- You like to adjust things until they feel perfect to you.
- You care deeply about how things feel and sound.
- You are the kind of person who enjoys building and perfecting your tools.
- You get frustrated by endless small choices and adjustments.
- You value function over form and practical use.
- You expect things to work perfectly straight out of the box.
Your first moves.
Don't start from scratch. Start from here.
Try switches before you buy a board
Switch testers — small boards with one of each switch type installed — cost $10 to $20 and let you feel the difference between linear, tactile, and clicky before spending on a full board. Preferences formed by typing on a tester are far more reliable than preferences formed by reading descriptions.
Choose a layout before choosing anything else
A 65% board suits most people who want a compact desk footprint without giving up arrow keys. A tenkeyless suits those who want a familiar layout in a smaller package.
Lube your switches before installing them
Lubing switches — applying a thin coat of lubricant to the moving parts — reduces friction, eliminates scratchiness, and changes the sound profile significantly. It is the single most impactful modification available and costs around $10 for enough lube to do hundreds of switches.
Tune stabilisers before anything else on the board
Stabilisers support the larger keys — spacebar, shift, enter, backspace. Poorly tuned stabilisers produce a rattling, mushy feel that ruins the typing experience regardless of switch quality.
Build in a foam or tape mod for sound dampening
Case foam, switch foam, and the tape mod — adding a layer of painter's tape to the back of the PCB — reduce the hollow, poppy sound common in entry-level boards and produce a thockier, more dampened acoustic profile. Try the tape mod first: it is free, reversible, and noticeably effective.
Learn to solder before attempting a non-hot-swap build
Hot-swap sockets let switches be removed and replaced without soldering. Soldered builds are more permanent but allow a wider range of PCBs and produce a marginally more stable switch connection.
Master Mechanical Keyboards with online courses
Find the highest-rated beginner courses on Udemy before you invest in gear.
Keyboard Keycap and Switch Puller
Simple dual-purpose tool for removing keycaps and switches affordably.
Lubrication Station
Glorious Switch Lubrication Station (36 slots) — Affordable acrylic station for holding switches securely during lubrication.
Custom Keyboard Cable
EPOMAKER Mix 1.8m Coiled Keyboard Cable — Features a durable braided sleeve and a choice of colors to complement your setup.
Related hobbies
Ranked by dimensional and personality compatibility with Mechanical Keyboards.