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Keyboards are a personal touch to computer setups that many people don’t know much about. The assumption that all keyboards are created equal isn’t entirely true and thinking that can result in using device that doesn’t suit your use case well. Laptop keyboards can be highly divisive among keyboard enthusiasts. Most enthusiasts aren’t overly fond of laptop keyboards, but that’s both subjective and a matter that differs from person to person. Are they better than mechanical keyboards? Let’s look at the differences.

What’s the Difference Between Laptop Keyboards and Mechanical Ones?

Laptop keyboards are rarely, if ever, mechanical. The form factor of a mechanical switch matrix doesn’t lend well to the small, slim, sleek shape that laptop manufacturers are aiming for. The switches and keycaps alone would add around 1–2 inches of height to the keyboard alone, which goes completely against the ultra-thin manifesto.

Thus, most laptop manufacturers build their machines with membrane keyboards. While mechanical keyboards use a matrix of switches to determine what keys you press, a membrane keyboard uses electrically conductive paint tabs painted onto a silicone or rubber membrane underneath the keys. You press the membrane down and the electrically conductive paint completes a circuit on the printed circuit board to send a signal to the computer.

For more information about the differences between membrane and mechanical keyboards, check out my in-depth analysis of the major differentiating factors.

Are Laptop Keyboards Better Than Mechanical Ones?

“Better” is a subjective term that doesn’t have much meaning here. What one person might deem “better” another might consider “unusable.” Personally, I dislike most laptop keyboards. Most of the laptop keyboards I’ve used were very heavy and the keys were excessively hard to press. The difficulty in use is often heavily exacerbated if I’m wearing fake nails, which I’m not always doing. However, I do enjoy the look of an occasional set of press-ons and since my jobs requires a lot of typing, I have to be able to type with them on.

The other big thing is that membrane keyboards are known for feeling mushy. I think the Samsung Galaxy Book 360 Pro‘s keyboard is the most guilty of this. If you ask me, pressing those keys feels like you’re shoving your fingers into a vat of alien goo. I can’t stand the keyboard on that thing and I use a mechanical keyboard with it to alleviate the negative feelings of the keyboard.