To collect this listing of Best keyboards for programming I requested many programmers and their opinion of excellent keyboards and which one they personally use for their PC or Laptop. A keyboard is the most important device for a programmer and it increases coding efficiency.
For a lot of programmers, having a good keyboard can significantly improve workflow. We have spent many hours creating this list
Spending countless hours typing requires a keyboard that’s comfortable to type on, switches that feel light and responsive, and features such as programmable keys. Some of our recommendations are primarily gaming keyboards, but as it turns out, gamers and programmers have very similar needs.
List of Best Keyboards for Programming
Microsoft Sculpt is a computer programming keyboard I highly recommend for work ergonomics. There is no question that this keyboard is designed for comfort. The keys have the same feel like a laptop keyboard as they’re not as tall. It’s quiet and quite comfortable with the ergonomic split in the middle.
You can work longer and more comfortably with this coding keyboard designed with advanced ergonomics. It gives proper support to your wrist and helps in positioning your fingers properly on the keyboard so that you can not have pain that usually happens on the normal keyboard.
I have been using this keyboard for a few months at the office and home. Typically 12 hours of use a day. I refuse to go back to a regular keyboard. This was very easy to adapt to. Very comfortable to type on. Soft yet clicky buttons and I can comfortably rest my hands on this. It’s so pleasant to use. I can say that this is one of the best wireless coding keyboards, so you don’t have to worry about tangles.
Here are few concerns with this keyboard which I want to focus on,
- Some user takes time to adapt this keyboard.
- No light to indicate the CapsLock is on.
- When I hold down shift and want to capitalize a letter, my hand has to stretch to reach the keys closer to the center.
Here, A Nice Demo Video by Microsoft Australia, Check it.
Razer is a popular brand name, with great customer support on their website. Razer BlackWidow Elite is an amazing keyboard at a great price, razer keyboards are known for their fast quality key switches.
Since its launch in 2010, the Razer Blackwidow series keyboard has undergone quite a few improvements. However, in essence, this keyboard is always aimed at being the perfect keyboard for coding and gaming. This keyboard is preferred by both programmers and gamers equally.
The Razer BlackWidow Elite seamlessly synchronizes with Razor hardware and delivers stunning game-play when connected to the Razer Chroma keyboard via the provided Philips Hue lamps. The weight of the keyboard is awesome, which means that it’s not gonna shift and move around after typing or playing a game.
Some pros and features which you might like:
- The weight of the keyboard is awesome, nice and heavy, aluminum frame construction, super nice.
- It supports up to 80 million clicks, made of the military-grade metal top plate
- The RGB is very bright, the presets are really nice as well and flow nicely also media control buttons are awesome.
- With Razer Hypershift, all keys and key shortcuts can be re-assigned for executing intricate commands.
- Ultimate Personalization & Gaming Immersion with Razer Chroma: Fully syncs with popular games, Razer hardware, Philips Hue, and gear from 30+ partners, supports 16.8 million colors on individually backlit keys.
- The actuation of the keys feels great.
- The foam is such a great addition, I didn’t expect to even use it but I started using the keyboard with it and now I feel like I can’t live without it.
Here, A nice review by Frank P, Check it.
According to my view, Anne Pro 2 is one of the best coding keyboards for programming which I have used. This 60% model takes very little space on your desk and leaves plenty of room for your mouse.
Its build quality is excellent, and even though it’s entirely made of plastic, it feels very solid and durable overall. It also has full RGB backlighting, so you can easily work in the dark. You can use it wired or wirelessly via Bluetooth. All of its keys are macro-programmable within the companion software, which gives you plenty of customization options and is compatible with both Windows and macOS
Unfortunately, its ergonomics are rather mediocre, due to the lack of a wrist rest and incline settings. Because of that, it could cause some fatigue during long typing sessions. It has a fairly limited amount of extra features and doesn’t have dedicated arrow keys, which could be a deal-breaker for some people. That said, this is an excellent compact keyboard with plenty of customization options to suit your preferences.
Some Pros of Anne Pro 2:
- Compact and Portable. It saves desk space and easy to carry around. Fits right in the backpack. Perfect for home, work, and on the go.
- Awesome stabilizers for spacebar and modifier keys.
- Excellent build quality and reliability.
- Decent Bluetooth connectivity enables wireless connection up to 4 devices and switches seamlessly back and forth.
- Wide variety of switch types available.
- The “Magic Fn” on the Caps Lock button makes it easier to utilize the F1-F12 keys while gaming.
- Full RGB lighting.
- Includes extra colorful keycaps and wire keycap puller.
Some Cons of Anne Pro 2:
- Not the brightest RGB.
- Minimal extra features in this price.
- Printed FN functions are hard to see on the black version.
Here, A nice review by Beattie, Check it.
If you are suffering from wrist pains frequently, then I highly recommend the Kinesis Advantage2. It is one of the best keyboards for programmers which comes with a unique design that incorporates various techniques to help you comfortably use the keyboard for long hours.
It also comes with detachable wrist rests for both halves, and you can buy a ‘Lift Kit’ separately if you want to adjust the incline settings. It has good build quality, with stable keys and keycaps that feel nice to the touch.
It has hotkeys for media control, and you can remap all of its keys, whether directly on the board or using the companion software. There are also a few dedicated macro keys on the side.
In Kinesis Advantage2, keys have been split into two and positioned in a contour on both sides of the keyboards. The CTRL, Enter, and Space are on the right cluster, and the Backspace, Delete and Alt buttons are on the left cluster. This unique design felt you comfortable and reduce your wrist and shoulder pain.
Some Pros of Kinesis Advantage2:
- Great ergonomic design and very comfortable to type with.
- Relieves wrist pain with comfortable palm mat.
- Great key response.
- Comes with extra keys for Mac (ex. alt option instead of Windows key)
- Onboard key remapping.
- Easy to clean (all keys can be removed easily with a little remover tool and cleaned)
Supports multiple layouts.
Some Cons of Kinesis Advantage2:
- Steep learning curve (takes at least a month to get used to it).
The aluminum construction, lightning-fast keycaps, and customizable cue wheel make this thing just an absolutely awesome keyboard for programmers. Corsair K100 RGB is a great keyboard for gamers and programmers.
This wired-only mechanical model feels very well-built, as it’s made of solid plastic with a metal top plate. It also has Doubleshot PBT keycaps that feel stable and nice to type on, and the ergonomics are good thanks to the padded wrist rest and adjustable incline setting.
Some Pros of Corsair K100 RGB:
- Excellent build quality.
- Customizable RGB backlighting.
- Smooth optical switches.
- Macro (G-key) stream deck integration.
- Fully remappable (except for the icue button on the top left).
- Excellent sounding stabilizers right out of the box.
- Double shot PBT keycaps.
- Good ergonomic features.
- Extremely low latency.
- Can save lighting effects, macros, and profiles directly to the keyboard.
Some Cons of Corsair K100 RGB:
- Switches provide no tactile feedback.
- Difficult to rest your hands on the keyboard due to the keys lack of resistance. Takes time to get used to.