Best rubber dome keyboard

[phinix]

What is the best rubber dome keyboard? (Please do not say Topre)
What is your experience and which one would you suggest?
Looking for a cheap full keyboard for office use.

[Maledicted]

What is the best rubber dome keyboard? (Please do not say Topre)
What is your experience and which one would you suggest?
Looking for a cheap full keyboard for office use.

Packard Bell 5131cs are usually really cheap on Ebay. They have BTC dome with slider, which is pretty nice. I forget which other common/conventional brand of dome with sliders I liked offhand, but can check when I'm home (I'll leave out Fujitsu Peerless and Focus dome with slider).

There are a few modern Logitech boards in the lab at one of the schools in the district. I'm not sure if they're the best ever, but I would take them over literally anything MX. Logitech Deluxe 250, $14 on Ebay.

[fohat.digs]

As for rubber domes without sliders, I have 3 favorites:
IBM 8923
Dell Quietkey (pre-Chinese specimens with discreet domes)
Compaq SK-2800 (that one had media buttons that I liked once upon a time)

[HungerMechanic]

What does "best" even mean?

Are you looking for tactile, low-tactile, loud, quiet?

We went through a drought of good rubber-domes in the mid-2010s, maybe we still are.

Some people here have spoken highly of the Perixx Periboards. Haven't used any that I liked. There's one chunky rubber-dome they make that's said to feel like MX Brown(!)

The Kensington Keyboard for Life, at least of pre-pandemic manufacture, was an affordable and restrained board that usually had good durability. Low-tactility, the opposite of a BTC-5100.

External Thinkpad USB keyboards are rubber-dome. Should use the same good mechanism as the laptops, although not in the awesome CF roll-cage that makes the X1 Carbon keyboard so good.

I don't know of any other decent rubber-domes, though. Maybe others can help?

If you're willing to go scissor-switch, people speak highly of the Logitech Perfectstroke keyboards. There's an entry on Deskthority Wiki about them. The old ones were the real thing. But the modern ones (e.g. Logitech MX Keys) have a fan base, the MX Keys is sought-after.

Anyways, the Kensington Keyboard for Life is a perfectly adequate office keyboard, and isn't that loud. The Logitech office keyboards using the Perfectstroke system are also probably good. On the more expensive [but not Topre] side, a full-size Niz keyboard is cheaper than Topre, and will sound better out-of-box. Not as tactile as Topre, but a 35-45 G Niz is in the range of most office rubber-domes.

[MIGHTY CHICKEN]

In terms of rubber dome thock,

My preference would go out to an old apple magic keyboard, the silver-white ones with the scissor switches. Amazing things, just might have a weird winkey placement.

Otherwise logitech ones are pretty decent as previously mentioned, love the mx keys.

[HungerMechanic]

Yeah, so much love out there for the MX keys. Guess Logitech is picking up customers for building a half-decent board in this day and age.

If we go by comments I've seen, the two other good scissor-switch keyboards are the Apple Magic keyboard [once you get used to it] and the Microsoft Surface keyboard [the equivalent in the Windows world]. They are more costly than the $10 rubber-domes, for sure. But people swear by them. They're a higher tier of quality than the disposable $10 boards that come with your computer.

People also used to talk up the Logitech K740. Another Perfectstroke keyboard. The new ones aren't made to the same standard as the old ones. But they offer a better key-feel than most commodity keyboards on the market. A little heavy, I think, if you are coming from MX Brown or something, but in-line with the stiffer rubber-domes.

[HungerMechanic]

Cherry Stream [scissor-switch] is starting to get good reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/Keyboard-TenKeyLess-Compact-Keystroke-Industrial/dp/B09N9CPX34



Review:

https://www.keebtalk.com/t/cherry-stream-tkl-scissor-switches-5-day-review/16949

[Nerif]

What is the best rubber dome keyboard? (Please do not say Topre)
What is your experience and which one would you suggest?
Looking for a cheap full keyboard for office use.

There are two best rubber keyboards i have ever used. The first one is gaming keyboard called Gamdias Ares 7 Color. This is the keyboard with nice rubber domes and really nice backlighting. The second one is sun type 7 with fujitsu dome with slider switches, which are quite tactile and EXTREMELY silent, especially if you won't use the keyboard with opened flip-out feet.

[ander]

What is the best rubber dome keyboard? (Please do not say Topre)... What is your experience and which one would you suggest?... Looking for a cheap full keyboard for office use.

If I were looking for an RD board to use regularly, I'd track down one of the RD variants of IBM Model M made in the '90s.

They look like regular Model M's, but were designed for places where keyboards had to be quiet (e.g. hospitals). You can identify them by their part numbers, which start with "7". I think the most common one is 71G4644. Others are 70G8638, 71G4634, 71G4643.

