Keyboards in the workplace can be extremely loud. Although, some people may welcome the symphony that sounds like teamwork, others may get annoyed at the utter clacking and find it very distracting.
Loud keyboards are not only found at the office, but they can also be extremely disruptive at other places, such as in your home, cafes, or the library.
The best quiet keyboards can put you back in the good graces of your co-workers, roommates, and friends. Quiet keyboards are available in both wired or wireless models. You can also purchase ones that come complete with a mouse.
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My Real Life Keyboard Nightmare
I had been living in the dorms at my university for more than three months. One of my roommates stayed up gaming at all hours of the night. He had a keyboard that was so loud it felt like someone was tap dancing on my eardrums.
Of course, he didn’t hear it because he wore noise-cancelling headphones to isolate the game’s sound. He doesn’t realize how annoying his keyboard is and how often it keeps me up at night. Instead of throwing the keyboard out of the third-story window, I decided to be a bit more subtle. I printed out a few products for quieter keyboards and left them on the table. When he came back from class one evening, I started a conversation about how some keyboards can be loud. He replied, “I know. Mine is so loud. That’s why I got the headphones.”
I asked him to try picking out one of the quiet keyboards that I’d printed out earlier because “I don’t have headphones.” A few days later, I noticed that he was on his game system and it wasn’t loud at all. I was finally able to sleep through the night!
Top Quiet Keyboards Compared
| Model: | Keyboard: | Switches: | Type: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. CORSAIR Strafe RGB MX |  | Mechanical (Cherry MX Red) | Gaming |
| 2. Logitech Orion Spectrum G910 |  | Romer-G Mechanical | Gaming |
| 3. Razer BlackWidow Elite |  | Tactile & Silent/Linear | Gaming |
| 4. SteelSeries Apex 7 RGB |  | Mechanical (QX2 Linear) | Gaming |
| 5. CORSAIR K70 |  | Mechanical (Cherry MX Red) | Gaming |
| 6. Logitech MX Keys |  | PerfectStroke Scissor | Office |
| 7. HP Wireless Elite v2 |  | Membrane (Low Profile) | Office |
| 8. Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 7000 |  | n/a | Office |
| 9. Logitech K750 Wireless Solar |  | Low Profile Scissor | Office |
| 10. Logitech K780 |  | PerfectStroke Scissor | Office |
Silent Keyboard Features to Consider
Switch Type (Most Important!) – The essential factor in having a quiet keyboard is the switch type, which affects the keystroke noise level. You want to skip the classic buckling-spring switch, which is the loudest of all. Instead, let’s compare the membrane, scissor key, and mechanical switches.
- Membrane/Dome – This type is the basic key switch mechanism you’ll find on most keyboards, and it’s generally good for typing and office settings. Nonetheless, it’s not the best choice when you’re going for higher-quality keys. That’s because it is of cheap quality, can wobble and stick, make squeaks and other noises, and lack feedback that a mechanical key can provide.
- Scissor Key – This type gives the membrane switch an upgraded scissor-like mechanism that improves the feel and makes a shorter distance for the key to be pressed. It tends to be responsive and quiet, and hard to find in newer keyboards.
- Mechanical –This type is the preferred choice of gamers, as well as many programmers and typists, due to its superior responsiveness and feel. They are not as quiet as a membrane switch, but most gamers demand mechanical responsiveness. There is a range of “quietness” when it comes to looking for the best quiet mechanical keyboard.
For quiet keys, the top options are the Cherry MX Red and Cherry MX Brown, which are color-coded to designate their actions. The Cherry MX Red uses a linear action that is smooth and silent, without needing much pressure, ideal for gamers.
The Cherry MX Brown uses tactile action, which includes a slight bump feel when pressing down on a key. While you feel the bump, you don’t hear it, as it provides quiet action, popular with touch typists.
Our top recommendation for reduced noise is the mechanical switch type. Some mechanical ones are not recommended, such as the Cherry MX Blue that makes loud click noises. Instead, the quiet versions are the Cherry MX Red and Brown discussed above.
