How to buy the best key caps for your mechanical keyboard (2025)

Do you buy your first Mechanical keyboard or Doing research For your construction of Endgame, the keys are a huge part not only in the appearance of your keyboard, but also of its experience. The keys you choose may have enormous impact How you write, how you feel and how your keyboard sounds. Therefore, it is important to find the right set for your personal needs.

However, there are many different details that you should consider when considering key chains and may be predominantly if you are new to the hobby or outside the cycle of certain developments. I collected this guide to serve as a skip point in the keys world. Here’s all you need to know.

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Make sure the key drops will fit

The most important part of any set of keyboards is to make sure the keys will Put your keyboardS If not, either you will either be left at all not to use the kit, or to mix your brand new keys with old full coverage. For starters, here’s what you want to look for.

Make sure your keys meet your switches! Most modern keyboards use standard MX -style switches plus the shape of a stem. They have become ubiquitous and as a result, almost every KEYCAP set offered today will be compatible with them. However, if you want to use keys on the older keyboard, there is a great chance that they will not respond to more.

Photo: Henri Robbins

The three most common “alternative” switches are Alps switches that have a small minus-shaped stem, Topre (also called EC) switches that have a circular stem and Kailh choc low -profile switcheswho have two wines on the stem. These keys cannot be used on a MX -style keyboard, but all lists with key skins will clearly mark them.

You will then want to check the layout. While most keyboards have accepted quite standardized layouts today, several stand out. The best modern example is Hhkb StudioWho has unique keys G, H and B, plus a shorter than the average interval, none of which is included in the standard sets set. Some sets of keys will have specific kits To cover more unusual layouts.

Make sure your Keycap set has a full coverage. While most kits today include everything you need for a full-size keyboard, I saw a key set of keys that sell the pad number separately in exchange for a lower base price and it was even the case with arrow keys and function keys, especially budget-oriented (or custom) keys.

Keycap profiles and sculptures

Once you find out what kind of keys you need for your keyboard, you need to start thinking what shape you want these keys to be. The shape of your keys will have the most important effect on how to introduce introduction and on how comfortable writing is. The most basic aspects of this are the height of the key, the shape in which it is removed, and the presence of different sculpted rows.

But first, it is worth noting that there is no standardized convention for naming key skins profiles – the names themselves are arbitrary and are determined entirely by the manufacturer of key skins. Some have logical names (such as how the OSA keys are OEM merger – equipment manufacturer – and SA – spherically all – sculpts), while others are a little stupid (PBS means Penguin Belly Slide).