Best early keyboard deals for Amazon Prime Day

That depends on what you’re doing with it. If you have a laptop and you like typing on it, you’re good to go. But if you have a desktop, or you just don’t feel good typing for long periods of time on the keyboard you’re using now, it might be time for an upgrade. Most of the high-quality keyboards on the market are mechanical now, with big, chunky builds and long, loud key presses, because that seems to be what people prefer. But there are still slim, quiet boards available from companies like Logitech, Microsoft, and Apple.

Again, that comes down to what you want to do with it. There are broadly three kinds of switch: Linear (smooth from the top of the key press to the bottom), tactile (a small “bump” where the key press registers), and clicky (a loud “click” where the key press registers). These are generically color-coded to Red, Brown, and Blue switches, respectively, though that’s not universal — if you want to be sure, look for the linear, tactile, or clicky terms.

It’s all a matter of individual taste, but gamers tend to prefer linear switches, because they can be pressed and released quickly. Those who type for long stretches of time like tactile switches thanks to their finger feedback. And if you want even more feedback, along with a bit of noise, go witch a clicky switch. Just be aware that the noise might not be so well-received by other people in your home or office!

If you want to experiment with different kinds of switches without needing to buy multiple keyboards, get a board with hot-swap sockets. These let you pull out the switches and replace them with a different type. You can even mix and match the switches you put on a single board, if you have enough of them — Reds for WASD and Browns for the rest, for example.

Keyboards come in a shocking variety of layouts these days, from full-sized (with the number pad on the left) to 60%, which is just the main alphanumeric section between the two CTRL keys with the Function row cut off. Tenkeyless, or TKL, is a good middle ground that doesn’t shrink any keys but chops off the number pad, and 75% preserves the function row and arrow cluster by shrinking a few of the less-used keys.

60% is great for travel keyboards, or those who don’t have a lot of space. Full-size is almost a must if you do a lot of data entry, and rely on rapidly inputting long strings of numbers. Everything else is a balancing act between space and comfort. But keep in mind, the smaller you go, the more often you’ll need to use a function key modifier — a standard 60% keyboard doesn’t have arrows or a Delete key on the main later, for example. Smaller boards include a learning curve if you’re not used to them.

That depends on what’s important to you. If your keyboard sits in front of your desk and never moves, it’s probably not important. But if your keyboard is constantly on the go with you in a bag, or needs to connect to multiple devices over Bluetooth, wireless is the way to go. The latest boards can connect to three or four computers (or phones or tablets) easily, and last for months and months on a charge…as long as you take it easy with the backlighting.

There’s one exception: gaming. If you’re playing PC games with your keyboard, you want to use a wireless connection with low latency, and that means a dongle you plug in. Unlike some older wireless keyboards, and just like newer kinds of mice, modern wireless gaming boards have almost zero latency. That means you’ll never notice a gap between when you press a button and when your character reacts on screen. Just don’t use Bluetooth (even if it’s an option), as the high latency and crowded wireless bands can cause performance issues.

Most of the time, no, you don’t. You can play PC games on pretty much any keyboard. Gaming keyboards offer a few nice perks, though, including fast polling rates (so even less lag time between key press and on-screen action) and custom programming tools. They also tend to be flashier, with rainbow lights and exotic case materials…not that any of that will really make a difference to how you play.

Again, if you want a wireless keyboard that’s also good for gaming, look for a gaming-specific model that uses a dedicated wireless dongle and not Bluetooth.