- Wired or Wireless – Wireless connections are not the recommended choice for gamers. This is due to the fact that the connection is not reliable, which could interfere with gaming performance. However, wireless can be convenient for typing keyboards, allowing for better ergonomics by moving further from the computer. They also allow use with additional devices.
- Mouse Combos – There are a few quiet keyboards that are available with a mouse. They are wireless and battery operated. No need to set up the mouse separately, the keyboard and mouse combos operate together once they are connected to the computer.
- Slim vs Full Size – Slim keyboards is a smaller board with the numbers above the QWERTY keys. The full-size keyboard has a numeric keypad on the side making it slightly longer than the slim design.
- Advanced Keys for Gaming – When gaming is your objective, you’ll want to consider extra keys that keyboards offer specifically for gaming. These advanced keys can include programmable macro key functions that allow you to customize your experience for top gaming performance.
5 Best Quiet Keyboards for Gaming
When you’re a gamer, you need every part of your experience to be flawless, and a mechanical keyboard is an essential component of your setup. The best gaming keyboards are quiet and non-disruptive, while also giving you great responsiveness, speed, and customization. These are the 5 best quiet keyboards for gaming.
1. CORSAIR Strafe RGB MX
Quiet Factor: Uses smooth and quiet Cherry MX Red mechanical key switches, preferred by many gamers.
Gamers will love the function and quiet use of this specialty keyboard. With its linear action from Cherry MX Red mechanical key switch technology, you can easily use this keyboard in quiet situations, and you’ll find that it’s quieter than other mechanical keyboards. The keys also come with a great feel and grip through their contoured, textured keycaps.
Not only are these keys quiet, but the red key switch mechanisms are also responsive without much force to give you that edge for competitive gaming. This keyboard’s gaming-grade circuitry makes it so that every key will register, keeping up with your super speeds.
The red LED backlight option gives you a cheaper choice than the other models while providing the same level of quality. Plus, the backlit keys make it easier to see the keys at night without disturbing your roommate or family.
You can adjust this keyboard to your needs, with adjustable backlighting and programmable keys for your ideal layout. Plus, the USB pass-through on the keyboard allows you to easily connect a wireless headset adapter or mouse. A couple of downsides to consider are that you can’t install Linux on this keyboard and it doesn’t have a wrist pad.
2. Logitech Orion Spectrum G910
Quiet Factor: Quiet Romer-G mechanical switches.
The best feature of this keyboard is its ultra-responsive Romer-G mechanical key switches, which give you as high as 25 percent faster key actuation than regular mechanical ones. That means you’ll get a competitive edge for gaming.
This high-performance keyboard also provides quiet play with its mechanical switches. On top of being quiet and responsive, these key switches feature a fingerprint-masking matte texture.
You have a lot of control with this keyboard, as you can program macros to customize the function keys, you can adjust media from the keyboard and you can customize the key lighting from an almost endless range of colors. You can also disable certain keys in Game Mode and choose from over 300 pre-loaded game profiles to fit all your favorite games.
A potential downside of this keyboard is that it’s missing a USB port and a mic port. If that’s important to you, you might prefer a different quiet keyboard.
3. Razer BlackWidow Elite
Quiet Factor: Tactile and silent Razer orange mechanical switches
With its high-level mechanical switches, this gaming keyboard is incredibly responsive and fast, making it perfect for high-performance gaming. The anti-ghosting technology keeps up with your quick gameplay, registering up to 10 commands at a time.
You’re able to customize the keys on this keyboard to fit your gaming needs. Through Razer Synapse, you can program the backlit keys individually with a broad array of color options, plus it has five extra gaming buttons.
On the orange model, Razer orange mechanical switches give the keys a tactile and silent quality. This helps you play quietly without holding back. The keys are smooth and sturdy without making much noise.
As well as its quiet and responsive nature, this keyboard is ergonomic to make long gameplay more comfortable. The built-in wrist pad keeps your wrists and hands positioned just right for proper body mechanics.
