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You might think that all keyboards are made equal but the reality is that this belief is far from the truth. There are many differences between various keyboards on the market. Knowing those differences can help you make a sound purchasing decision regarding your next device. Let’s examine the most common types of keyboards and look at the differences between them.

Membrane Keyboard – Plunger

Membrane keyboards with plungers, like the standard Amazon Basics keyboards, are by and far the most common type of keyboard on the market. Most of the keyboards you find on the market are going to be of this type. These keyboards use a rubber or silicone membrane under the keys equipped with plastic plungers that connect to the keycaps. When you press down on the key, the plunger presses down the membrane and the electrically conductive paint on the underside of the membrane is pressed down to the printed circuit board (PCB) underneath. It connects the circuit underneath the key and voila! Your keyboard sends a signal to your computer to tell it what key you pressed!

Membrane keyboards of this type are popular because they cheap in construction and intuitive to use. They are the everyman’s keyboard with no frills at all and nothing special about them. However, they have several important factors that make them unsuitable for some users.

Actuation Force

The actuation force of a membrane keyboard is around 180 grams and climbing. Some membrane keyboards have a lighter press, particularly those outfitted with scissor switches instead of plungers. However, you won’t see many keyboards with an actuation force of lower than 180 grams. So, you should assume that any membrane keyboard you buy is going to have an actuation force of at least that much.

The high actuation force of membrane keyboards makes them unsuitable for gaming and typing. This designation is because these activities involve heavy use of the keyboard for prolonged periods. A high actuation force would increase the hand strain caused when doing these activities with a membrane keyboard and increase the risk of repetitive strain injuries.

Durability

Keyboards have a maximum durability. Most plunger membrane keyboards on the market have a durability rating of 5–10 million keystrokes before the keyboard starts to degrade. However, this is not actually that many keystrokes, especially for a heavy user like a typist or gamer. These users might end up doing 5–10 million keystrokes in just a year or even less depending on how much they use their keyboards.

Rubber Dome

Rubber dome keyboards, like the ROCCAT Magma, are similar to membrane keyboards in that they use a rubber membrane. However, unlike a standard plunger membrane, rubber dome keyboards have a stiff rubber dome under each key that folds in when pressed down and completes the circuit on the PCB.

Actuation Force

The actuation force of a rubber dome keyboard is significantly lower than a typical plunger keyboard. The rubber domes are easier to press, coming in around 65–80 grams on average.

Durability

The durability of a rubber dome keyboard is roughly comparable to a standard, plunger membrane keyboard.

Membrane Keyboard – Scissor Switch

Scissor switch keys like the original Apple keyboard or the Cherry Stream Keyboard use an interlocking cross mechanism, like a pair of scissors. The scissor mechanism aids in pressing the membrane’s plunger down. Scissor switch keyboards are ideal for people who want a membrane keyboard with a lower actuation force, as the scissor mechanism drastically lowers the actuation force of the keys.

Actuation Force

The actuation force of scissor switch keyboards can be quite low. Some of them are around 35 grams of force, which is lower than the average mechanical switch.

Durability

Scissor switch keyboards are more durable than the average membrane keyboard. While most membrane keyboards have a durability of around 3–5 million keystrokes, scissor switch keyboards sit around the 5–10 million keystroke mark on average.

Membrane Keyboard – Chiclet

Chiclet keyboards, like the HP 150, are unique and often prized by typists who enjoy the smooth feeling of the keys. With chiclet keys, the key itself acts as the plunger, pressing the whole membrane underneath it down to the conductive traces on the PCB.

Actuation Force

The actuation force of a chiclet keyboard varies depending on the construction materials. However, chiclet keyboards have significantly lower actuation force than most other keyboards. This difference is sometimes caused by the lower travel distance of the chiclet key, but can also be caused by the construction of the key.

Chiclet keys have a larger button surface area. As surface area goes up, the amount of pressure that you need to apply to the key to actuate it goes down. Thus, chiclet keys provide more leverage to the user and reduce the amount of force needed to actuate the keys.

Durability

The durability of a chiclet keyboard is roughly equivalent to any other membrane keyboard except for scissor switches.

Mechanical Keyboard

Mechanical keyboards use a matrix of individual switches that act as the keys. Users push down the switch stem, compressing the spring inside the switch. As the spring compresses, it touches the conductive traces on the PCB and completes the circuit, telling the computer what key was pressed.

Actuation Force

The actuation force of a mechanical keyboard varies depending on which switches are installed on it. There are three types of mechanical switches: Clicky, Tactile, and Linear. Linear switches have the lowest actuation force of the bunch, but even clicky and tactile switches will have a lower actuation force than a standard membrane keyboard. Some even have actuation forces more in line with a chiclet keyboard.

Durability

Mechanical keyboards are the most durable choice by far. Membrane keyboards have a durability between 3 and 10 million keypresses depending on construction. However, mechanical keyboards are looking at a durability rating of 30 to 100 million keypresses, making them about 10 times more durable than a membrane keyboard.