Top 5 Mechanical Keyboards For The Holidays - 2024
Welcome to the winter / holiday top five article for mechanical keyboards. There has been an insane amount of amazing keyboards released since the last time I wrote this kind of article. This is going to answer a lot of questions for whats good this season, as well as some mechanical keyboard holiday gift suggestions.
For context, I have been building keyboards for myself, companies and clients for nearly 4 years now. I live stream 3 – 5 times a week and do lots of in depth dives on boards.
Before we begin
Let’s 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.
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.
Neo 75cu
Neo did it again and made another easy suggestion for anyone wanted a 75% board. It sports a fun design, you can spec it out in a variety of ways with either a brass or copper bottom and lots of different plates to alter your typing feel and sound profile. It starts at $190 and is very premium feeling all the way around. In fact, the moment I built this board, it immediately had a spot on my desk for the next few following weeks.
This may be my favourite Neo board to date, and I was surprised they could top their Neo Ergo board. It comes out on Nov 13th.
You can watch me build it here!
Pros:
- Premium board with premium materials starting at $190
- Sounds and feels great
- Easy to assemble and take apart
- 75% is great for just about everything, gaming too!
- Lots of options of what you can pick for your build
- Very comfortably front height
Cons:
- Not exactly a timeless design, it’s stylized
Dusk67
Wooden keyboards are typically something I tend to avoid. However, there has been a recent wave of well designed and properly made wooden boards. The Dusk67 is among those, and comes in at $114 dollars, which is amazing. It sounds good and despite it having some silicone in the way it mounts, it has a nice crisp and distinct sound profile.
You can watch my full review here.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Wood, and it gives you a different aesthetic on your desk
- Fun engraving on the back
- In stock!
Cons:
- Mounting styles are very limited
- The finish on the case is delicate and prone to scratching if you hit it or rub something against it
- Unsure how this will behave in different climates over time
The Mode Sonnet Refresh
In the last year, we’ve seen Mode take their older classic designs which are loved by many and breathe some new life into their internals. The Sonnet is the latest board to receive that treatment.
Internally we are now seeing their new lattice block system in this board as well, and the option to do a top mount. Sound-wise, it’s bright and crisp, though this varies depending on your build. As for price, this really ranges, it can start from $299 USD and is one of the more premium boards on this list. Not for the wrong reasons though, Mode quality is great and in the event something goes wrong, Mode’s customer service is amazing and I’ve many clients tell me that too, which is definitely worth noting.
This board is on my regular rotation for what I’ve been using and I can’t recommend it enough.
Watch my build (one of many) of it here.
Pros:
- Bright and punchy sound signature
- Very timeless design
- Lots of ways to customize the board
- Easy to put together
- Mode’s support and quality are great
Cons:
- Can get very expensive depending on the config you go with
Kit Adam
The Kit Adam is the most fun of all the boards on this list by a long shot. It’s a keyboard you have to build with bricks. It’s LEGO compatible and can come as a complete kit for including switches and caps for under $100 USD, making it an absolute perfect gift for someone in keyboards.
The keyboard is fully functional and also sounds good. It’s really no slouch in that department, which is awesome. I’ve built a few of these and everyone whos got these has just had smiles on their faces. It’s an awesome little gift for the holiday season.
Pros:
- Fun to assemble
- Sounds great
- You can get this barebones or as a full kit
- Great holiday gift
Cons:
- None, it’s does exactly what it wants to do and does it well
Pictured is the Kit Lilith
Classic-TKL
I want to note, I do some work for Novelkeys but this board is one I can get behind both on a professional level and personal level. I almost didn’t include this because the first batch sold out, but there are new colors that have been re-stocked and the board rocks. It comes in at $89 and sports a timeless design and great sound profile.
I love this thing and it is a must pick up for anyone in keyboards. It’s also an excellent gift for the holidays!
Pros:
- Easy to assemble
- Affordable and in stock
- You can get this barebones or as a full kit
- Great holiday gift
Cons:
- I didn’t love the metal plates for this board
Here are some boards that I think you should keep an eye out for in the future that I loved.
Constance TKL
A super premium TKL that has some amazing finishes on the weight and some great machining. This one is worth checking out and considering joining in on the group buy if you’re interested.
Check it out here
Origami TKL
A very classic and timeless design with some very well thought out internals. I instantly fell in love with this and it’s the board I finished this list with! Not to mention the badge on the bottom is sweet.
View it here
Wrapping up
Well, as always, I hope this list helps. I will continue to do more of these with every season, as well as I try and use more boards. As always, thank you all so much for the support. I always appreciate everyone’s comments and kindness! Please remember, custom keyboards are a very personal item, don’t shop off of hype and remember to be financially responsible when making large purchases.
I hope everyone has a good holiday season!
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