Are Mechanical Keyboards Better For Typing? (YES…BUT!)

In order to improve your typing speed choosing the right type of keyboard is essential. In the keyboard choices, you primarily get high-quality mechanical keyboards now, but that comes at a higher cost.

But, Are mechanical keyboards better for typing? Yes, mechanical keyboards are better for typing as compared to any membrane or rubber dome type of keyboard. Tying is fast, and accurate with mechanical keyboards. Also, they give a better experience while typing. 

Let’s get started!

Why Are Mechanical Keyboards Better for Typing?

Mechanical Keyboards have several factors that make them better than any membrane or rubber dome keyboards for typing.

Here are the factors below:

1. Durability

One of the key reasons why mechanical keyboards are better for typing is their durability. Mechanical switches are rated to last much longer than other switch types, often being able to register up to 50 million keystrokes or more. E.g: Keyboards with Cherry MX switches.

This means that even after heavy usage, a keyboard with mechanical switches will still be working just as well as when it was new.

2. Responsive Switches

As you type on the mechanical keyboard, you would get feedback on the clicks on the keyboard. Responsive tactile switches help to make you aware that you clicked a particular switch. 

This improved response from mechanical switches improves typing accuracy as you know that you clicked the switch.

It also improves typing speed as you know that you already pressed a switch and can move on to the following letter.

With the Clicky and Tactile switches, you will get a good amount of feedback. However, the linear switches are smooth and lack feedback.

Due to the responsive switches, mechanical keyboards are also good for gaming.

3. Longevity of Mechanical Keyboards

If you choose a mechanical keyboard, it can easily last for 10-15 years with heavy usage in gaming. So, with typing, you would get a lifetime of about 13-15 years easily without any issue.

4. Custom Layout and Size Options

Mechanical Keyboards have several custom layout options for you to choose from for typing. You can choose the keyboard layouts according to your choice.

The custom layout and size are excellent features in case of a mechanical keyboard which you won’t get in case of a membrane keyboard.

The best layout for typing can be the full-sized keyboard layout. Now, tenkeyless or 65% keyboards are emerging as popular portable-sized keyboards and are suitable for typing.

5. Better Typing Experience with Keys of Linear, Tactile and Clicky Type

Mechanical switches of linear type are easy to press and with less actuation force needed to activate the switch.

For E.g., the Red Switch of Linear type requires a 45 gm actuation force to activate the keys. However, the red switch is buttery smooth.

The Red Linear switch is the most silent of the mechanical switches. I like the Red switches to type due to their very smooth and silent clicks. 

Other switches like clicky and tactile switches are even not hard to click. 

For E.g., Blue Switch, a clicky switch, requires a 45 gm actuation to register your key press.

Brown Switch of Tactile type requires an actuation force of 50gm, which is decent. You would get comparatively silent clicks with brown switches than blue switches.

6. Gives a Typewriter like Typing Experience

Typewriters were the device used for typing before the keyboards. The typewriter had a typical clicky sound which makes you know if you clicked on the switch correctly.

Using a mechanical keyboard, you get a typing experience similar to a typewriter in terms of the clicky sound and responsive feedback you receive from the mechanical switches of the keyboard.

You can say that mechanical keyboards take the best out of typewriters. To know more about the history of mechanical keyboards, you can check this post written by me.

Conclusion

Let’s conclude the post on whether mechanical keyboards are better for typing!

The typing speed is dependent on the user itself, and it is the skill to type fast. Mechanical keyboards give a refined layout with a better typing experience to boost typing speed and accuracy.

You can quickly get to > 60 WPM with good practice.

You can target 80-100 WPM using a mechanical keyboard within a year and a half. The more you practice, the better you would be at typing.

Mechanical keyboards would definitely be better for your typing, but to be able to type fast, you need to practice a lot with them.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and found this helpful.