Custom mechanical keyboards are the proper next step for newbies in the hobby who want to graduate from those ultra-budget plastic boards with traditional mounting systems. However, it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed when you’re venturing into the custom mechanical keyboard kit territory.
That’s because you’ll soon find out that the best custom mechanical keyboards are out of stock or are only available through Group Buy events or pre-orders. They’re practically crowd-funded, but for a more coordinated and niche crowd.
Thankfully, some companies are more considerate of people who want to get their products right away after paying for them. There are in-stock options available for custom mechanical keyboard kits, especially if you value customization and the thrill of assembling your own keyboard with some crude semi-genius modifications.
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Do note that there’s a certain quality that you need to keep in mind when buying custom mechanical keyboards to see if what you’re actually getting is a good starting point or no better than the usual pre-built budget options. These specs are as follows:
- South-facing PCB – It’s a style that determines the orientation of the switches. Because Cherry profile keycaps– the most popular keycap style, will sometimes hit the roof of north-facing switches in north-facing PCBs. But most in-stock custom mechanical keyboards are in the budget segment so don’t expect them to all have south-facing PCBs.
- Mounting style – A good and popular mounting style these days is gasket-mounted, since tray-mounted mechanical keyboards are associated with budget or cheap brands or manufacturing processes. Again, most in-stock custom mechanical keyboards are in the budget segment so don’t expect them to be all gasket-mounted.
- Hotswappable – So you can swap the switches and not just the keycaps to change the overall feel and sound of the keyboard. This is a must if you value customization.
A rather important warning note: most custom mechanical keyboards are barebones kits and don’t come with keycaps and switches; you’ll have to buy those separately unless otherwise explicitly specified. Without further ado, let’s get to your options.
GMMK Pro 75
PROS
- High-degree of customization
- Solid metal case and hefty weight
- RGB LED
- South-facing PCB
- Rotary Knob counts as three keys/switches
- Multiple plate material options
- Side LED for style and swag
- Sturdy
- QMK & VIA compatibility (for changing key function)
- Lots of case colors
CONS
- Useless gasket-mount
- Somewhat sharp corners
- Somewhat pricey
- Stabilizers are hit or miss (too much rattle)
- No wireless
- Stiff typing feel
- Layout: 75%
- PCB Orientation: South-facing w/RGB LED
- Mounting Style: Fake Gasket-Mounted
- Plate: Aluminum / Brass / Polycarbonate
- Case: Aluminum
It has been out for a while now, and there are some promising options from competitors, but the GMMK Pro 75 is still one of the best and most important names in the mechanical keyboard scene. For one, it popularized the rotary knob for volume control paired with the 75 percent layout.
Moreover, you can customize its layers completely. You can add all kinds of foam to dampen the sound or put masking tape behind the PCB, whatever you want. Giving customers the option to choose between Aluminum, Polycarbonate, or Brass plates also helps in making their keyboard sound uniquely theirs.
There are some drawbacks, of course. The GMMK Pro’s “gasket mounting” is somewhat useless since there’s little to no flex in the PCB and plate. That means the gasket mount has no benefit to acoustics or typing feel and is just there to check off a list of enthusiast “features.” But if you don’t value the authenticity of gasket-mounting, then the GMMK Pro is a solid choice.
GMMK Pro 75
KDBfans Tiger Lite / Tiger 80
PROS
- Impressive marbly sound reminiscent of higher-end mechanical keyboards
- Has an included tape mod
- Generous foam inclusions
- Tsangan bottom row for symmetrical aesthetics
- Soft, flexy typing feel
- Impressive acoustics
- South-facing PCB
- Reasonably affordable
- QMK & VIA compatibility (for changing key function)
- Lots of case colors
CONS
- No wireless
- Thin plastic case (Tiger Lite)
- 7u spacebar
- No per-key RGB
- Layout: TKL
- PCB Orientation: South-facing
- Mounting Style: Gasket-Mounted
- Plate: Polycarbonate
- Case: Plastic / Aluminum (for Tiger 80)
75% layouts are not exactly for everyone. A TKL layout, however, offers a function similar to that of full-sized keyboards. And when it comes to in-stock TKL custom mechanical keyboards, it’s hard to beat the Tiger 80 and its plastic variant, the Tiger Lite.