IBM had very high standards in those days, and the IBM "Quiet Touch" Model M's are generally considered among the best RD boards ever made. Even those that have been typed on for years are generally in fine shape—unlike most RD boards made today, which quickly go soft and are unpleasant to keep using. (Microsoft's Natural Keyboard 4000 is a great example of that... Before I rediscovered mechanical keyboards, I used to buy a new MSNK every month, because they never felt as good as the first couple of weeks you used them!)

You're not likely to find a new one for under a couple hundred dollars, though.

If you're patient, though, you should be able to find a used one for under $100 (assuming the seller realizes it's an RD variant, and hasn't priced it like a standard "clicky" buckling-spring Model Ms, which are worth considerably more). You can then clean it up (lots of instructions on how to do that here) so it looks and works practically like new. It'll last much longer, and be much crisper and nicer to type on, than any cheap new RD board.

If you don't want to bother restoring a vintage board, my other suggestion is a new Unicomp "Quiet Touch" board, a slightly scaled-down version of the original IBM RD boards. Unicomp was formed by a group of Lexmark (IBM) keyboard employees who took over the factory when IBM stopped selling mechanical keyboards. They redesigned the Model M (including the RD variant) to be more economical, so they could keep their prices down in an age where most people were happy to type on $10 membrane boards.

A new Unicomp RD board is currently $104—but if you want an excellent, satisfying typing experience, and want a board that won't start feeling mushy a few weeks after you start using it, that's a good way to go.

[phinix]

What is the best rubber dome keyboard? (Please do not say Topre)... What is your experience and which one would you suggest?... Looking for a cheap full keyboard for office use.

If I were looking for an RD board to use regularly, I'd track down one of the RD variants of IBM Model M made in the '90s.

They look like regular Model M's, but were designed for places where keyboards had to be quiet (e.g. hospitals). You can identify them by their part numbers, which start with "7". I think the most common one is 71G4644. Others are 70G8638, 71G4634, 71G4643.

IBM had very high standards in those days, and the IBM "Quiet Touch" Model M's are generally considered among the best RD boards ever made. Even those that have been typed on for years are generally in fine shape—unlike most RD boards made today, which quickly go soft and are unpleasant to keep using. (Microsoft's Natural Keyboard 4000 is a great example of that... Before I rediscovered mechanical keyboards, I used to buy a new MSNK every month, because they never felt as good as the first couple of weeks you used them!)

You're not likely to find a new one for under a couple hundred dollars, though.

If you're patient, though, you should be able to find a used one for under $100 (assuming the seller realizes it's an RD variant, and hasn't priced it like a standard "clicky" buckling-spring Model Ms, which are worth considerably more). You can then clean it up (lots of instructions on how to do that here) so it looks and works practically like new. It'll last much longer, and be much crisper and nicer to type on, than any cheap new RD board.

If you don't want to bother restoring a vintage board, my other suggestion is a new Unicomp "Quiet Touch" board, a slightly scaled-down version of the original IBM RD boards. Unicomp was formed by a group of Lexmark (IBM) keyboard employees who took over the factory when IBM stopped selling mechanical keyboards. They redesigned the Model M (including the RD variant) to be more economical, so they could keep their prices down in an age where most people were happy to type on $10 membrane boards.

A new Unicomp RD board is currently $104—but if you want an excellent, satisfying typing experience, and want a board that won't start feeling mushy a few weeks after you start using it, that's a good way to go.

Ah, that 71G4644 could be a winner!

[Handke]

Sorry to bother you with an OT.

Why don't you get the gmmk 100% keyboard? It costs about 50 usd plus switches and keycaps. If you get silent switches from cherry, and cheap keycaps, the total cost will be about 100 usd.

[phinix]

Sorry to bother you with an OT.

Why don't you get the gmmk 100% keyboard? It costs about 50 usd plus switches and keycaps. If you get silent switches from cherry, and cheap keycaps, the total cost will be about 100 usd.

Cause GMMK keyboards are crap, need a lot of work to make them OK.
Plus, I have loads mech keyboards, don't need one more. I'm after a rubber dome keyboard that feels nice

[Maledicted]

What is the best rubber dome keyboard? (Please do not say Topre)... What is your experience and which one would you suggest?... Looking for a cheap full keyboard for office use.

If I were looking for an RD board to use regularly, I'd track down one of the RD variants of IBM Model M made in the '90s.

They look like regular Model M's, but were designed for places where keyboards had to be quiet (e.g. hospitals). You can identify them by their part numbers, which start with "7". I think the most common one is 71G4644. Others are 70G8638, 71G4634, 71G4643.

IBM had very high standards in those days, and the IBM "Quiet Touch" Model M's are generally considered among the best RD boards ever made. Even those that have been typed on for years are generally in fine shape—unlike most RD boards made today, which quickly go soft and are unpleasant to keep using. (Microsoft's Natural Keyboard 4000 is a great example of that... Before I rediscovered mechanical keyboards, I used to buy a new MSNK every month, because they never felt as good as the first couple of weeks you used them!)