4. SteelSeries Apex 7
Quiet Factor: Features quiet 3rd generation SteelSeries mechanical switches with linear actuation
You get quiet gameplay with the Apex 7 while also achieving high game performance. That’s because the third generation SteelSeries mechanical switches included on this keyboard give quick gameplay with a linear actuation that’s quiet to use, while anti-ghosting technology ensures the accuracy of keystrokes.
Beyond the sound level, this keyboard is great for gameplay because of its personalization. It allows you to customize the key backlighting to fit your gaming preferences. You can also program a variety of macros.
Designed specifically for gaming, this keyboard can use illumination to provide notifications related to game events. It can also alert you to chat notifications.
Another top feature of this keyboard is its strong and lasting aluminum metal-alloy frame. In addition to its hardiness, it provides a sleek look with a matte finish that looks great, especially when lit up with the color scheme of your choice.
5. CORSAIR K70 – Good Cheap Option
Quiet Factor: Quiet Cherry MX red mechanical key switches.
The Corsair K70 is a top-notch affordable option for the gamer looking for a quiet and responsive gaming keyboard at a reasonable price. You have the choice of the standard or the dust and spill resistant varieties; with the latter, you can continue to play despite spills.
With its Cherry MX red mechanical key switches, this keyboard provides quiet use that is also very responsive for a competitive edge. Anti-ghosting technology ensures that you get accuracy from every key you hit.
You can completely customize this keyboard to fit your gaming needs. It uses Corsair Utility Engine (CUE) for high-level macro programming as well as lighting customization.
Nothing will slow you down from gameplay when you have this keyboard. It provides Windows key lock mode to prevent the wrong key presses, in addition to controls for audio and multimedia.
Top Quiet Keyboards for Typing
A keyboard for typing is a different matter than one for gaming. You don’t need many of the extra bells and whistles that come with a higher price tag. Instead, you need a comfortable feel, quiet design, and good ergonomics. Let’s find your best quiet keyboard for typing:
6. Logitech MX Keys
While it comes with a higher price tag than other quiet typing keyboards, the Logitech MX Keys is a premium keyboard with features worth the price. The build quality is excellent, feeling more like an Apple product than other mundane keyboards. Everything feels solid and right with the MX Keys and I personally have 2 of these in my home and office.
It pairs with up to 3 devices via the wireless connection, and you can use it with additional devices through the USB receiver. It’s simple to charge with a micro-USB cord and will stay charged as long as 10 days.
The PerfectStroke key system provides smooth and quiet typing actions so you can type in peace. Noise level isn’t everything when typing for extended periods of time, and this key system also provides comfort by distributing force and providing fluid movements.
Illumination helps you see what you’re typing in low-light situations. This feature plus the quiet keys will ensure you’re not disruptive when typing at night. Plus, the backlighting only shows up through the lettering, instead of around the keys, to provide less light distraction. You can even adjust the brightness to fit your preferences.
7. HP Wireless Elite V2
When you want a good value in a quiet keyboard, the HP Wireless Elite V2 provides a quality keyboard for a reasonable price. It comes in a slim design that doesn’t take up much room and provides a sleek style. At the same time, it gives you a full-size keyboard great for all your typing needs.
This keyboard provides quiet key presses through scissor-style keys. The keys also have a low-profile design that is smooth, comfortable to use, and responsive to your keystrokes.
You can adjust the angle and height of this keyboard to make it more ergonomic and comfortable. The wireless connection also allows you to move the keyboard as far from the computer as you need for ergonomics and to fit your space.
8. Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 7000
Really, Microsoft, you couldn’t think of a better name? 😊 Regardless, this is a good keyboard for noise level… and of course… ergonomics. It comes with a split design, palm lift, and cushioned palm rest so you can comfortably and correctly position your wrists and hands.
This keyboard allows you to use hotkeys you can customize for your go-to documents and web pages. The middle of the keyboard has a zoom slider to focus, while you also have media keys for easy control over music and video.
