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You deserve a good keyboard. You really do. Take it from someone who struggled with an awful keyboard for years.
Having the right keyboard can make a huge difference, not just to your productivity, but also comfort and even your health and longevity. And there's one bit of equipment that can make a massive difference, and that's the keyboard.
Here are a few top-notch productivity-boosting keyboards (not gaming -- that brings a whole raft of additional considerations into play) for those of you considering an upgrade. I've also picked a great all-rounder keyboard for all you left-handed people out there.
Also: Best gaming keyboard: All the hits and clicks
This is a solid, well-made, minimalistic keyboard that can last you a lifetime. Each key is equipped with a high-precision Cherry MX Brown switch, which is good for a whopping 50 million presses. Each key feels like a work of art.
The Das Keyboard Prime 13 also features beautiful LED back-lighting which makes typing in low-light a pleasure.
This feels less like a keyboard and more like a precision work of art.
This beautiful keyboard is one of the very best money can buy, and a keyboard that, if you look after is properly, will last a lifetime.
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Das Keyboard Prime 13 tech specs:
Microsoft makes great hardware, and the Microsoft Bluetooth Keyboard is no exception.
In a sea of cheap and nasty keyboards, this one stands out as being well made, reliable, and hard-wearing.
On top of a 2-year battery life, this keyboard features built-in shortcuts, including dedicated Office 365 functions, search, and Emoji keys, easy access to media controls, apps, screen snipping, calculator, volume, and more.
A cheap and cheerful Bluetooth keyboard that's packed with features and perfect for heavy-duty home and office use.
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Microsoft Bluetooth Keyboard tech specs:
This is a keyboard that's designed for people who have grown up on laptops. It has the look and feels of a high-quality laptop keyboard, from the key sizes, travel, and backlighting.
It's also great for people who want to have one keyboard for multiple devices. The Logitech MX Keys Advanced is multi-device and multi OS, compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android systems. Best of all, you can pair a single keyboard with three devices.
This wireless keyboard has a battery life of 10 days (or up-to 5 months with backlighting off) and is recharged using USB-C.
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Logitech MX Keys Advanced tech specs:
I'm right-handed, but statistically, some one-in-seven readers will be left-handed, and having to force yourself to fit into a world built for right-handers can be hard. So, why not grab yourself a keyboard made for people like you.
The DSI left-handed keyboard is built around the Cherry mechanical Red switch, each good for 20 million hits.
This is a wonderfully solid keyboard that's an absolute pleasure to use.
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DSI Left-Handed Keyboard with Cherry Mechanical Red Switch tech specs:
If you work primarily with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, then you'll know just how awful on-screen keyboards are for any sort of long-term sustained typing.
It doesn't have to be!
This Logitech keyboard offers you the ability to work with a physical keyboard when the need arises. Can't choose what device to use? This keyboard offers the ability to switch quickly between multiple devices.
A great space saver!
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Logitech K780 tech specs:
Multi-device wireless keyboard: beautiful type-on-everything keyboard for any computer, tablet and smartphone via USB or Bluetooth smart wireless connection
This is the best solution for Mac users. It's stylish, practical, and very robust. I suggest getting the version with the numeric keypad, but if you are short of desk space, you could go for the basic keyboard.
The keyboard uses Apple's scissor mechanism, giving each key a great feeling of solidity and great tactile feedback.
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Apple Magic Keyboard tech specs:
One of the most perfect Bluetooth keyboards ever made.
Beautiful to use, long-lasting battery, easy pairing with your Mac, and a convenient Touch ID pad for your fingerprint.
It's not cheap, but nothing Apple makes is cheap!
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Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID tech specs:
The best keyboard is the Das Keyboard Prime 13 because of its high quality build, simple design, and amazing feel.
Some considerations to bear in mind when choosing a keyboard:
If you are worried about this attack surface -- and I'm not -- then buy a wired keyboard.
Yes. There's something about a Cherry keyboard switch that's hard to explain. A preciseness. A positiveness. A very satisfying sound. They are awesome.
I've been using on-screen keyboards for years, and I'm still less efficient -- far less efficient -- using them compared to using a real keyboard. The single most important thing I can do to improve my efficiency when using a tablet or smartphone is to hook up a keyboard.