You're not likely to find a new one for under a couple hundred dollars, though.

If you're patient, though, you should be able to find a used one for under $100 (assuming the seller realizes it's an RD variant, and hasn't priced it like a standard "clicky" buckling-spring Model Ms, which are worth considerably more). You can then clean it up (lots of instructions on how to do that here) so it looks and works practically like new. It'll last much longer, and be much crisper and nicer to type on, than any cheap new RD board.

If you don't want to bother restoring a vintage board, my other suggestion is a new Unicomp "Quiet Touch" board, a slightly scaled-down version of the original IBM RD boards. Unicomp was formed by a group of Lexmark (IBM) keyboard employees who took over the factory when IBM stopped selling mechanical keyboards. They redesigned the Model M (including the RD variant) to be more economical, so they could keep their prices down in an age where most people were happy to type on $10 membrane boards.

A new Unicomp RD board is currently $104—but if you want an excellent, satisfying typing experience, and want a board that won't start feeling mushy a few weeks after you start using it, that's a good way to go.

Ah, that 71G4644 could be a winner!

I like Maxi Switch dome with slider more than my RD M2, but I don't know that I have tried the buckling sleeve boards. Maxi Switch and BTC dome with slider are very nice. Any of the better dome mechanisms of the period can compete (but not win) with Topre in terms of feel in my opinion.

[phinix]

What is the best rubber dome keyboard? (Please do not say Topre)... What is your experience and which one would you suggest?... Looking for a cheap full keyboard for office use.

If I were looking for an RD board to use regularly, I'd track down one of the RD variants of IBM Model M made in the '90s.

They look like regular Model M's, but were designed for places where keyboards had to be quiet (e.g. hospitals). You can identify them by their part numbers, which start with "7". I think the most common one is 71G4644. Others are 70G8638, 71G4634, 71G4643.

IBM had very high standards in those days, and the IBM "Quiet Touch" Model M's are generally considered among the best RD boards ever made. Even those that have been typed on for years are generally in fine shape—unlike most RD boards made today, which quickly go soft and are unpleasant to keep using. (Microsoft's Natural Keyboard 4000 is a great example of that... Before I rediscovered mechanical keyboards, I used to buy a new MSNK every month, because they never felt as good as the first couple of weeks you used them!)

You're not likely to find a new one for under a couple hundred dollars, though.

If you're patient, though, you should be able to find a used one for under $100 (assuming the seller realizes it's an RD variant, and hasn't priced it like a standard "clicky" buckling-spring Model Ms, which are worth considerably more). You can then clean it up (lots of instructions on how to do that here) so it looks and works practically like new. It'll last much longer, and be much crisper and nicer to type on, than any cheap new RD board.

If you don't want to bother restoring a vintage board, my other suggestion is a new Unicomp "Quiet Touch" board, a slightly scaled-down version of the original IBM RD boards. Unicomp was formed by a group of Lexmark (IBM) keyboard employees who took over the factory when IBM stopped selling mechanical keyboards. They redesigned the Model M (including the RD variant) to be more economical, so they could keep their prices down in an age where most people were happy to type on $10 membrane boards.

A new Unicomp RD board is currently $104—but if you want an excellent, satisfying typing experience, and want a board that won't start feeling mushy a few weeks after you start using it, that's a good way to go.

Ah, that 71G4644 could be a winner!

I like Maxi Switch dome with slider more than my RD M2, but I don't know that I have tried the buckling sleeve boards. Maxi Switch and BTC dome with slider are very nice. Any of the better dome mechanisms of the period can compete (but not win) with Topre in terms of feel in my opinion.

Yeah, I remember that BTC were nice back in a days.
Ideally I would like to have old school keyboard like that, just like a nice backup or moments when I feel fed up with mx switches
Do you know of any particular model of BTC from like 90s?

[Maledicted]

I like Maxi Switch dome with slider more than my RD M2, but I don't know that I have tried the buckling sleeve boards. Maxi Switch and BTC dome with slider are very nice. Any of the better dome mechanisms of the period can compete (but not win) with Topre in terms of feel in my opinion.

Yeah, I remember that BTC were nice back in a days.
Ideally I would like to have old school keyboard like that, just like a nice backup or moments when I feel fed up with mx switches
Do you know of any particular model of BTC from like 90s?

Did you specifically want Windows keys or something? Some 5131cs are definitely 90s, rocking Windows keys. The cheapest on Ebay is untested. This one's marked as refurbished.

Gateway 2000/Anykey has Windows keys and a nice aesthetic if you ask me. They have Maxi Switch dome with sliders and Windows keys.

