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There are loads of budget mechanical keyboard options, but few companies do affordable clackers better than Keychron. And the company's 87-key mainstay, the Keychron K8, is on sale at Woot for the lowest-ever price of just $34.99 when you add the code KEYCRON. In fact, if you're a new Woot customer, the price drops $5 more to just $29!
For this surprisingly low sale price, you get a compact TKL layout, Gateron Red linear switches, and a white backlight – sorry, RGB fans. Note this is the Mac-specific model, but it of course supports both Windows and macOS, and Keychron includes extra keycaps for both operating systems. This model is also wireless, but solely via Bluetooth, so serious gamers will want to connect via the USB-C port for faster response times.
This 87-key keyboard is nicely compact, sports Gateron Red linear switches, keycaps for both Mac and Windows, and a white backlight. It is wireless, but is Bluetooth-only, without an RF USB dongle. So you may want to plug the keyboard in while gaming.
This model sports a plastic chassis, rather than the metal of some pricier models. But it doesn't look or feel cheap. I used a similar (slightly more compact) Keychron K2 for years as my main keyboard for work and gaming, and it served me well until I upgraded to the prettier, more premium K8 HE last year. I've used three or four Keychron keyboards extensively over the past several years and have had no serious hardware issues with any of them. My original K2 even survived a soup spill (once I cleaned it and let it thoroughly dry before turning it on again) years ago. When a keyboard like the Keychron K8 is on sale for just $34, there's no reason to opt for no-name budget options. You could certainly spend more and get something with magnetic switches, RGB, a volume knob, and a metal chassis. But if you spend less, you'll almost certainly wind up with something significantly worse than the Keychron K8.
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