These two are at the top of the food chain when it comes to aggressive gasket-mounted pricing. Its acoustics match that of high-end keyboards usually available only through Group Buys. If you want something that feels hefty or sturdier, then the aluminum-body Tiger 80 will surely satisfy, otherwise, its plastic-body Tiger Lite brother ought to be enough.
And don’t worry about the gasket mounting on this one, it’s genuine.
KDBfans Tiger Lite / Tiger 80
KBD67 LITE R4
PROS
- Impressive acoustics
- Comes with generous dampeners and foams
- South-facing PCB
- Reasonably affordable
- Beuatiful case colors
- QMK & VIA compatibility (for changing key function)
- Has per-key RGB
CONS
- Thin plastic case (Lite version)
- Silicone dampener takes away a lot of the flex and typing bounciness
- No wireless
- Layout: 65%
- PCB Orientation: North-Facing w/RGB LED
- Mounting Style: Tray-Mounted
- Plate: Polycarbonate
- Case: Plastic (Lite) / Aluminum
If you want a 65 percent keyboard that you yourself will build and that has a genuine gasket-mounted structure, then the KBD67 Lite R4 will surely suffice. It’s from the same makers of Tiger Lite and Tiger 80, meaning you can also expect it to have good acoustics.
It comes with a mute silicone dampener and all the other features of the Tiger Lite keyboards but in a smaller package. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another 65 percent keyboard with legitimate gasket mounting that is actually in stock. In fact, this keyboard can trade blows with high-end ones in terms of acoustics and typing feel.
Just don’t expect it to be as bouncy as the Tiger 80 or Tiger Lite. The flex cuts in this board aren’t that aggressive.
KBD67 LITE R4
Feker IK75 Pro
PROS
- Affordable
- Comes with a knob (counts as three keys and switches)
- Top and bottom RBG lighting
- Lots of modding potential
- Two wireless modes
- Two plate options (aluminum and polycarbonate)
- 8000mAh battery
- Good Bluetooth connectivity
CONS
- Useless gasket mounting
- Creaky top case
- Knob is a little wobbly
- 2.4G mode is spotty
- Layout: 75%
- PCB Orientation: North-Facing w/RGB LED
- Mounting Style: Fake Gasket-Mounted
- Plate: Polycarbonate / Aluminum
- Case: Plastic
If you want most of the things that GMMK Pro has but at less than half the price, then the IK75 Pro is one of the best alternatives. It’s a blatant clone of the GMMK Pro, but the case is only plastic and the PCB is north-facing, meaning it can run into trouble with some Cherry profile keycaps.
But with the right switches, you can avoid this issue. In terms of features, the Feker IK75 Pro is quite rich. It has gasket-mounts (fake ones, albeit), lots of foam, and also a knob.
For some, it might even be a better deal than the GMMK Pro due to the wireless options such as Bluetooth and 2.4G wireless. And for this price, it’s really hard to complain.
Feker IK75 Pro
Test Things Out to See What You Like
You might have noticed that the recommended options here are in the budget or even ultra-budget category, especially when compared to options such as KBDfans Odin which costs nearly $400 for a barebones kit. The reasoning for this is that you might not even like those expensive options despite spending a lot on them; what feels, sounds, and looks good in the mechanical keyboard hobby is heavily subjective, after all, and is up to personal preference.
So if you’re just starting out in this hobby, it’s best to try out the affordable things, so that if you mess up the build or if you didn’t like how it turned out, at least you didn’t spend too much on it. And there’s also the fact that you can sell it on a third-party market. With mechanical keyboards, the only thing that matters is your preference; that’s the whole point of customization.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Are custom mechanical keyboards easy to build?
They have a learning curve. So it's best to start on entry-level boards and watch videos for research and building guides. -
Do custom mechanical keyboards sound better?
They usually do since you can customize their dampeners and foams much better than prebuilt keyboards or other types of keyboards.