I haven't used either iteration of the board, but the older 5131cs are definitely tanks. The older ME 101 Maxi Switch boards (and their various rebrands) are some of the best made dome boards I have ever seen. Very Chunky plastic all around.

[phinix]

I like Maxi Switch dome with slider more than my RD M2, but I don't know that I have tried the buckling sleeve boards. Maxi Switch and BTC dome with slider are very nice. Any of the better dome mechanisms of the period can compete (but not win) with Topre in terms of feel in my opinion.

Yeah, I remember that BTC were nice back in a days.
Ideally I would like to have old school keyboard like that, just like a nice backup or moments when I feel fed up with mx switches
Do you know of any particular model of BTC from like 90s?

Did you specifically want Windows keys or something? Some 5131cs are definitely 90s, rocking Windows keys. The cheapest on Ebay is untested. This one's marked as refurbished.

Gateway 2000/Anykey has Windows keys and a nice aesthetic if you ask me. They have Maxi Switch dome with sliders and Windows keys.

I haven't used either iteration of the board, but the older 5131cs are definitely tanks. The older ME 101 Maxi Switch boards (and their various rebrands) are some of the best made dome boards I have ever seen. Very Chunky plastic all around.

Thanks.
I checked and found some nice Gateway2000 2194014 maxi switch - is that model also nice?
What is that maxi switch anyway?

[Maledicted]

I like Maxi Switch dome with slider more than my RD M2, but I don't know that I have tried the buckling sleeve boards. Maxi Switch and BTC dome with slider are very nice. Any of the better dome mechanisms of the period can compete (but not win) with Topre in terms of feel in my opinion.

Yeah, I remember that BTC were nice back in a days.
Ideally I would like to have old school keyboard like that, just like a nice backup or moments when I feel fed up with mx switches
Do you know of any particular model of BTC from like 90s?

Did you specifically want Windows keys or something? Some 5131cs are definitely 90s, rocking Windows keys. The cheapest on Ebay is untested. This one's marked as refurbished.

Gateway 2000/Anykey has Windows keys and a nice aesthetic if you ask me. They have Maxi Switch dome with sliders and Windows keys.

I haven't used either iteration of the board, but the older 5131cs are definitely tanks. The older ME 101 Maxi Switch boards (and their various rebrands) are some of the best made dome boards I have ever seen. Very Chunky plastic all around.

Thanks.
I checked and found some nice Gateway2000 2194014 maxi switch - is that model also nice?
What is that maxi switch anyway?

No problem. I have only tried one very briefly myself, at a recycling facility. I probably should have picked it up then but only "mechanical" boards were on my radar at the time. Chyros has a video on one, if you want to check that out.

I think I like the feel of the Maxi Switch ones the most of any non capacitive dome mechanism I have tried, though that's subjective.

[Altis]

Another Model M clone with good rubber domes is the Keytronic boards (such as E03601). They're generally pretty highly regarded and I found better than the rubber dome version of the Model M itself. They aren't all that quiet, though, and are on the heavier side of a rubber dome switch.

One option is to check them out at a local computer stores until you find something you like. Sometimes you can find them at second-hand stores, thrift stores, etc, usually older ones that can actually be quite nice and only a few bucks. Rubber dome keyboards range so drastically that it's hard to find one that meets your tastes without trying it yourself in person.

I tried the MX Keys and K740 and prefer the latter, to my surprise as I really expected to love the MX keys for when I need silence, but I found the travel too short and the feedback way too mushy.

[HungerMechanic]

Could you let us know how the MX Keys compares to the K740 in key weight? I understand that the K740 and other Perfectstroke keyboards are heavier than typical Cherry tactiles.

These Keytronics, I assume those are something from back in the day that feels ~kinda like maybe a U4 Boba?

[Altis]

Could you let us know how the MX Keys compares to the K740 in key weight? I understand that the K740 and other Perfectstroke keyboards are heavier than typical Cherry tactiles.

These Keytronics, I assume those are something from back in the day that feels ~kinda like maybe a U4 Boba?

I don't have them side by side to compare, but if I'd say the K740 is heavier, more tactile, and much longer travel. I recall with the MX I actually started to make quite a few typos because I couldn't really tell if I had pressed the key enough to register or not, which is an issue I don't really have with any other keyboard, and it didn't feel good at fast typing speeds. I do wish the K740 was a bit lighter because every now and again I fail to actuate a key (I'm a light typist), but at least I immediately sense it. One minor annoyance of the K740 is the key wobble, if you press the key towards an edge (especially the near edge), it really teeters and can make the keystroke feel quite different if you're hitting them on the edges. It's definitely heavier than Cherry MX and 45g Topre. Having said all that, the keycaps are smooth/soft and comfortable and the keyboard is very quiet and has a nice clicky kind of sound, has a nice key feel and stroke, is nicely lit, and doesn't look or sound out of place in an office. Closest thing I can think of to compare it with is the old IBM Thinkpad keyboards. I'd wager for many people, the K740 would be a very satisfactory keyboard.

