The 7 Best Keyboards For Programming - Summer 2020
Reviews

The best keyboard for programming we've tested so far is the Razer BlackWidow Elite. Our unit features Razer's proprietary Orange mechanical switches, but you can get it with clicky or linear switches. The Orange switches have a light tactile bump that feels a lot like Cherry MX Browns, and they provide an excellent typing experience that won't tire you out.

If you work long hours and need extra support for your wrists, the keyboard comes with a nice plushy wrist rest that attaches magnetically. This keyboard also has dedicated media controls to adjust the volume, play, pause, or skip tracks. It's compatible with Razer's Synapse 3 software, where you can set macros, reprogram keys, or customize its full RGB backlighting. Profiles can be saved within the software or using the keyboard's onboard memory if you need to move to another computer.

Unfortunately, Synapse 3 is only available for Windows, and not macOS or Linux. Additionally, the keyboard has a USB passthrough to let you connect another peripheral or to charge a mobile device, and there's a 3.5mm headphone jack for convenience. On the whole, although this keyboard was designed for gaming, its performance and features should satisfy most programmers.

The best ergonomic keyboard for programming is the Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB. It's a split keyboard that comes with a comfortable, detachable wrist rest and it's available in a few different Cherry MX switches, although our unit has the Cherry MX Brown switches.

This keyboard is great for programming because all keys are macro programmable through the RGB SmartSet software. You can even set different actions to each key if you simply press it or hold it down. It has full RGB backlighting and you can control the brightness directly on the keyboard. The Cherry MX Brown switches offer some tactile feedback, don't take a ton of force to press, and offer good overall typing quality. Also, since this is a truly split keyboard, you can place the two halves how you like, and even though this keyboard doesn't have incline settings, you can buy a 'Lift Kit' separately if you like having your keyboard on an incline.

It's going to take some time to get used to its unique style, and even though it's a TKL keyboard with a NumPad, it has eight dedicated macro keys on the left side, giving you an extra set of keys you can reprogram. It's fully compatible with both Windows and Linux, and only the 'Pause' key doesn't work on macOS, so you can use this keyboard with whichever operating system you work with. All in all, it's a great programming keyboard, making it the best keyboard for coding with an ergonomic design we've tested so far.

The best programming keyboard with macro keys we've tested so far is the Corsair K95 RGB PLATINUM XT. Although it's mainly designed to be a gaming keyboard, the six dedicated macro keys and the ability to reprogram every key make it favorable for programmers too.

This keyboard is available in different switches, including Cherry MX Speed (linear), Cherry MX Blue (clicky), and Cherry MX Brown (tactile), so you can get the switches you prefer the most. The unit we reviewed has the Blue switches, which are too loud for an office environment but offer great tactile feedback. The typing quality is excellent and the double-shot PBT keycaps feel stable and help minimize typos. The keys require a fair amount of actuation, so it might get tiring typing on this keyboard, but it comes with a comfortable wrist rest. Each key is individually lit, which is fantastic for those late-night programming sessions, and the overall build quality of the keyboard is amazing.

Unfortunately, the iCUE software isn't available on Linux, so the extra macro keys are disabled by default. If you program on Linux, you're going to have to set your macros on Windows or macOS, save it to the keyboard's onboard memory, then work on Linux. Besides this little issue, this is the best keyboard for programming with macro keys that we've tested so far.

The best keyboard for coding in the budget category is the Razer BlackWidow Lite. It's a mechanical keyboard with white backlighting, ideal for those programming sessions at night in dark rooms. It's available in either a black or white frame, and our unit is white, so the backlighting stands out a bit more with this keyboard.

This keyboard comes with proprietary Razer Orange switches, which have a low pre-travel distance and offer good tactile feedback, similar to Cherry MX Brown switches. It comes with O-rings you can add to reduce the noise, making the keyboard very quiet if you work in an office environment. The overall typing quality is excellent, but without a wrist rest and due to the higher profile of the keys, it could get tiring typing on this keyboard. There aren't any dedicated macro keys on this keyboard, but you can still set macros to any key through the Razer Synapse software, which is only available on Windows.

Unfortunately, even though this keyboard is fully compatible with Linux, the software isn't and there's no onboard memory, so you can't use this keyboard with macros on this operating system. A few keys don't work on macOS either, but it's fully compatible with Windows. All in all, this is a keyboard that won't cost you much and most programmers should be happy with it.