Finding The Best Quiet Keyboard For 2021
What is the best quiet keyboard on the market?
One of the big advantages of a desktop PC compared to a phone, tablet, or laptop, is being able to use a full size dedicated keyboard. Typing on a phone simply doesn’t compare to the tactile feedback of a real, physical keyboard, especially for those of us with years of typing muscle memory built up. The problem with many traditional keyboards, though, is that they’re just…loud. Many (mainly mechanical) keyboards produce a loud noise when typing, which can be irritating for both the user and anyone in earshot. The quieter style of membrane keyboard is therefore often what people looking for a quieter tapping experience might go for. Everybody is different, some people like a clicky noise when they type, some people just yearn for a quiet keyboard
Here though we will be looking at the best quiet keyboards of any denomination that we have found.
Products at a Glance
How we picked
In this article, we’re going to help you find the best quiet keyboards for you. We’ve picked five great options from across the spectrum of keyboards, including mechanical keyboards for gamers and professionals. These are all designed around discrete operation, with materials and design chosen to minimize noisy typing.
The quest to find the perfect silent keyboard is on. Glad you could join us.
How we tested
We’ve selected a host of the best quiet keyboards at a variety of prices, to reflect a good range of options for people after a quiet typing experience. These are all quieter keyboards and offer a variety of features and functionality, and suit a different budget for everybody looking to locate the perfect typing tool to add to their desktop.
Finding The Best Quiet Keyboard For 2021
- Switch Type: Unknown
- Macros: No
- Lighting Options: White LED backlighting
- Media keys: Yes
- Wrist-rest: Yes
- Passthrough: No
- Onboard Storage: No
Very quiet
Backlighting
Pleasant design
Not the cheapest keyboard.
A little on the large size
Keys do not detach
While the Logitech K800 may not be built as slim as some other keyboards, its build quality is superb, and it comes with a few nice extras. Most importantly is the generous wrist rest. This should make this keyboard much more comfortable to use compared to many other keyboards. There’s also built-in backlighting, which is great for typing sessions in the dark.
Interestingly, we couldn’t actually confirm the switch type on this keyboard. Its keys aren’t made to be popped off, and it doesn’t feel like a traditional chiclet or membrane at all. It doesn’t feel like a mechanical keyboard necessarily, but it’s clear that Logitech went with a non-conventional approach with this one. This approach works, though, since this keyboard is whisper-quiet and very comfortable to use.
It has a sleek design, and an eye-catching dark black aesthetic. It’s an all-round great keyboard from Logitech.
- Switch Type: Membrane
- Macros: No
- Lighting Options: N/A
- Media keys: Yes
- Wrist-rest: Yes
- Passthrough: No
- Onboard Storage: No
Excellent ergonomic design
Very quiet
Great value
Unconventional appearance
Physically large
No backlighting on keys
For those of you who want an ergonomic typing experience, the Perixx Periboard-512 may be the right pick for you. This is an ergonomic split keyboard, which specifically makes it ideal for those who will be typing for extended periods.
In particular, professionals will begin to notice burgeoning hand pains and the onset of RSI when using a regular keyboard day-in and day-out for too long. The Perixx design is specifically designed to avoid that, which is great for your hands!
(If you don’t want to buy a split ergonomic keyboard but are still concerned about your hands, watch this video from Dr. Levi. I’ve used these stretches myself for years!)
Aside from the whole “ergonomic” thing, this keyboard is also fairly quiet while in use! It does use membrane switches instead of chiclet, but fortunately they’re still incredibly quiet. Even combing through Amazon for nitpicky reviews, we couldn’t find any complaints– and we can’t complain, either.
- Switch Type: Chiclet
- Macros: No
- Lighting Options: N/A
- Media keys: No
- Wrist-rest: No
- Passthrough: No
- Onboard Storage: No
The cheapest option on our list
Very slim and quiet
Wireless
Not much extra functionality
Plain design
Cheap feeling
The Arcteck 2.4 GHz Wireless keyboard is the first entry on our list and the cheapest!
This is an incredibly thin keyboard with chiclet keys and wireless connectivity. These low-profile keys inherently result in a lower noise profile than larger membrane or mechanical switches, but the build quality goes the extra mile with stainless steel to keep things quiet.
If you aren’t picky about your wireless keyboards beyond them being quiet, then this is a tough option to pass up– it’s incredibly cheap. We do want to note that the “6-month battery life” claim is pretty much just marketing BS, though, since that’s based on only 2 hours of use per day. (Especially for professionals or gamers, this is a very unlikely use case.)