I've never tried a U4 Boba switch so I can't compare it, but the Keytronics is still a rubber dome, but very snappy and tactile, almost binary response that is more similar to scissor switches like the K740 but with a longer stroke, and is a slightly heavier keystroke than most rubber dome membrane boards (at least my NIB copy). The upstroke clack is quite loud and pronounced/sharp though, to the point where I would hesitate to bring it in to the office -- perhaps other copies aren't so loud. They do have a very nice build quality and aesthetic, with very little key wobble, and don't feel at all like a cheap board to me.

While I'm at it, another rubber dome that I actually quite like and is still in production is the QSENN DT-35 Korean "gaming" keyboard (it became popular in the gaming scene so they ran with it). It has a nice light feel and good tactility that isn't all that far off a 45g Topre force curve, maybe slightly lighter, and sounds more muted/lower pitch than the Keytronics (if a bit plasticky), though still nowhere near as quiet as the K740. I don't love the sound but it isn't a piercing distinct sound that draws special attention so it's generally easy to live with in the office.

[butre]

older wyse domes are nice and fairly inexpensive, Dell AT101R or quietkey boards are pleasant as well.  some of the later IBM rubber domes can be good but they're a little hit and miss.

a good alternative to topre is niz keyboards, they're conceptually similar but much cheaper and compatible with cherry cross mounts, or if you take the springs out of a jwick and put tg3 "copre" domes on them you get a passable poor man's topre

[Riverman]

I recently bought a Niz keyboard.  It's extremely nice, but they're really not that much cheaper than a Topre.  The one I bought was nearly $200 after tax and shipping, but it's factory silenced and takes MX keycaps.  I've had a couple of Topre RGBs, and I prefer the Niz.  The sound and feel of the keys is much more consistent, so if you want to consider it a rubber dome keyboard, which it definitely is, I'd vote for that being the best rubber dome keyboard around, short of a Topre PFU Limited Edition.

[fohat.digs]

quietkey boards are pleasant

The pre-China Dell Quietkeys with discreet domes are among the best rubber domes.

[Pylon]

quietkey boards are pleasant

The pre-China Dell Quietkeys with discreet domes are among the best rubber domes.

Look for RT7D5JTW (Made in Thailand), not SK1000, SK1000REW, or SK8000 (which are mushier, have one-piece keycap/slider instead of separate sliders and keycap, and have a lot more wobble). You can find them in both beige and dark grey.

I did daily drive an RT7D5JTW Dell Quietkey for a long time, but they're sort of fatiguing to type on after a while (I say this as someone that currently daily drives 90g MX Clear springs) - you need to bottom out pretty hard to get them to actuate

[Maledicted]

I recently bought a Niz keyboard.  It's extremely nice, but they're really not that much cheaper than a Topre.  The one I bought was nearly $200 after tax and shipping, but it's factory silenced and takes MX keycaps.  I've had a couple of Topre RGBs, and I prefer the Niz.  The sound and feel of the keys is much more consistent, so if you want to consider it a rubber dome keyboard, which it definitely is, I'd vote for that being the best rubber dome keyboard around, short of a Topre PFU Limited Edition.

I have only tried 45g Niz and 55g Topre in a regular 87u, but I agree based on that limited experience.

Niz boards are definitely not really a big cost savings vs Topre unless you find a screaming deal on a used one, since there's basically no used market for Niz.

[HungerMechanic]

Could you let us know how the MX Keys compares to the K740 in key weight? I understand that the K740 and other Perfectstroke keyboards are heavier than typical Cherry tactiles.

These Keytronics, I assume those are something from back in the day that feels ~kinda like maybe a U4 Boba?

I don't have them side by side to compare, but if I'd say the K740 is heavier, more tactile, and much longer travel. [Clipped]

Thanks for your incredibly detailed response! It's consistent with everything I've read about the K740. Too bad that the MX Keys feels indistinct by comparison.

I personally prefer light, somewhat crisp rubber domes that aren't loud or obnoxious. Just the kind of decent rubber domes you could get in the 90s or early 2000s, might have sounded like wet plastic but were otherwise unobtrusive. The old Thinkpad keyboards were like a luxury version of that.

With regard to the discussion of Niz keyboards happened here, I have an ABKO K935 that I reviewed here. The ABKO is just a higher-end Niz, the board being assembled to a higher QC spec. It is as advertised: great-sounding 'boiling water' sound, it's kind of like getting a silenced, MX-stem Topre in-the-box. Even has lubed Costar stabilizers that are sturdy.

Annoyance for me is the dome weight. They're listed at 45 G, but pennies test suggests 49 G. I would honestly prefer a 35 G, and nothing I do to my ABKO can change that short of overhaul.

