Best mechanical keyboard under 100 USD

[EL02]

I just want whichever offers the best typing experience.

[saintlouisbagels]

17 minutes ago, EL02 said:

I just want whichever offers the best typing experience.

There is no best experience.

Your question is lacking in so much common sense information that it almost feels like you’re trolling.

 

What country are you in? Do you have preferred retailers?

 

What is the use case? Are you a gamer and you need macros? Are you an accountant and you must have a NumPad? Are you a minimalist and must have Bluetooth or an RF dongle?

 

Are you in a shared living space or a cubicle and silence is absolutely necessary? Do you love the rhythmic sound of typing and want something satisfyingly loud and thocky?

[Hinjima]

8 minutes ago, EL02 said:

I just want whichever offers the best typing experience.

There are hundreds of different switches. Its all down to personal preference.

I use Cherry mx Red switches and they do the trick for me.

[Birblover12]

1 hour ago, EL02 said:

I just want whichever offers the best typing experience.

Your definition of "best" is probably far different then every other person on this forum's version of "best". Someone might think the pre-included 2 euro plastic mess that they got with their PC 15 years ago is "the best" but you probably don't think that's the case. There's so many questions that need answering, like:

 

- Do you want RGB, a normal white backlight, or none at all?

- Do you know whether you like clicky, silent, etc. switches?

- Do you have a certain "color" of keycaps/keyboard you want?

- Do you need it for windows, or mac? (Can actually matter in certain cases).

- Do you want to upgrade it down the line? (I.E change switches, keycaps, etc.)

 

Once you've given us more info then we can help you better

[Alex Atkin UK]

2 hours ago, Hinjima said:

There are hundreds of different switches. Its all down to personal preference.

I use Cherry mx Red switches and they do the trick for me.

Indeed.  I've had three keyboards with "blue" switches, none of them Cherry due to cost and each one is completely different.

[GarlicDeliverySystem]

7 hours ago, EL02 said:

I just want whichever offers the best typing experience.

This is governed to a large extend by external requirements and personal preference. Do you need a numpad? Macros? ANSI or ISO?

 

Clicky? Tactile? Linear? Low-profile, ergonomic?

 

Otherwise, get a Keychron, Luminkey, Rainy, Nuphy, Monsgeek... etc.

[atarione]

For you I would suggest trying a few different switch types (clicky, tactile, linear) and see what feels best, before proceeding as this is a very subjective and personal thing.    As the rest of this post will sort of demonstrate, as I apparently have become some sort of mech Keyboard boomer, only liking my nearly decade old keyboard.

 

 

For myself having messed around with some of the newer boards out their, I have concluded the best for myself is a TKL board (in my case Filco MT2 TKL w/ mx-reds and pbt double shot key caps).   I have used this keyboard nearly exclusively since 2015 and  have always come right back to it if I try something else.

 

The build is pretty bomb proof everything on mine is still great after 9~yrs of constant daily use.   

 

The current MT3 version comes with multimedia keys and pbt key caps (rather than the pad print abominations that plagued the mt2) it is listed at $130~ on MechanicalKeyboards.   

 

I personally don't like any form factor smaller than TKL, I get irritated having to use function layers pretty quickly.     I am also pleased that my filco (and current models) are built in Taiwan.   I would say the the Costar stabilizers on the Filco are a bit of a pain to deal with... but once key caps are installed they work very well.  

 

Now I am 1000% sure people will disagree and that is absolutely fine, but what a lot of these newer hs boards /rgb /etc etc.  stuff lacks is the manufacturing excellence of the filco.    For someone that doesn't care about RGB, MM keys (in my case but not the MT3) ..etc A solidly prebuilt is probably going to provide the best experience in my view. 

 

For being heavily used for 9~ yrs this thing is still looking and working excellent.. my aftermarket (bought at same time as keybaord) Vortex PBT key caps have a bit of shine on a few keys however at this point...  But I have and still do enjoy this keyboard and mostly have just decided this is my keyboard forever basically at this point. after spending money on few other keyboards that I basically do not like as much, last year.     

 

Not at all the cheapest option, but if you want something you can type and type on for years and years... without any problems then The Filco is going to provide that.   I have made a mod pig tail cable to avoid having to crawl under my desk to disconnect this keyboard.