Brad Bourque Brad Bourque is a tech journalist and commerce writer based out of Portl and, Oregon. Are you curious about custom mechanical keyboards, but don’t want to spend hundreds just to get started without being sure you’ll enjoy the hobby?

99) by entering the coupon code WOOTGAMING at checkout, and first-time Woot customers will get an extra $5 off when using the same code. It’s a well-equipped keyboard out of the box, particularly for this price, and with its support for swappable switches, it’s a great platform for exploring keycap and switch options from different makers.

$35As a 65 percent mechanical keyboard, the layout favors just the essentials to keep a compact footprint. That means dropping the row of dedicated function keys, and limiting the extra buttons to standard modifiers, plus a couple of spare buttons for page up and down.

There are still arrow keys for gaming and OS navigation, and a customizable knob for volume or media controls. Under the hood, the aluminum plate and gasket system are modifiable and upgradeable, letting you dial in the typing experience and sound.

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