It is compatible with a lot of MX keycaps, likes thick PBT the best. I have the AKKO PBT Muted set on it, it looks great. But the keycaps don't sound as good or dampen the tactility as well as the stock keycaps, which are still the best after extensive testing. So I may switch back to stock except for an accent spacebar and some other keys from ePBT.

[Maledicted]

With regard to the discussion of Niz keyboards happened here, I have an ABKO K935 that I reviewed here. The ABKO is just a higher-end Niz, the board being assembled to a higher QC spec.

They seem pretty poorly made to me. I don't know what kind of gorilla used and/or shipped the thing before I got it though. Not that it really matters if you know what you're getting into. Are other Niz boards even worse?

[butre]

With regard to the discussion of Niz keyboards happened here, I have an ABKO K935 that I reviewed here. The ABKO is just a higher-end Niz, the board being assembled to a higher QC spec.

They seem pretty poorly made to me. I don't know what kind of gorilla used and/or shipped the thing before I got it though. Not that it really matters if you know what you're getting into. Are other Niz boards even worse?

I'm not sure it's fair to call it poorly made based on what is effectively a used sample

[Maledicted]

With regard to the discussion of Niz keyboards happened here, I have an ABKO K935 that I reviewed here. The ABKO is just a higher-end Niz, the board being assembled to a higher QC spec.

They seem pretty poorly made to me. I don't know what kind of gorilla used and/or shipped the thing before I got it though. Not that it really matters if you know what you're getting into. Are other Niz boards even worse?

I'm not sure it's fair to call it poorly made based on what is effectively a used sample

I can tell that the plastic is extremely brittle. You wouldn't have seen some of the cracks/chips with something like polycarbonate. Being so brittle, the threading for the screws for the PCB should not have been molded into that same plastic. Who paints clear plastic instead of just molding in one color anyway?

I still love that board, but I was far from impressed with its materials.

[HungerMechanic]

Wow, that's crazy! Mine was shipped seamlessly, so I had no problems with materials or cracking. Mine was in perfect working order when it arrived, at least as perfect as it can be leaving the factory.

I've never opened it up, so this is a revelation for me.

When I say higher QC, I mean that my ABKO was put together better and had less irregularity than other Niz 75-80% keyboards from Niz itself.

The sections are put together fairly straight and flush, better than some examples of Niz-branded keyboards I have seen. Stabilizers straighter, board and keycaps more level overall. There were some irregularities with fit, interms of the legs or the overall assembly on many Niz keyboards that were not present in my ABKO. So that's what I mean that it is a Niz assembled to a higher standard.

Niz domes are pretty good, but it's the fit of the boards themselves that suffers. ABKO tries to remedy that, but you can still see it is using cheaper materials.

From a functional standpoint, mine is great. It seems like yours was really abused before you received it. Anyways, Niz needs to work on all the non-dome things, since their platforms are not generally built as well as Topre.

[Maledicted]

Wow, that's crazy! Mine was shipped seamlessly, so I had no problems with materials or cracking. Mine was in perfect working order when it arrived, at least as perfect as it can be leaving the factory.

I've never opened it up, so this is a revelation for me.

When I say higher QC, I mean that my ABKO was put together better and had less irregularity than other Niz 75-80% keyboards from Niz itself.

The sections are put together fairly straight and flush, better than some examples of Niz-branded keyboards I have seen. Stabilizers straighter, board and keycaps more level overall. There were some irregularities with fit, interms of the legs or the overall assembly on many Niz keyboards that were not present in my ABKO. So that's what I mean that it is a Niz assembled to a higher standard.

Niz domes are pretty good, but it's the fit of the boards themselves that suffers. ABKO tries to remedy that, but you can still see it is using cheaper materials.

From a functional standpoint, mine is great. It seems like yours was really abused before you received it. Anyways, Niz needs to work on all the non-dome things, since their platforms are not generally built as well as Topre.

Right, that's the thing. Mine was Amazon "renewed" by being chucked into a gorilla enclosure smothered with bananas, then delivered by Ace Ventura. Some of those plastic posts for the screws (ones that seemed undamaged previously) snapped off just taking the board apart and putting it back together a few times though. I don't know exactly what plastic it is, but I'm pretty sure it is the same as anything else I have used that was super glossy and clear that's been as brittle as cheap plastic cutlery.

I'll probably buy more eventually anyway. They do feel and sound great to me, and the damage to mine is an extreme case either way.

[Riverman]

The full-size Niz keyboard I have seems well made.  The case snaps together, but extremely tightly.  There's no slop or give in any of the parts.  My biggest complaints are that the case is boring-looking, and that the LEDs are unlabeled and really light up the housings of the volume keys above them.  Something should have been done about the light bleed.  I thought it was interesting that there are about 2/3 the number of screws holding the PCB to the plate compared to a Topre keyboard, but the whole assembly seems no less sturdy.  One oddity that I had to fix was that the dome sheet was a tiny bit too small, and had to be stretched an uncomfortable amount to fit around the various mounting pegs and slots.  It made the 3 key on the numpad feel off.  I cut the sheet in between the nav cluster and the numpad, and that fixed everything.  I'll have to keep an eye out for an Abko keyboard.

