- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Review Updates
- Best Keyboard
- Best Mid-Range
- Best Budget
- Comparison
- Lineup
- Page Updates
- Conclusion
- Discussions
Corsair makes some of the highest-performing and most feature-rich gaming keyboards out there. Their keyboard lineup includes many options in different sizes, configurations, and at various price points. Corsair's best gaming keyboards are also highly customizable, and if you have other Corsair products in your setup, you only need one piece of software to sync up your backlighting and adjust your settings across multiple devices.
We've tested over 190 keyboards, of which 20 are made by Corsair. Below are our recommendations for the best Corsair keyboards. You can also check out our recommendations for the best gaming keyboards, the best RGB keyboards, and the best mechanical keyboards.
Updates
- 02/13/2023 Corsair K100 AIR reviewed
- 08/19/2022 Corsair K70 PRO MINI WIRELESS reviewed
- 03/31/2022 Corsair K70 RGB PRO reviewed
- 05/04/2021 Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT reviewed
- 05/03/2021 Corsair K70 RGB TKL reviewed
Best Corsair Keyboards
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Best Corsair Keyboard
Gaming9.5Mobile/Tablet1.0Office8.0Programming8.2Entertainment / HTPC4.4Of all the Corsair keyboards we've tested, the Corsair K100 RGB stands out as the best. This fully-loaded model has everything a gamer could want, from split-second latency to a column of macro keys on the left side for easy access. Along the top of the board are a suite of media keys and a specialized iCUE wheel in the top left that you can program to perform several tasks. In addition to its solid build quality, it has a whopping 44 RGB zones, which you can customize independently using Corsair's iCUE software. This keyboard is available with Cherry MX Speed or OPX optical switches. Both switch options are optimized for gaming with a very short pre-travel distance and a light actuation force, making them super sensitive. Combined with the incredibly low latency and maximum 8000Hz polling rate, it delivers an exceptionally responsive in-game experience.
If you're looking for a low-profile, wireless alternative, you'll want to check out the Corsair K100 AIR. This keyboard delivers the same high-end gaming performance as the K100 RGB, but it has chiclet-style keycaps and ultra-low-profile butterfly switches, which are great if you prefer the general feel of laptop keyboards. However, it only has a maximum polling rate of up to 2000Hz and is quite a bit more expensive.
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Best Mid-Range Corsair Keyboard
Gaming9.2Mobile/Tablet1.7Office7.4Programming7.6Entertainment / HTPC4.1At a mid-range price point, we recommend the Corsair K70 RGB TKL. It's part of Corsair's extensive K70 lineup, a lineup that's well-loved by gamers for exceptionally low latency, high build quality, and higher-than-average polling rates. This version of the K70 stands out due to its size. The TenKeyLess form factor is ideal for gaming as it frees up space on the right side of your keyboard for a wider range of mouse movements.
Despite its compact size, you still get a whole suite of media hotkeys, a volume control knob, and even a "Tournament Switch" on the top of the board, which disables the Windows key and sets the RGB lighting to a single static color for fewer distractions while you're gaming. Like the Corsair K100 RGB mentioned above, the K70 also has a higher-than-average polling rate and exceptionally low latency, making it a perfect choice if you're a competitive gamer.
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Best Budget Corsair Keyboard
Gaming8.0Mobile/Tablet1.1Office6.4Programming6.6Entertainment / HTPC3.5If you're on a budget and looking for a Corsair keyboard, we recommend the Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT. Instead of the mechanical switches found on the higher-end units, like the Corsair K70 RGB TKL, this keyboard uses rubber dome switches which are nearly silent during operation, making this board a great choice if you tend to game in shared spaces like a living room or dorm room.
While most rubber dome keyboards only have zone lighting, meaning you can only customize the lighting in sections, this one has per-key lighting, meaning you have the full range of lighting customization that you'd get on higher-end models. Plus, it retains a full set of media keys, a column of dedicated macro keys, and a soft-touch wrist rest. If this keyboard has a downside, the rubber dome switches don't feel as snappy and responsive as the mechanical switches on the K70.
Compared to other brands
- Good build quality. Corsair keyboards are generally well-built; even the budget options have a decent build quality with very few issues.
