You don’t need to break the bank to get a powerful keyboard — here are my top 7 picks under $120, including mechanical and Hall Effect decks
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If you aren't well-versed with the vast and expansive world of keyboards, you might think that a good keyboard costs hundreds and hundreds of dollars — but that couldn't be further from the truth. While some keyboards from the likes of Cherry and Corsair can cost nearly $200, you don't need to spend more than $120 to get a decent deck. Trust me, it's my job to test the best keyboards, and I personally believe most humans don't need to break the bank for them.
Before diving into my top picks, I want you to ask yourself, "What do I need this keyboard for?" It could be for competitive gaming, hardcore productivity and typing, or a mix of both. You'd be surprised at how many sub-$120 keyboards exist, and just how outstanding they are (and they even put pricier ones to shame!).
After having tested over 80 different keyboards — mechanical, Hall Effect, optical, you name it — I was spoilt for choice picking the following keebs. The following keyboards are rated 4-stars or higher by yours truly. So what are you waiting for? Add them to your cart now!
Keychron has upgraded one of its best mechanical keyboards and added 8,000Hz polling and extensive RGB customization to the V1 8K. This deck is an absolute winner. Offering a lovely typing experience and sound profile, as well as great build quality, the V1 8K doesn’t give you much to complain about. Priced at just $74, it sets a new standard for budget mechanical decks.
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The Hexgears Immersion A3 TKL is a fantastic low-profile keyboard for productivity, thanks to the super silent Kailh linear switches. Its 1,000Hz polling rate is also well-suited to casual gaming, and its sturdy build and customizable RGB and TFT screen make it a joy to use.
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GravaStar has just three boards on offer, and the Mercury K1 Lite is one of them — and the cheapest of the lot. It boasts sturdy construction, fantastic typing and casual gaming performance and comes with user-friendly companion software.
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For modding enthusiasts who don’t want to spend hundreds on a keyboard, the Chilkey ND75 LP is a fantastic option. Alongside great customization capabilities, this low-profile keyboard is comfortable and it’s built like a tank. It offers a wonderful typing experience and comes with web-based software.
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The McHose X75 V2 is a fantastic productivity keyboard that also holds its own in casual gaming thanks to the responsive stock linear switches and 1,000Hz polling rate. It sports a retro design, comes with onboard dongle storage, packs intuitive companion software, and detects operating systems over Bluetooth.
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The Epomaker HE68 is a stellar budget gaming keyboard, offering premium gaming features like 8,000Hz polling, per-key and quad-actuation and more. It looks lovely with its minimalist design, and it’s great to type on too. For $59, the HE68 doesn’t give you much to complain about.
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The Epomaker HE65 Mag is an extremely powerful keyboard, especially for its size. Not only does it have per-key and quad-actuation, Rapid Trigger and Snap Tap like pricier keyboards, it also features 8,000Hz polling over a 2.4GHz wireless connection. The keyboard is easy to customize via its companion software, and as long as you don’t mind switch choice being limited, it’s well worth the money.
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Nikita is a Senior Writer on the Reviews team at Tom's Guide. She's a lifelong gaming and photography enthusiast, always on the lookout for the latest tech. Having worked as a Sub Editor and Writer for Canon EMEA, she has interviewed photographers from all over the world and working in different genres. When she’s not working, Nikita can usually be found sinking hours into RPGs on her PS5, flying a drone (she's a licensed drone pilot), at a concert, or watching F1. Her work has appeared in several publications including Motor Sport Magazine, NME, Marriott Bonvoy, The Independent, and Metro. You can follow her photography account on Instagram here.
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