Since it charges via USB (rather than using AA or AAA batteries), though, you just need to plug it in occasionally– don’t worry about batteries. For this price, this is an incredibly solid product. Most of you will likely be satisfied with this, but keep reading if you want better options. Your choice is more limited if you need a wireless keyboard but they are still out there.
- Switch Type: Razer Yellow
- Macros: Yes
- Lighting Options: Full RGB
- Media keys: Yes, volume wheel included
- Wrist-rest: Yes
- Passthrough: Yes. 1 USB 2.0 and headphone jack
- Onboard Storage: Yes
Great build quality
Razer Yellow switch is incredibly quiet and responsive
Full per-key RGB backlighting
Somewhat expensive
Gamer aesthetic won’t suit everyone
Physically quite large.
This quiet keyboard from Razer is a truly stellar keyboard all-around, with great RGB support, extra hardware features, and amazing mechanical switches. What sets this apart from similar quiet mechanical gaming keyboards, is the Razer Yellow switch.
The Razer Yellow switch is Razer’s quietest key mechanism. It’s described by Razer as “linear and silent”. This means you’ll get the quietest possible typing experience on a Razer keyboard with the Blackwidow Elite, so long as you get the Yellow version. The Orange and Green versions will both be much louder, Green especially.
This keyboard also features a headphone jack passthrough, for conveniently connecting headphones or a headset directly to your keyboard. The wrist rest is also magnetic, allowing you to attach or detach it according to your preference or any given usage scenario.
- Switch Type: Cherry MX Brown
- Macros: N/A
- Lighting Options: RGB alternative (higher price)
- Media keys: Yes, volume wheel included
- Wrist-rest: No
- Passthrough: Yes, two USB 3.0 hub
- Onboard Storage: N/A
Cherry MX Brown switches are decently quiet
Astounding overall build quality
Built-in USB Hub
Very expensive
Plain appearance
No built wrist rest
This is actually more of a soft-touch keyboard than a quiet keyboard. The Cherry MX Brown switch isn’t the quietest on this list, and for those of you who want a truly silent keyboard experience, this may not be the best choice.
But for most scenarios, MX Brown strikes a good balance. Office use, for instance, should be more than fine. It is far quieter than most similar keyboards.
Since this is the most expensive keyboard on this list, you may be wondering why we are recommending it?
Simply put, the Das Keyboard 4 is built for professional use. Das Keyboard in general provides truly stellar engineering and build quality, with little care for unnecessary extra frills. This applies to the Das Keyboard 4, and it shows in the features on display. You get a USB 3.0 hub built-in, complete N-key rollover, and durable aluminum build quality throughout the keyboard and number pad.
If you want a well built, very capable keyboard, this one offers a fantastic typing experience without making much noise.
Things to consider
Think about how you intend to mostly use this keyboard. If you’re going to be doing a lot of gaming, then it’s worth considering the Razer gaming keyboard. If you’re doing a large amount of typing, the more high-end options might be worth your attention. If you’re just going to be some occasional light typing, the more budget-friendly options in our quiet keyboards round-up might be more suitable.
Things To Consider
Membrane, chiclet, or mechanical?
Membrane: The cheapest and most common. Noise level can vary greatly, but typically these sit somewhere in the mid-range for how much noise they make during use.
Chiclet: Low-profile design, common in laptops and slim desktop keyboards. These are usually extremely quiet, but some (especially on gaming laptops) may be made to be louder and provide more tactile feedback. This doesn’t apply to the ones on this list, though.
Mechanical: key switches vary a lot depending on how exactly they have been designed. Some like certain models of Razer and Das Keyboard are deliberately designed to be loud, but this roundup only features quieter mechanical keyboards.
Wired or Wireless?
This is mostly a matter of preference, though we’d recommend wired if you’re a gamer. A wired connection ensures that no additional latency or interference will get between you and your game, which is vital for remaining consistent and competitive. Plus, wired gaming keyboards tend to come with more features overall, like RGB lighting and mechanical switches.
Numpad and media keys?
Truthfully, the numpad will be pretty optional for most people. Unless you’re regularly typing numbers– especially into, say, spreadsheets on Excel– chances are you won’t need it. Media keys are much more universal, though, and these will be especially missed on our bottom-budget wireless options.
We think basic media keys are very important for common use, but your mileage may vary. Worse comes to worst, you can always use a program like AutoHotKey to add media key functionality through keyboard shortcuts.
Our Verdict
- Switch Type: Unknown
- Macros: No
- Lighting Options: White LED backlighting
- Media keys: Yes
- Wrist-rest: Yes
- Passthrough: No
- Onboard Storage: No
We’ve selected the Logitech K800 as our top choice. It’s a competitively priced all-rounder keyboard, with a robust design, and great functionality.