The best keyboards for Mac
The best keyboards for Mac can improve your comfort and productivity levels.
The best keyboards for Mac can help to improve your workflow and increase your comfort levels. Long hours of typing at a desk can become super strenuous on your wrists and hands, so making sure you're equipped with a durable keyboard is essential. Whilst iMacs come with their own keyboards straight out of the box and MacBooks have a keyboard built in, owning an alternative keyboard is never a bad idea if you want to explore options outside of Apple's own offering, and you'll definitely need to pick up a separate keyboard if you work with a Mac Mini or Mac Studio.
Our list below compiles a wide range of keyboards to suit every style. We've also considered connectivity, comfort levels, and device compatibility when making our recommendations, as well as price and use cases.
Looking for other ways to improve your workspace? Check out our guides to the best monitors for MacBooks and best MacBook for students, as well as the best laptops for graphic design. For now, let's check out the best keyboards for Mac to maximise your typing experience.
The best keyboards for Mac available today
Why you can trust Creative Bloq
Best overall
The Logitech MX Keys is both comfortable to use and has that polished Apple look. The ambient light sensor means it enables the backlighting when you need it, thus saving battery life. It's a full-size keyboard, so you also get a number pad. And best of all for productivity, you can remap the F-row keys, and other keys too, to better suit your workflow.
Best cheap
The Logitech K380 is a great pick for good looks at a very cheap price. The unique circular keys look great, and they're very comfortable thanks to a slight curve. It's very slim and lightweight at just 16mm thick and 423g, perfect for smaller workspaces. The drawback is that it takes two AAA batteries.
Best for multiple devices
This full size keyboard comes in two colours (space grey and silver), both of which match Apple’s aesthetics perfectly. This keyboard can wirelessly connect to three devices at once, with a quick key press switching between them. The rechargeable battery lasts up to 80 hours, and it's compatible with any newer Apple device: even the iPhone and iPad!
Best compact
If the prefer the satisfying tactility of mechanical keys, this is our top pick for you. This device from Keychron is a mechanical keyboard with plenty of key travel, which we found makes for a very pleasing typing experience. It’s compact and portable, and can switch between three devices. You can even change between macOS and Windows layouts if you also use a PC.
Best for creatives
Much like the MX Keys, the Logitech MX Craft is a full-size keyboard and an Apple-style finish. It features a clever, customisable control wheel. This wheel performs different tasks depending on the app you’re using. Turn it in Photoshop and you can adjust brightness. In Illustrator it tweaks stroke weight, and in Microsoft Excel it can be used to instantly create charts.
Best for Mac mini
Own a Mac Mini? Apple’s Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is just the ticket if you want to keep your set up fully Apple. It looks sleek and slim on your desk and features a Touch-ID button. While all modern MacBooks have Touch ID for logging in and verifying purchases just note you’ll need an Apple Silicon Mac mini for Touch ID to work.
Best ergonomic
Typing all day can lead to wrist pain if you’re not set up correctly. The Logitech Ergo K860 is an ergonomic board that splits the left and right sides of the keyboard while raising its profile in the middle to help alleviate discomfort during long typing sessions. It also comes with a built-in wrist rest and a high-quality typing feel.
Best for gaming
If you enjoy playing games on your Mac, a suitable keyboard can make a real difference. The wired SteelSeries Apex Pro is a mechanical keyboard with a blazing fast actuation point of 0.4mm – perfect for fast-paced games. There’s a built-in display for changing settings and profiles.
Best traditional
The Logitech K650 is full size and includes wrist support for ultimate comfort. It connects via batteries or Bluetooth, and has a battery life of up to 36 months. The keys have a cushioned feel for a satisfying typing experience, and design-wise the curved corners of the keyboard are a great finish. It's also pretty affordable.
How should I choose the best keyboard for Mac?
When it comes to choosing the best Mac keyboard, we've prioritised comfort, solid build and performance and aesthetics – Apple computers have such good looks that it would almost feel like a crime to patch them with an ugly keyboard.
You'll probably want to choose a wireless keyboard. This has the advantage of keeping your desk uncluttered and free from trailing wires. However, while some wireless keyboards have an internal battery, others require AA or AAA batteries which will eventually need replacing. We also recommend opting for a keyboard that's reasonably light and compact too – without sacrificing comfort. A lighter keyboard is easier to stow when you're not using it and therefore freeing up space on your desk.
Finally, although Macs aren't designed specifically with gaming in mind, if you do use your Mac for gaming you might want a keyboard with adjustable actuation distance and features like N-Key rollover and anti-ghosting.
Will a Windows keyboard work on a Mac?
In short, yes! You can use pretty much any modern Windows keyboard on a Mac as long as it has either a USB or Bluetooth connection. However, it's important to note that quick shortcuts and key types may vary between Mac and Windows, so you will need to adjust to that if you do use varying brands together. For example, using command + a key for quick shortcuts on a Mac and control + shift for hacks on a different third-party keyboard.
Get top Black Friday deals sent straight to your inbox: Sign up now!
We curate the best offers on creative kit and give our expert recommendations to save you time this Black Friday. Upgrade your setup for less with Creative Bloq.
Alex Blake is a freelance tech journalist who writes for Creative Bloq, TechRadar, Digital Trends, and others. Before going freelance he was commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine, focusing on the world of Apple products. His interests include web design, typography, and video games.