 65% keyboard. For example, the caps lock is among programmable keys repurposed by developers.
Can you replace the keycaps on your 65% keyboard? Can you obtain replacement keycaps if you need them or want them. PBT keycaps are less plastic keycaps but have a unique feel that some programmers enjoy.
Mechanical Keyboard Connectivity
Determine your desired method to connect your keyboard to your machine. Some of the best 65% keyboard choices have a combination of wired and wireless connectivity. Often time, wireless connectivity is achieved using a bluetooth connection.
Some people prefer the aesthetics of having a wire cord with a color that matches their desk space. Others prefer wireless connectivity to avoid having additional clutter in their workspace.
As a programmer, consider a 65% keyboard with wireless connectivity using a bluetooth connection to keep your desk clear and provide additional space to put reference materials, etc.
Cherry MX Switches
Cherry mx switches are a very popular type of mechanical switches for 65% keyboards. Especially among programmers, the cherry profile keycaps provide a comfortable typing experience.
The cherry mx brown switch gives noticeable tactile feedback and is popular among gamers as well as programmers. Compared to cherry mx red switches which are less tactile but also less noisy, cherry mx brown switches are very bumpy and moderately noisy.
If you're uncertain, go with cherry mx switches as they are popular and readily available. You can find a wide variety of cherry mx switch options by doing a quick google search.
You can find more information on cherry mx switches at https://www.cherrymx.de/en.