How Much Should a Keyboard Cost

Do you want to know how much should a keyboard cost? An average keyboards for laptops and PCs cost between $10 to $100 US dollars. If you are planning to buy a more sophisticated gaming keyboard, it might be several hundred dollars for a decent one.

These high-end mechanical keyboards deliver highly responsive feedback, longevity, precision, and are quite easy on hands.

For a simplistic rubber-dome keyboard, the pricing do not exceed a few dollars’ on average. Sometimes, rubber dome keyboard costs stop as low as $5.

These keyboards are disposable, which means they cannot be repaired and are best used for rudimentary purposes such as data entry.

The more advanced keyboards cost between hundred dollars to a few hundreds and are specifically made for hardcore usage with reliable performance in various applications, including gaming and jobs involving excessive typing.

See Also: Best Gaming Keyboard Under 50

When opting for the best keyboard for your computer or laptop, make sure to check if the keyboard is worth it. Keyboards come in multiple varieties and shapes, of which the best known are explained here.

Different Types of Keyboards

1. Rubber Dome Keyboard

We’ve all heard of the old-fashioned rubber-dome keyboards in the 90s. They now cost no more than 10 dollars tops. They are generally large sized with a roomy layout.

In 90s and early 2000s, these keyboards were used practically everywhere, in offices, at homes, schools, and everywhere before mechanical keyboards swamped the market until recently.

Rubber-dome keyboards mostly came with full-key structure and separate keys for volume up/down, music and multimedia, alongside several other shortcut keys which are now gone for good in the modern mechanical keyboards.

2. Gaming Keyboards

The mechanical or gaming keyboards were primarily designed for gamers as they delivered fast response times and were lighter in feel. Moreover, mechanical keyboards delivered real-time tactile feedback which was easy on fingers.

For extreme gaming sessions, mechanical keyboards have been specifically optimized for multi-key responses and are durable enough to last for years before wearing out.

Mechanical keyboards have also found their purpose in professional typewriting. Career writers and authors love the feel and feedback delivered by mechanical keyboards, thanks to their mechanical switching layout and brisk response.

Additionally, mechanical keyboards feature key switches to activate the outer membrane which can easily be replaced all by yourself if it wears out. Hence, no need to replace the entire keyboard.

3. Membrane Keyboards

For laptops, membrane keyboards have been the most popular choices. They are compact, lightweight, and deliver optimum pressure sensitivity with definite outlining between the keys.

This makes users feel more comfortable when maneuvering around with the keys for either a PowerPoint presentation or when authoring an email.

Membrane keyboards lie somewhere between a mechanical and a standard keyboard in terms of quality, precision, and price. They are soft, easy to use, and inexpensive for day-to-day typing or occasionally for gaming purposes.

4. Wired vs Wireless Keyboards

All keyboards are either wired or wireless. Wired keyboards either have a hard-wired cable attached to them or a removable USB port.

Wired keyboards are faster and more responsive than their wireless counterparts. Gamers prefer wired keyboards for better key response.

However, wireless keyboards are chic and sleeker than wired ones. Also, they are catching up on responsiveness that could only be found in wired keyboards with swift and highly sensitive signal processing systems.

See Also: Best Quiet Keyboard for PC

Wireless keyboards connect with the computer or laptop via Bluetooth, wi-fi, or through wireless radio frequencies.

5. Other Keyboard Types

The remaining keyboard types are purposely designed for better user experience rather than being standard counterparts of the fundamental keyboard fraternity.

Ergonomic keyboards feature an added wrist rest slab beneath the keyboard to assist writers and gamers during lengthy typing and gaming sessions.

These ergonomic keyboards can be rubber-domed, membrane, or of mechanical type. The only distinguishing feature is the added wrist placement beneath them.

Flexible keyboards are further variants available in the market. Their specialty is the rubbery build which can be folded when required.

Flexible keyboards are typically wired with USB connectivity and are preferable for infrequent outdoor usage.

Factors that Impact Keyboard Pricing

Keyboard costs vary according to the type, design, user-friendliness, and responsiveness. A regular keyboard might cost anywhere between $5 – $15. The advanced membrane keyboards cost is around $15 – $50, whereas the full-fledged mechanical keyboards might price up to $200 or more. Let’s explore them one by one:

1. Rubber Dome Keyboard Price

Rubber-dome standard keyboards are the most budgeted full-key writing gadgets. They offer the most basic typing features with no room for key adjustments.

The typing speeds and key responsiveness aren’t that great, and they wear out faster. The standard keyboards are priced between $5 – $20 on average. When bought in combination with mouse, the cost could be around $10 – $20 apiece.

2. Mid-Range Keyboard Price

The mid-range keyboards include membrane, ergonomic, flexible, and wireless type keypads. Standard wireless keyboards comprise membrane keys with ergonomic keypress feedbacks and better typing speeds.

Also, these keyboards are lightweight and budgeted for frequent usage. If you want more comfort out of the keyboard, buy the ergonomic pad that docks easily with most of the keypads when bought separately. The integrated ergonomic pads with wrist rest arms cost around $50 at most.

3. Mechanical Keyboard Price

Mechanical keyboards are the most expensive of all. They have physical tactile feedback switches that last for decades with heavy gaming and typing experiences.

A regular mechanical switch keyboard is around $50 – $100 per unit that features additional key switches along with DIY replacement gears.

The more sophisticated and long-lasting mechanical keyboards might cost between $100 – $300 depending on the usage capacity and overall performance of the gadget.

See Also: Best TKL Mechanical Keyboard

The most recent mechanical keyboards for gaming encompass RGB-lit keys, super-enhanced tactile keys and switches, programmable buttons, highly sensitive in-built CPUs, and super-fast signal processing cables for spontaneous feedbacks when gaming hardcore.

How Much Should a Keyboard Cost?

So how much should a keyboard cost either its gaming, mechanical or wireless keyboard? A standard keyboard with membrane keys and semi-tactile feedback must not cost above $50. For laptops, the standard keypads normally cost above $50.

Brand new keypads will cost somewhere between $50 to $70. Anything above that price range would be a bad bargain when buying standard keyboards from Amazon or from a nearby brick-and-mortar store.

Wireless keyboards with membrane setup can be used separately with a computer system for gaming and typing purposes as well as with laptops as integrated keypad. In both the cases, the maximum price tag must not exceed $70 for a membrane keyboard.

The rubber-dome disposable keyboards are defunct as we draft this article. However, these keyboards are still used for occasional typing on low-to-mid range computers with little frequency of usage.

Plus, make sure that the standalone keyboards must have adequate rechargeable batteries to meet with your gaming, professional, or recreational requirements.

It’s better to purchase a rechargeable battery powered keyboard than buying disposable cell keyboards.

Conclusion

Various keyboards have their distinct set of features accordingly with the usage capacity, pricing, manufacturers, and more.

If you are an occasional gadget buyer, you must investigate the primary functions that it is capable of before clicking on the buy button, or it would be a sunk investment. Usually, the price determines the quality of a gadget, however it must not be a single defining factor.

Alongside the commercial value, the included features must be considered i.e., wireless or wired, membrane, rubber-dome, ergonomic, or mechanical construction based on the usage and capacity beside the budget range.

If you are low on budget, a lesser-known brand with better-equipped underpriced keyboards would be a great find. If you need quality and the pricing isn’t an issue, always go for established manufacturing brands.