Please stop torturing your fingers with membrane keyboards

Are you like me and type thousands of words a day on your keyboard? Is the keyboard you’re using one of those cheap membrane keyboards? Here’s why you should stop using a membrane keyboard if you type all day and switch to a mechanical keyboard.

Most membrane keyboards are not comfortable to type on

No one ever said how much they loved typing on a cheap membrane keyboard

Credit: Kris Henges / How-To Geek

I want to get this out of the way right off the bat: yes, there are decent membrane keyboards. My 14-inch MacBook Pro has a fantastic keyboard, even if it is a membrane. In fact, many laptops use a hybrid scissor switch approach that is almost a mix of mechanical feel and membrane support. However, not all membrane keyboards are made to this level of quality.

I’ve owned more keyboards than I’d like to count over the years. Like most, I started with cheap membrane keyboards and moved to a mecha-membrane keyboard at some point, a hybrid mechanical/membrane key switch.

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However, once I finally went all mechanical, there was no turning back. The feeling of typing on a mechanical keyboard versus a membrane keyboard is night and day, with the mechanical coming out on top every time.

These days, you can even customize the feel of your mechanical keyboard with different switches. More and more mechanical keyboards are shipping as hot-swappable, meaning you can change the switches for a different feel if you don’t like the way it feels right off the bat. This is simply something that is not possible on membrane keyboards.

The typing experience of a membrane keyboard deteriorates over time

Mechanical keyboards hold up better

Credit: Parilov/Shutterstock.com

How a membrane keypad works involves pushing down a rubber dome to contact a pad on a circuit board. For this reason, over time, a membrane keyboard may become more difficult to type or simply stop working. The problem is that this change can be slow or rapid: there’s really no way to know. Oh, and did I mention that membrane keyboards to have be at the bottom to register a key press? With different mechanical switches, you can customize it so that you only need to press a key halfway for it to register if you prefer more of that type of typing experience.

Sometimes the feel of a membrane keyboard can be very different, even after just 100 days of use. A mechanical keyboard is totally different in this regard. Mechanical switches are typically rated for over 100 million keystrokes, while membrane keyboards reach around 10 million, although they often fail much sooner than that.

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One of my favorite parts of modern mechanical keyboards is that they feature hot-swappable switches, as I mentioned before. This means that if a particular switch do starts to fail, you can simply swap it. With a membrane keyboard, you basically have to throw out the old one and buy a whole new keyboard.

I have mechanical keyboards that are over a decade old and they feel just as good today as when I bought them. Meanwhile, I have membrane keyboards that need to be replaced after just a year or two because they just don’t hold up as well.

Mechanical keyboards offer a better typing experience and better build quality

I can type for hours without any finger or arm fatigue

Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek

Most membrane keyboards come in a plastic shell with little key travel. Meanwhile, many mechanical keyboards come in metal shells and deliver a satisfying click.

It’s very easy to tell when you’ve typed on a mechanical keyboard. A membrane keyboard often left me guessing whether I actually clicked the key or not. The other day I bought a used iMac with an Apple Magic Keyboard, which I love the feeling of typing on. However, the right shift key has fallen apart and I’m not sure if it’s pressing or not. Unlike a regular key, it’s difficult to know if Shift is saved, especially when you enter a password.

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Let’s go down this rabbit hole.

With a mechanical keyboard, this simply doesn’t happen, at least not very regularly. As I said, I’ve used mechanical keyboards for over a decade and not a single switch has gone out, even though many membrane keyboards have failed.

The typing experience is also more comfortable on mechanical keyboards. Switches can be customized in many ways. Not only can you swap them, but the mechanical switches can also be lubricated and O-rings can be installed to completely change the feel.

I’m a fan of tactile switches, which means I like keyboards that make a very definitive “click” when you tap on them. There are linear switches, quiet switches, loud switches, you name it, and there’s a switch for it.

8/10

Brand

Key Chrono

Wireless

Yes (Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz)

The Keychron K4 HE is one of the most affordable Hall Effect keyboards available today, but it delivers an ultra-smooth and cushy experience with advanced software customization. This is a great option for players looking for a competitive edge and a truly fun hitting surface.

Ultimately, mechanical keyboards offer greater customization, better durability, and a more premium typing experience than membrane keyboards. If you spend all day typing, you should definitely consider upgrading to a mechanical keyboard. The transition will take a little time, but once you get used to it, you won’t be able to go back.