Best keyboards to use with the Macbook Pro

[The Clark]

Does anybody have any recommendations for keyboards to use with the MBP when it's hooked up to a monitor? Is the Magic Keyboard any good? What keyboards do you use?

 

[icanhazmac]

Logitech MX Keys, great choice especially if you have more than 1 device, it can swap between 3 with a push of a button. I use it with my MBP, PC and iPad.

Buy MX Keys S Keyboard - Full-Size | Logitech

Shop MX Keys S Keyboard. Features backlighting, custom shortcut keys, spherically-dished keys, smarter Fn keys, emoji key, multi-device, smart actions, and more

www.logitech.com

 

[06tb06]

Does anybody have any recommendations for keyboards to use with the MBP when it's hooked up to a monitor? Is the Magic Keyboard any good? What keyboards do you use?

If Mac is all you're using, the Magic keyboard is perfect. The Magic keyboard and Magic mouse are what I use when I connect to my LG 32-inch display. The look and feel will be familiar to your MBP.

 

[Sterkenburg]

I customized a Keychron K8 with my favorite mechanical switches. I love how it turned out, the downside is that I can't go back to standard off-the-shelf stuff anymore .

As for the Magic Keyboard, it's a matter of taste and preference of course but I personally don't think it's that special. The only strong upside compared to a good 3rd party board is the TouchID, but I'm not willing to give up using a better switch with proper travel and keyfeel just to get that.

 

[Sanpete]

I like the Logitech MX Keys too. Extra quiet and smooth, with good key response feel, 1.8mm key travel. Solid but thin construction. Not super-light, 1 pound 11 ounces on my scale. Nice even backlighting and great battery life; bleed starts at about 45 degrees. I tested all the shortcuts and control/function keys a while back on High Sierra and all but display sleep worked. Don't know how that goes on Monterey. Bluetooth only, cable is for charging.

 

[The Clark]

If Mac is all you're using, the Magic keyboard is perfect. The Magic keyboard and Magic mouse are what I use when I connect to my LG 32-inch display. The look and feel will be familiar to your MBP.

I really liked the manic keyboard but the space bar was really loud on the last one I had. At least, louder than the other keys.. is that normal?

 

[The Clark]

I customized a Keychron K8 with my favorite mechanical switches. I love how it turned out, the downside is that I can't go back to standard off-the-shelf stuff anymore .

As for the Magic Keyboard, it's a matter of taste and preference of course but I personally don't think it's that special. The only strong upside compared to a good 3rd party board is the TouchID, but I'm not willing to give up using a better switch with proper travel and keyfeel just to get that.

I’ll check out Keychron. A lot of people recommend them. Last mechanical was a filfo ninja. Ifs been a while.

 

[Sterkenburg]

I’ll check out Keychron. A lot of people recommend them. Last mechanical was a filfo ninja. Ifs been a while.

I like them, their products were a bit rough along the edges when they started but they have improved considerably since then. They have a broader lineup of layouts and styles than most makers, plus their barebones are a good entry point to make a semi-custom build without breaking the bank.

 

[glindon]

I've always stuck with Apple's keyboards over the years. I recently got the touchID with numeric keypad (for the eye watering price of ~$200 after tax).

For me it comes down to having the same feel as the built in MacBook keyboard. I write a lot on both so having them both have the same feel and layout (arrow keys notwithstanding) helps eliminate mental switching.
Plusses on the Magic keyboard -- touchID is very useful, unless you have a paired Watch which basically does the same function. Very good battery life. Compact. Comes with a fancy braided lightning to USB-C cable, which you cannot buy otherwise.
Cons - Price. No backlight on the keys.

 

[The Clark]

I've always stuck with Apple's keyboards over the years. I recently got the touchID with numeric keypad (for the eye watering price of ~$200 after tax).

