Mechanical keyboards have been the leading trend in gaming and typing for years now, with no sign of the trend slowing down. These keyboards are typically favored for their fast response, tactile feedback, and ease of cleaning. They’re also much more customizable than other options, with keys being easy to remove and replace to let you hone your keyboard to your perfect use.
Unfortunately, mechanical keyboards also have the reputation of being expensive. That’s because when they were new, they generally were pricier than membrane keyboards, but the prices have shifted over the years. If you’re a gamer on a budget, you’ll love this list of the best mechanical keyboards for less than $60.
Redragon K636 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Great for every level of play
Redragon is one of the most well-known brands when it comes to excellent budget peripherals. The K636 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is a strong choice for a 94-key gaming keyboard that saves space and presents a phenomenal typing experience.
Redragon is a name that appears frequently when budget peripherals are being discussed. In fact, you should expect to see them a few more times on this list - and really, on any list that’s bringing budget peripheral options together. Their mouse and keyboard options are stellar on a budget, and this keyboard is easily one of their best offerings.
The K636 is a tenkeyless design, meaning you won’t have anything to the right of your arrow keys. Since the Numpad isn’t used often, there’s no reason to have it on most gaming keyboards beyond personal preference. Additionally, this keyboard is fully programmable and ideal for smaller setups. The redswitches are responsivewithout having the loud, sometimes obnoxious click that certain switches can have.
Redragon K633 60% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
As compact as keyboards can be
The Redragon K633 60% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is the perfect mechanical keyboard for anyone looking for something that won’t take up much real estate. With a compact 68-key layout and hot-swappable red switches, this is one of the most customizable options available.
Redragon’s K633 60% mechanicalgaming keyboardis another stellar option - but what the heck does 60% of a keyboard even mean? Believe it or not, it’s an accurate description of how many keys you’ll have compared to a “full-sized” keyboard. Rather than tenkeyless, this keyboard only has 68 keys.
And for a gaming keyboard, that’s perfect. How often do you use print screen and the function keys in the middle of a ranked match, anyway? This is the perfect mechanical keyboard for optimizing your gaming space or for easy travel. Aside from its compact form factor, the fully programmable keys and swappable red switches make it one of the most customizable options.
RisoPhy Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Back to classics
The RisoPhy Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is a good choice for people looking for a “full” 104-key keyboard. The blue switches give you a clicky, feedback-friendly typing experience, while the LED backlighting provides some great flair.
With gaming keyboards, you’ll see a lot of models that remove keys. Tenkeyless, 60%, 75% - and that’s great for gaming. But what if typing is your hobby, or you have a need for the function row and numpad for certain activities? Not having a numpad can make it difficult to type special or accented characters, for example.
If you’re looking for a full keyboard, we recommend the RisoPhy mechanical keyboard. It’s simple and to the point without many bells and whistles, but with a full-sized keyboard, that’s ideal. The LED backlighting is complemented by the blue clicky switches, which provide great tactile feedback while typing.
MageGee Typewriter Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
For people looking for an old-school flair
MageGee’s Typewriter keyboard is great for a fully functional novelty keyboard, but it’s more than just a talking point. While this keyboard isn’t excellent for gaming, the typewriter-style keys, LED-backlit modes, and blue switches make it great for general use.
Looking for a keyboard that can highlight personality and uniqueness while you’re typing? MageGee’s 104-key full-sized keyboard is remarkably unique among the mechanical keyboards on the market. With typewriter-style keys, there aren’t many budget keyboards that match this one-of-a-kind keyboard.
The “typewriter” also comes with multiple LED backlighting modes. While this is a great keyboard, especially at its price, it isn’t one we would suggest for gaming due to the unique structure of the keys. It’s a bit harder to hit your hotkey rotation on a typewriter than a standard keyboard. That said, Twitch is full of people beating Dark Souls with bananas and Dance Dance Revolution dance mats, so don’t let that stop you.
Redragon K629 75% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Compact, but not tiny
Redragon’s K629 is a great RGB keyboard for people looking a more compact keyboard. As a 75% keyboard, it’s down to an 84-key layout with classic red switches.
If you’re looking for a no-nonsense, simple keyboard that can save some room, the Redragon K629 is the perfect choice. This 75% keyboard has an 84-key layout and classic red switches. It’s affordable, it’s compact, and it’s stylish with a few RGB features. That’s all there really is to say about it, but if you’re looking for a keyboard that doesn’t have features you won’t bother with, this is the ideal choice.
MageGee 75% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Cool blue-and-white, compact, great lighting
MageGee’s 75% keyboard comes with 87 keys and blue LED backlighting. It’s a great choice for a splash of color to your gaming space, especially if you want a more compact typing experience.
Almost every keyboard nowadays is sleek black with no colors or faint red tint somewhere. Most of them make up for this by tossing in some RGB features that flash and make the keyboard appear more colorful. What if you want a mechanical keyboard with a bit more color to it?
The cool coloration of the MageGee 75% Keyboard brings a white and blue aesthetic to your desk. With amatching desk mat, it’ll be one of the shining peripherals in your setup. With an 87-key design, it’s more compact than many of its competitors, bringing blue LED backlights to the show.
FAQ
What Do Different Switch Colors Mean?
You should always look at what the manufacturer means, as the colors can sometimes vary depending on who’s producing them. Typically, green and blue are the clickiest switches. Red and white are popular “tactile"linear choices.
Are Mechanical Keyboards Superior To Other Options?
That’s purely a question of personal taste. Some people prefer mechanical keyboards for the high actuation and strong feedback they give. Others prefer membrane keyboards for a variety of reasons. Try both and see which you prefer.
Can I Use A Mechanical Keyboard For Gaming?
Certainly! Mechanical keyboards are arguably more popular in the gaming sector than in other hobbies.
