Keyboards
A review of the keyboards, frames, and switches I've tried.
Overiew
A list of the keyboards I've tried.
A list of the switches I've tried.
- Razer green
- Cherry MX blue
- Cherry MX brown
- Cherry MX clear
- Kailh box white
- Kailh box jade
- Gateron Blue
- Gateron Brown
- Invyr holy panda
- Glorious panda
- Boba U4T*
- Durrock mamba linear*
Keyboard (frame) reviews
Razer Blackwidow X
The Razer was the first mechanical keyboard I purchased and it's a solid option. The Razer green switches are an improvement over Cherry MX blues in feel, sound, and longevity. They keyboard has excellent RGB and Razer's app is excellent, one of the best I've used for controlling RGB devices. This is a non-modular (standard) keyboard, so the switches and cable can't be replaced, upgraded, or modded.
There's not much else to say about this keyboard. Razer products are more expensive than equivalent products from other brands but the Blackwidow is a solid option.
CODE Keyboard
CODE keyboards are designed for programmers (hence the name). They're configurable at purchase time, but are non-modular and not upgradable or moddable once shipped. They come in the standard choice of sizes and there are a few options of Cherry MX switches available but overall I found the choices lacking and limiting.
The build quality of Code keyboards is not very good, but they are relatively cheap for "customizable" mechanical keyboards. They have a white backlight with no RGB support. Overall I would only recommend CODE keyboards to someone looking for a bare-bones mechanical keyboard on a budget.
Glorious GMMK 1
The GMMK 1 was my first ever foray into "enthusiast" keyboards and as I've purchased 3 of them I have nothing but good things to say about them. They come in 2 colors, black and white, the standard variety of sizes, offer a huge range of switches, and have a few options for key caps as well. GMMK keyboards are modular so the switches can be removed, exchanged, and modded after the keyboard has been assembled. It's worth noting though that if you get a custom configuration you have to assemble the keyboard yourself.
The build quality of the GMMK is excellent, far better than the previous keyboards, but you're also paying more and assembling the keyboard yourself (unless you really like Cherry brown switches). The RGB on the keyboards is also far better than the previous keyboards although the Glorious Core software is some of the worst I've used.
This is the keyboard I recommend to people who want a good mechanical keyboard but aren't enthusiasts. The modularity means that if you want to change switches or key caps in the future you don't have to buy a whole new keyboard, you can just replace the parts you want, but if you don't want to mess with it past building you don't have to.
Glorious GMMK Pro
A true enthusiast quality keyboard, the GMMK pro is in some ways the best keyboard I've used, but still leaves some things to be desired. For one thing, it only comes in 75% configurations, there is no choice of size, and I prefer a tenkeyless layout. However, everything else about this keyboard is incredible.
The review of the GMMK 1 basically applies here, the keyboard is modular, has a wide variety of options of switches and key caps, the build quality is top-notch, the RGB is fantastic, and Glorious Core still sucks.
Where this board differs from the GMMK 1 is in the frame which IMO is a lateral move from the 1 (I don't prefer either over the other) and the new option to customize the backplate to achieve your desired sound profile. The pro also has a volume knob built in which I haven't used once.
Summary
Overall the only keyboard here I wouldn't recommend is the Razer. While in some ways its an improvement over other keyboards, the price is prohibitive for recommending it. The CODE keyboards are acceptable, budget level mechanical keyboards if you don't care about RGB or build quality. The GMMK 1 is my recommendation for anyone who wants a good keyboard and doesn't care about price, while the GMMK Pro is my recommendation for enthusiasts who don't mind the 75% profile.
Switch reviews
Cherry MX
Cherry switches are only getting a single review and that review is:
Cherry switches suck, buy something else.
Gateron
Gateron switches also only get a single review. Gateron switches are a straight upgrade over Cherry switches. While Gateron has some enthusiast tier switches I haven't had the opportunity to use them. Gateron blues and browns are entry level switches which are fine, but I don't love them.
Kailh Box White
Kailh box whites are clicky switches similar to Gateron and Cherry MX blue switches. Box whites are a huge improvement over Gateron blues (and therefore Cherry blues). They're incredible clicky switches which feel and sound better than their Gateron counterparts. I recommend these if you want a "safe" clicky switch. However box whites are only my 2nd favorite clicky switch...
Kailh Box Jade
Hands down my favorite clicky switch, I absolutely love the box jades. But why did I call the box whites safe? Box jade switches have a higher actuation force (harder to press) but a lower travel distance (actuate sooner) than the box whites. While I love the feel of box jades and highly recommend them, the higher actuation force may put some people off.
Invyr Holy Panda
The Holy Pandas are my favorite switches I've ever used. They are tactile switches, meaning they have the same tactile bump of clicky switches, but are quieter, making them more appropriate for work or shared spaces.
While in general I prefer the satisfying click of clicky switches, and don't have to worry about the noise they cause, the Holy Pandas have the best feeling tactile bump of any switch I've used. That being said they're also very expensive at over a dollar per switch making them hard to recommend to non-enthusiasts.
I haven't talked about build quality or quality control until now because it hasn't been an issue. I've not had any problems with the quality of Cherry, Gateron, Kailh, or Razer switches. Unfortunately that ends here. It seems that Panda's quality control is very poor and I've had tens of Glorious Panda switches go bad on me. On a keyboard with only ~100 keys this is a 10% failure rate. I like the feel of the switches enough to put up with this, but most people won't be willing to replace a handful of switches every 3 months.
Glorious Panda
Glorious' collaboration with Panda(? I assume Panda is a brand of switch but I don't actually know) are inferior to the Holy Pandas in every way except that they're actually a reasonable price. Personally I don't like the feel of the Glorious Pandas enough to justify using them over Kailh box jades, and the Glorious Pandas have all the QC issues of the Holy Pandas to boot. I do not recommend these switches at all.
Summary
Choosing a keyboard is a combination of what feel, sound, and price you want. If you've never used a mechanical keyboard before, and are hesitant to try one out I recommend a CODE keyboard. They're cheap, and if you've only used membrane keyboards before the build quality will be what you're familiar with. From there the only question is what switches to get. I recommend either Cherry Blues if you're OK with a loud keyboard (they're really satisfying) or Cherry Browns if you need a quieter keyboard.
My general recommendation is the Glorious GMMK 1 (I haven't tried the 2, but I'd recommend it based on my experience with the 1) as it offers a lot more options albeit at a higher cost. My recommendation for switches is the Kailh box whites, not because of what I said about them being "safe" but because they're more readily available than box jades.
Addendum
Since I wrote this I've tried 1 more keyboard and 2 more switches. I purchased a used Glacier 80 that came with Durrock mamba linear switches in a plateless configuration and used that for a while. Eventually I purchased a hotswap PCB for the board and put in Boba U4Ts. The Glacier 80 blows the GMMK Pro out of the water, it's so much better its almost comical. Even with linear switches in it, which I don't care for, the Glacier 80 outperformed all the other boards. Additionally, the Boba U4Ts became my new favorite switch, beating out both the Holy pandas and the Glorious pandas. Turns out it's hard to beat a $500 keyboard. Only downside is they're discontinued and you have to find one second hand.