For me it comes down to having the same feel as the built in MacBook keyboard. I write a lot on both so having them both have the same feel and layout (arrow keys notwithstanding) helps eliminate mental switching.
Plusses on the Magic keyboard -- touchID is very useful, unless you have a paired Watch which basically does the same function. Very good battery life. Compact. Comes with a fancy braided lightning to USB-C cable, which you cannot buy otherwise.
Cons - Price. No backlight on the keys.

I have a watch so the touch ID seems less appealing but I do remember liking my older magic keyboard. The only concern I remember having, and it wasn't really a big deal but the spacebar was so much louder than any of the other keys; it felt a lot different too.

Probably not a big deal and just due to the size but do you notice anything on your apple keyboards?

 

[Inutopia]

MX Keys. Picked one up for £60, great keyboard

 

[Danfango]

Magic keyboard. Keys are the same size and in the same place. This leads to less errors typing.

 

[dallegre]

I'm using the Nuphy Air75. I like it so much that I bought a second one. The layout is very similar to a mac/magic keyboard layout, with a few notable exceptions (FN key, right shift/arrow keys, no touch ID), but it's close enough that it's a pretty easy transition. It can connect via bluetooth, usb receiver, or wire and supports switching between 4 devices. Has Win/Mac modes (and comes with Win/Mac specific key caps). It's a mechanical keyboard, but is low profile and shorter travel than a typical mechanical keyboard, so it's not as drastic a transition from a laptop keyboard. I have both the red and the brown switches and really like the browns.

NuPhy Air75

NuPhy Air75 is an innovative 75% ultra-slim wireless mechanical keyboard. With the world’s thinnest PBT spherical keycap, low-latency 2.4G wireless connection, and hot-swappable function, Air75 aims to become the new standard for slim mechanical keyboards.

nuphy.com

 

[glindon]

I have a watch so the touch ID seems less appealing but I do remember liking my older magic keyboard. The only concern I remember having, and it wasn't really a big deal but the spacebar was so much louder than any of the other keys; it felt a lot different too.

Probably not a big deal and just due to the size but do you notice anything on your apple keyboards?

I’ve never noticed the space bar being noisy. Perhaps on the older models that used the AA batteries (honestly can’t remember) but not the most recent ones.

 

[DJLC]

I've used a Logitech K750 for maybe 4 years now. I like it a lot. It's got the proper Mac keys + it's wireless + it's solar and I've literally never charged it or changed the battery. But lately on my new MacBook Pro, it's occasionally suffering from some sort of wireless interference and becoming unresponsive — I know it's not macOS because the built-in keyboard works fine during these times + I don't think it's the K750 itself because I have two and they both do the same thing.

So I just ordered a Keychron K4v2. Super stoked. It just left Hong Kong... not that I'm watching impatiently.

Apple keyboards are nice, but I've never been convinced they're worth it. Except maybe the new one with a fingerprint scanner if that's a feature you really want.

 

[fenderbass146]

I hook my 2019 16" up to two thunderbolt displays and use a Magic Keyboard (rechargable kind) and a Magic Trackpad 2. I love this setup.

 

[Bandaman]

Logitech MX Keys, great choice especially if you have more than 1 device, it can swap between 3 with a push of a button. I use it with my MBP, PC and iPad.

Buy MX Keys S Keyboard - Full-Size | Logitech

Shop MX Keys S Keyboard. Features backlighting, custom shortcut keys, spherically-dished keys, smarter Fn keys, emoji key, multi-device, smart actions, and more

www.logitech.com

This. There is nothing else as far as I’m concerned. It’s like the Apple keyboard on steroids with backlit keys. I’m honestly very impressed the construction of it. I also like the MX anywhere mouse. The customizable scroll is very nice.

The Apple keyboard mouse are also always a good option, but the lack of backlit keys kind of sucks.

 

[Fishrrman]

There is no such thing as "the best keyboard".

Keyboards are such a personal preference, with so many choices, it's a matter of finding the ones that YOU like best.

You may like those flat, ridiculous keyboards that Apple has put out for years.
I can't stand them.

