I use my laptop with the external monitor at home.

However, the keyboard is a bit crap.

Looking for a decent quality keyboard, to help with typing up documents.

On ebay and the like, there are thousands, some far too cheap and others crazy expensive.

Any recommendations for about £20 – £30?

You want a mechanical keyboard with cherry keys. Filco is good although a bit more expensive.

Then the question is brown or blue keys.

I’ve bought this for my current working from home situation. Works fine and I quite like the slightly old fashioned keys.

I like Logitech stuff. Been using a K545 since lockdown which feels nice to me.

Another vote for Logitech, I’ve got a cheap K120 and it’s fine to type on.

Thanks for the suggestions, just looked at my wireless mouse and it’s Logitech, so I will get a Logitech K270, which uses the same dongle.

@oldnpastit – Filco look very good but at over £100, way out of my budget. My refurbed Thinkpad, was only £250!

I recommend a keyboard without number pad (keeps the arms together with a mouse). Surprisingly these are hard to find in full size and are not cheap. My standard goto is a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I’m tempted by the Cherry but the keys will be noisy during team calls 😉

Cherry compact https://www.cherry.co.uk/products/office-and-home-office/keyboards/compact-keyboards.html

Logitech K380 https://www.logitech.com/en-gb/product/multi-device-keyboard-k380?crid=27

This one travels everywhere with matching mouse and Roost stand.

You want a mechanical keyboard with cherry keys.

If you can get it for the price.  Cherry rocks

I’ve got the Logitech K270 – abut the third keyboard that I have bought and tried out. I like it.

My favourite one is an old HP keyboard, which my better half has stolen. We took it apart yesterday to clean it. Came apart easily, cleaned up very well and went together afterwards. Not bad for 15 year old keyboard. Not sure I can do this with more modern keyboards!

I think it’s worth stumping up the extra for a better keyboard.

Anything in the £20-30 range is still going to be using rubber dome keys. Your thinkpad probably has a better keyboard.

I have the Logitech K270 and M185 mouse, they work fine.

You can get mechanical keyboards for less than £100, easily. I have two Anne Pro 2s (each ~£60) but if you don’t need wireless a MagicForce 68 can be had for as little as £30 from Amazon.

I really like Gateron brown keys, much more so than Cherry blue or brown (YMMV) but I don’t have any experience of the ‘Outemu’ keys on the cheapest magicforce. Still, they’ll be better than rubber domes and the MagicForce is a solid keyboard.

I find Microsoft Keyboards and mice to be pretty decent

I bought a Logitech G512 a couple of weeks ago. I think it’s ace, but a ‘clicky’ keyboard isn’t for everyone. It sounds like dropping a bag of marbles into the bath when I get going.

EDIT: from Currys of all places. Nearly half the price of everywhere else.

I got a Veho kbd/mouse from Sportpursuit of all places. £25 and it’s top. My typing is so much faster 😀 ‘citing stuff.

Treated myself to a Varmilo custom USB keyboard a couple of months back as my apple keyboard was failing.

Not many Mac mechanicals about, and even fewer in 10keyless. Cherry Browns, no backlighting. Weighs a ton – something I read mentioned cast iron (!) inside and I don’t think they were joking. Way out of your price range. Cost some way over a ton in the end as well.

That’s a Nice Thing.

Each to their own 😁

I find Microsoft Keyboards and mice to be pretty decent

yeah, been using a sidewinder x4 for years. never tried there mice though.

Oh! A mechanical keyboard thread.

£400 and I can build you another one of these?

5+ year old Corsair K70 mechanical keyboard here, lovely to type on.

Continuing with keyboards way over budget that we happen to own…

Das Keyboard Ultimate. Great for make life difficult for the non-touch typists in your home. Aluminium top, cherry mechanical (brown or blue), volume control dial (I use it so much), blank keys, USB3 hub, footbar that functions as a ruler that I never used once for measuring anything in the 6 years I’ve owned it. Tux Penguin keys available for replacing the Windows keys.

Would post a pic, but my desk is a tip and the keyboard is filthy.

I’m a big fan of the Logitech K270 and an M705 mouse.

They are reliable and comfortable.

£400 and I can build you another one of these?

I hope that USB cable on that thing, is a directional, low noise, has a coherent earthing system and has OCC copper cores.

Someone needs to clean up after their rabbit

Obviously this thread has gone off into the world of mechanical keyboards at probably 3x the price of the OP’s initial request, but for me, they really are worth it. Mine has outlasted a couple of laptops and I expect it to last for years and years. As above, consider the 10keyless versions for ergonomic reasons.

A bit of a stealth for sale post but I’ve got a Bluetooth Microsoft Designer keyboard and mouse set that I need to list on ebay at some point. Nice, compact and quiet keyboard, used for a couple of months until I loved jobs and the new work laptop has bluetooth disabled! No idea how much I want for it yet.
https://shop.bt.com/products/microsoft-designer-bluetooth-desktop-keyboard-and-mouse-set-7n9-00006-BLV2.html

Well I ordered a Logitech K270. Didn’t work at all when it arrived.

It was rubbish anyway.

Sent it back and bought a £45 mechanical “gaming” keyboard instead. It’s great just what I needed.

@gobuchal

Whats your £45 mech keyboard? I might want a cheap one for somewhere else.

This Redragon one.

It has some fancy LED back lighting effects but they are easy to switch off.

Oh this thread popped back up.. funnily enough I just ordered another Veho one from SportPursuit for my home computer, decided I like the one I’ve been using for work so much.. shame it doesn’t work on Ipad.p (took me half an hour to type that)

Just after lock down I treated myself to a mechanical keyboard with cherry brown keys and rgb for about £65. I don’t use the rgb for fancy effects but it’s nice to have the keys back-lit with white light.

The Havit or Redragon ones are a bargain.

Can anyone recommend a full size (i.e. with number pad) mechanical keyboard? i guess wireless ideally (as i have a uppy downy desk).

just reviving this as im after a mechanical keyboard for my mbp. Ideally wireless as apple have non standard plugs and i hate wires. Currently looking at this a <span class=”a-size-medium sc-product-title a-text-bold”>Epomaker AKKO 3084 </span>Anyone know anything about them or point me in the direction of a similar wireless mechanical keyboard?

cheers!