As any gamer or constant computer user knows, a keyboard shouldn’t be underestimated. When you’re considering a setup for gaming, for instance, it’s likely that your mind jumps to a computer tower and monitor first. In reality, a solid mechanical keyboard is as important, if not more important. A great mechanical keyboard can influence your gameplay in a plethora of ways, from adding tactical advantages to back-light abilities for late night game play.
The world of keyboards isn’t small by any means – there are a ton of them on the market. They come from all walks of life. They can vary in many ways, from the size of the keyboard to the type of switch, to the type of material. One aspect of a keyboard that’s often overlooked, however, is the feel of the key itself. Think about it – when you’re mashing down on the keys, the top of the key is often felt first. Therefore, it’s incredibly important that you’re not only operating a keyboard with comfortable keyboard keycaps but that you’re operating a keyboard with keyboard caps conducive to the type of computer activity you’re doing.
If you’re in the market for a new mechanical keyboard all togehter, check out our guide to buying the best mechanical keyboards in 2017!
Keyboard keycaps, particularly mechanical keyboard keycaps, come in many different sizes, shapes, designs and colors, much like keyboards themselves. For that very reason, it’s important to know a little about the keycaps before you purchase them. In the information provided below, we’ll discuss five prominent mechanical keyboard keycaps. We’ll talk about each set, and then provide a set of pros and cons for each one. After this, we’ll cap off the reading with a brief overview of how to clean your keycaps, and how to keep your mechanical keyboard as clean as possible. There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get to it!
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These sleek mechanical keyboard keycaps work as good as they look, with the exception of a few issues. They provide excellent contrast if you want to provide your keyboard with a long-standing tactical customization. They also let in light from your mechanical keyboard’s backlight pretty well. Let’s see what else they bring to the table!
Overall, these mechanical keyboard keycaps are certainly worth buying, albeit reports of rusting and loose connections. Whether you’re changing five keys or your whole keyboard set, you’ll surely add an untamed element to your rig that will enhance your typing experience, both technically and aesthetically.
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Breathtaking, majestic, and unique, these E-Element mechanical keyboard keycaps will have everyone who sees them bow to you. While this might not exactly be the case, these golden metal keys certainly do convey a sense of splendor that’s wonderfully accented by any keyboard light that finds its way through them. Let’s see what else these shimmering keycaps have to offer.
In summary, these keyboard keycaps aren’t a sight for sore eyes; rather, they’re the polar opposite of everything hideous. Their beauty is unparalleled. They also go on switches quite easily and feel great when you type. While many keyboards won’t take their space keys, they still will make the majority of your keyboard look golden (Literally).
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These Vortex mechanical keyboard keycaps offer a tactical advantage in a minute, yet likable manner. While they don’t provide the keycaps to coat your entire mechanical keyboard, they’ll help you enhance your gameplay experience.
All in all, this is a decent set of tactical keys that can help provide your keyboard with an edge in gaming. They’ll complement your mechanical keyboard in a modest way, without being too overbearing. There is even a complimentary key puller included with the purchase, which is an added bonus! The only reason you’d want to stay away from this keyboard keycap set is due to the lack of keys that come with it. Otherwise, it’s a great buy!
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The Rosewill Rubber Cherry MX Mechanical Keyboard Keycaps are the perfect match for keyboards that need a touch of tactical edge. You’ll get a handful of keys with a font that stands out, as well as a diverse choice of coloring, to provide your keys with the perfect shade of contrast. There’s much more!
Overall, this set of mechanical keyboard keycaps is a great buy, especially since it comes with a free keyboard keycap remover. The keys have a tactile feel to them, aiding your fingers’ recognition of the keys. The keycaps have one glaring issue: they have a font that’s designed poorly. This can impact your typing experience. It almost feels as if there’s a pile of dirt on a couple of the keys! With this taken into consideration, however, it’s certainly a great keycap set to purchase!
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A stunning addition to anyone’s computer setup, the CLEWGEAR natural bamboo keyboard, and mouse stand out. While they’re not the most technologically advanced keyboard and mouse set, they’re made of wood. Does that say enough? Wooden keyboards are a hot trend; they’re economically designed and last a long time! Let’s see what this keyboard and mouse set bring to the table!
Overall, this CLEWGEAR creation is an aesthetically stunning piece of art; you’ll surely have a masterpiece of a keyboard and mouse at your disposal if you purchase it. Despite scattered shipping issues and keyboard inconsistencies, it’s a great general purpose keyboard and mouse set.
We’ve just absorbed a lot of information, so we’ll make this last part brief! Getting the best keyboard keycaps for your mechanical keyboard is one step. Keeping both them and your keyboard cleaned to where they function optimally is a different animal. Most people don’t realize that you have to take care of your keyboards cleanliness almost as often as you have to take care of your personal hygiene. While it might seem time-consuming, it’s certainly not tough! Let’s take a look at a breakdown of everything you’ll need to know to keep your mechanical keyboard and its keycaps in great shape.
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First, you’ll want to shake your keyboard out. This is as simple as it sounds. Simply turn it upside down and carefully shake it, to where the junk falls out. Don’t let the fact you don’t eat around be an excuse to not shake it out; hair, dust, other airborne particles will accumulate over time. After you give it a good shake, you’ll want to completely wipe down your keyboard’s surface. Use a damp cloth or a sanitary wipe. It’s important, however, that you don’t use a cloth that’s too wet or use any solvent that’s too strong. Solvents can react negatively with your keycaps, oxidizing metal or fogging up plastic colors and/or fonts.
Once you’ve shaken the keyboard and given the surface wipe, it’s time to get to deep cleaning. The first stage of deep cleaning involves removal of your keycaps. While you can certainly use your hands to pluck and clean each key, it can be helpful to purchase a kit such as the Hapurs Cleaning Tools Accessories Dust Blower Ball Rubber + Brush + Keycap Remover Cleaning Tools for Lens Filter Digital Camera Keyboard. Kits such as these provide tools that will help speed up the cleaning process. Once you’ve removed the keycaps, drop them into a cleaning solution that uses, we kid you not, denture cleaning tablets. Let them sit for roughly an hour and your key caps will be cleaner than your grandma’s dentures!
While your keycaps are soaking, you’ll want to perform another shakedown, since the empty spaces expose grime that wasn’t removed in the initial shakedown. Take a slightly moist paper towel and give the keycap-free keyboard a wipe down. After this, you’ll want to get a Q-tip and clean out the nooks and crannies of the empty keyboard.
Once your keycaps are done bathing in denture solution, pour out the solution and bathe them in water. Let these keycaps sit for a while. It’s important that you ensure total drying before you put them back on. Water and electronics do not mix very well unless we’re talking about the Hoover Dam. A quick way to get your keycaps dry quickly is to put them in a pillow case and toss them in the dryer for fifteen minutes on minimal heat.
That may sound like a lot, but after cleaning your keyboard routinely it will surely become more of a habit than a task. Remember, there are cleaning kits available for purchase like the ENHANCE Mechanical Keyboard Cleaning Kit which includes O-Ring Ultra-Quiet Switch Dampeners Damper 40A Clear (140pcs), Key Cap Remover, Cleaning Brush, Cloth and Accessory Bag – Mod Kit for Cherry MX. These cleaning kits are built solely for easy cleaning of mechanical keyboards.