After 3 Years Of Using Mechanical Keyboards, I Know What I Want In My Dream Keyboard

Key Takeaways

My dream mechanical keyboard wishlist starts with a wireless, TKL, hot-swappable, and gasket-mounted keyboard.
I’m also looking for an aluminum case, plenty of foam inserts, and tactile switches.
South-facing LEDs and side-printed XDA keycaps will round off my preferences.

They say “once you go clack, you never go back,” and I wholeheartedly agree. Once you’ve tried mechanical keyboards after years of using membrane ones, there’s no chance you’re switching back to something else. But, I feel the saying “once you go thock, you never go back” is equally true. It might not rhyme as well, but it’s more accurate about the behavior of keyboard enthusiasts who’ve tried “thocky,” fuller-sounding, and comparatively silent keyboards.

After over 3 years of using mechanical keyboards of various brands and types, I’m finally confident that I know what I really want in my dream mechanical keyboard. It’s simply a list of the features that I prioritize and would not like to compromise on, if possible. And this is certainly not any definitive list of what the “perfect” mechanical keyboard should be for everyone — there’s no such thing. And, forgive me if this offends anyone: I’d really like it to be a pre-built keyboard.

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Mechanical keyboards are popular for a reason

The factors at the core of my ideal keyboard experience

The great thing about mechanical keyboards is that, no matter your preferences, there’s probably a keyboard that fits your criteria. I have to say “probably” because after dabbling in this hobby for a while, you’re likely to turn up your nose at every single pre-built board out there for “not being good enough.” That’s just the natural progression for many users. Personally, I haven’t reached that stage yet, and still feel that buying pre-built is better than building one yourself.

Based on my relatively limited experience and know-how of the market, I think I can find most, if not all, of my ideal features in an affordable pre-built mechanical keyboard. Here’s the list of what I would want my dream keyboard to have:

1 Wireless connectivity: Both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz

I’ve used wired keyboards a lot, even before I became part of the mechanical keyboard craze. But, switching to wireless boards made me realize what I was missing. In addition to contributing to a less-cluttered and better-looking desk, I can use the same keyboard with my laptop and iPad without worrying about cables (if it supports Bluetooth as well). The battery life on wireless keebs these days is plenty to last you a month if you don’t go too heavy on the RGB lighting.

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2 TKL form factor

I know that 75% keyboards are quickly capturing the hobbyist mechanical keyboard space, but I still prefer the trusty ol’ TKL layout. It has all the dedicated keys I need in a relatively compact size. Plus, I prefer the position of my hands when using a TKL as compared to a 75% board. I even prefer it visually over the more compact 75% style. Moreover, it gives manufacturers more room to play around with their designs, leading to more options for me to choose from.

A Lemokey L3 stood up in front of a brick wall and a vase

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3 Hot-swappable PCB

This is something I want just to feel that I’m not locked into on the keyboard I’m buying. I need to have the option to change my switches and easily make other simple mods if I feel like it. I might prefer tactile switches now, but I might want to switch to some smooth linears down the line. Maybe I would even want to try out clicky switches (I sure hope not). Having a hot-swappable PCB gives me that freedom. Also, needless to say, I could then easily swap out a switch if it goes bad.

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4 Gasket mount

EPOMAKER TH80-X Gasket Mechanical Keyboard next to plant and books

Source: Epomaker

Most mechanical keyboard users would agree that a gasket mount gives a softer, more comfortable typing experience to the keyboard. After using the Aula F87, I’ve found that the gasket-mounted construction really adds to the overall experience of the board. Since the plate of the keyboard isn’t in direct contact with other components, it results in a more pleasant typing feel and sound.

The Akko Santorini against a wooden background with the keyboard at a 45 degree angle

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5 Lots of foam

It goes without saying — my dream keyboard has to have multiple layers of sound-dampening foam to result in that thocky sound we all like. Some keyboards use one or two layers of foam, like the Royal Kludge RK84, but that doesn’t go all the way. Having considerable sound-dampening material inside the keyboard is needed to avoid a hollow-sounding board with a harsh typing sound.

