How to Choose Between a Membrane Keyboard and a Mechanical Keyboard

How to Choose Between a Membrane Keyboard and a Mechanical Keyboard

You have a lot of options these days when it comes to purchasing a new keyboard. This is great, it means more chances to get the keyboard to fit your needs and space. Although, it can also be confusing and the differences between the keyboards may sound like jargon to you. Most techies or gamers know the terminology for keyboards and have made their own opinion on which types of keys they like for their keyboards. But for those who aren’t as familiar with this vocabulary and haven’t tried all of the different options it can become overwhelming when browsing online for the perfect keyboard for work at home or at the office. 

We have already touched on the differences in split/ergonomic keyboards and conventional keyboards in a previous blog. Therefore, this blog is here to help you get a deeper understanding of the different types of keys out there and which one would be best for your scenario. Everyone is different and everyone has their own opinion on which keys are best for typing, now is the time to make your own opinion on what is out there. 

There are 2 main types of keyboards for office work; membrane keyboards, and mechanical keyboards. 

The big differences between the two types of keyboards. 

Now that we have gone through the differences between the mechanical and membrane keyboards, let's deep dive into the differences within the mechanical keyboard switches. Yes, that is correct, you have even more options to choose from when looking into buying a mechanical keyboard. Unbelievable, right? These options are there to suit your specific needs. 

The main key switch choices are linear, tactile, clicky and quiet. 

• The linear key switches are for those who like smooth typing. 
• The tactile key switches are for those who like getting tactile feedback, there is a bump in the middle that will cue you what key switch is about to be activated. This helps you from bottoming out the keys, reducing the impact on your fingers. 
• The clicky key switches are made for those who like to hear the sound of a key activating when typing. That click, click, click sound is what you live for. PSA, make sure that your co-workers also love the sound if they are in close proximity. This key switch type is best for those who work in solo environments. 
• The quiet key switches are usually added onto the tactile and linear switches. If you are one for quieter keys, you should look for this feature when looking into mechanical keyboards. 

We hope this helps you in your membrane or mechanical keyboard choosing journey. As always if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us.