- Genuine Cherry MX mechanical switches. Corsair generally uses Cherry MX switches in their units, which is great as these switches offer a more standardized typing experience that's comparable across keyboards.
- Excellent customization software. Corsair's iCUE software is available for both Windows and macOS and allows for a huge range of customization, from the RGB lighting across your whole Corsair system to adjustments for the polling rate.
- Expensive. As a result of their features, Corsair keyboards are usually more expensive than their competitors.
Corsair vs Logitech
Logitech has a much wider range of choices for keyboards, as they have options for gaming and productivity. Unlike Corsair, Logitech typically uses proprietary switches, like their Romer-G switches and their low-profile GL switches. Logitech keyboards are also somewhat more affordable, but there are exceptions, like the Logitech G915 LIGHTSPEED, which is quite expensive. However, Logitech keyboards don't feel as well-built since they rely more on plastic pieces and cheaper-feeling keycaps.
Corsair vs Razer
Razer, like Corsair, makes keyboards primarily marketed toward gamers, and they also have a modern and clean design that fits into work environments. Overall, Razer's keyboards offer a build quality that's just as good as Corsair's, though with more use of plastic, even on their higher-end models. Razer has also experimented with polling rates higher than 1000Hz and analog switches that allow you to customize the pre-travel of individual switches. On the other hand, while Corsair has been an early proponent of polling rates higher than 1000Hz, they haven't yet released a keyboard that uses analog switch technology.
Corsair vs SteelSeries
Both SteelSeries and Corsair are focused on making gaming keyboards, but Corsair's most expensive and feature-rich keyboards tend to use somewhat higher-end materials, including aluminum top plates and PBT keycaps. That said, SteelSeries have recently started phasing these design choices into some of their more premium models. SteelSeries has also been an early pioneer in introducing analog switches on some of their keyboards that allow you to adjust the sensitivity of individual keystrokes. On the other hand, Corsair has been a leader in introducing polling rates higher than 1000Hz, while SteelSeries has not.
Corsair is one of the biggest manufacturers of gaming peripherals, with a reputation built on reliability and good quality control. For keyboards, they focus almost entirely on gaming, making their portfolio much smaller than a company like Logitech, which makes keyboards for productivity and various devices.
Lineup
Corsair's naming convention consists of the letter K followed by a number. The higher the number, the more features the keyboard has.
K100 Series: These are Corsair's premium full-size gaming keyboards with the widest feature sets and best gaming performance available. There is both a wired and a wireless low-profile model available in this lineup.
K70 Series: The K70 Series consists of keyboards of all different sizes. Each one is a mechanical unit with full RGB lighting, a maximum 8000Hz polling rate, and exceptionally low latency. All of these keyboards are wired-only and have a row of dedicated media keys along the top.
K63 Series: The K63 lineup only comes in one size, but there are a few configurations options are available with different backlighting color options. They're one of the few wireless options that Corsair offers, and it's designed to be used with a "lapboard" that you can buy separately.
K60 Series: The K60 Series consists of wired keyboards of all different sizes. They're cheaper than the K70 series, and in exchange for savings, you lose the row of media keys along the top and the higher-than-average polling rate options.
K55 Series: The K55 Series is Corsair's budget lineup. These are full-size wired keyboards with rubber dome switches. There are a few versions within this lineup with different backlighting customization options.
Recent Updates
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Apr 13, 2023: We've gone through this article and added a new section comparing Corsair keyboards to those made by SteelSeries. We've also added details about Corsair's K100 lineup and a specific mention of Corsair K100 AIR in the 'Best Corsair Keyboard' category.
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Dec 14, 2022: Changed the Corsair K70 RGB PRO to the Corsair K70 RGB TKL for 'Best Mid-Range' pick for consistency across articles. Included a lineup overview.
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Aug 19, 2022: Overhauled article to better reflect the current Corsair lineup. Altered intro text for accuracy.
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Mar 10, 2022: Text updated for clarity; picks verified for accuracy; no changes to picks.
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Dec 10, 2021: Verified picks are still available; reworded text for clarity.
Conclusion
Although our recommendations mostly focus on the best Corsair gaming keyboards, they're perfectly suitable for various uses and won't stick out in an office environment. They have great features to suit nearly any need and come in a variety of sizes, configurations, and price points.