Are you like me and type thousands of words per day on your keyboard? Is the keyboard that you’re using one of those cheap membrane-style ones? Here’s why you should stop using a membrane keyboard if you type all day and switch to mechanical.
Most membrane keyboards don’t feel good to type on
Nobody ever ranted about how much they loved typing on a cheap membrane keyboard
I want to get this out of the way up front: yes, there are decent membrane keyboards. My 14-inch MacBook Pro has a fantastic keyboard, even though it is membrane. In fact, many laptops use a hybrid scissor switch approach that’s almost a mix of a mechanical feel with a membrane backing. However, not all membrane keyboards are made to that quality level.
I have owned more keyboards than I care to count over the years. Like most, I started with cheap membrane keyboards and moved up to mecha-membrane at some point—a hybrid mechanical/membrane key switch.
Stop Buying Membrane Keyboards
Seriously, it’s like typing on a soggy sponge.
However, once I finally went full mechanical, there was no going back for me. The feel of typing on a mechanical keyboard compared to a membrane keyboard is night and day, with mechanical leading the pack every time.
These days, you can even customize the feel of your mechanical keyboard with different switches. More and more mechanical keyboards are shipping as hot-swappable, meaning you can change the switches out for a different feel if you end up not liking how it feels out of the gate. This is simply something that’s not possible on membrane keyboards.
A membrane keyboard’s typing experience degrades over time
Mechanical keyboards just hold up better
The way a membrane keyboard works is by depressing a rubber dome down to make contact with a pad on a circuit board. Because of this, over time, a membrane keyboard might become harder to type on or just stop working altogether. The problem is, this change can be either slow or fast—there’s really no way to know. Oh, and did I mention that membrane keyboards have to be bottomed out to register a key press? With different mechanical switches, you can customize it so you only have to press a key partway for it to register if you prefer that type of typing experience more.
Sometimes, a membrane keyboard’s feel can be vastly different even just 100 days into using it. A mechanical keyboard is entirely different in that regard. Mechanical switches are typically rated for upwards of 100 million keystrokes, while membrane keyboards top out at about 10 million—though they often fail much sooner than that.
Membrane vs. Mechanical Keyboards: What’s the Difference?
Have you ever stopped to think about the difference between mechanical keyboards and membrane keyboards? Or which is really better? We have!
One of my favorite parts of modern mechanical keyboards is that they have hot-swappable switches, as I already mentioned. This means if a particular switch does start to fail, you can simply swap it out. With a membrane keyboard, you have to essentially throw the old one out and buy a completely new keyboard.
I have some mechanical keyboards that are well over a decade old, and they feel just as good today as they did when I bought them. Meanwhile, I have membrane keyboards that need to be replaced after only a year or two because they just simply don’t hold up as well.
Mechanical keyboards offer a better typing experience and build quality
I can type for hours on end without any finger or arm fatigue
Most membrane keyboards come in a plastic shell with little key travel. Meanwhile, many mechanical keyboards come in metal shells and deliver a satisfying click.
It’s very easy to know when you’ve typed on a mechanical keyboard. A membrane keyboard has often left me guessing whether I actually clicked the key or not. Just the other day, I got a second-hand iMac with an Apple Magic Keyboard—which I love the feeling of typing on. However, the right shift key has collapsed, and I have no idea whether it presses or not. Unlike a typical key, it’s hard to know if shift is registering, especially when you’re typing in a password.
Don’t buy your first mechanical keyboard without reading this
Let’s go down that rabbit hole.
With a mechanical keyboard, this simply doesn’t happen—at least, not very regularly. Like I said, I’ve been using mechanical keyboards for well over a decade, and I’ve never had a switch go out on me, though I’ve had many membrane keyboards fail.
The typing experience is also more comfortable on mechanical keyboards. The switches can be personalized in so many ways. Not only can you swap them out, but mechanical switches can also be lubricated and O-rings can be installed to completely change the feel.
I’m a tactile switch person, meaning I like keyboards that have a very definitive “click” when you type on them. There are linear switches, quiet switches, loud switches, you name it, and there’s a switch for it.
8/10
- Brand
-
Keychron
- Wireless
-
Yes (Bluetooth and 2.4GHz)
The Keychron K4 HE is one of the more affordable Hall-effect keyboards available today, yet it offers a super-smooth and pillowy experience with advanced software customization. It’s an excellent option for gamers who want a competitive edge and a genuinely fun typing surface.
At the end of the day, mechanical keyboards offer greater customizability, better durability, and a more premium typing experience than membrane keyboards. If you spend all day typing, then you should definitely consider switching to a mechanical keyboard. It’ll take a bit of time to transition to, but once you do get used to it, there’s no going back.