Angled view of the Keychron Q1 HE with RGB lighting peering through the bottom of the keys

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6 Aluminum case

All the mechanical keyboards I’ve used have had plastic cases, albeit strong and durable. But, I’m increasingly getting interested in trying out aluminum cases. They look premium and feel smooth, yes, but most importantly, they can provide a much deeper sound signature, which I prefer. Obviously, many plastic boards are pretty good at that too, but my overall preference is to go aluminum. Wooden cases can look premium as well, but they aren’t what I’m looking for in a keyboard, visually speaking.

Image showing 6 mechanical keyboards incluiding Monsgeek m1 with the black and yellow keycaps, ciy gas67 with transparent keycaps, nzxt function tkl keyboard, ajazz ak 820 pro in purple blue and white keycaps, skyloong sk68 and a rk 71 in the camp green color scheme.

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7 Tactile switches

The MX Mechanical tactile brown switches.

I’ve used red linear, brown tactile, and gray linear switches, and from what I can conclude, I prefer tactile switches all the way. The Graywood Linear switches that I’m currently using on the Aula F87 are by no means bad, but they lack the satisfying bump that was there on the brown switches of my RK84. I still have that board with me, so I could take out the browns and plug them into the F87 if I want to someday.

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8 South-facing customizable LEDs

The RGB light on behind the Gateron Jupiter switches on the Lemokey L3

PCBs on mechanical keyboards can have north or south-facing LEDs. North-facing LEDs are ideal for those who aren’t using Cherry profile keycaps and have regular top-facing legends on their keycaps. This way, the RGB backlight can shine through translucent keycaps, helping users see the legends in the dark. I prefer south-facing LEDs as I want the RGB lighting to better illuminate my choice of keycaps — side-printed, translucent legend keycaps.

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9 XDA profile, PBT, side-printed, gradient keycaps

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Side view of a keyboard showing side-printed keycaps with RGB lighting — Source: Pexels

That’s a mouthful. Coming to the keycaps, I’ve realized I find the look of the XDA keycaps the most (no bias toward my place of work). The rounded profile just looks so much better than, say, Cherry or OEM profiles. I haven’t used DSA, SA, or other profiles, but they’re not something I think I’d like more than XDA keycaps. Also, they need to be PBT (not ABS) and should have side legends that are translucent to let the south-facing LEDs shine through. Lastly, I prefer a gradient look on the top of the keycaps.

A set of keycaps for a mechanical keyboard

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10 White-themed design

A closeup on the Lemokey L3's knob and macros on the left of the keyboard

While I prefer a gradient design for the keycaps, I would want an overall white theme for the rest of the body. This is something that would go perfectly with the rest of my setup, which includes a white-themed PC and a white desk. It would also help to highlight the gradient color of the keycaps better. It would be a task in itself to keep it dust-free, but an acrylic keyboard cover and some regular maintenance should take care of that.

wooden desktop with a compact mechanical keyboard, wireless mouse, keyboard magazine and phone stand on top

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The sound, feel, and customizability of mechanical keyboards makes them the perfect tool for productivity or gaming.

I might have to build my dream keyboard myself

The more custom preferences you have, the lower your chance of finding something pre-built. While things like a gasket mount, hot-swappable PCB, and foam inserts aren’t uncommon at all, I still need to find something that combines all of those with an aluminum case, tactile switches, XDA side-printed keycaps, and a white-themed design.

If I’m unable to find every single one of my preferences in a pre-built keyboard, I might have to finally build a keyboard from scratch. I have an eye on some aluminum cases and hot-swappable PCBs, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find the components. But, I might still have to compromise with one or two of my ideal features. Here’s to hoping I find success in my quest to find my dream (pre-built) mechanical keyboard.