[el_murdoque]

<deleted>

[c.a.t.]

Planing to do a complete series of sound tests videos of vintage rubber dome keyboards on my channel. I have bunch of them. Some are awful, but other are really great!
Personally, if you don't include Topre in the list, my favorite is the Olivetti ANK25. Snapy heavy rubber dome! Love it! Plus, they look good!

[HungerMechanic]

There are so many good vintage rubber dome keyboards.

I think the real challenge is listing the good modern ones.

[jacobalbertus1]

i personaly would say and BTC or NMB dome with slider that isint beat to crap or a Lexmark rubber dome model m

[Leslieann]

Here's a question... and it answers the reason for lack of good modern domes and that is why? Why bother.

A "good" modern rubber dome brings nothing to the table worth anything.
Mechs are so cheap today that you aren't going to save much if any money, you can't repair it should anything happen to it and you have limited styles and choices.


Now if you start down the scissor path, absolutely, they still bring something to the table. The same applies to vintage, they bring a certain style, some had unique features but a good modern dome can't really compete with cheap mechs anymore, they've been priced out of existence. Funny when you consider rubber dome prices are what killed mechs the first time around.

[Altis]

Here's a question... and it answers the reason for lack of good modern domes and that is why? Why bother.

A "good" modern rubber dome brings nothing to the table worth anything.
Mechs are so cheap today that you aren't going to save much if any money, you can't repair it should anything happen to it and you have limited styles and choices.


Now if you start down the scissor path, absolutely, they still bring something to the table. The same applies to vintage, they bring a certain style, some had unique features but a good modern dome can't really compete with cheap mechs anymore, they've been priced out of existence. Funny when you consider rubber dome prices are what killed mechs the first time around.

I can only speak for myself, but mechanical switches and good rubber domes are quite different, and there are reasons why people might prefer the latter. I have quite a variety of boards and they each seem to have their own strengths and charms, but also drawbacks.

For me, I find good rubber domes to have a much nicer tactility and with a longer/smoother tactile hump that feels great when typing quickly. Most mechanical switches are more notchy with their tactility and they can feel like gritty linears at faster typing speeds. Rubber domes can also be smoother than many of the stock mech switches; they can be quieter and have a much less pronounced noise profile (blends in to an office environment well), and have either a hard or soft bottom-out. Then of course there's the charm and nostalgia of using some of the older boards, which can have very good build quality as well. 

As for making good modern ones, I think it's difficult to sell keyboards that are more expensive without some kind of marketing behind it -- having it just feel/sound/built better isn't enough. The masses want cheap as possible and features like RGB, or "mechanical cause it's better" (which if we're being honest isn't necessarily true). Even many if not most stock mech boards have awful stock keycaps and pretty cheap feeling build design and materials, reliability issues, until you get to the more expensive range. On top of that, I think people consider them to be stylistically old compared with scissor switch keyboards. There's just no market room left for them, as the only people left willing to spend decent money on a quality rubber dome probably prefer vintage anyways.

[HungerMechanic]

I agree.
 
Mechnanical keyboards aren't better than rubber domes, just different.

MX tactility is actually pretty weak, as is known. It feels notchy and scratchy most of the time.

Rubber domes often do feel smoother, more tactile, and pound-for-pound are quieter. I would say that the average $10-50 rubber dome is much better adapted towards the office environment than any mech in that price-range.

Of course, silent MX switches may offer the best of both worlds. And you have EC if you want a fancy and possibly silent rubber-dome. But this is way more pricey.

Rubber domes may be best from a cost and productivity standpoint. You just buy one for $20 without thinking about it, do your work, and buy a new one the next year. Granted, today a $40 mech may last 6 years and so beat out the rubber-domes.

Anyway, MX tactility can be perceived as inferior to rubber domes by many. Think about it, most of the electronic work in the world was being done on rubber domes from ~1995-2015, and may still be today. Those people are not necessarily yearning for an MX keyboard.

To get a mech with rich and impressive tactility, you have to go ALPS or EC [or BS]. So MX tactiles don't necessarily beat out rubber-dome. Although U4 Boba gets us beyond regular silent MX.

[Leslieann]

I can only speak for myself, but mechanical switches and good rubber domes are quite different, and there are reasons why people might prefer the latter. I have quite a variety of boards and they each seem to have their own strengths and charms, but also drawbacks.

