Whether you’re buying your first mechanical keyboard or doing research for your endgame build, keycaps are a huge part of not only your keyboard’s appearance but also its all-around typing experience. The keycaps you choose can have a massive impact on how you type, what it feels like, and what your keyboard sounds like. That’s why it’s important to find the right set for your personal needs.
However, there are a lot of different details to consider when looking at keycaps, and it can be overwhelming if you’re new to the hobby or out of the loop on certain developments. I’ve put together this guide to serve as a jumping-off point into the world of keycaps. Here’s everything you need to know.
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Table of Contents
Make Sure the Keycaps Will Fit
The most important part of any keycap set is to make sure the keycaps will fit your keyboard. If not, you’ll either be stuck not using the set at all, or mixing your brand-new keycaps with old ones for full coverage. To start, here’s what you’ll want to look for.
Make sure your keycaps fit your switches! Most modern keyboards use standard MX-style switches with a plus-shaped stem. These have become ubiquitous, and as a result, almost every keycap set offered today will be compatible with them. However, if you want to use keycaps from an older keyboard, there’s a good chance they won’t fit a newer one.
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Photograph: Henri Robbins
The three most common “alternative” switches are Alps switches, which have a small minus-shaped stem, Topre (also referred to as EC) switches, which have a circular stem, and Kailh Choc low-profile switches, which have two prongs on the stem. These keycaps cannot be used on an MX-style keyboard, but any keycap listings will clearly label them.
Next, you’ll want to check layouts. While most keyboards have adopted fairly standardized layouts today, a few stand out. The best modern example is the HHKB Studio, which has unique G, H, and B keys, plus a shorter-than-average spacebar, none of which are included in the “standard” keycap set. Some keycap sets will have specific kits to cover more unusual layouts though.
Make sure your keycap set has full coverage. While most sets today include everything needed for a full-size keyboard, I have seen an influx of keycap sets that sell the number pad separately in exchange for a lower base price, and the same has even been the case for arrows and function row keys, particularly on budget-oriented (or customizable) keycap sets.
Keycap Profiles and Sculpts
After you’ve figured out what kind of keycaps you need for your keyboard, you should start thinking about what shape you want these keycaps to be. The shape of your keycaps will have the largest impact on how typing feels, and on how comfortable typing is. The most basic aspects of this are the height of the keycap, the shape it is sculpted in, and the presence of different sculpted rows.
But first, it’s worth noting that there is no standardized naming convention for keycap profiles—the names themselves are arbitrary and are determined entirely by the keycap manufacturer. Some have logical names (like how OSA keycaps are a fusion of OEM—original equipment manufacturer—and SA—spherical all—sculpts), while others are a bit silly (PBS stands for Penguin Belly Slide).