Or... you may like a more "traditional" keyboard, with the look, feel and touch of "mechanical keys". Perhaps something like this:

Unicomp GA LLC: macOS®

(a friend has one).

I do well enough on an ancient Macally keyboard, similar to this:

Macally IKEY4 Wired Keyboard for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Macally IKEY4 Wired Keyboard at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[-griffy-]

Another vote for the Logitech MX Keys. It's a very nice keyboard, and paired with the MX Master 3 mouse you can move between systems without pressing the device keys to switch. Move the mouse to the edge of the screen and it'll go over to the other computer, automatically switching both the mouse and keyboard to the other device. You can even copy/paste between them. I use them at home to go between my Macbook and desktop PC, and at work to go between my MacBook and iMac.

 

[ataq]

I'm using the Nuphy Air75. I like it so much that I bought a second one. The layout is very similar to a mac/magic keyboard layout, with a few notable exceptions (FN key, right shift/arrow keys, no touch ID), but it's close enough that it's a pretty easy transition. It can connect via bluetooth, usb receiver, or wire and supports switching between 4 devices. Has Win/Mac modes (and comes with Win/Mac specific key caps). It's a mechanical keyboard, but is low profile and shorter travel than a typical mechanical keyboard, so it's not as drastic a transition from a laptop keyboard. I have both the red and the brown switches and really like the browns.

NuPhy Air75

NuPhy Air75 is an innovative 75% ultra-slim wireless mechanical keyboard. With the world’s thinnest PBT spherical keycap, low-latency 2.4G wireless connection, and hot-swappable function, Air75 aims to become the new standard for slim mechanical keyboards.

nuphy.com

I have the same keyboard with brown switches. Absolute joy to use.
I ordered this and the Keychron K3 with red switches at the same time and what can I say. The Air75 is so much more enjoyable. I like the keys and the overall typing experience much more. Would love to know how the K3 with brown switches feel compared to the Air75 with brown switches.

Only issue is that I'm used to a german ISO layout keyboard and which the Air75 is not.

 

[mk313]

Another vote for the Logitech MX Keys. I bought one when we started working from home, so I could quickly move form work computer to my Mac. It allows you to hook up to 3 devices, so I use the third connection for my iPhone.

 

[srbNYC]

And it's MX Keys in a landslide! Another fan here. I was excited when I first got my Apple keyboard, but fell out of love quickly; the flatness wore me out. The MX feel is great: just right "dimple" on each key, perfect travel, backlighting is excellent. Feels like "a keyboard" but a little more modern.

Software is updated with decent frequency (although usually just adding support for new Logitech devices).

 

[The Clark]

I ended up buying the Logitech MX Keys. There's no doubt that I made the right choice!

Thanks for the recommendation folks!

 

[Jim Lahey]

I use the Satechi Slim X1 and can’t really fault it. Looks the part and build quality is very sturdy. Backlight in a darkened room is very welcome after peering into the abyss of Apple’s Magic Keyboard for far too many years. Fully deserving of a place in any Apple setup. Only downside is that macOS incorrectly shows the remaining battery charge permanently at 100% But the device at least has a green/red/flashing LED status indicator which mitigates this to an extent, and it charges pretty quickly over USB-C.

ETA: sorry, pulled the trigger too early on this post and see you’ve already purchased. Good choice 👍

 

[mectojic]

There is no such thing as "the best keyboard".

Keyboards are such a personal preference, with so many choices, it's a matter of finding the ones that YOU like best.

You may like those flat, ridiculous keyboards that Apple has put out for years.
I can't stand them.

Or... you may like a more "traditional" keyboard, with the look, feel and touch of "mechanical keys". Perhaps something like this:

Unicomp GA LLC: macOS®

(a friend has one).

I do well enough on an ancient Macally keyboard, similar to this:

Macally IKEY4 Wired Keyboard for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Macally IKEY4 Wired Keyboard at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

No way... the original 1999 Macally iKey is my favourite keyboard! I don't know how they did it, but it's the best typing experience I've had in my whole life. I picked mine up last year.