For me, I find good rubber domes to have a much nicer tactility and with a longer/smoother tactile hump that feels great when typing quickly. Most mechanical switches are more notchy with their tactility and they can feel like gritty linears at faster typing speeds. Rubber domes can also be smoother than many of the stock mech switches; they can be quieter and have a much less pronounced noise profile (blends in to an office environment well), and have either a hard or soft bottom-out. Then of course there's the charm and nostalgia of using some of the older boards, which can have very good build quality as well. 

As for making good modern ones, I think it's difficult to sell keyboards that are more expensive without some kind of marketing behind it -- having it just feel/sound/built better isn't enough. The masses want cheap as possible and features like RGB, or "mechanical cause it's better" (which if we're being honest isn't necessarily true). Even many if not most stock mech boards have awful stock keycaps and pretty cheap feeling build design and materials, reliability issues, until you get to the more expensive range. On top of that, I think people consider them to be stylistically old compared with scissor switch keyboards. There's just no market room left for them, as the only people left willing to spend decent money on a quality rubber dome probably prefer vintage anyways.

Older boards do have charm, try mass marketing one now though. Fail.
Tactile feel depends on the switch, some are very different some are less so, the same goes for bottom out, some are not far off domes. There's a LOT of variety in MX switches these days.

As for quiet an office environment, I don't think I've ever had a board as quiet as my NK65. SUUUPER quiet.

[ander]

Oh, I forgot:

What does "best" even mean?

Referring to RDs, I'd say it means that they start with a crisp, defined, responsive touch that lasts as long as you can reasonably expect RDs to stay that way. And, more optionally, that they have a reasonably good sound—as I don't think any of us want keebs that are actually silent, even in an RD context, as it seems somewhat creepy when you're used to enjoying the many fun sounds of MKs when you don't have to be typing on RDs to avoid annoying people (the only reason to be using RDs, right?).

I've always kept a few good RDs around for those rare occasions when I must type in close proximity to people who, unfathomably, aren't receptive to the lovely clicky-clacks of MKs. One I failed to mention above is the Dell KB1421 (DT page here):





...new (NOS) examples of which I see can be had on eBay for as little as $20, as I write this. They're crisp, compact, pretty good-looking, and probably easier to obtain new (which, with RDs, you want to try to do) than the other models described here. You're certainly better off with one of those than any of the crap membrane boards filling store shelves these days, though I guess that goes without saying.

[HungerMechanic]

Can't argue with that. Dell is popular even today, with that Chad of a keyboard, the SK-8135 still having adherents.

I actually like some of the low-profile cheap chiclet rubber-domes that Dell puts out. Key travel is high but not excessive, mild tactility and quiet noise. Only problem is, there are many similar models and I find that some are good and others cheap-feeling.

[Riverman]

Every time I go to a coworker's desk and use one of the many different Dell rubber dome keyboards we have around the office, I'm always surprised at how heavy they are compared to my usual 45g Topre or something like an MX brown or black.  I'm leaving one of my coworkers a cheap cordless Logitech K520 when I leave for a new job.  It has a nice tactile snap to it, it's not overly heavy, and the keys, while they're not sculpted at all, are at least nice and cylindrical.

[Backspace2]

I think it has to be my very old Verbatim keyboard. Yup, the super cheap one on amazon for 7 bucks.

I dunno why I like it enough to not throw it out, but it got me through dozens of essays before, why not keep it just in case?

[HungerMechanic]

I think it has to be my very old Verbatim keyboard. Yup, the super cheap one on amazon for 7 bucks.

This one?

https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-Slimline-Keyboard-Accessibility-Compatible/dp/B017M4IX8W

[granola bar enthusiast]

ever since my dad introduced me to the internet, from as far i can remember i was typing on the Periboard-512-B, maybe that's because I'm still just a teenager but the keyboard is very nostalgic to me. for a brief review, it has a nice sound that is reminiscent of silenced topre on the downstroke but on the upstroke, there is a great amount of rattle and you also hear rattle when you slide your hands on the keys without pressing anything, this gets fixed when you lube it but it is still very annoying. Also, the extended parts of some keys on the edges feel very chalky and frequently get stuck so just press the middle. i wouldn't call it the best but when it is lubed it sounds amazing (i only lubed a few keys to preserve the nostalgia) and it feels great to type on thanks to the full size alice layout

[Backspace2]

I think it has to be my very old Verbatim keyboard. Yup, the super cheap one on amazon for 7 bucks.

This one?

https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-Slimline-Keyboard-Accessibility-Compatible/dp/B017M4IX8W

Yup! That's the one. Essay buster! 

[phinix]

Guys, you gave me so many examples of those dome keebs, I will need to try them one after another

[mohawk1367]

What is the best rubber dome keyboard? (Please do not say Topre)
What is your experience and which one would you suggest?
Looking for a cheap full keyboard for office use.

What's wrong with Topre?

[fohat.digs]

Looking for a cheap full keyboard

What's wrong with Topre?

Topre keyboards are generally quite pricey.