This is a quiet keyboard, yet its design is not as quiet as other options. The ergonomic design takes precedence over the sound level with this one. A positive is that you get a great price for the top-notch ergonomic design of this keyboard.
9. Logitech K750 Wireless Solar
This affordable quiet keyboard has the amazing feature of being solar-powered. You don’t have to bother with batteries or wires. Instead, the sun or any light source will charge your keyboard, and it holds the charge for up to three months without additional light.
You gain a slim design from this keyboard, along with concave keycaps that provide comfortable and quick typing that is also quiet.
This keyboard works with a wireless receiver you keep in your computer, which includes a long-range connection. You can also set up additional wireless devices to use with the receiver.
10. Logitech K780
This versatile wireless typing keyboard works with different devices, including your computer, smartphone, and tablet. It also includes an integrated stand to hold a phone or tablet as you work. With this keyboard, you can easily flow from one device to the next.
Perfect for typing, the keys give a comfortable feel while providing a low noise level. They come with a round, low style that looks sleek while feeling great.
You can use this keyboard with a range of operating systems, whether you have Windows, Mac, Chrome OS or iOS. It’s OS adaptive so it will adapt to what you’re using and provide the layout you’re looking for.
Bonus: Macally Ultra-Slim – Quiet Keyboard for Macs
We can’t forget about all the Mac fans out there. This is the quiet keyboard for you. It provides a keyboard for a range of Mac products, including MacBook Pro/Air, Apple Mac Pro, iMac, and other devices.
This wired keyboard is very slim with low keys that are comfortable to type on. The scissor-switch key design gives you extra quiet typing that is also smooth.
You gain 16 shortcut keys that allow you to customize to your needs. You also have LED indicators for the shortcut and other important keys.
This keyboard comes with a USB wire connection that is simple to use. It uses plug and play technology so you can quickly set it up and get to work or play.
The Key to Silent Keyboards
When you want a quiet keyboard, the most important factor is the key switch type. Scissor-switch and mechanical types are some of the quieter options, and some brands and models provide quieter use than others.
Our recommendation for the best quiet keyboard for gaming is the CORSAIR Strafe RGB MX with its quiet Cherry MX red mechanical key switches along with its top-notch gaming features. For typing, we recommend the because of its PerfectStroke key system that gives quiet, smooth and comfortable movement as you type.
*Last updated 2024-12-07 at 03:59 / Product Links & Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Why cant i get a wired silent keyboard?
You can, there are several on the list 🙂
The Comfort 4000 is actually fairly loud. I know this because my downstairs neighbour goes nuts when I use it and thumps on his ceiling. Not as loud as my Corsair, I guess.
Thanks for the insight Matt, did you mean the Microsoft 4000?
Yes. Sorry, I got the name wrong. I went through a bunch of keyboards recently because of my neighbour. The Corsair K70 seemed loudest, the Microsoft 4000 not as loud but still annoyed my neighbour, and now I’m using a Kensington Slim Type keyboard, which is very quiet.
Any compact/mini options (without numeric keypad or directional keys)? This what I use b/c it fits on my office keyboard tray with the mouse next to it. Perixx https://goo.gl/9s1dgK. but it’s far from quiet. Would love a quiet option as I often need to type while patients are performing testing and I want to minimize disruption.
I think a Logitech “portable” bluetooth keyboard would work well in your situation. I have a similar (but discontinued) model from Logitech for travel.
Logitech Ultra-Portable
Logitech K380
I am about to purchase (without trying first) a mechanical keyboard from Amazon and I want it to be as quiet as possible. I’m leaning toward the Filco Majestouch-2, without the number pad with Cherry MX Brown. I’m a very fast typist but my touch is anything but soft, so I thought the Brown would be better than the Red. I’m a nubee when it comes to mechanical keyboards so wanted to ask if this would be a good choice? Also, I’m not a gamer at all…this will be used only for typing.
The downside to this keyboard is the price of $126. Are there any other good, quiet, mechanical keyboards without the number pad that are 14″ (or less) in width?
What about the Cherry MX silent keys, how do these compare with the red and the brown?