Best custom mechanical keyboards to try in 2025
2025 has been packed with some seriously good keyboards, from new releases to round 2 runs of classics. So, before the year wraps up, I wanted to round up the ones that really stood out. Here’s my list of the best custom mechanical keyboards to try in 2025 (so far).
If you want to keep up with the latest keyboard releases, deep dives, and sound tests, feel free to stop by my Twitch or YouTube. I stream 3–5 times a week and cover a lot of keyboards. Oh, and I’ve been building boards for clients, companies, and the community for almost five years now in case you’re curious about my credentials. I really love hobbies and keyboards.
Before we Begin
I am going to set some expectations, there will be no variety of layouts for the sake of variety. I’m going to talk about the keyboards that I actually use and stuff that (hopefully) is available to pick up when reading this article. To stress, these are boards I have personally tested, built, and used. Not just ones I picked off a list. Some of these boards are not available anymore, but I wanted to talk about stuff I liked this year.
Full Disclosure and Affiliations
For clarity and transparency, this is not a paid article and none of these brands or companies have asked me to write this. However, there are some affiliate links included in this article to support content creation – your support is greatly appreciated.
Neo65 Core Plus
Best Value Pick
The Neo65 Core Plus from QwertyKeys is a no-brainer for me. I still think the Core series from them is their best line up yet sound wise. It’s also more of a timeless approach to a keeb design without it being overly simple. It’ll look good on a variety of different desks (maybe yours too!). If you’re into soldering, you have got to try this in the plateless configuration. This is by far one of the easiest to assemble boards on this list as well and has one of my favorite mounting systems, being gummy o-ring.
The older Neo60 core was originally dubbed as my best value pick from earlier this year but this now completely tops in. My one gripe of it being more of a “utilitarian” design is gone with this one and it now feels more refined than ever. It starts at $105 USD for the plateless variant and comes in at $125 with an aluminum plate.
It still offers a tri-mode hotswap PCB for an extra cost and lots of color options for you to choose from. QwertyKeys just continues to impress me with everything they’ve been putting on the table. I use to worry that this many releases would feel boring or like a slop, but these recent projects from them have been amazing for the most part!
EVOWORKS Evo80
Go To Recommendation
The Evo80 really surprised me this year. It’s a board that just feels good the moment you start typing on it. Made by Evoworks in collaboration with Qwertykeys and Neo Studio, it brings together great build quality, tri-mode connectivity, and a pretty darn clean design without it being overly boring. Although, I will admit compared to the other boards on this list, it is a more simple design than the rest.
The typing experience is where it really shines! The butterfly leaf-spring mount gives it this soft, fun feeling that you’ll appreciate immediately. It coming preassembled is also great and I feel like they did a really good job with this from the case styling to even the switch choices you can get in it. It’s straightforward to rebuild too in case you want to modify it more.
There are a few small quirks, like having to manually load the VIA JSON file or the power switch being tucked under Caps Lock, but none of that takes away from what this board gets right. The Evo80 feels premium, well thought out, and ready to go right out of the box. It’s become my go to recommendation for people who want an easy entry in the keyboard world.
Smoke65
The Smoke65 is a newer board currently in groupbuy at the time of this article. SENSY is the studio behind this one and they had done the Seal board prior to this. I was a bit unsure about the design when I saw the renders of this one. However, once I got it my tune changed. Now, it’s not a perfect design for me, but oh boy does this board sound and feel great. I built it with the 4mm plate and was absolutely blown away with how much I liked this thing. And that’s the reason it’s on this list, it just used a lot of fun materials like PEI in the actual design itself, which I hadn’t seen before.
It’s worth taking a look at if you want something more premium and a design that is a bit louder, in a good way.
Other Recommendations
Fuji65 v2
The Fuji 65 v2 is one of those boards that just could make some sense to pick up right now. It’s in stock, starting at roughly CAD $391.99 (about 280 USD) in Canada via Deskhero, and gives you that premium feel without the wait or the group-buy gamble. It’s an older board and the design is simple but still has some character. It’s an aluminum case that feels great in hand, with a fun PVD weight on the bottom. It has a certain charm with a tried and true top mount.
You’ll need to mod this one. A little bit of foam work can take it further if you want a deeper tone, but it’s all very light work. The whole board just feels reliable. Is it a better deal than my value pick this year being the Neo65 Core Plus? It’s not. But it’s for someone who wants a more than decent top mount board with its particular theme, it’s a decent pick up! Plus they always have deals running on them. It’s a fun recommendation that may fly under the radar.
Fragment TKL
This is another board you should really look out for. It’s a TKL with a rather unique mounting style that is a spin on gaskets and orings. I really hope this mounting style gets adopted in other boards and further refined. It also sports wooden and resin accents on the board, but it’s a subjective styling. It’s a fairly good price point and it may just be my first choice for TKL’s that have come out this year.
Watch my video on this and see it for yourself.
Osidian TKL V2
This one already passed but it truly is a definition of passion project in keyboards. The Osidian TKL V2 is a love letter to natural materials and it oozes luxury and love (and they are Canadian!). I had always loved the V1 of this project and when I got asked to take a look at the updated version, I was more than happy too. I ended up looking at the Lemurian Blue Labradorite variant and my jaw dropped. This is not only a keyboard, it’s a work of art.
Alright enough of me yapping about how good this thing looks, because it sounded and felt great. Obsidian killed it with this kit. You can watch my whole video about it here.
Enso-E
The One To Look Out For
The Enso-E is stunning. I really don’t have the vocabulary to express how beautiful and well thought out this board is. This is by far my favourite release of the year and something you need to keep an eye out. Clever is the designer here and is a designer you should follow, like right now. Don’t wait. This board is themed after a zen garden and incorporates that not only into the design language, but even some of the texture of the board. It has a rough texture like sand would be and uses fun smoke / clear plastic pieces to really frame the board. It also has great mounting style and even has an option for EC, which is amazing.
Follow this project here.
wrapping up
That wraps up my list of the best custom mechanical keyboards to try in 2025 (so far). There’s been a ton of variety this year, from approachable entry-level kits to high-end art pieces, and it feels like the scene keeps evolving in all the right ways.
I am very grateful for the sheer amount of good designs this year. I have to give credit to the designers, I feel like boards this year have been so fine tuned and well thought out. It’s an amazing year for boards despite everything else going on in the world.
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to try a custom keyboard, this year’s lineup gives you more great options than ever.
Appreciate you all for reading! I’d love to hear what boards have stood out to you so far this year in my streams and in Discord!
Until next time. 👋